ITU GGI on 'Gender Mainstreaming':

Gender mainstreaming as a functional facet of ITU's work seeks to ensure that women and men are provided with equal opportunities to develop and utilise their skills and to participate in decisions affecting their lives.

This mainstreaming strategy is not exclusively related to women and their specific needs and concerns. It should also include initiatives for men when and as required, provided all initiatives promote overall gender equality.

(International Telecommunication Union - Group on Gender Issues)

To assess the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies and programs in all areas and at all levels.

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy to make women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and societal spheres.

(United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC))

ICSC on 'Gender Mainstreaming':

Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.

The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.

(International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) -  December 1998)