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Gender mainstreaming

  • What is Gender mainstreaming
    • Policy cycle
  • Institutions and structures
    • European Union
    • EU Member States
    • Stakeholders
    • International organizations
  • Policy areas
    • Agriculture and rural development
      • Policy cycle
    • Culture
      • Policy cycle
    • Digital agenda
      • Policy cycle
    • Economic and financial affairs
      • #3 Steps Forward
        • How can you make a difference?
      • Economic Benefits of Gender Equality in the EU
      • Policy cycle
    • Education
      • Policy cycle
    • Employment
      • Policy cycle
      • Structures
    • Energy
      • Policy cycle
    • Entrepreneurship
      • Policy cycle
    • Environment and climate change
      • Policy cycle
    • Health
      • Policy cycle
    • Justice
      • Policy cycle
    • Maritime affairs and fisheries
      • Policy cycle
    • Migration
      • Policy cycle
    • Poverty
      • Policy cycle
    • Regional policy
      • Policy cycle
    • Research
      • Policy cycle
    • Security
      • Policy cycle
    • Sport
      • Policy cycle
    • Tourism
      • Policy cycle
    • Transport
      • Policy cycle
    • Youth
      • Policy cycle
  • Toolkits
    • Gender Equality Training
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is Gender Equality Training
      • Why invest in Gender Equality Training
      • Who should use Gender Equality Training
      • Step-by-step guide to Gender Equality Training
        • Preparation phase
          • 1. Assess the needs
          • 2. Integrate initiatives to broader strategy
          • 3. Ensure sufficient resources
          • 4. Write good terms of reference
          • 5. Select a trainer
        • Implementation phase
          • 6. Engage in the needs assessment
          • 7. Actively participate in the initiative
          • 8. Invite others to join in
          • 9. Monitoring framework and procedures
        • Evaluation and follow-up phase
          • 10. Set up an evaluation framework
          • 11. Assess long-term impacts
          • 12. Give space and support others
      • Designing effective Gender Equality Training
      • Gender Equality Training in the EU
      • Good Practices on Gender Equality Training
      • More resources on Gender Equality Training
      • More on EIGE's work on Gender Equality Training
    • Gender Impact Assessment
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is Gender Impact Assessment
      • Why use Gender Impact Assessment
      • Who should use Gender Impact Assessment
      • When to use Gender Impact Assessment
      • Guide to Gender Impact Assessment
        • Step 1: Definition of policy purpose
        • Step 2: Checking gender relevance
        • Step 3: Gender-sensitive analysis
        • Step 4: Weighing gender impact
        • Step 5: Findings and proposals for improvement
      • Following up on gender impact assessment
      • General considerations
      • Examples from the EU
        • European Union
          • European Commission
        • National level
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Denmark
          • Finland
          • Sweden
        • Regional level
          • Basque country
          • Catalonia
        • Local level
          • Lower Saxony
          • Swedish municipalities
    • Institutional Transformation
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is Institutional Transformation
        • Institutional transformation and gender: Key points
        • Gender organisations
        • Types of institutions
        • Gender mainstreaming and institutional transformation
        • Dimensions of gender mainstreaming in institutions: The SPO model
      • Why focus on Institutional Transformation
        • Motivation model
      • Who the guide is for
      • Guide to Institutional Transformation
        • Preparation phase
          • 1. Creating accountability and strengthening commitment
          • 2. Allocating resources
          • 3. Conducting an organisational analysis
          • 4. Developing a strategy and work plan
        • Implementation phase
          • 5. Establishing a support structure
          • 6. Setting gender equality objectives
          • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
          • 8. Introducing gender mainstreaming
          • 9. Developing gender equality competence
          • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
          • 11. Launching gender equality action plans
          • 12. Promotional equal opportunities
        • Evaluation and follow-up phase
          • 13. Monitoring and steering organisational change
      • Dealing with resistance
        • Discourse level
        • Individual level
        • Organisational level
        • Statements and reactions
      • Checklist: Key questions for change
      • Examples from the EU
        • Preparation phase
          • 1. Strengthening accountability
          • 2. Allocating resources
          • 3. Organisational analysis
          • 4. Developing a strategy and working plan
        • Implementation phase
          • 5. Establishing a support structure
          • 6. Setting objectives
          • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
          • 8. Introducing methods and tools
          • 9. Developing Competence
          • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
          • 11. Launching action plans
          • 12. Promoting within an organisation
        • Evaluation and follow-up phase
          • 13. Monitoring and evaluating
    • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
      • Back to toolkit page
      • WHAT
        • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
        • Terms and definitions
        • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
        • About the Gear Tool
      • WHY
        • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
        • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
        • Why change must be structural
        • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
      • HOW
        • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
          • Step 1: Getting started
          • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
          • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
        • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
          • Step 1: Getting started
          • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
          • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
        • GEAR action toolbox
          • Work-life balance and organisational culture
          • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
          • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
          • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
          • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
          • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
          • Data collection and monitoring
          • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
          • GEP development and implementation
          • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
        • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
        • Challenges & resistance
      • WHERE
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czechia
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Netherlands
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • United Kingdom
    • Gender-sensitive Parliaments
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is the tool for?
      • Who is the tool for?
      • How to use the tool
      • Self-assessment, scoring and interpretation of parliament gender-sensitivity
        • AREA 1 – Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
          • Domain 1 – Electoral system and gender quotas
          • Domain 2 - Political party/group procedures
          • Domain 3 – Recruitment of parliamentary employees
        • AREA 2 – Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
          • Domain 1 – Parliamentarians’ presence and capacity in a parliament
          • Domain 2 – Structure and organisation
          • Domain 3 – Staff organisation and procedures
        • AREA 3 – Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
          • Domain 1 – Gender mainstreaming structures
          • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming tools in parliamentary work
          • Domain 3 – Gender mainstreaming tools for staff
        • AREA 4 – The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
          • Domain 1 – Gender equality laws and policies
          • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming in laws
          • Domain 3 – Oversight of gender equality
        • AREA 5 – The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
          • Domain 1 – Symbolic meanings of spaces
          • Domain 2 – Gender equality in external communication and representation
      • How gender-sensitive are parliaments in the EU?
      • Examples of gender-sensitive practices in parliaments
        • Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
        • Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
        • Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
        • The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
        • The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
      • Glossary of terms
      • References and resources
    • Gender Budgeting
      • Back to toolkit page
      • Who is this toolkit for?
      • What is gender budgeting?
        • Introducing gender budgeting
        • Gender budgeting in women’s and men’s lived realities
        • What does gender budgeting involve in practice?
        • Gender budgeting in the EU Funds
          • Gender budgeting as a way of complying with EU legal requirements
          • Gender budgeting as a way of promoting accountability and transparency
          • Gender budgeting as a way of increasing participation in budget processes
          • Gender budgeting as a way of advancing gender equality
      • Why is gender budgeting important in the EU Funds?
        • Three reasons why gender budgeting is crucial in the EU Funds
      • How can we apply gender budgeting in the EU Funds? Practical tools and Member State examples
        • Tool 1: Connecting the EU Funds with the EU’s regulatory framework on gender equality
          • Legislative and regulatory basis for EU policies on gender equality
          • Concrete requirements for considering gender equality within the EU Funds
          • EU Funds’ enabling conditions
          • Additional resources
        • Tool 2: Analysing gender inequalities and gender needs at the national and sub-national levels
          • Steps to assess and analyse gender inequalities and needs
          • Step 1. Collect information and disaggregated data on the target group
          • Step 2. Identify existing gender inequalities and their underlying causes
          • Step 3. Consult directly with the target groups
          • Step 4. Draw conclusions
          • Additional resources
        • Tool 3: Operationalising gender equality in policy objectives and specific objectives/measures
          • Steps for operationalising gender equality in Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes
          • General guidance on operationalising gender equality when developing policy objectives, specific objectives and measures
          • Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Partnership Agreements
          • Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Operational Programmes
          • Examples of integrating gender equality as a horizontal principle in policy objectives and specific objectives
        • Tool 4: Coordination and complementarities between the EU Funds to advance work-life balance
          • Steps for enhancing coordination and complementarities between the funds
          • Step 1. Alignment with the EU’s strategic engagement goals for gender equality and national gender equality goals
          • Steps 2 and 3. Identifying and developing possible work-life balance interventions
          • Step 4. Following-up through the use of indicators within M&E systems
          • Fictional case study 1: reconciling paid work and childcare
          • Fictional case study 2: reconciling shift work and childcare
          • Fictional case study 3: balancing care for oneself and others
          • Fictional case study 4: reconciling care for children and older persons with shift work
          • Additional resources
        • Tool 5: Defining partnerships and multi-level governance
          • Steps for defining partnerships and multi-level governance
