Why gender matters - Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining ...

Section 4 – International protocols and standards
for gender mainstreaming
There are numerous international agreements, initiatives and policies that frame
the gender mainstreaming debate. These frameworks have been developed from
many years of concerted local and international activism seeking to improve the
rights of women and bring the need for gender equality to the forefront of the
development agenda.
Background reader
The focus on gender equality
and gender mainstreaming that
these agreements and initiatives
provide represents high level
principles agreed upon by the
international community in
recognition of the importance
of gender equality at a global
level. This section covers some
of the key developments and
documents that have contributed
to the international discourse
on gender equality and gender
mainstreaming.
These include:
– Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (1979) and
Optional Protocol (2000);
– The Fourth World Conference
on Women’s Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action (1995),
Beijing +5 and the 10 year review;
– The 23rd special session of
the United Nations General
Assembly on Women 2000;
– 10 year review of the Beijing
Platform for Action;
– Millennium Development
Goals (2000);
– Human Development Reports;
– Commonwealth Plan of Action
on Gender and Development
(1995) and Plan of Action for
Gender Equality (2005–2015);
and
– World Bank and International
Finance Corporation (IFC)
programmes on gender.
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