ABSTRACT
The goal of gender equality is now widely accepted and codified in international normative instruments, such as those propelled and promoted by the United Nations, through the instrument of gender mainstreaming. This chapter discusses the underscoring the contested nature of gender mainstreaming as revealed by the experiences of Annette and Victor, and by the gender mainstreaming literature in general. International feminist activism and research has had significant success in pushing gender issues onto the international agenda and into global governance institutions and processes, including in those deemed to be science-, technical- or environment-related institutions. The linkages made between women, gender and environment in these agreements were largely influenced and framed by proponents of Women, Environment and Development and a Global South variant of ecofeminist thinking. The mandate of multilateral technical organisations like UNEP is to inform and influence states on environmental protection. To do this, they produce knowledge products that are envisaged to potentially inform policy decision making.
