The Gender, Environment and Development (GED) framework posits that women and men have an equal stake in the environment and that there are different gender needs and interests related to the environment. Environmental policies and programmes should therefore take account of the cultural and social differences between men and women and, importantly, the differences in the extent to which men and women have access to, and control over natural resources.

An analysis of environmental policies and programmes indicates that for the most part these policies are gender blind and are either not or only superficially responsive to gender issues. However, recent developments give hope that there are good prospects for gender responsiveness in environmental policies and programmes. The paper presents a case for gender mainstreaming in our environmental organisations and programmes.