The empowerment of women to fully participate in all aspects of public life, and the path built to reach a truly regenerated understanding of women’s role in society, should start by widening the discussion and questioning around the theme of gender equality.

The idea of mainstreaming gender stems from the recognition that the differences and disparities between women and men are associated with and have an impact on all aspects of society. Therefore, a gender perspective must be integrated at all levels and in all facets of urban and spatial planning and management. There is no single approach to achieving Gender Mainstreaming. Instead, it is a conceptual approach, which will be devised and implemented according to particular institutional arrangements,
and to specific social and cultural contexts. Gender mainstreaming implies that a gender perspective will be integrated in every activity undertaken and will inform decision-making processes at both policy and operational level. It is also important to clarify that gender mainstreaming is not a goal in itself; it is a way of working towards the goal of gender equality.