Sivu 1

ESR 2007-2013

Integration of the gender dimension at programme and project level

Riitta KangasharjuMinistry of Labour

Finland

Open Days, Brussels 12.10.2006

Sivu 2

ESR 2007-2013

Dual strategy in promoting gender equality

•Gender mainstreaming: mobilising all general policies and measures for the purpose of achieving equality by taking into account their possible effects on the respective situation of men and women (gender perspective)

•Positive actions: favours particular groups of women or men and is required in addition to gender mainstreaming policies to remove inequalities

Sivu 3

ESR 2007-2013

Programming period 1999-2006Evaluation results in Finland

•Dual strategy, which is included in all programmes, is a positive signal

•Difficulties in receiving good applications for equal opportunity projects (= specific positive actions)

•Gender perspective almost invisible in other projects (= gender mainstreaming)

Sivu 4

ESR 2007-2013

What has been done in Finland?

•Campaign to inspire more applications for equal opportunity projects

•External expert to assess EQUAL applications from a gender perspective and to train the National Support Structure in assessing

•Obligatory for EQUAL DPs to present a gender mainstreaming plan before getting approval for action 2

•External expert to support EQUAL DPs and Objective 3 projects to integrate gender equality into their project and to organise training for projects

Sivu 5

ESR 2007-2013

ESF 2007-2013 in Finland

Promoting gender equality by dual strategy:

•Positive actions for either women or men (desegregation, female entrepreneurship, reconciliation of work and family life, equal pay for work of equal value)

•Integrating gender perspective and gender equality in all actions at all levels and in all phases

Sivu 6

ESR 2007-2013

ESF 2007-2013: Gender equality at programme level

•Include gender perspective in the labour market analysis and in the SWOT analysis•Include gender perspective in all priorities and make positive actions possible whenever justified•Use external gender equality expertise, when drafting the programme, if needed•Use gender mainstreaming as a selection criteria and use external gender equality expertise when assessing the applications, if needed•Provide the projects with training and guidance in gender equality issues throughout the life cycle of the project•Develop indicators by which you can assess, if the projects have promoted gender equality or not

Sivu 7

ESR 2007-2013

ESF 2007-2013: Gender equality at project level

•Analyse the situation or problem from a gender perspective. This is crucial and will help you to focus your project and to tailor made your measures better!•Include gender equality in the objectives of your project•Consult both men and women as representatives of the target group when drafting the work plan•Ensure that expertise on gender equality is available in your project•Include gender perspective in the monitoring and self-evaluation system •Assess the impacts also from a gender perspective: have you managed to promote gender equality in your project?•Don’t forget to disseminate good practices concerning gender equality

Sivu 8

ESR 2007-2013

Challenges in Finland

•Let’s not be too satisfied, problems still exist, awareness raising is needed•Keep gender perspective in mind all the time, don’t forget it, it will help you to focus your actions better •Let’s get rid of the gender neutral (= gender blind) approach, which might even increase inequality•Find out if gender mainstreaming is a difficult concept or not. It might turn out to be easy after all •Keep in mind that gender dimension is present in all kinds of inequalities (disabled, migrants, long-term unemployed, excluded etc.)•Even if we haven’t succeeded so well in the past, we might be able to do it in the future.