Pocket Guide to the BRS Gender Action Plan: Integrating a Gender Perspective in the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste

Why does gender matter?

‘Gender’ refers to the socially defined roles and identities of women and men that may be: socially constructed rather than biologically determined, culturally learned and differing across societies and cultural contexts. These roles and relationships are not fixed, but can and do change. Gender mainstreaming has been defined by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as “a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated”. Gender equality does matter. Equality is a human right and striving for its achievement takes us a step closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

united nations sustainable development goal # 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

target 5.5

Ensure women’s full and e ective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

indicator 5.5.1

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments

Proportion of women in managerial positions indicator 5.5.2

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