Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research 2005, 6 (2): 18-20

Dilemmas of Positive Discrimination and Gender Mainstreaming as a Potential Solution

Ivana Střílková

The author compares advantages and disadvantages of measures of positive discrimination and strategies of gender mainstreaming. At the beginning she describes the history of both measures and she focuses on their use for the purposes of gender equality. Whereas the author criticizes measures of positive discrimination on the basis of its stigmatizing and categorizing potential effect, she highlights the strategies of gender mainstreaming because of their neutral definitions and preventive character. In particular, she criticizes quotas that in her opinion add members of disadvantaged groups to the system without changing its systemic oppressive nature and thus stabilize institutional oppression. Nevertheless, she draws attention to a demerit of measures of gender mainstreaming as well. Namely she mentions the risk that gender mainstreaming would become measure for its own sake and that general use of these strategies would lead to "gender oversaturation".

Keywords: Gender mainstreaming, positive discrimination, Gender policy

Published: June 1, 2005Show citation

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Střílková, Ivana. 2005. "Dilemmas of Positive Discrimination and Gender Mainstreaming as a Potential Solution." Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research 6(2):18-20.
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    References

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