          • Additional resources
        • Tool 6: Developing quantitative and qualitative indicators for advancing gender equality
          • Steps to develop quantitative and qualitative indicators
          • ERDF and Cohesion Fund
          • ESF+
          • EMFF
          • Additional resources
        • Tool 7: Defining gender-sensitive project selection criteria
          • Steps to support gender-sensitive project development and selection
          • Checklist to guide the preparation of calls for project proposals
          • Checklist for project selection criteria
          • Supplementary tool 7.a: Gender-responsive agreements with project implementers
        • Tool 8: Tracking resource allocations for gender equality in the EU Funds
          • Ensuring gender relevance in EU Funds
          • The tracking system
          • Steps for tracking resource allocations on gender equality
          • Step 1: Ex ante approach
          • Step 2: Ex post approach
          • Examples of Step 2a
          • Annex 1: Ex ante assignment of intervention fields to the gender equality dimension codes
          • Annex 2: The EU’s gender equality legal and policy framework
        • Tool 9: Mainstreaming gender equality in project design
          • Steps to mainstream gender equality in project design
          • Step 1. Alignment with partnership agreements’ and Operational Programmes’ gender objectives and indicators
          • Step 2. Project development and application
          • Step 3. Project implementation
          • Step 4. Project assessment
        • Tool 10: Integrating a gender perspective in monitoring and evaluation processes
          • Steps to integrate a gender perspective in M&E processes
          • Additional resources
        • Tool 11: Reporting on resource spending for gender equality in the EU Funds
          • Tracking expenditures for gender equality
          • Additional resources
      • Resources
        • References
        • Abbreviations
        • Acknowledgements
    • Gender-responsive Public Procurement
      • Back to toolkit page
      • Who is this toolkit for?
        • Guiding you through the toolkit
      • What is gender-responsive public procurement?
        • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender equality?
        • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender budgeting?
      • Why is gender-responsive public procurement important?
        • Five reasons why gender-responsive public procurement
        • Why was this toolkit produced
      • Gender-responsive public procurement in practice
        • Legal framework cross-references gender equality and public procurement
        • Public procurement strategies cover GRPP
        • Gender equality action plans or strategies mention public procurement
        • Capacity-building programmes, support structures
        • Regular collaboration between gender equality bodies
        • Effective monitoring and reporting systems on the use of GRPP
        • Tool 1:Self-assessment questionnaire about the legal
        • Tool 2: Overview of the legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks
      • How to include gender aspects in tendering procedures
        • Pre-procurement stage
          • Needs assessment
          • Tool 3: Decision tree to assess the gender relevance
          • Preliminary market consultation
          • Tool 4: Guiding questions for needs assessment
          • Defining the subject matter of the contract
          • Choosing the procedure
          • Tool 5: Decision tree for the choice of procedure for GRPP
          • Dividing the contract into lots
          • Tool 6: Guiding questions for dividing contracts into lots for GRPP
          • Light regime for social, health and other specific services
          • Tool 7: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
          • Tool 8: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
          • Reserved contracts
          • Preparing tender documents
        • Procurement stage
          • Exclusion grounds
          • Selection criteria
          • Technical specifications
          • Tool 9: Decision tree for setting GRPP selection criteria
          • Award criteria
          • Tool 10: Formulating GRPP award criteria
          • Tool 11: Bidders’ concepts to ensure the integration of gender aspects
          • Use of labels/certifications
        • Post-procurement stage
          • Tool 12: Checklist for including GRPP contract performance conditions
          • Subcontracting
          • Monitoring
          • Reporting
          • Tool 13: Template for a GRPP monitoring and reporting plan
      • References
      • Additional resources
  • Methods and tools
    • Browse
    • About EIGE's methods and tools
    • Gender analysis
    • Gender audit
    • Gender awareness-raising
    • Gender budgeting
    • Gender impact assessment
    • Gender equality training
    • Gender-responsive evaluation
    • Gender statistics and indicators
    • Gender monitoring
    • Gender planning
    • Gender-responsive public procurement
    • Gender stakeholder consultation
    • Sex-disaggregated data
    • Institutional transformation
    • Examples of methods and tools
    • Resources
  • Good practices
    • Browse
    • About good practices
    • EIGE’s approach to good practices
  • Country specific information
    • Belgium
      • Overview
    • Bulgaria
      • Overview
    • Czechia
      • Overview
    • Denmark
      • Overview
    • Germany
      • Overview
    • Estonia
      • Overview
    • Ireland
      • Overview
    • Greece
      • Overview
    • Spain
      • Overview
    • France
      • Overview
    • Croatia
      • Overview
    • Italy
      • Overview
    • Cyprus
      • Overview
    • Latvia
      • Overview
    • Lithuania
      • Overview
    • Luxembourg
      • Overview
    • Hungary
      • Overview
    • Malta
      • Overview
    • Netherlands
      • Overview
    • Austria
      • Overview
    • Poland
      • Overview
    • Portugal
      • Overview
    • Romania
      • Overview
    • Slovenia
      • Overview
    • Slovakia
      • Overview
    • Finland
      • Overview
    • Sweden
      • Overview
  • EIGE’s publications on Gender mainstreaming
  • Concepts and definitions
  • Power Up conference 2019
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  • Menu
  • Gender mainstreaming
