these remaining gaps not only undermine the wellbeing of societies but represent missed opportunities for achieving economic growth that benefits all to be successful governments need effective governance mechanisms and sound public sector capacities to ensure effective implementation of gender equality initiatives the recommendation promotes a governmentwide strategy for gender equality reform sound mechanisms to ensure accountability and sustainability of gender initiatives and tools and evidence to inform inclusive policy decisions it also promotes a wholeofsociety approach to reducing gender stereotypes encouraging women to participate in politics and removing implicit and explicit barriers to gender equality this work builds on the extensive expertise developed by the public governance committee and its policy communities including the report women government and policymaking in oecd countries fostering diversity for inclusive growth