This document discusses gender mainstreaming efforts in partner countries. It highlights how since the 1995 Beijing Conference, partner countries have made efforts to achieve gender equality through gender mainstreaming approaches. They have developed gender mainstreaming policies and institutional structures to support these efforts. The document outlines key gender mainstreaming mechanisms and tools used at the institutional and programming levels in partner countries, drawing on examples of good practices. It demonstrates that gender mainstreaming approaches in many partner countries have empowered women in innovative and effective ways.
Day 2 Implementing the UNCCD : Involvement of civil society through a gende...elodieperrat
Workshop on Alignment & implementation of National Action programmes with the UNCCD 10-year Strategy in the Arab Region
League of Arab States (18- 20 June 2014), Dubai - UAE
Public Governance Seminar - What works: Towards Evidence Informed Policy MakingOECD Governance
The objective of this seminar is to examine emerging national models for evidence-informed policy and to explore opportunities for international co-operation in the increasingly global movement to synthesis evidence on What Works in a range of policy interventions.
There is growing international interest in the use of a What Works approach and in building a global evidence-base for policy interventions.
This seminar asks the question: what would be the benefits of international co-operation and what practically could the OECD do to support this international agenda?
For more information see www.oecd.org/gov
For decades, global development discussions predominantly revolved around the volume of aid given and received. But the 2002 Monterrey International Conference on Financing for Development broadened the focus of discussions to include the quality of the cooperation provided as a key determinant of progress. Both donors and recipients realized they needed to improve how aid was delivered to make it useful for beneficiaries. Oxfam has been actively involved in this debate, pushing for higher quality standards and aid that works for the people who need it most.1 In the years that followed, three High Level Fora on Aid Effectiveness were convened by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): in Rome (2003), in Paris (2005) and Accra (2008). Each forum marked a step forward. In Rome, donor and recipient countries were asked, for the first time, to focus their discussions exclusively on aid quality, with the result that they agreed to harmonize donor practices for improved performance.2 However, this approach left the essential contribution of recipient countries to aid effectiveness out of the equation and raised concerns that even harmonized approaches might undermine country ownership. The Paris forum acknowledged the need to include recipient governments in an ongoing dialogue on how to improve aid and shift the focus of the debate from effective donorship to effective partnership. Developing countries were invited to join the negotiating table on par with their cooperation providers.3 The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness4 committed signatories to respect and implement five basic principles: harmonization of donor policies and practices; alignment to national development strategies; mutual accountability; a focus on measuring and delivering results for people; and ownership of development cooperation. But, beyond making a list of good intentions, Paris also produced a clear scorecard to hold development partners accountable for what they were promising: a set of 12 indicators to measure progress in a number of crucial areas, such as the predictability of aid flows to developing country governments; the use of developing countries‟ financial and administrative systems; and the transfer of technical capacity to local staff. Each indicator included targets and a deadline to achieve them by 2010. Partners also agreed to monitor their own progress towards the governance commitments they made.
Day 2 Implementing the UNCCD : Involvement of civil society through a gende...elodieperrat
Workshop on Alignment & implementation of National Action programmes with the UNCCD 10-year Strategy in the Arab Region
League of Arab States (18- 20 June 2014), Dubai - UAE
Public Governance Seminar - What works: Towards Evidence Informed Policy MakingOECD Governance
The objective of this seminar is to examine emerging national models for evidence-informed policy and to explore opportunities for international co-operation in the increasingly global movement to synthesis evidence on What Works in a range of policy interventions.
There is growing international interest in the use of a What Works approach and in building a global evidence-base for policy interventions.
This seminar asks the question: what would be the benefits of international co-operation and what practically could the OECD do to support this international agenda?
