Resource Kit on Institutional Mechanisms for the Promotion of Equality between Women and Men

This online Resource Kit presents information about existing public institutions dealing with equality between women and men at international, European and national levels. It aims at helping NGOs and other interested actors to evaluate and influence international and European institutions as well as their national governments and enable them to strengthen weak or inefficient institutional mechanisms dealing with women's rights and gender equality. Section one looks at commitments made in favour of creating institutions dealing with equality between women and men, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Beiing Platform for Action. Section two looks at institutional mechanisms for equality between women and men at international and European level and in European Union (EU) member States, including gender-focused United Nations entities such as the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), institutional mechanisms for gender equality at European level, and Institutional mechanisms for gender equality in EU Member States. The Resource Kit concludes that national machineries have been set up or strengthened in most European countries and recognised as the institutional base for promoting equality between women and men. In many countries, these machineries have achieved greater visibility of gender equality issues. However, obstacles remain to the effectiveness of these machineries, including inadequate financial and human resources, a lack of political commitment, and insufficient understanding of gender equality and gender mainstreaming among government structures. In addition, national machineries often have unclear mandates or are marginalised within the government.