Posted December 1997 Several plans of action and conventions
aimed at the full, equal and beneficial integration of women in
all development activities, as well as at the elimination of
gender discrimination, have been adopted by the international
community in recent years. It is widely considered, by
international development agencies, by women's movements, and by
the specialized literature, that effective implementation of
these plans and conventions will be of major significance in
improving gender relations. In turn, it is argued that the
empowerment of women will greatly improve the effectiveness of
sustainable development strategies. Nevertheless, there appears
to be a hiatus between the nature of critical environmental
problems which confront humankind and the potential impacts of
improved gender relations. This paper argues that: The main
contention of this section is that in order to establish how,
when, and in what ways gender issues have an influence on
sustainability, it is necessary to differenti