For more information see www.oecd.org/gov
For decades, global development discussions predominantly revolved around the volume of aid given and received. But the 2002 Monterrey International Conference on Financing for Development broadened the focus of discussions to include the quality of the cooperation provided as a key determinant of progress. Both donors and recipients realized they needed to improve how aid was delivered to make it useful for beneficiaries. Oxfam has been actively involved in this debate, pushing for higher quality standards and aid that works for the people who need it most.1 In the years that followed, three High Level Fora on Aid Effectiveness were convened by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): in Rome (2003), in Paris (2005) and Accra (2008). Each forum marked a step forward. In Rome, donor and recipient countries were asked, for the first time, to focus their discussions exclusively on aid quality, with the result that they agreed to harmonize donor practices for improved performance.2 However, this approach left the essential contribution of recipient countries to aid effectiveness out of the equation and raised concerns that even harmonized approaches might undermine country ownership. The Paris forum acknowledged the need to include recipient governments in an ongoing dialogue on how to improve aid and shift the focus of the debate from effective donorship to effective partnership. Developing countries were invited to join the negotiating table on par with their cooperation providers.3 The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness4 committed signatories to respect and implement five basic principles: harmonization of donor policies and practices; alignment to national development strategies; mutual accountability; a focus on measuring and delivering results for people; and ownership of development cooperation. But, beyond making a list of good intentions, Paris also produced a clear scorecard to hold development partners accountable for what they were promising: a set of 12 indicators to measure progress in a number of crucial areas, such as the predictability of aid flows to developing country governments; the use of developing countries‟ financial and administrative systems; and the transfer of technical capacity to local staff. Each indicator included targets and a deadline to achieve them by 2010. Partners also agreed to monitor their own progress towards the governance commitments they made.
http://sdg.earthsystemgovernance.org/sdg/publications/coherent-governance-un-and-sdgs
Key messages of Policy Brief #4:
1. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require appropriate institutional support to integrate them effectively into institutions and practices, to coordinate activities, and to mobilize resources for implementation. The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) can be a lead “orchestrator of orchestrators” towards these ends, but will require high-level participation, innovative modalities for North-South dialogue, and links with “intermediaries” within and outside of the UN.
2. Monitoring and review processes are crucial to ensure accountability, facilitate learning among countries and stakeholders, and incentivize implementation processes. Reviews should be systemic, science-based and multi-dimensional, and focus on commitments and actions of countries, international institutions, and non-state actors and networks. The quadrennial United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings of the HLPF could consider revisions or modifications of the SDGs over time as new knowledge becomes available.
3. State-led mutual review of national sustainable development progress mandated under the HLPF could be organized around common challenges – for example countries coping with megacities or running out of water. Such reviews would provide systemic evaluations rather than focus only on specific goals. International institutions should be reviewed on their progress in mainstreaming SDGs and targets into their work programs or adequately focusing on areas unaddressed by other stakeholders. These reviews should be considered nodes in a wider system of review and accountability.
4. The new Global Sustainable Development Report (a collection of assessments and reviews by UN and other actors), part of the HLPF’s mandate to improve the science-policy interface, should not simply collect other reviews, but also bring together knowledge required to fill implementation gaps and identify cause-effect relationships and transition pathways, possibly overseen by a meta-science panel.
5. Governance of the SDGs should be designed to mobilize action and resources at multiple levels and through diverse mixes of government and non-state actors, partnerships, and action networks. This diversity in means of implementation must be balanced by state-led mechanisms to ensure accountability, responsibility, coherence and capacity to incentivize long-term investments for sustainable development.
Strengthening gender considerations in adaptation planning (LEG)Tariq A. Deen
The session will discuss best practices and approaches for strengthening gender considerations and the use of indigenous and traditional knowledge in adaptation which are part of the guiding principles for the formulation and implementation of NAPs. Others principles are: a continuous planning process at the national level with iterative updates and outputs; country-owned, country-driven; not prescriptive, but flexible and based on country needs; building on and not duplicating existing adaptation efforts; participatory and transparent; enhancing coherence of adaptation and development planning; supported by comprehensive monitoring and review; considering vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems; guided by best available science.
