The gender mainstreaming strategy was established in the Beijing Action Platform, in 1995. Since then, States have introduced measures aimed at incorporating gender equality in their institutions and policies.  

The designation, by popular mandate, of a greater number of women in parliaments is a legitimate aspiration of the citizenry in order to obtain a larger measure of justice and advancing the democratization of political power.

This document provides a tool for developing capacities in gender mainstreaming in parliaments, based on experiences developed in Latin America and the Caribbean.  It outlines a process to generate legislative changes to attain gender equality and encourages others to advance towards a full exercise of the individual and collective rights of both female and male citizens.

The Guide supports the development of six institutional capacities: