The role of corporate social responsibility in gender mainstreaming

This article investigates the possibilities of corporate social responsibility (CSR) advancing gender mainstreaming. With the expanding role of the private sector in national and global governance systems, the issue of corporate accountability on social (including gender) issues has become increasingly important. We argue that despite some limitations, CSR provides an important new political space where tools for such accountability are being developed. We describe how CSR now extends beyond the traditional ‘business case’ to encompass new governmental and social drivers. We examine the limitations of the gender content of CSR processes and tools and argue that increased participation by women's organisations in this field is necessary if gender equality is to be addressed by all the main actors in emerging new systems of societal governance.