Effect of Communication Process and Mission on Project Implementation in Coun...paperpublications3
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to provide research based information that will improve project implementation in County Governments in Kenya. The data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and documents analysis. The target population was the County Executive Committee Members, the County Representatives and the County Public Service employees. The findings from the analysis show that communication is pillar of projects implementation among the county government. The study therefore recommends that the County Governments should work towards achieving their goals by sharing information with its stakeholders and having clear project mission to promote goals achievement in the projects being undertaken.
New Voices on South-South Cooperation between Emerging Powers and AfricaDr Lendy Spires
Against a background of sustained economic growth over the past two decades, emerging economies are revitalising their South-South Cooperation (SSC). The steady increase in economic and political weight of certain emerging powers, combined with the scaling up of South-South Cooperation, stirred up considerable academic as well as political interest. The changing development land-scape and the impact of emerging powers in the area of development cooperation, espe-cially when they act as donors, is a hot topic. In particular the activities of emerging pow-ers in Africa are prompting a heated debate. However, the viewpoints of civil society in the partner countries of the emerging powers seem to barely attract any attention. The 11.11.11 Research Chair on Development Cooperation therefore set off to explore African civil society perspectives on South- South Cooperation. Its key question: how do African civil society organisations view, experience and react to South-South Cooperation between their countries and emerging powers, in particular the BICS? Mapping civil society perspectives Answers to this question were pursued through a combination of methods. Pre-sented results and insights are based on: (1) a web-survey answered by 76 African CSO representatives of at least 58 different organi-sations in 11 different countries, (2) 25 semi-structured interviews with African CSO rep-resentatives, (3) a participatory feedback ses-sion with 40 Central-African CSO represen-tatives of 20 different organisations, and (4) participatory observation at the 2012 China-African Think Thank Forum in Ethio-pia. In the analysis, an account of the main topics, positions and arguments used in the mainstream - western dominated - debate on SSC was confronted with the views, experi-ences and reactions of the participating Afri-can CSO representatives. A limitation of the study to take into account is the limited rep-resentativeness of the data, insufficient to go near any generalising statements on what ‘African CSOs’ might think, but in line with the exploratory nature of this research. Scope & terminology The research explored and mapped the perspectives of a variety of established, formally organised African civil society organisations (CSOs). A broad interpre-tation of ‘civil society’ led to the inclusion of a wide array of organisations. development cooperation,
http://sdg.earthsystemgovernance.org/sdg/publications/coherent-governance-un-and-sdgs
Key messages of Policy Brief #4:
1. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require appropriate institutional support to integrate them effectively into institutions and practices, to coordinate activities, and to mobilize resources for implementation. The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) can be a lead “orchestrator of orchestrators” towards these ends, but will require high-level participation, innovative modalities for North-South dialogue, and links with “intermediaries” within and outside of the UN.
2. Monitoring and review processes are crucial to ensure accountability, facilitate learning among countries and stakeholders, and incentivize implementation processes. Reviews should be systemic, science-based and multi-dimensional, and focus on commitments and actions of countries, international institutions, and non-state actors and networks. The quadrennial United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings of the HLPF could consider revisions or modifications of the SDGs over time as new knowledge becomes available.
3. State-led mutual review of national sustainable development progress mandated under the HLPF could be organized around common challenges – for example countries coping with megacities or running out of water. Such reviews would provide systemic evaluations rather than focus only on specific goals. International institutions should be reviewed on their progress in mainstreaming SDGs and targets into their work programs or adequately focusing on areas unaddressed by other stakeholders. These reviews should be considered nodes in a wider system of review and accountability.
4. The new Global Sustainable Development Report (a collection of assessments and reviews by UN and other actors), part of the HLPF’s mandate to improve the science-policy interface, should not simply collect other reviews, but also bring together knowledge required to fill implementation gaps and identify cause-effect relationships and transition pathways, possibly overseen by a meta-science panel.
5. Governance of the SDGs should be designed to mobilize action and resources at multiple levels and through diverse mixes of government and non-state actors, partnerships, and action networks. This diversity in means of implementation must be balanced by state-led mechanisms to ensure accountability, responsibility, coherence and capacity to incentivize long-term investments for sustainable development.
