Gender Mainstreaming im Europäischen Parlament: Geschichte, Institutionalisierung, Hindernisse

The European Parliament (EP) is one of the few parliaments worldwide to have adopted a total of six resolutions in the period since 2003 in which it pledges to implement gender mainstreaming (GM). Applying Feminist Institutionalism, the article analyzes the potential institutionalization of GM from a chronological perspective. It investigates to what extent new rules and norms can be incorporated into existing formal and informal rules. Examining key EP documents from the period between 2003 and 2019 and semistructured interviews conducted with Members of the EP (MEPs) from different political groups and with EP staff in 2019 and 2020, the article provides an analysis of GM institutionalization. Overall, one can say that GM has become institutionalized over time, although implementation is quite heterogenous.