ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the lessons learned' by national machineries in mainstreaming gender issues, drawing from the experience of the Turkish national women's machinery (NWM) as well as other published case studies. National machineries have been established, restructured, streamlined and upgraded in an effort to promote gender equality and increase NWMs' capacities where they already existed. At the international level the rise of women's movements since the late 1970s have pressurized development agencies and governments to discuss gender issues and find ways to promote gender equality. More recently the global discourse on democratization and human rights has further encouraged the institutionalization of gender equality. In the case of NWMs, conflicting objectives of donors and recipients raise special concerns, partly because NWMs are generally so dependent on donor funding. The instability of government and frequent changes of government, including the Minister for Women's Affairs, have made NWMs dependent on political fortunes in many countries.