Strengthening gender considerations in adaptation planning (LEG)Tariq A. Deen
The session will discuss best practices and approaches for strengthening gender considerations and the use of indigenous and traditional knowledge in adaptation which are part of the guiding principles for the formulation and implementation of NAPs. Others principles are: a continuous planning process at the national level with iterative updates and outputs; country-owned, country-driven; not prescriptive, but flexible and based on country needs; building on and not duplicating existing adaptation efforts; participatory and transparent; enhancing coherence of adaptation and development planning; supported by comprehensive monitoring and review; considering vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems; guided by best available science.
Effect of Communication Process and Mission on Project Implementation in Coun...paperpublications3
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to provide research based information that will improve project implementation in County Governments in Kenya. The data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and documents analysis. The target population was the County Executive Committee Members, the County Representatives and the County Public Service employees. The findings from the analysis show that communication is pillar of projects implementation among the county government. The study therefore recommends that the County Governments should work towards achieving their goals by sharing information with its stakeholders and having clear project mission to promote goals achievement in the projects being undertaken.
New Voices on South-South Cooperation between Emerging Powers and AfricaDr Lendy Spires
Against a background of sustained economic growth over the past two decades, emerging economies are revitalising their South-South Cooperation (SSC). The steady increase in economic and political weight of certain emerging powers, combined with the scaling up of South-South Cooperation, stirred up considerable academic as well as political interest. The changing development land-scape and the impact of emerging powers in the area of development cooperation, espe-cially when they act as donors, is a hot topic. In particular the activities of emerging pow-ers in Africa are prompting a heated debate. However, the viewpoints of civil society in the partner countries of the emerging powers seem to barely attract any attention. The 11.11.11 Research Chair on Development Cooperation therefore set off to explore African civil society perspectives on South- South Cooperation. Its key question: how do African civil society organisations view, experience and react to South-South Cooperation between their countries and emerging powers, in particular the BICS? Mapping civil society perspectives Answers to this question were pursued through a combination of methods. Pre-sented results and insights are based on: (1) a web-survey answered by 76 African CSO representatives of at least 58 different organi-sations in 11 different countries, (2) 25 semi-structured interviews with African CSO rep-resentatives, (3) a participatory feedback ses-sion with 40 Central-African CSO represen-tatives of 20 different organisations, and (4) participatory observation at the 2012 China-African Think Thank Forum in Ethio-pia. In the analysis, an account of the main topics, positions and arguments used in the mainstream - western dominated - debate on SSC was confronted with the views, experi-ences and reactions of the participating Afri-can CSO representatives. A limitation of the study to take into account is the limited rep-resentativeness of the data, insufficient to go near any generalising statements on what ‘African CSOs’ might think, but in line with the exploratory nature of this research. Scope & terminology The research explored and mapped the perspectives of a variety of established, formally organised African civil society organisations (CSOs). A broad interpre-tation of ‘civil society’ led to the inclusion of a wide array of organisations. development cooperation,
Strengthening gender considerations in adaptation planning (LEG)NAP Events
Presented by: Benon Bibbu Yassin
4.3 Addressing gender and other guiding principles of NAPs
The session will discuss best practices and approaches for strengthening gender considerations and the use of indigenous and traditional knowledge in adaptation which are part of the guiding principles for the formulation and implementation of NAPs. Others principles are: a continuous planning process at the national level with iterative updates and outputs; country-owned, country-driven; not prescriptive, but flexible and based on country needs; building on and not duplicating existing adaptation efforts; participatory and transparent; enhancing coherence of adaptation and development planning; supported by comprehensive monitoring and review; considering vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems; guided by best available science.
