Implementing gender equality and mainstreaming in an enlarged European Union - some thoughts on prospects and challenges for Central Eastern Europe

This article considers the adoption and implementation of gender equality law following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union that incorporated a number of Eastern Europe countries. It addresses the question of how effective 'soft' coordination strategies - such as, for instance, the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) and gender mainstreaming - can be in helping Central Eastern European Countries (CEECs) to fully enforce gender equality legislation at all levels of policymaking.