Gender Mainstreaming as Methodology in Social Policy

The world community considers achievement of gender equality as the most important condition for developing the society. The Russian Federation has joined a number of international conventions and agreements that enshrine the principle of gender equality which is designated as one of the goals of sustainable development of all humankind in one of the latest documents — “Sustainable Development Goals”. At the end of the last century and at the beginning of this century, the Russian Federation actively used international recommendations and experience: various links of the national machinery for gender equality were created in the legislative and executive institutions, new approaches to the formation of social policy were developed. However, significant changes have taken place in recent years. The article, based on state strategic documents, shows that the state has shifted from the goals of gender equality to the improvement of women status. Based on an analysis of statistical data, expert opinions and research by a number of scientists, the author convincingly proves that gender imbalance in the sphere of politics and public administration remains; various types of discrimination against women in the labor market and in the economy as a whole have not been overcome; women (especially mothers) face family — work conflict; in healthcare, the influence of gender factors on the health of men and women and the organization of medical care is poorly taken into account. It is noted that the difficulty of solving the problem lies in the fact that gender inequality is complex and simultaneously affects different areas of social policy. That is why it is recommended taking more effective measures to truly achieve gender equality.

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