Applying Aid and Development Effectiveness Principles to Capacity Development Dr Lendy Spires
Unfinished agenda or overtaken by events? Summary The act of “cooperating” involves doing something together to achieve a mutually agreed goal. For more than half a century, actors involved in international development cooperation have witnessed the difficulty of putting into practice something so seemingly straightforward. In the period from 2003 to 2011, a series of High-Level Fora in Rome, Paris, Accra and Busan added to an evolving aid- and development-effectiveness agenda. A central conviction of this agenda is that development partnerships only succeed when they are led by developing-country stakeholders. Managing cooperation with a multitude of external partners, however, requires strong capacity on the side of developing countries. In addition to acknowledging the centrality of ownership, the agenda also emphasised the need to support developing countries in further developing their capacity to do so. Capacity development is defined as the process whereby people, organisations and society as a whole strengthen their ability to manage affairs successfully. There is wide consensus that capacity development (CD) is a key task for development cooperation, as well as one of the most challenging. This paper analyses to what extent the aid- and development-effectiveness agenda has been applied in the area of capacity development support (CDS), with a specific focus on the use of developing-country systems. The paper is based on a literature review and a limited number of semi-structured interviews, as well as a review of available research evidence on CDS practices in Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda and Vietnam. The aid- and development-effectiveness agenda: outdated and unfinished at the same time? Although the aid- and development-effectiveness agenda has promoted significant improvements during the past and present decade, most commitments remain unfulfilled
Catalyzing Equitable Development: An Initiative to Institutionalize a Gender...Dr Lendy Spires
The Catalyzing Equitable Development (CED) Program responded to two questions that are key to gender equality and effective development. First, can organizations effectively integrate gender in their programs and operations? And second, to the extent they can, does gender integration enhance development outcomes?
The CED program demonstrated that the answer to both of these questions is a strong “yes.” InterAction’s Commission on the Advancement of Women (CAW) implemented this program from January 2003-September 2006. The aim of the program was to institutionalize a gender perspective in the work of development and humanitarian assistance PVOs and NGOs as a necessary means to improve living conditions for poor communities in Africa and Asia. The program focused on building the capacity of PVOs and NGOs through training and technical assistance in Inter-Action’s Gender Audit Organizational Self Assessment and Action Planning methodology.
These organizations are major contributors to global development, collectively implementing about 40% of US government funded development assistance as well as administering over $7 billion annually in assistance from private sources and in-kind contributions. The program targeted the very way PVOs and NGOs do their work and enhanced the effectiveness of their field programs by reducing gender inequalities and promoting women’s and girls’ full participation throughout their operations.
However, the program did not stop at capacity building, but assessed the impact of capacity building at the field level. A unique feature of the program was a study on the impact of gender mainstreaming in four African countries, one of the few such impact studies that has been carried out globally by donors, governments, or the United Nations. In addition, the program documented innovative practices in gender integration from the Asia-Pacific region and drew out lessons learned to guide other planners and practitioners. Major accomplishments of the program are: 287 individuals and approximately 173 organizations (or country offices) participated in eight Gender Audit Courses and seven Gender Audit Workshops in the US and overseas. The Courses were offered in the U.S., Ghana, Kenya, and the Philippines. The workshops were offered in New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Gender Responsive Budgeting: Tool for Gendermainstreaming
Amd 043
1. Discussion Paper.
Gender in Partner Countries.
Gender Mainstreaming for Gender Equity in Partner Countries.
43
2. Published by:
KfW Bankengruppe, Group communications
Palmengartenstr. 5-9, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Phone +49 69 7431-0, Fax +49 69 7431-2944
www.kfw.de
Editorial Staff:
KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW Development Bank)
Strategy and Policy Department
Dr. Armin Bauer, KfW Entwicklungsbank
Fabia Shah, Consultant
Frankfurt am Main, March 2006
3. Preface
Since the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), considerable efforts have
been made by partner countries around the world to actively engage policies and
programs towards the achievement of gender equality goals through gender
mainstreaming approaches. Gender mainstreaming policies have been developed and
implemented; institutional structures and mechanisms adapted and developed to support
mainstreaming efforts; and new tools have been created that seek to mainstream gender
throughout the programming cycle and infuse gender into sectoral work. Drawing on their
experiences of gender mainstreaming at the policy, institutional and programming level,
many partner countries in co-operation with international donors, have also begun to
identify “good practices” to guide future efforts.
