The (de)politicization of gender mainstreaming

Emanuela Lombardo and Rebecca Tildesley

Chapter 30 in Research Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming, 2026, pp 410-421 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Gender mainstreaming, a key strategy for promoting gender equality originally advanced by feminists within development programs, holds transformative potential but is susceptible to depoliticization depending on how it is understood, framed and implemented by the different actors involved in the policy process. Depoliticization, often driven by technocratic and top-down approaches typical of neo-liberal politics, strips gender mainstreaming of its political and radical feminist roots, reducing it to a procedural exercise. The chapter presents theoretical frameworks on depoliticization, mechanisms through which it occurs and its manifestation within gender mainstreaming, supported by some examples. Depoliticization erodes gender mainstreaming's transformative capacity, reduces policy effectiveness and results in democratic deficits. Strategies to repoliticize gender mainstreaming include political commitment, participatory and intersectional approaches that embrace diverse feminist knowledge and experience, and practices that enhance institutional reflexivity.

Keywords: Gender Mainstreaming; Politicization; Depoliticization; Repoliticization; Gender Equality Policy-Making; Feminist Politics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035353415
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