Gender : Topics  Definition  What kind of policy ?  Bureau for Gender Equality  Monitoring progress  Gender and the ILO Staff Union

Gender : Definition  In July 1997, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) defined the concept of gender mainstreaming as follows: "Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels. It is a strategy for making the concerns and experiences of women as well as of men an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres, so that both benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated".

Gender : What kind of policy ?  An internal gender policy which corresponds to the recommendations of the ILO member states.  An ILO Action Plan on Gender Equality and Gender Mainstreaming submitted to the Governing Body in March 2000  Systematic assessments of the implementation of the ILO gender policy using different tools and mechanisms such as the gender audit (the first round of audits took place between October 2001 and April It involved 15 offices at HQ and regional and sub-regional levels).

Gender : Some figures In the United Nations system 1999 P-staff women 38% 2003 P-staff women 42% 2003 D-staff women 31% In UNPD In the ILO 2002P4-staff women 38% 1999 P-staff women 31% 2002P5-staff women 41% 2002 P4-staff women 40% 2002P+D-staff women 41%2002 P5-staff women 17% 2003 P-staff women 38% 2003 D-staff women 26%

Bureau for Gender Equality  Proposes gender mainstreaming policies.  Advocates for these policies.  Monitors implementation of policies defined by the Governing Body.  Follows up on decisions and recommendations defined during the Fourth World Conference for Women held in Beijing in  Develops participatory self-assessment methodologies for Office units.  Organizes training of trainers to carry out participatory self-assessment on gender issues.

Gender : Monitoring progress  Coordination of participatory self-assessments involving all staff members.  Review of documents produced by the work units.  Organization of small group seminars to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the gender mainstreaming policy.  Carry out individual interviews.  Preparation of a report containing the findings of the different activities and recommendations for improvement.

Gender and the ILO Staff Union  Request a gender audit of the Staff Union to be coordinated and facilitated by the Bureau for Gender Equality (foreseen in the first semester of 2004).  Request the Joint Negotiation Committee that the Gender Bureau conducts an audit on the gender awareness in the internal human resources development policies.  Propose to establish an advocacy network aimed to promote the gender dimension of work and life-related issues – work and personal life, work opportunities for spouses, career development, geographic mobility, inter-sectoral mobility, lateral movements, management of working time and working conditions, access to social services, etc.

Women need the Staff Union … …and the Staff Union needs women !