The idea and content of indicators in respect of institutional mechanisms, adopted in 2006   Leila Mélart, Former Counsellor on Gender Equality (Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour) Finland Lithuanian Presidency High Level Conference Gender Equality de facto as a Contribution to Reaching Europe 2020 Targets: the Effectiveness of Institutional Mechanisms Europe House, The EIGE’s conference room, Gedimino av. 16, Vilnius September 13th,2013

Choice of the critical area: Why institutional mechanisms? Common interest: effective institutional mechanisms How to describe the essential features? What are their prerequisites? Follow up of the objectives of the Beijing Platform of Action The aim to develop A set of simple, useful and coherent indicators Suitable for future monitoring

BPfA: three sets of strategic objectives Create or strengthen national machineries –> first indicator Integrate gender perspectives in legislation, public policies, programmes and projects –> second indicator Generate gender disaggregated data–> third indicator Protection against discrimination Create or strengthen independent institutions for the protection of women’s human rights BPfA directive 2002/73/EC CEDAW convention –> fourth indicator HLGM in 2005: maximum three indicators –> Removal of the indicator on statistics

Status of governmental responsibility Indicator 1 Status of governmental responsibility Level of location of the highest responsibility Highest level: cabinet Power and responsibility Legitimacy Visibility Accountability Lower levels (assistant minister) Less power, less vital information 2. Gender Equality Body Highest level: entire ministry, department Access to the minister Wide perspectives Facilitates negotiations on cross-sector strategies Intermediate and lower levels Competition over resources, preferences, visibility

3. Common statutory capacities of governmental authorities 4. Existence of cross-sectoral national action plans One of the most important tools of the GE minister Allows entrance in policy fields of other ministries Long term strategies Cooperation with institutional and civil society actors Monitoring, evaluation, implementation (not asked) 5. Existence of Reporting system to legislative bodies Accountability Awareness Political reforms

Status of governmental responsibility in promoting gender equality Governmental body for promoting gender equality Highest responsibility at the governmental level Level of location of the governmental body Functions of the governmental body Accountability and cross-sectionality Total (of 10) Range of points O ... 2 O ... 2 O ... 2 O ... 2 O ... 2 O ... 10

Personnel resources of the government body Indicator 2a Personnel resources of the government body Size of personnel • full-time and all-year, excluding project personnel • ratio of employees per population • median: 2,6 persons per million inhabitants • the score: deviation from the median, per a million of inhabitants. Indicator 2b Personnel resources of the independent body Existence 8 member states: solely equal treatment of women and men 17 member states: equal treatment on several grounds, or other functions, too, or under preparation Size of personnel • median 1,0, i.e. one employee per million inhabitants.

Gender mainstreaming Indicator 3 1. Degree of commitment : legal obligation / binding decision / recommendation / other 2. Structures: interministerial coordination structure / contact persons guidelines, reporting system 3. Gender impact assessment in law drafting 4. Gender impact assessment in drafting of programmes and projects 5. Gender budgeting Scale of declining commitment in 3, 4 and 5: Widely used in most ministries / some ministries / still at initial stage / practically unknown 0 ... 2 points each, total score 0 ... 10

Personal remarks Participation of civil society movements –> a new domain into the first indicator? An indicator on statistics indispensable An indicator on independent bodies belongs to another context

Labai ačiū – Kiitos! Leila Mélart Limingantie 41–43 00560 Helsinki leila.melart@pp.inet.fi + 358 50 9122 851