Rethinking Gender Mainstreaming: A Living Handbook Experience

Abstract

This proposal is conceived as a new kind of exchange format that aligns more closely with what could be labelled as a roundtable rather than a traditional panel. It proposes an innovative and engaging format to present the Research Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming (Sophie Jacquot, Petra Ahrens, Serena D’Agostino, Sonia Palmieri, Gisela Zaremberg (eds), Edward Elgar, forthcoming). Rather than a traditional book launch, this session invites participants to experience the handbook as a “living” and evolving resource, reflecting the dynamic, contested, and multidimensional nature of gender mainstreaming. Structured around three components, the session will explore the handbook’s key themes—its theoretical and historical foundations, actors and tools, policy implementation, multi-level institutionalisation, and critical perspectives—while fostering dialogue and interaction. 1. Introductory Sequence (10 minutes): The co-editors will open the session with a brief presentation of the handbook’s concept, editorial choices, and structure. They will also introduce the format of the panel and its participatory aims. Note on role distribution and authors’ participation: While formal roles of chair, co-chair, discussant, and paper presenter have been distributed among the five co-editors, all five are collectively responsible for the panel’s design and facilitation. Several contributors have already expressed interest in joining the panel, and we anticipate that additional authors will be present in Newcastle and able to participate. Each author involved in the session will contribute to the creation of one of the five posters, corresponding to the section in which their chapter appears (see below, sequence 2). 2. Interactive Stations: Gender Mainstreaming in Motion (50 minutes): Participants will be invited to circulate between five thematic “stations,” each representing one of the handbook’s sections. Each station will feature a poster co-created by the co-editors and the contributors whose chapters are included in that section. Each poster will summarize the section’s core themes and questions, and, at each station, editors and authors will facilitate short discussions with the audience, share key findings, and invite reflections. Several authors have already confirmed their participation, and we anticipate that additional contributors attending the conference in Newcastle will join the panel and help animate the stations. Important note: This segment requires a room that allows for movement and circulation between stations. 3. Closing Discussion (30 minutes): The final segment will bring all participants together for a collective exchange. Contributors and editors will respond to questions and engage in a broader debate with the audience. This discussion will be guided by the following questions: • What gaps remain in gender mainstreaming research and practice? • What tools or concepts are missing? • How can gender mainstreaming be reimagined for future challenges? Participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences and perspectives, contributing to a collective reflection on the current relevance and future directions of gender mainstreaming. The panel is designed to be inclusive, and participatory, aligning with the handbook’s commitment to reflexivity and critical engagement. By combining structured input with interactive dialogue, the session aims to spark new conversations and foster collective thinking on the future of gender mainstreaming.

Title	Details
Actors and tools	View Paper Details
Theoretical and historical perspectives	View Paper Details
Policy perspectives	View Paper Details
Institutional Perspectives: from the International to the Local	View Paper Details
Limitations, Critiques and Ways Forward	View Paper Details