As noted, limited accountability mechanisms combined w ith a lack of aw'areness within the public service, have been identified as main barriers to advancing gender equality initiatives and mainstreaming by more than 40% of the countries responding to the survey. Strengthening implementation and accountability mechanisms, supported by a whole-of-govemment approach, could significantly advance the implementation of gender equality and mainstreaming initiatives to support the full empowerment of women for countries’ competitiveness and growth. A recent global synthesis report on national gender institutions concludes that legal reforms appear to be a major area of achievement for these mechanisms.