In this presentation to the 'Joint Program on Gender Transformative Approaches to Food Security & Nutrition, Inception Workshop' (Rome, May 6-8, 2019), Dr Cynthia McDougall outlines some key ideas to guide measuring gender transformative change. This draws on WorldFish (AAS and FISH's) and partners work in this area, including leading up to the development of the Women's Empowerment in Fisheries Index.

1. PHOTO
Measuring Gender Transformative Change:
Frameworks, Characteristics, Methodologies
Dr Cynthia McDougall
Gender Research Leader, WorldFish (c.mcdougall@cgiar.org)
Joint Program on Gender Transformative Approaches to Food Security & Nutrition, Inception
Workshop, Rome, May 6-8, 2019

2. Frameworks:
What are we measuring?
All models are wrong, but some are useful…

3. Sharpen
Reach Benefit Empower
Expand from:
 Individual to collective
• Opportunity (all girls &
women)
• Responsibility (society)
Deepen from:
 Gaps to underlying barriers
• Power dynamics
• Structures
Transform

4. Adapted from WorldFish-CARE Webinar, 2017
FocusAcrossScales

5. Power over
People, time, income,
assets, resources
Power within
Self-worth, self-
efficacy…
Power to
act and realize one’s
aspirations
Power with
Collective power,
mutual support,
respect
Personal Interpersonal
Power

6. Example indicators (household scale)
Common: Women’s own
income; time use
Expand to:
 Practices of sharing
caregiving
 Attitudes: men as
household head and
‘breadwinner’
 Backlash/GBV in
response to women’s
economic empowerment
Common: Decision making
over production, assets;
‘jointedness’
Expand to:
Ability to make strategic
choices (spouse, fertility, etc)
Controlling behaviour versus
support by spouse, family
Customs whether women
are allowed to disagree with
husbands
Power over income &
labour
Power with/over:
Household decisionmaking

7. Characteristics that shape
measurement

8.  Multi-scale, multi-dimensional
 Diverse human experiences,
contexts
 Complex, emergent change
Rao and Kelleher, 2005

9.  Multi-scale, multi-dimensional
 Diverse human experiences,
contexts
 Complex, emergent change

10.  Multi-scale, multi-dimensional
 Diverse human experiences,
contexts
 Complex, emergent change

11. Feminist
evaluation
Complex
systems
Social &
Gender
Analysis
Methodologies

12. Qualitative
Quantitative
Exogenous
Framing
Endogenous
Framing
• Multiple scales
• Women & men (I)
• Unanticipated
• Formal & informal
FGDs,
SSIs
surveys
GENNOVATE tools
Ladder of
power &
freedom
Gender
Attitude
Scales
(‘GEM’)
Participatory monitoring, photovoice, video
WEAI
Participatory
action
research
GTA documentation
analysis
Policy analysis

13. Qualitative
Quantitative
Exogenous
Framing
Endogenous
Framing
• Multiple scales
• Women & men (I)
• Unanticipated
• Formal & informal
FGDs,
SSIs
surveys
GENNOVATE tools
Ladder of
power &
freedom
Gender
Attitude
Scales
(‘GEM’)
Participatory monitoring, photovoice, video
WEAI
Participatory
action
research
GTA documentation
analysis
Policy analysis

14. Two synergistic examples
Gender Accommodative
compared to Transformative
Approaches:
 Quasi-experimental, mixed
methods assessment
(‘WEFI’)
 integrated with PAR
 Evidence of value added,
mechanisms

15. Two synergistic examples
Gender Accommodative
compared to Transformative
Approaches:
 Quasi-experimental, mixed
methods assessment
(‘WEFI’)
 Integrated with PAR
 Evidence of value added
mechanisms
M&EL of progress towards
outcomes and project
contributions:
 Theory of change-
based/Outcome Mapping
plus mixed methods
 Ownership, progress,
outcomes

16. Thank you!