Two additional elements are usually included in definitions of gender mainstreaming: the institutionalisation of gender concerns in order to transform “attitudes, culture, goals, and procedures,” and gender empowerment, w'hich is aimed at “promoting women's participation in decisionmaking processes, as well as having their voices heard and the power to put issues on the agenda. By ensuring that institutions, policies and programmes respond to women and men equitably, gender mainstreaming also contributes to good governance. If the needs and priorities of women and men are considered at each phase of the policy cycle (design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation), achieving substantive progress on addressing remaining gender gaps is much more likely. As such, applying gender mainstreaming to both the existing and new laws and regulations is of critical importance to close these gaps.