Abstract:
The Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995,
unanimously adopted The Being Declaration and The Platform for Action as a
global blueprint for the ongoing decade. It is a product of two years of
4 ,ritensive work, regional dialogues, negotiations, arguments and agreements.
It covers the critical issues every development practitioner should be aware
of, understand and address.
In adopting The Platform for Action. Governments have undertaken a
commitment to a strategy mainstreaming gender perspectives throughout the
policy and planning processes - not only with ministries women’s affairs and
social affairs, but also with central planning and sectoral ministries and
institutions. Major component of the "mainstreaming paragraph” included in
each major section reads.
Governments and other actors should promote an active and visible policy of
mainstreaming a gender perspective in all policies and programmes so that
before decisions are taken, an analysis is made on women and men,
respectively. The emphasis on mainstreaming gender perspectives in all sectors reflects a
recognition that the interest women as well as of men, must be systematically
pursued in the formulation of all government policies programmes.