 Social movement and gender mainstreaming: convergent or divergent?Ana Laura Rodríguez Gustá Chapter 6 in Research Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming, 2026, pp 72-84 from Edward Elgar Publishing Abstract: This chapter examines how gender equality activists—feminist and LGBTQ+ collectives—have shaped, contested, and redefined gender mainstreaming as both a policy framework and a political practice. The chapter argues that gender mainstreaming is not a neutral or fixed instrument but a dynamic field of struggle, shaped strategically by social actors through the interplay between mobilization and institutional opportunities. It analyzes a range of movement strategies—including horizontal activism, sidestreaming, critical brokerage, partnerships, and hybrid relationships—to show how activists engage both inside and outside the State. While acknowledging the risks of co-optation and depoliticization, the analysis emphasizes the enduring capacity of social movements to transform gender mainstreaming into a vehicle for intersectional justice and democratic deepening. Ultimately, it positions gender mainstreaming as a contested arena, whose outcomes depend on sustained activist pressure, creativity, and negotiation across multiple scales. Keywords: Social Movements; Gender Mainstreaming; Gender Equality Praxis; Feminism; LGBTQ+; Activism; Gender Justice (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:24172_9 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing |
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