Gender Mainstreaming encounters mature structures for the promotion of women and marks itself out as a new strategy by targeting women and men equally. Gender equality is being integrated into all areas as a cross-sectional task. The situation of women is no longer treated as just an exclusive problem in terms of deficiency, but gender relations as a whole are becoming the center of attention.

There are occasionally fears, in view of the shortage of resources, that the implementation of Gender Mainstreaming will take resources from elsewhere. These fears are needless, since mature promotional structures are not being replaced. Gender Mainstreaming and the promotion of women complement and reinforce each other. Gender Mainstreaming includes tried and tested women’s promotion measures, such as women’s promotion plans, which are still necessary wherever a structural disadvantage of women in relation to men first has to be balanced out. In areas such as education, however, this can also apply to men and require measures for targeted promotion of men.

Gender Mainstreaming extends the perspective of gender equality by taking in the existing diversity of women and men, with a differentiating view of discrimination on grounds of cultural origin, religion, age, class, (dis-)ability and sexual orientation. As a strategy, Gender Mainstreaming is based on the findings of current research in women’s studies, men’s studies and gender studies. Gender is at all times in the foreground as a differentiation factor.