Resources: gender

Making the MDGs work for all – Gender-responsive rights-based approaches

L. Corner, 2008, Making the MDGs work for all – Gender-responsive rights-based approaches to the MDGs, UNIFEM.

This is a resource on how to implement the MDGs from a gender equality perspective. The first section presents some elements to consider for a right-based approach to development, such as the need to integrate gender, to establish links between the MDGs and to consider the context. The second section is more practical and focuses mainly on how to engender the MDGs, by mainstreaming gender into their application. This manual stems from the awareness that gender mainstreaming is rarely put into practice, and that too often women are seen only in terms of their vulnerability. The author underlines that this lack of gender focus is significantly impacting on the slow way in which the MDG outcomes are being achieved, and so recommends practitioners to be very aware of the context they are operating in, in order to develop the right type of gender indicators. In addition to that, the importance of keeping into consideration the differences between women (and men) according to age, socio-economic and employment status and ability is emphasised.

© 2009 People and Development.