Training on gender mainstreaming in the Union for the Mediterranean

On 8 July, Notus held a training session for the teams of the different areas of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) on the new guidelines for gender mainstreaming in their policies and programmes.

A new institutional framework for gender equality

The training aimed to present the contents and practical uses of the UfM Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines, developed by Notus in collaboration with NCG Sweden over the last few months. This document constitutes a strategic framework for systematically mainstreaming gender in all UfM policies, programmes and activities.

Inspired by international frameworks such as the Beijing Declaration and the 2030 Agenda, the guidelines provide concrete tools for mainstreaming gender equality at every stage of the public policy cycle: from the development of ministerial declarations and roadmaps to the implementation of projects, the organisation of conferences or the design of gender-responsive evaluation systems.

Contents and approach of the session

During the session, the main components of the guide were presented, as well as the accompanying toolkit aimed at facilitating its practical use. Using the conceptual framework of the UN Women Mainstreaming Course as a starting point, the training team explained how to apply gender mainstreaming in UfM’s thematic priorities and strategic areas for inclusive and sustainable development, such as economic development, higher education, environment or institutional cooperation.

The training also included practical examples and recommendations on planning with a gender perspective, dedicating a large part of the training to collaborative work in groups to deepen the applicability of what was learned in the organisation’s own documents and experiences.

Accompanying the institutionalisation of equality

Notus would like to thank the UfM Secretariat for its collaboration and welcomes its commitment to gender equality and gender mainstreaming as a structural approach to its institutional action. It has been a pleasure to collaborate in this training and to contribute, from our experience, to the reinforcement of its internal capacities.