Content-conceptual characteristics of gender equality in public service

The article examines substantive and conceptual aspects of gender equality. It has been established that gender equality is the fundamental principle of ensuring human rights, as well as the basis of the democratic development of an individual state and the world community as a whole. It is emphasized that the further development of the institution of gender equality necessitates its determination to modern realities, proper legal support and a comprehensive doctrinal rethinking. The main characteristics of gender equality are singled out, namely: 1) enshrining gender equality in normative legal acts, which is a prerequisite for the creation of an extensive system of acts that comprehensively regulate the sphere of ensuring the equality of the rights of men and women; 2) definition of equal legal opportunities for men and women, taking into account the individual needs of each gender; 3) implementation of gender equality in social relations takes place through ensuring the lawful behavior of men and women, in particular regarding the exercise of rights, performance of duties, observance of prohibitions, etc.; 4) provision of opportunities for men and women to bear equal types and measures of responsibility for similar misdemeanors, without nullifying the principle of individualization of responsibility. The definition of the concept of state gender policy as a direction of state policy is provided in state activity aimed at affirming and ensuring equal rights and opportunities of women and men by providing appropriate guarantees of their equal participation in all spheres of public life. The specifics of gender equality in the civil service have been established, under which it is proposed to understand the implementation of state gender policy in this area, in particular through: 1) inclusion of the needs, experience and potential of men and women who are civil servants in programs, plans, strategic documents that regulate civil service in Ukraine; 2) ensuring the implementation of the principle of gender equality in the organizational culture in the field of public service; 3) conducting a gender audit of the civil service, etc.