Gender mainstreaming and feminist theory and praxis: an exercise in reflexivity
Heather MacRae and
Cherry Miller
Chapter 4 in Research Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming, 2026, pp 35-46 from Edward Elgar Publishing
Abstract:
Gender mainstreaming (GM) sits at the nexus of feminist theorization and practice. Originating in feminist development studies, GM aimed to bring diverse voices into institutions and policies to overcome structural inequalities. Over time, it has been incorporated into institutions as both a tool and a goal. Following institutional compromises, GM has not generally led to the radical changes that some had envisioned; nonetheless, its current centrality as a tool of gender equality has generated important outcomes for feminist theorization. On the one hand, GM has encouraged the collection of important gender-disaggregated data – both quantitative and qualitative, enriching further feminist research. On the other hand, it has opened space for feminists to question their own theories and practices, fostering deeper reflexivity of the strengths and shortcomings of mainstreaming itself. In this chapter, we trace GM's theoretical underpinnings and consider the reciprocal relationship between feminist theory and praxis therein.
Keywords: Gender Mainstreaming; Feminist Theory; Reflexivity; Quantitative Methods; Qualitative Methods; Data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035353415
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:
Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781035353422.00013 (application/pdf)
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:24172_4
Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com
Access Statistics for this chapter
More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jack Sweeney ().