Gender Mainstreaming and Its Consequences in the European Union

Citation:

Fodor, Eva. 2006. “Gender Mainstreaming and Its Consequences in the European Union.” The Analyst: Central and Eastern European Review 2 (2): 1-16.

Author: Eva Fodor

Abstract:

In an ironic but presumably not coincidental twist of fate, West European governments and international organizations began insisting on the institutionalization of equal opportunities just as the East Europeans began to completely abandon the notion of women’s equality. In the course of the enlargement process, the candidate countries had to demonstrate their commitment to the EU’s equal opportunity directives; equal opportunities had to be guaranteed by law, and aspiring member states had to establish government agencies that support the realization of gender equality in society and offer legal remedies to those who can prove they have been subject to discrimination. Furthermore, they also had to develop coordinated and unified data collection in all walks of life, from poverty to sports. But what does the creation of equal opportunities for the sexes really mean, and what social ills can it be expected to cure? Does it have any significance for the post-communist EU member states? And how efficiently can they achieve its social objectives by employing the strategy of gender equality? These are the issues addressed by this article.

Topics: Gender, Gender Mainstreaming, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, Governance, International Organizations Regions: Europe

Year: 2006