Gender Mainstreaming: Were We Come From & Where We Are Going

   
     Many hear the term "Gender Mainstreaming" and think, "What exactly does gender mainstreaming have to do with me?" Gender mainstreaming has everything to do with everybody. Gender mainstreaming is a cultural phenomenon in which a nation or a society strives to integrate a particular gender, wither male or female, into an aspect of society. One of the most common aspects that gender mainstreaming takes place is in the business fields of science, technology, engineering, and politics. According to the United Nations, "development agencies agreed to adopt “gender mainstreaming” as a new strategy for ensuring the incorporation of gender perspectives in all areas and sectors, and at all levels, to promote gender
equality." (United Nations, 2006.)http://web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/eo_gendermainstreaming.pdf,
     The idea of gender equality is notion that has been fostered and cultivated since the early nineteen hundreds. Back then, females in the United States only made up 18.8 percent of the population, those of course that was 16 and old. In over 100 years, that same population has drastically increased to 58.6 percent of the population in the United States. Talks of gender equality has became a political strong point in the elections this year, as women want to know where does there equality lie in terms of importance to the government. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104673.html
     In today's society women not only demand, but expect to have more equality in the workplace as women are going to college, receiving advanced degrees, and gaining a variety of experience that their fore-mothers were not able to achieve. It is also important to recognize that gender equality is also necessary in a world where women are becoming the bread winners in society as well.