This paper highlights some of those efforts – with a view to demonstrating what can and
has been achieved to date. The paper notes why gender mainstreaming has been
understood as central to the poverty alleviation efforts of many partner countries. It also
highlights how partner countries have implemented gender mainstreaming in practice -
focusing particularly on gender mainstreaming efforts at the institutional and programmatic
level. By drawing attention to some “good practice” examples, the paper demonstrates
that in many partner countries the empowerment of women through gender
mainstreaming approaches is well advanced, innovative and effective.
The publication is part of the Gender and Development Papers, a series launched by the
German Development Bank (KfW) in 2004 in order to assess its operational impact on
contributing to operationally relevant gender changes. Other papers are on - among
others - Gender Mainstreaming in International Development Agencies, Gender and
Poverty, Gender Links, Gender and Pro-Poor Growth, Gender Mainstreaming in KfW
Operations in sub-Sahara Africa, and Gender Briefing Paper Bangladesh. The paper was
written by Fabia Shah (gender consultant).
4. CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. THE EVOLUTION OF GENDER MAINSTREAMING APPROACHES IN
PARTNER COUNTRIES 2
2.1 The Shift From WID to GAD 2
2.2 GAD and Gender Mainstreaming 2
2.3 The Role of Partner Countries in the 1995 Beijing Conference 3
2.4 The Role of Partner Countries in the Beijing + 5 Process 4
2.6 Summary 5
3. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PARTNER COUNTRIES – KEY
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS AND TOOLS 5
3.1 Establishment and Support of National Women's Machinery's 6
3.2 Development and Implementation of a National Gender Policy and
Strategy/ Action Plan 7
3.3 Establishment of a Gender Unit and/or Focal Points 9
3.4 Establishment of National Gender Networks and Consultative Forums 9
3.5 Promoting/Agitating for Constitutional Change and Legal Reform 10
4. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PARTNER COUNTRIES - KEY
PROGRAMMING MECHANISMS AND TOOLS 11
4.1 Engendering Macro-economic Policies and Programmes 12
4.2 Engendering National Planning Processes and Programmes 13
4.3 Engendering Sectoral Planning Processes and Programmes 14
4.4 Support for Gender-Focussed Research and Other Analytical Work 15
4.5 Developing and Using Tools such as Guidelines and Checklists 17
4.6 Provision of Training at the National and Local Level 18
4.7 Gender-Sensitive Consultation with Key Stakeholders 19
5. CONCLUSION 20
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 22
ANNEX RESOURCES AND LINKS 23
5. 1
1. INTRODUCTION
1. At the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) governments from
around the world reaffirmed their commitment to the equal rights of men and women and
to women’s empowerment. The Platform for Action (PFA) was a major outcome of the
Beijing Conference and identified gender mainstreaming as a central tool in the promotion
of gender equality.
2. Since the Beijing Conference, considerable efforts have been made by partner
countries around the world to actively engage policies and programmes towards the
achievement of gender equality goals through gender mainstreaming approaches. Gender
mainstreaming policies have been developed and implemented; institutional structures
and mechanisms adapted and developed to support mainstreaming efforts; and new tools
have been created that seek to mainstream gender throughout the programming cycle.
Drawing on their experiences of gender mainstreaming at the policy, institutional and
programming level, many partner countries in co-operation with international donors, have
also begun to identify “good practices” to guide future efforts.
3. This paper highlights some of those efforts – with a view to demonstrating what
can and has been achieved to date. In short, in addition to noting why gender
mainstreaming has been understood as central to the poverty alleviation efforts of many
partner countries, the paper highlights how they have implemented gender mainstreaming
in practice - focusing particularly on gender mainstreaming efforts at the institutional and
programmatic level. And by drawing attention to some “good practice” examples, the
paper demonstrates that in many partner countries the empowerment of women through
gender mainstreaming approaches is well advanced, innovative and effective.
