The Gender Equality and Women's
Mental Health Programme (GE&WMH) was established by NIMHE in 2004 to
progress the implementation of ‘Into the Mainstream' (DH, 2002). Its primary
aim is to ensure the development of mental health systems that are able to
deliver appropriate gender sensitive services with a particular focus on women.
With the publication of Women's
Mental Health: Into the Mainstream (2002) by the Department of Health,
described in detail the mental health needs of women and, with its companion
report Mainstreaming Gender and Women's Mental Health: Implementation Guidance
(2003), this set out the necessary steps to improve services to meet their
distinct needs.
Underpinning these
recommendations was the principle that gender-awareness should be integrated or
mainstreamed into all planning, commissioning, developing, delivering and
evaluating of mental health services.
Awareness of the different
mental health needs of women, men and transgender people is improving, although
it has been hindered by the absence of disaggregated data and consideration of
gender as a key variable in service outcomes. There is no stronger persuader
than the evidence base; monitoring, evaluation and research is essential.
Leadership at a senior level,
mechanisms for accountability, strong partnership working between the statutory
and voluntary sector, and the involvement of women with experience of mental
health problems emerge as critical factors in mainstreaming action to tackle
gender inequality in mental health services.
The introduction of the Public
Sector Gender Duty and the Equality Bill will have a major impact on
mainstreaming the women's mental health agenda. Gender impact assessments
provide an opportunity to influence the implementation of gender-specific and
gender-sensitive services for women and men.
National organisational changes
to the regional structure of NIMHE in April 2009 have led to wide variation in
how the regions are delivering gender equality. In many cases, gender equality
and gender equality leadership has been incorporated into the wider equality
agenda.