Gender mainstreaming: gender awareness raising

Gender awareness raising aims at increasing general sensitivity, understanding and knowledge about gender (in)equality. Awareness raising is a process which helps to facilitate the exchange of ideas, improve mutual understanding and develop competencies and skills necessary for societal change. Gender awareness raising means providing reliable and accessible information to build a better understanding of gender equality as a core value of democratic societies.

As a gender-mainstreaming method, gender awareness raising is crucial for integrating a gender perspective into policies, programmes, projects and services that respond to the different needs of women and men.