The Hypocrisy of Gender Mainstreaming in Public Administration

Malin Espersson

Gender, Work and Organization, 2026, vol. 33, issue 2, 495-507

Abstract: Thirty years on, gender mainstreaming is still a dominant strategy for working with gender equality, even though its effectiveness is debated. This is also the case in Sweden. This study focuses on how organizations in public administration, particularly municipalities and regions, are introduced to and approach gender mainstreaming. It aims to contribute with in‐depth knowledge of how organizations deal with the institutional pressure to work with gender mainstreaming. Theoretically, this study draws on the concept of hypocrisy. The empirical material consists of interviews with public servants, managers, and politicians involved in gender mainstreaming, as well as observations and policy documents. The findings provide insights into the discrepancies between talk, decisions, and action in gender mainstreaming. Although politicians' talk and decisions give legitimacy to organizations, their actions do not align accordingly. Public servants, dissatisfied with this perceived inaction, seek to prompt political responsibility and, when unsuccessful, try to assume it themselves. This paper advances a new perspective on the limited impact of gender mainstreaming by employing the lens of the hypocrisy, showing how gender mainstreaming might paradoxically defeat its own purpose.

Date: 2026
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