    • What is Gender mainstreaming
      • Policy cycle
    • Institutions and structures
      • European Union
      • EU Member States
      • Stakeholders
      • International organizations
    • Policy areas
      • Agriculture and rural development
        • Policy cycle
      • Culture
        • Policy cycle
      • Digital agenda
        • Policy cycle
      • Economic and financial affairs
        • #3 Steps Forward
          • How can you make a difference?
        • Economic Benefits of Gender Equality in the EU
        • Policy cycle
      • Education
        • Policy cycle
      • Employment
        • Policy cycle
        • Structures
      • Energy
        • Policy cycle
      • Entrepreneurship
        • Policy cycle
      • Environment and climate change
        • Policy cycle
      • Health
        • Policy cycle
      • Justice
        • Policy cycle
      • Maritime affairs and fisheries
        • Policy cycle
      • Migration
        • Policy cycle
      • Poverty
        • Policy cycle
      • Regional policy
        • Policy cycle
      • Research
        • Policy cycle
      • Security
        • Policy cycle
      • Sport
        • Policy cycle
      • Tourism
        • Policy cycle
      • Transport
        • Policy cycle
      • Youth
        • Policy cycle
    • Toolkits
      • Gender Equality Training
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Equality Training
        • Why invest in Gender Equality Training
        • Who should use Gender Equality Training
        • Step-by-step guide to Gender Equality Training
            • 1. Assess the needs
            • 2. Integrate initiatives to broader strategy
            • 3. Ensure sufficient resources
            • 4. Write good terms of reference
            • 5. Select a trainer
            • 6. Engage in the needs assessment
            • 7. Actively participate in the initiative
            • 8. Invite others to join in
            • 9. Monitoring framework and procedures
            • 10. Set up an evaluation framework
            • 11. Assess long-term impacts
            • 12. Give space and support others
        • Designing effective Gender Equality Training
        • Gender Equality Training in the EU
        • Good Practices on Gender Equality Training
        • More resources on Gender Equality Training
        • More on EIGE's work on Gender Equality Training
      • Gender Impact Assessment
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Impact Assessment
        • Why use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Who should use Gender Impact Assessment
        • When to use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Guide to Gender Impact Assessment
          • Step 1: Definition of policy purpose
          • Step 2: Checking gender relevance
          • Step 3: Gender-sensitive analysis
          • Step 4: Weighing gender impact
          • Step 5: Findings and proposals for improvement
        • Following up on gender impact assessment
        • General considerations
        • Examples from the EU
            • European Commission
            • Austria
            • Belgium
            • Denmark
            • Finland
            • Sweden
            • Basque country
            • Catalonia
            • Lower Saxony
            • Swedish municipalities
      • Institutional Transformation
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Institutional Transformation
          • Institutional transformation and gender: Key points
          • Gender organisations
          • Types of institutions
          • Gender mainstreaming and institutional transformation
          • Dimensions of gender mainstreaming in institutions: The SPO model
        • Why focus on Institutional Transformation
          • Motivation model
        • Who the guide is for
        • Guide to Institutional Transformation
            • 1. Creating accountability and strengthening commitment
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Conducting an organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and work plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting gender equality objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing gender mainstreaming
            • 9. Developing gender equality competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching gender equality action plans
            • 12. Promotional equal opportunities
            • 13. Monitoring and steering organisational change
        • Dealing with resistance
          • Discourse level
          • Individual level
          • Organisational level
          • Statements and reactions
        • Checklist: Key questions for change
        • Examples from the EU
            • 1. Strengthening accountability
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and working plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing methods and tools
            • 9. Developing Competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching action plans
            • 12. Promoting within an organisation
            • 13. Monitoring and evaluating
      • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
        • Back to toolkit page
        • WHAT
          • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
          • Terms and definitions
          • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
          • About the Gear Tool
        • WHY
          • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
          • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
          • Why change must be structural
          • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR action toolbox
            • Work-life balance and organisational culture
            • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
            • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
            • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
            • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
            • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
            • Data collection and monitoring
            • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
            • GEP development and implementation
            • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
          • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
          • Challenges & resistance
        • WHERE
