To a Gender Equal Policy Plan and Beyond - Breaking the binary in gender policy making

Abstract

The main aim of this pilot research is to write a set of recommendations aimed at guiding international organisations in making gender equality policy plans following a gender non-binary perspective. The definitions of gender equality used by most organisations and governments - in the past few decades - do not encompass a whole range of people, who take part in society, but are not represented nor protected by reforms and policies. From smaller scale gender policy plans aimed at international organisations, to larger scale governmental laws and reforms, I believe that equality could spillover faster and more concretely. While the gender binary has been constructing and leading the understanding of gender in society; by the end of this pilot research, with the help of non-binary people whose voices were gathered in a survey, the non-binary perspective of what gender equality policy plans should entail will be formulated. Through a thematic analysis of the survey four main aspects have been delineated: inclusivity, neutrality of discourse, breaking the binary and international organisations. From these themes the final results of the pilot research and subsequently the suggestions on how to make all-genders inclusive policy plans, have been drawn. I firmly believe that no matter how little space has been given so far to the non-binary umbrella terms categories, the importance of creating inclusive policies, reforms and in totum changes is the first step towards a true equality between the genders.