Gender Mainstreaming – Institutional Transformation

This toolkit provides a 13-step guide to institutional transformation on gender, with step seven focusing on communication. The European Institute for Gender Equality defines institutional transformation as a profound change in basic values and beliefs within an institution that, as a consequence, extends to the outside environment as well.

The guide points out that internal and external communication are both essential to embedding gender equality within an organization’s culture, establishing a corporate reputation based around equality, and creating company-wide accountability.

Key aspects of internal communication include:

• Transparency of reasons, aims, and planned activities.
• A defined concept of gender equality and a stringent strategy.
• Rely on channels of communication customarily used, but also make gender equality a regular agenda item of team meetings and employ new methods to generate extra attention.

Key aspects of external communication include:

• Review and adjust all public relations activities to ensure gender-sensitive language and images.
• Train staff responsible for public relations, marketing, advertising, and communications on all matters of diversity and inclusion.