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Croatia
          • Cyprus
          • Czechia
          • Denmark
          • Estonia
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Hungary
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Latvia
          • Lithuania
          • Luxembourg
          • Malta
          • Netherlands
          • Poland
          • Portugal
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • United Kingdom
      • Gender-sensitive Parliaments
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is the tool for?
        • Who is the tool for?
        • How to use the tool
        • Self-assessment, scoring and interpretation of parliament gender-sensitivity
          • AREA 1 – Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
            • Domain 1 – Electoral system and gender quotas
            • Domain 2 - Political party/group procedures
            • Domain 3 – Recruitment of parliamentary employees
          • AREA 2 – Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
            • Domain 1 – Parliamentarians’ presence and capacity in a parliament
            • Domain 2 – Structure and organisation
            • Domain 3 – Staff organisation and procedures
          • AREA 3 – Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
            • Domain 1 – Gender mainstreaming structures
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming tools in parliamentary work
            • Domain 3 – Gender mainstreaming tools for staff
          • AREA 4 – The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
            • Domain 1 – Gender equality laws and policies
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming in laws
            • Domain 3 – Oversight of gender equality
          • AREA 5 – The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
            • Domain 1 – Symbolic meanings of spaces
            • Domain 2 – Gender equality in external communication and representation
        • How gender-sensitive are parliaments in the EU?
        • Examples of gender-sensitive practices in parliaments
          • Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
          • Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
          • Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
          • The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
          • The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
        • Glossary of terms
        • References and resources
      • Gender Budgeting
        • Back to toolkit page
        • Who is this toolkit for?
        • What is gender budgeting?
          • Introducing gender budgeting
          • Gender budgeting in women’s and men’s lived realities
          • What does gender budgeting involve in practice?
          • Gender budgeting in the EU Funds
            • Gender budgeting as a way of complying with EU legal requirements
            • Gender budgeting as a way of promoting accountability and transparency
            • Gender budgeting as a way of increasing participation in budget processes
            • Gender budgeting as a way of advancing gender equality
        • Why is gender budgeting important in the EU Funds?
          • Three reasons why gender budgeting is crucial in the EU Funds
        • How can we apply gender budgeting in the EU Funds? Practical tools and Member State examples
          • Tool 1: Connecting the EU Funds with the EU’s regulatory framework on gender equality
            • Legislative and regulatory basis for EU policies on gender equality
            • Concrete requirements for considering gender equality within the EU Funds
            • EU Funds’ enabling conditions
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 2: Analysing gender inequalities and gender needs at the national and sub-national levels
            • Steps to assess and analyse gender inequalities and needs
            • Step 1. Collect information and disaggregated data on the target group
            • Step 2. Identify existing gender inequalities and their underlying causes
            • Step 3. Consult directly with the target groups
            • Step 4. Draw conclusions
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 3: Operationalising gender equality in policy objectives and specific objectives/measures
            • Steps for operationalising gender equality in Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes
            • General guidance on operationalising gender equality when developing policy objectives, specific objectives and measures
            • Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Partnership Agreements
            • Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Operational Programmes
            • Examples of integrating gender equality as a horizontal principle in policy objectives and specific objectives
          • Tool 4: Coordination and complementarities between the EU Funds to advance work-life balance
            • Steps for enhancing coordination and complementarities between the funds
            • Step 1. Alignment with the EU’s strategic engagement goals for gender equality and national gender equality goals
            • Steps 2 and 3. Identifying and developing possible work-life balance interventions
            • Step 4. Following-up through the use of indicators within M&E systems
            • Fictional case study 1: reconciling paid work and childcare
            • Fictional case study 2: reconciling shift work and childcare
            • Fictional case study 3: balancing care for oneself and others
            • Fictional case study 4: reconciling care for children and older persons with shift work
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 5: Defining partnerships and multi-level governance
            • Steps for defining partnerships and multi-level governance
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 6: Developing quantitative and qualitative indicators for advancing gender equality
            • Steps to develop quantitative and qualitative indicators
            • ERDF and Cohesion Fund
            • ESF+
            • EMFF
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 7: Defining gender-sensitive project selection criteria
            • Steps to support gender-sensitive project development and selection
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Fulfilling a commitment to gender mainstreaming

