CONDITIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR GENDER POLICY - THE ORGANIZATIONAL, POLITICAL AND COGNITIVE CONTEXTS

Gender policy cannot be designed and implemented without an analysis o f institutions within which it is practised. Whether institutions are responsive to gender issues or not determines the success of gender po licy. This article discusses the responsiveness of institutions (multi lateral and bilateral development agencies, NGOs, and state institutio ns) in terms of the organizational contexts (goals, procedures, incent ive systems and staffing), political contexts (political commitment of stakeholders, democratic accountability and state-civil society relat ions) and the discursive context (differing gender discourses) as they affect the design and implementation of development projects and prog rammes, It ends by offering some strategies for improved accountabilit y.