Achieving gender mainstreaming and including an intersectional approach in all policies and measures 

Gender mainstreaming is an approach to policy-making that takes into account the interests and concerns of women and men in all their diversity. It aims at better designed policies and better use of public resources. The Council of Europe has played a foundational role in advancing gender mainstreaming since the 1990’s, developing key definitions and adopting recommendations across sectors such as education, media, sport, and audiovisual services. Since then, the Council of Europe’s gender mainstreaming activities have been an integral part of the work to promote the full realisation of gender equality.

Through the current Strategy for 2024-2029, the Council of Europe has stepped up its efforts to promote an intersectional perspective in its policies and activities. This approach aims at recognising and addressing the compounded forms of discrimination and violence faced by specific parts of the population, especially women and girls in all their diversity.  Committee of Ministers recommendations also address the situation of specific groups of women: Roma and Traveller women and girls, migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls and women and girls with disabilities.

The free Council of Europe online HELP course on gender equality and gender mainstreaming provides knowledge, support and guidance to anyone interested in learning about and implementing a gender equality and intersectional perspective.

The course is available in the following languages: English, French, Georgian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Belarusian.