The new National Development Plan will incorporate "gender mainstreaming" in the application of structural funds, the Taoiseach has told a conference in Cavan.
Mr Ahern said "mainstreaming of a gender perspective" was one of the major themes to emerge from the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, and Ireland supported the concept to the extent that "all memoranda to Government seeking Government decisions have to set out the impact on or implications for women".
Addressing a North-South conference on gender mainstreaming, the Taoiseach said the equal treatment of all citizens and the safeguarding of human rights under pinned the Belfast Agreement; and he said it was expected the Bill establishing a human rights commission here "will go beyond the British legislation and thus exceed the obligation imposed by the Good Friday agreement".
The chairwoman of the National Women's Council of Ireland, Ms Noreen Byrne, said it was encouraging to see the level of interest "in bringing issues of women's equality to the heart of government policy-making".
But she added that despite the commitments being expressed, there was a continuing failure of those in power to listen to groups like the NWCI.