4. The paper is set out as follows:
• Section 2, The Evolution of Gender Mainstreaming Approaches in Partner Countries,
briefly examines the shift from Women in Development (WID) approaches to Gender
and Development (GAD) approaches and the role of partner countries leading up to
and including the Beijing Conference and the subsequent Beijing +5 processes.
• Section 3, Gender Mainstreaming in Partner Countries– Key Institutional Mechanisms
and Tools, considers the key institutional mechanisms and tools which have been
used by partner countries in the pursuit of gender equality goals – using good practice
examples from these countries to highlight how these mechanisms and tools have
been utilized in the real world
• Section 4, Gender Mainstreaming in Partner Countries– Key Programming
Mechanisms and Tools, builds on the analysis in Section 3 by considering the key
programming mechanisms and tools which have been used by partner countries in
the pursuit of gender equality goals. This section also includes good practice
examples to highlight how these mechanisms and tools have been translated into
practice.
• The Annex to this paper includes a number of key resources including links to key
gender-related international conventions and declarations, policy documents and
statistical sources. In addition to including a section on regional gender mainstreaming
information links, the Annex includes a section on web-sites related to implementing
gender mainstreaming at the sectoral level (this section is also included in the
companion paper Gender Mainstreaming for Gender Equality: The Experience of
International Development Agencies. To provide easy access, an emphasis has been
placed on identifying material that is available on the web.
6. 2
2. THE EVOLUTION OF GENDER MAINSTREAMING APPROACHES IN
PARTNER COUNTRIES
2.1 The Shift From WID to GAD
5. Gender mainstreaming approaches became more widely used following the Fourth
World Conference for Women (Beijing 1995) and the adoption of the Platform for Action
(PfA) which gave specific emphasis to using a strategy of gender mainstreaming to
achieve gender equality goals. In particular, the PfA called upon governments and other
actors to:
“….promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in all
policies and programs so that, before decisions are taken, an analysis is made of the
effects of women and men respectively.”
(PfA, Beijing 1995)
6. Prior to the Beijing Conference, Women in Development (WID) approaches had
dominated the development discourse, policy and practice of both partner countries and
international development agencies. Articulated formally at the 1975 World Conference of
Women in Mexico City, WID approaches were underlined by a recognition that
development programmes had not only ignored the interests and needs of women but
had, in many cases, worsened their economic, social and political status. Attempting to
remedy women’s exclusion from the development process and to increase the benefits
accruing to women from development interventions, the WID approach emphasized
women’s integration into development as a key strategy. In many cases, this strategy of
integration took the form of developing separate projects for women or separate women’s
components within larger projects rather than considering and addressing gender issues
throughout the project and programme cycle. And, in many partner countries, the WID
approach was translated into the establishment of WID Offices and Units – usually located
at the periphery of the government planning and decision-making process – and unable to
significantly impact upon government policy.
7. The Gender and Development approach (GAD) originated in the early 1980’s in
response to concerns over the failure of WID approaches to improve the status of women.
Spearheaded by women in partner countries in collaboration with western feminists, the
GAD critique noted that targeted and segregated women’s only projects were having a
limited impact on the position of women and even less on the social and economic
processes that structure gender equalities. In particular women from partner countries
protested that the issue was not simply about women’s participation as such – but the
terms of their participation. They noted that women were already integrated into society
and the economy and that their work (including domestic and unpaid work) was critical to
sustaining the economy. Increased participation in an unequal development process was
therefore not an effective means of achieving real change in the position of women –
particularly when women had so little influence on the development choices and directions
being pursued at the national and local levels. In short, they noted that in failing to ask
why women were systematically disadvantaged, WID approaches did not touch upon the
gendered nature of the mainstream structures and relations of power itself.
