News
The Power of Networks
January 2008
"Gender Mainstreaming – Learning from EQUAL for the ESF".
This is the title of a brand new German publication which presents the results
of a specific evaluation of gender mainstreaming throughout the lifespan of
EQUAL in Germany. Under the same title, 10th December 2007, a seminar
in Berlin brought together around 50 key players from the realm of EQUAL and the
ESF: high level representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour, the EQUAL
Managing Authority, ESF managers from both the federal and the Länder level,
evaluators, gender experts and project coordinators.
Together they explored the
findings of this evaluation and related gender research and then discussed how
the EQUAL achievements in terms of gender mainstreaming could be made
sustainable and further developed in the new ESF programmes (2007-2013).
All this would not have
happened without the commitment and persistence of a network. Born from the
first round Thematic Network (NTN) on gender mainstreaming a so-called strategy
group was formed by gender experts who posses a rare combination of
competencies: gender mainstreaming in theory and practice plus knowledge about
the European Social Fund and its political relevance on European and national
level. Even if there was no longer an NTN that specialised on gender
mainstreaming in the second round of EQUAL these movers and shakers continued to
share good practice, learn from each other and promote their cause. In 2006 they
succeeded to convince the EQUAL Managing Authority of the necessity of the
specific evaluation of gender mainstreaming[1]
to be followed by a debate on how to make use of EQUAL lessons in the new ESF
and beyond.
The seminar was the first
step of this discourse. It was opened by Sabine Baun, the Head of the"Social
Europe Group" in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, who highlighted the
crucial importance of integrating the gender dimension into labour market
policies and related policy areas. A series of lectures formed the core of the
event. An overview of current German labour market policies, emphasising the
existent gender equality targets and the lack of their implementation set the
stage.
The presentation showed the
need for systematic gender mainstreaming. Trends emerging from new research
focusing on the impact of the recent reforms hint at developments that appear to
be gender neutral but have a discriminatory effect on women. The needs-tested
benefits which are to support long-term unemployed, for instance, are calculated
on the base of the"family income" (i.e. a couple, married or not who live
together with or without children). If one partner earns enough to support the
other, he or she is not entitled to those benefits. Given the gender pay gap,
few people will wonder that this happens more often to women than to men and
that it reinforces the male bread winner model. Moreover, it has a negative
impact on the eligibility to labour market integration measures for people who
don't receive benefits.
The second part of the
presentations focused on good practice from EQUAL, demonstrating how gender
mainstreaming was applied at programme and project level. Examples included
long-term support to the planning and implementation process provided by gender
experts at Länder level, the integration of gender equality criteria in project
selection mechanisms and the gender dimension as part of monitoring systems. The
speakers revealed strengths and weaknesses in great detail and made
recommendations for each of those key aspects for future ESF programmes and
projects.
A final panel discussion
brought the priorities of the different ESF players to the fore. Project
representatives underlined the crucial importance of backing from political
decision-makers not just for gender equality in general but for gender
mainstreaming as the best way to achieve it. ESF managers from two Federal
States, Bremen and Brandenburg, explained how this, being the case in their Länder,
fosters gender mainstreaming as can be seen in the Operational Programmes for
the new programming period. Both Federal States are also undertaking to extend
the gender dimension into the ERDF. Michael Heister, Head of the EQUAL
Management Unit in the Federal Ministry of Labour, agreed that the top-down
approach is essential for gender mainstreaming. He also highlighted the
importance of the practical steps required for successful implementation and
praised the work of gender experts' network which has generated valuable input
for the new ESF programmes.
[1] The results form the
core of the work book "Gender Mainstreaming – Lernen aus EQUAL für den ESF
– Eine Handreichung". The book is designed to make EQUAL
achievements fruitful for the new ESF programmes (2007-2013). It is
only available in German and can be downloaded by clicking on "Handout"
under www.bilderstrom.de/frauundberuf/event/index.htm. The print
version can be ordered from
h.meseke@frauenforum-muenster.de.
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