Gender vs. Diversity Mainstreaming: A Preliminary Examination of the Role and Transformative Potential of Feminist Theory

Abstract

Abstract.This paper considers why gender mainstreaming (GM), a strategy that many have claimed holds promise for transforming public policy and working towards social justice, is inherently limited and flawed. The paper begins with a brief overview of GM, specifically focusing on the Canadian context, and highlights current discussions in the literature regarding issues of implementation and best practices. It then moves on to reveal that a critical but overlooked dimension of GM is its theoretical foundation. In contextualizing GM within a contemporary feminist theory framework, the paper seeks to illuminate the problematic relationship that currently exists between GM and feminist theory and, moreover, demonstrates why the theoretical premises of GM need significant reworking. The argument put forward is that if insights of recent feminist theorizing are taken seriously, it becomes clear that GM should be replaced by an alternative and broader strategy of diversity mainstreaming. Through the use of practical examples, the paper illustrates how diversity mainstreaming is able to better capture, articulate and make visible the relationship between simultaneously interlocking forms of oppressions that include but are not limited to gender.Résumé.Cet article étudie pourquoi l'intégration d'une perspective de genre (IPG), une stratégie dans laquelle beaucoup ont vu la promesse d'une transformation de la politique publique et d'un progrès vers la justice sociale, est en soi limitée et défectueuse. L'article débute par un bref exposé sur l'IPG, s'intéressant principalement au contexte canadien, et il met en évidence les discussions actuelles dans la littérature au sujet de problèmes de mise en oeuvre et de pratiques exemplaires. Il révèle ensuite qu'une dimension critique mais négligée de l'IPG est son fondement théorique. En contextualisant l'IPG dans un cadre de théorie féministe contemporaine, l'article cherche à éclairer la relation problématique qui existe actuellement entre l'IPG et la théorie féministe et, de surcroît, démontre pourquoi les prémisses théoriques de l'IPG nécessitent une révision significative. L'argument avancé est que, si l'on prend au sérieux les conclusions des théories féministes récentes, il semble évident que l'IPG devrait être remplacée par une stratégie plus vaste d'intégration d'une perspective de diversité. S'appuyant sur des exemples pratiques, l'article montre que l'intégration d'une perspective de diversité réussit à mieux capturer, mettre en rapport et rendre visible la relation entre des formes d'oppression qui s'entrecroisent simultanément et qui incluent mais ne se limitent pas au genre.

“I Want to be Able to Walk the Street Without Fear”: Transforming Justice for Street Harassment

“…That is, post-conflict contexts require a 'bottom-up' approach grounded in the needs and preferred justice responses of community members. Victim-focused practices are thus embedded within a transformative justice framework, as well as a connection to the long history of feminist activism also aimed at transforming structural limitations on women's lives (Hankivsky 2005).…”

“…To date, feminist and other writing on transformative justice has tended to focus on its potential as a framework for justice within post-conflict societies (Boesten and Wilding 2015;Daly 2002;Gready and Robbins 2014;Lambourne and Rodriguez Carreon 2016), in international development contexts (Cornwall and Rivas 2015;Hankivsky 2005), and as a pedagogical practice (Keddie 2006). Despite this focus, there is great potential for transformative justice as a frame to address ''everyday'' manifestations of sexual violence.…”

Experiences of Indigenous Women in the Australian Mining Industry

“…Both gender mainstreaming and diversity mainstreaming are contested concepts. Some have argued that the concept of gender is invariably tied to the male-female binary and therefore limited in its ability to reflect differences among women (Hankivsky 2005, Squires 2005, Walby 2005). Take for instance indigenous women's ready acceptance of gender exclusion rules that apply with the management of red ochre in the Century pit.…”

Gender mainstreaming in Canada and Australia: A comparative analysis

“…These calls for change raise the need for a mainstreaming framework that prioritizes various forms of oppression that include but are not limited to gender. In so doing, the key is not to abandon the analytical category of gender but to explicitly recognize that it is not the primary or key axis of social oppression (Hankivsky, 2005).…”

“…Jackson et al for instance, have argued that social structures and processes such as heterosexism, racism, ageism, and class call for a diversity analysis in addition to GBA (2004). Hankivsky has more aggressively argued that what is needed is an alternative to GM which is able to consistently and systematically reflect a deeper understanding of intersectionalities-the combination of various oppressions that together produce something unique and distinct from any one form of discrimination standing alone (Hankivsky, 2005). The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) has taken the position that ''After years of working toward greater equality for women, the CRIAW believes that different approaches are needed to make real social and economic changeapproaches that offer diverse contributions, and that work from Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFF) '' (2006, p. 6).…”