The goal of GM

Gender Mainstreaming is a relatively new strategy for achieving an old goal, gender equality.

Gender equality means:

• making an equally self-determined life possible for women as well as men. Gender equality policy does not seek to tell people how to live.
• forcing nobody to conform to stereotypical notions of “men” and “women”, regardless of whether these are meant “well” or otherwise. It is not only the Federal Constitutional Court that makes it a principle that no advantages or disadvantages may be associated with gender. Role assignments which result in a greater burden on or other disadvantages for one sex or the other may not be consolidated by means of measures by the state. Disadvantages which do exist de facto may be compensated by favourable measures.

The goals of gender equality policy are therefore

• the elimination of discrimination
• equal participation and
• a life free of conventional role patterns for both sexes (genuine freedom of choice).

The Gender Mainstreaming strategy confronts all those involved in decision-making processes with the fact that gender equality is a cross-sectional task. The possible impact on gender relations must then be analysed and assessed beforehand as well as continuously during the process and incorporated into further decision-making.