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a project had to meet in order to be funded. The network was clearly having teething
problems with the institutional procedures they had been deemed to carry out. Very
little of substance was discussed at the meeting in terms of existing and future gender
policy analysis. For example, the USA economy focal point reported that the APEC
sex disaggregated data project was well under way but there was no input into what
data would be generated or requested from economies or working groups.
Power relations between developed and developing countries were evident at the
APEC gender meetings I attended. For example, there was a perception that Canada
was far ahead in gender and trade policy analysis and therefore not a suitable model
for other APEC economies. An NGO delegate representing the Philippines was a
strong advocate for its role in leading more gender information sessions and put
forward a proposal for US$70,000 in APEC funding. One got the sense here that the
outcome of gender mainstreaming was more gender mainstreaming for the survival of
some NGOs in relatively poor economies.
There is an assumption among the developed APEC economies that implementation
of APEC gender mainstreaming is over and they can go back to their regular,
unchanged policy agendas. For instance, Australian and New Zealand APEC officials
devoted resources and energy to establishing the gender integration framework for
APEC (including two high-level officials on the AGGI) but consider that their gender
work is now over. No Australian economy focal point was present at the first GFPN
meeting, only a functionary official from the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, although Australia was on the agenda to report on the gender
mainstreaming website tool they had volunteered to set up two years previously. The
potential gains from this work will be lost unless countries like New Zealand and
Australia sustain gender analysis efforts in APEC by actively participating in and
supporting the implementation work of the gender focal point network.
Informally among developed country officials there is the view that gender
mainstreaming is of greater benefit to developing countries. One New Zealand APEC
official conveyed to me her view that gender equality had been achieved in New
Zealand (we have a woman leader after all) and therefore gender-neutral trade policy
was adequate. It was the Asian countries, she argued, which had cultural issues with
Convention