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Good practice
Country: Sweden
Section:
Gender Training
Topics:
Education, Employment
Period:
2009 - 2012
Publication date:
09 March 2015
In-house seminar on gender budgeting

In brief

ESF Jämt was a project run between 2009 and 2013 Sweden’s 21 county administrative boards (Länsstyrelser) to entrench gender mainstreaming in the ESF and the projects it supports across the country. It was based on a survey which showed that although gender mainstreaming was an obligatory part of all ESF projects, its take-up was being impeded by unclear problem analyses and objectives.

The project established a team of support workers in eight Swedish regions, with a central co-ordinator. It developed a set of tools and methods including techniques such as SWOT and 4R analysis and information and training materials.

It offered a support service to people and organisations designing or running ESF projects, and was often called up on by project promoters anxious to comply with the gender mainstreaming requirements laid down in the application procedure.

The project organised 900 training sessions and delivering delivered more than 2,000 counselling sessions, which attracted 9,000 women and 4,000 men.

It has resulted in a better implementation of gender mainstreaming in Swedish ESF projects however its effectiveness was limited by the fact that it worked only at project level and not at programme level, and it found that collaboration between the ESF managing authorities and the national ESF council could have been better.

What’s the problem?

In Sweden, gender mainstreaming has been the guiding principle for achieving gender equality since 1994. Currently, national policy states that the goals set out for gender equality policy should be reached through the systematic integration of a gender equality perspective with all policy areas, at all levels and stages, and by the actors involved in the policy-making processes. The policy focus is divided into four specific objectives:

  1. equal distribution of power and influence
  2. economic equality
  3. equal distribution of unpaid care and household work
  4. men’s violence against women must come to an end

In addition, the official statistical office is mandated to present all official statistics concerning individuals or groups disaggregated by gender.

Achieving these objectives has played an increasingly important role since the European Commission recognised that gender equality policies are vital for economic growth, prosperity and competitiveness. The Swedish European Social Fund (ESF) programme for 2009-2013 stipulated that ‘all projects supported by the ESF are expected to integrate gender into their work’. Yet, to successfully address this requirement, some challenges had to be faced.

According to the baseline study conducted by four county administrative boards before the implementation of the ESF programme for 2009-2013, the lack of clear objectives and problem definitions related to the on-going monitoring of gender mainstreaming in ESF-funded projects restrains gender main­streaming at national and region­al levels. At the project level, a considerable knowledge gap has been identified, which limits the effectiveness of the projects.

Supporting ESF projects

In order to tackle these issues, a three-year project called ESF Jämt (ESF Forever’) was launched in 2009 to support gender mainstreaming within the ESF and to integrate a gender perspective into ESF-funded projects. It is a joint initiative of the 21 Swedish county admin­istrative boards (läns­styrelser), co-ordinated by that for Örebro county. The main purpose of ESF Jämt is to offer regional-level support in the form of counselling, training and monitoring for existing and prospective ESF-funded projects in order to increase the quality of gender mainstreaming within these projects. The project’s staff comprised eight project support­ers and a national coordinator. A steering group composed of gender experts, a chairman and a national coordinator was res­ponsible for the initiative’s strategy.

