The local authorities' role in disseminating gender equality. Evidence from Italy

In 2013 the European Institute for Gender Equality developed the Gender Equality Index (GEI) as a unique measurement tool that summarizes the complexity of gender equality into a user-friendly and easily interpretable measure... [ view full abstract ]

In 2013 the European Institute for Gender Equality developed the Gender Equality Index (GEI) as a unique measurement tool that summarizes the complexity of gender equality into a user-friendly and easily interpretable measure (EIGE, 2015). The GEI’s result has been designed for policymakers in the European Union as it is based on the EU policy framework.
The GEI 2015 provides results for all Member States and the EU as a whole, on domain and sub-domain levels. Italy is ranked amongst in the EU countries with the lowest gender equality level.
This paper aims to analyse the role of Italian local authorities in disseminating gender equality by using the gender mainstreaming approach.
Previous researches were concentrated on legal aspect linked to labour or to violence against women (Donà, 2009; Renga, 2012). Moreover, other studies examined the effects of EU’s funds on gender local policies (DEO, 2000). However, no research results are provided about methodologies, timing and responsibilities set up by local administrations and, moreover, previous researches highlighted that at an international level there are difficulties in defining Gender mainstreaming effects (Calgar, 2013).

According to previous research results, we formulate two research questions:

Research Question 1: Which gender strategies are engaging Italian local authorities within the gender mainstreaming approach?

Research Question 2: What tools are using Italian local authorities to improve and to test effectiveness of gender equality strategies?

The inductive method was used in this explorative research. The research focuses on a population consisting of local authorities representing the chief regional towns. Our population comprised 20 local authorities with more than 5,000 inhabitants across all of Italy.
The research analyses Italian local authorities’ commitment in gender mainstreaming and thus equality through the analysis of strategic documents as the “Documento Unico di Programmazione” (DUP) and the “Piano delle Azioni Positive” (PAP) with a quantitative and qualitative measures, examining formal (frame, and issues) and substantial (budget, tools, diagnosis and prognosis) aspects of gender mainstreaming respectively and focuses on Italian regions. The abovementioned documents cover a three years long period and are the main tools for strategic planning in Italian local authorities. Given their importance in planning and implementing local strategies DUP and PAP are regarded as the main building blocks to understand local strategies and consequently to evaluate gender equality and gender mainstreaming issues (Debusscher, 2011).
Our results aim to contribute to the on-going debate in the literature on the local policies for disseminating gender equality. Whilst existing literature tends to focus on EU’s policies or on specific State initiatives, this article examines local policies for gender equality and consequently, highlights gender mainstreaming at local level. These findings have implications for the public administrations as they highlight several different action lines to disseminate gender equality.