A relational perspective on gender equality and mainstreaming

ABSTRACT

This paper offers a relational, multilevel perspective on gender equality and mainstreaming. It argues that single-level conceptualizations of equality within organizational or legal policy domain may not fully capture the multilevel and contextual nature of gender equality and mainstreaming. Based on a review of macro-level factors (e.g. laws, policies, and culture), meso-level factors (e.g. organizational interventions), and micro-level factors (e.g. intersection of gender with social class and family status) in Pakistan, the paper develops a contextual perspective on gender mainstreaming to achieve gender equality at multiple levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Female empowerment
• gender equality and mainstreaming
• Pakistan
• relational and multilevel perspective
• women’s employment

Notes

1. Among these, 124 cases were registered from the federal capital (Islamabad), 120 from Punjab, 44 from Sindh, 31 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 from Balochistan, and 2 from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Imran 2016). In terms of relative population, there is very high frequency of complaints from the federal capital which may be attributed to increased awareness of the law given the higher literacy rate and generally higher social class structure of that area. Interestingly, at least 83 of total complainants happened to be men which indicates that men too may be a victim of harassment at work although some of these cases may also indicate backlash against women in employment and leadership.