ESF Jämt was established to support the infusion of a gender perspective into ESF projects by putting into practice and cementing what gender equality and gender mainstreaming actually means and how these principles can be integrated into the projects. Its specific objectives were as follows:

  • Increasing the number of projects that were eligible when assessed for ESF support by incorporating the gender dimension into their core activities;
  • Reaching a customer satisfaction index of 95% among the participants at the workshops and gender training sessions organised to support their activities;
  • Arranging seven basic training sessions or workshops in the regions for ESF project applicants and approved ESF projects (i.e. project managers and steering and management groups);
  • For 2012, Providing individual counselling for 25 projects each year and enhanced support for four or five projects per region, as well as working towards the strategic impact objectives defined by the steering group.

Better knowledge and better co-ordination

The project was expected to increase knowledge of gender mainstreaming among the organisations and individuals implementing the ESF programme, including project leaders, steering group members and the project owners, and to increase the quality of ESF projects.

This was to be achieved by improving collaboration between the institutions involved in supporting ESF projects, such as the state institutions involved in the project cycle, and by disseminating good practices and results among local, regional, national and international actors. This approach acknowledges that gender equality plays a pivotal role in the development and growth of every region.

The scale of the challenges can be estimated from the fact that during the period 2008-2011, the ESF supported 833 projects involving more than 153,000 people. Against this, ESF Jämt organised no fewer than 900 training sessions and delivered 2,000 counselling sessions, which attracted 9,000 women and 4,000 men.

Overall, the project has contributed to the development of knowledge on gender equality among its participants and the effective implementation of a gender perspective in the ESF projects at all levels. The training offered as a part of ESF Jämt has increased the projects’ quality and contributed to a better analysis of the project work through different gender analysis methods.

As regards the impact of ESF Jämt at policy level, the Swedish ESF Council has submitted 10 proposals to the government for the ESF programme 2014-2020. It has been noted in the evaluation of the ESF programme 2009-2013 that ESF Jämt strongly contributed to the development of gender equality and gender mainstreaming.

Tailored support for projects 

The analysis undertaken by the county administrative boards in 2008 highlighted the lack of knowledge and understanding with regard to the theoretical and practical dimensions of gender mainstreaming within ESF projects. Therefore, ESF Jämt emerged as a response to the need to set up a specific mechanism to offer practical tools along with theoretical learning to increase the quality and target achievement of the projects. To support this process, the project developed tailored training sessions, tools, methods and other assistance. In general, the assistance is offered on an on-going basis and involves a mix of
theoretical and practical tools. The theoretical tools usually involved national gender policy and objectives, gender theory and the presentation of statistics disaggregated by gender. The practical instruments were mainly tailored discussions about specific issues emerging from projects and possible solutions to overcome them. During this process it was important that the participants understand the potential of integrating a gender mainstreaming perspective into their work.

Project managers, leaders and steering groups were able to request gender trainers’ support, and they typically asked for this when they lacked the knowledge to meet the gender mainstreaming requirements of the Swedish ESF Council. The form of support that was provided depended on the stage of the project’s development, the knowledge of a target group on gender mainstreaming, and other specific needs related to the project. For instance a wide range of tools such as guidelines to the regional ESF office, manuals for project implementation and workshop material like the book Momentum! Gender mainstreaming and ESF Jämt were developed by ESF Jämt, the Swedish government, consultants and gender trainers. There were also briefings on ESF funding, individual consulting including telephone and e-mail support, and training in basic gender knowledge and skills. In addition, workshops, seminars and conferences were organised to allow the transfer of knowledge and the exchange of experiences.

The 4Rs: representation, resources, realia and realisation

An interesting aspect of the ESF Jämt support mechanism is coaching and mentoring the projects towards innovative ways of delivering services. The methods and tools used to determine the strategy of the projects included SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) with a gender perspective and the 4R method. This is a develop­ment of the 3R method and stands for representation, resources, realia and realisation. It involves carrying out a gender analysis by surveying the gender representation of women and men, examining how resources are allocated, analysing gender patterns and how they affect both genders, and finally formulating objectives, measures and plans to address the problems. It helps to develop a general picture of how the operation is run and financed and explore what changes are required to meet differing needs of women and men. Its goal is to integrate the gender dimension in different activities through quantitative surveys and qualitative analyses.

