Mainstreaming gender and sustainability jointly: a case study from a local government in Spain: Fid-Bau Portal

Mainstreaming gender and sustainability jointly: a case study from a local government in Spain

Pla-Julián, Isabel / Guevara, Sandra

After the approval of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, mainstreaming has regained attention as a key strategy to advance towards sustainable development (SD). Taking into account the multidimensionality of this societal aspiration and the indivisible nature of the agenda, the United Nations has developed a strategy encompassing mainstreaming, acceleration and policy support (the UN MAPS strategy). Both, SD as well as gender equality and women empowerment, crucial conditions for peaceful, inclusive and prosperous societies, have been subject to mainstreaming. Critics have considered it a weak strategy while other voices praise its potentiality for fostering change. This article analyses a particular case where gender and sustainability have been jointly mainstreamed by the Municipality of Ansoáin, in Navarra (Spain). The study enquires about the role of mainstreaming strategies in forging systemic changes. The findings are encouraging. There seem to be no blueprints but complex processes of policy-making and implementation at multi-level governance, where leadership, financial support and, in particular, combined gender strategies (mainstreaming and positive actions) with a transformational approach has been crucial in caring for people and the environment simultaneously.