Evaluating the long-term impact

The quality of the support offered was discussed on a continuous basis with the project supporters, by the steering group, and with external observers. Throughout the project, a group of evaluators used questionnaires given to participants after every training session, case studies and in-depth interviews with the people engaged in the project, gender trainers, ESF administrators and other people involved. The criteria used for the evaluation are directly linked to the objectives of the project. The coordinator presented the results of the evaluation to the steering group on a regular basis.

In addition, a sample of four to five projects from each region will be used to show the long-term results and provide learning examples on integrating a gender perspective into the ESF-funded projects. The questionnaires developed to assess these initiatives are designed to elicit an understanding of specific behavioural aspects, such as beneficiaries’ opinions on the support, as well as the main benefits it has brought. Based on the responses collected, a final group of eight projects will be selected for further in-depth stakeholder interviews.

There were some ways in which the project’s effectiveness could have been improved. Support could have been provided on a long-term regular basis instead of temporarily, and at programme level as well as project level. Also, collaboration between the managing authorities and intermediate bodies and the ESF Council could have been stronger. These aspects will be addressed in the 2014-2020 programming period.

The project was funded by the ESF and the total amount of resources spent on gender training in 2012 amounted to SEK 8.8 million (€950,000).

Need for a programme-level approach

The project was successful for several reasons. Firstly, the Swedish ESF Council requires ESF-funded projects to integrate a gender perspective, which resulted in the more systematic implementation of gender mainstreaming in ESF projects. Secondly, the gender mainstreaming perspective of ESF Jämt is compatible with both the Swedish government and the European perspective. Thus, it is not perceived as a new obligation by project applicants and beneficiaries. Thirdly, the eight project supporters work in all ESF regions, which allowed them to gain a good knowledge of the peculiarities of each area. Lastly, direct contact with gender trainers contributed to modifying the project through various gender analysis methods (4R and SWOT analysis).

The main obstacles the project faced were that, at the national level, the working model for gender mainstreaming was insufficiently developed, and there were too few reviews of project work from a gender equality perspective. More specific challenges were that the support structure for gender mainstreaming within the ESF remains a temporary solution, ESF Jämt only worked at the project level and not at the programme level, and managing authorities, intermediate bodies and the ESF Council put too little effort into monitoring and evaluation.

These challenges are considered as risk factors, which may affect important aspects of a sustainable gender mainstreaming process. Several measures have been developed to tackle these problems, including a seminar with ESF managers in the second half of 2012 and a conference at the end of November 2012 to share knowledge through the dissemination of learning examples.

Three lessons

Three lessons emerge from the project. Firstly, in order to design an effective gender mainstreaming project, it is important that the gender perspective implemented at the project level is compatible with the national and the European perspective. Secondly, when mainstreaming gender into ESF-funded projects, the gender perspective should be taken into account when the programme is conceptualised, not only at the specific project level. Thirdly, gender training should be tailored to the specific needs of ESF projects. These needs can be more accurately identified if a gender trainer is familiar with the demands of the participants and the local context (e.g. cultural specifics).

Contacts/Further Information

Contacts

Kerstin Lillje

Länsstyrelsen Örebro /County Administrative board of Örebro

Tel:+46 10-224 86 06  mob: +46 706- 24 86 04

Kerstin.Lillje@lansstyrelsen.se 

 

Monica Forsman

Länsstyrelsen  Västerbotten/ County administrative board of Västerbotten

Tel: +46 10- 225 43 16  mob. +46 703-83 71 48

monica.forsman@lansstyrelsen.se

Further information

Empowering women on the labour market, case study compendium by Prof. Gill Scott, June 2010

Momentum! Gender mainstreaming and ESF Jämt, Örebro County Administrative Board in collaboration with the other County Administrative Boards, 2011

Swedish ESF Council page on ESF Jämt

A journey into gender equality through Sweden

Collected methods for gender mainstreaming from ESF JÄMT

14 ways of working equally!

Film, "Könsspelet", (in Swedish)

More good practices

EIGE's collection of good practices

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Downloads

Fulfilling a commitment to gender mainstreaming - Sweden
EN (PDF, 310.54 KB)

Metadata

Tool:
Competence development
  • In brief
  • What’s the problem?
  • Supporting ESF projects
  • Better knowledge and better co-ordination
  • Tailored support for projects 
  • The 4Rs: representation, resources, realia and realisation
  • Evaluating the long-term impact
  • Need for a programme-level approach
  • Three lessons
  • Contacts/Further Information
  • More good practices
  • Downloads

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