2.2 GAD and Gender Mainstreaming
8. Central to the GAD approach is the concept of gender mainstreaming – or the
process of placing gender equality issues at the centre of policy decisions, institutional
practices and planning processes. The United Nation’s Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC 1997) has defined gender mainstreaming as:
…….the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action,
including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy
7. 3
for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences a central dimension of the
design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all
political, economic and social spheres so that women and men benefit equally and
inequality is not perpetuated (ECOSOC 1997).
9. Gender mainstreaming acknowledges that all development activities have a
gender dimension and impact and may not benefit women and men equally. It seeks to
understand the roles, responsibilities, resources and priorities of women and men within a
specific context, examining the social, political, economic and environmental factors which
influence those roles and women’s decision-making capacity (gender analysis). It requires
including women’s as well as men’s views and priorities in decision-making about
development goals and processes. And central to both GAD and gender mainstreaming
approaches is the recognition that improving the status of women is not just a women’s
issue but a goal that requires the active participation of both men and women.
Box 1
WHAT GENDER MAINSTREAMING IS…AND ISN’T…
• Gender mainstreaming is focussed on the substantive work of organizations – it is not about
achieving a gender balance in those organizations
• Gender mainstreaming is about identifying concrete actions to promote gender equality – its not just
about doing gender analysis
• Gender mainstreaming makes gender perspectives and the goal of gender equality very explicit in
all processes and documents – it does not and cannot make these invisible
• Gender mainstreaming is a complementary strategy to women’s empowerment – it does not
eliminate the need for targeted activities for women and activities targeted to promote gender
equality
• Gender mainstreaming requires specialist/catalyst resources to support management in the
fulfillment of their responsibilities – it does not eliminate the need for gender units and gender focal
points
Adapted from Concept to Action: Gender Mainstreaming in Operational Activities, Carolyn Hannan, OSAGI, 2000.
2.3 The Role of Partner Countries in the 1995 Beijing Conference
10. The GAD approach with its emphasis on gender mainstreaming was central to
shaping the organization and outcomes of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women
in Beijing. Attended by over 5000 official delegates representing 189 governments and
international organizations, the Beijing Conference was the largest mobilization of the
global women’s movement to date and marked a turning point in the way in which gender
issued were conceptualised and translated into policy and practice. The conference
adopted the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action (PFA) – both of which were
derived from the regional platforms for action that were drawn up at five regional
preparatory meetings for the FWCW.1 Partner countries – and in particular women from
1 The regional meetings that took place and their outcomes included:
• The regional meeting of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which
was held in Bangkok in October, 1999 and identified 49 strategies and recommendations to further
implement the Beijing Platform for Action;
• The regional meeting of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) which was held in Addis Ababa in
November 1999 and issued a Declaration that reaffirmed the commitments of the ECA countries to the
Beijing and Dakar Platforms for Action;
• The regional meeting of the Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) which was held in
Beirut in December, 1999 and resulted in a vision for equality between women and men in the region in
the new millennium;
• The regional meeting of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) which took place in Geneva in
January, 2000 and adopted a series of agreed conclusions on further actions for the full implementation of
the Platform; and
8. 4
partner countries – took an active and agenda setting role in these preparatory meetings
organizing national and local level consultations and defining key priorities for action.
Regional and international coalitions were also formed in this preparatory process around
common issues of concern such as guaranteeing women’s political and economic rights,
the increasing feminization of poverty, the need to address and combat violence against
women and the women’s reproductive rights.
11. In debating and formulating strategies to tackle the problems facing women in all of
these areas of concern, women from partner countries also had a significant impact on the
Conference discussions and outcomes. For example, at the institutional level, they noted
the centrality of gender mainstreaming as a tool for achieving gender equality goals, and
emphasized the need to develop appropriate institutional and programming mechanisms
and tools to mainstream gender effectively. Critical Area H on “Institutional Mechanisms
for the Advancement for Women” reflects these discussions - reaffirming the importance
of institutional mechanisms such as well resourced and influential national machineries for
the advancement of women, properly supported gender focal points and gender networks
and the promotion of legal reform to end gender-based discrimination. The PfA also
recognised the need to underline these efforts with effective programming mechanisms
and tools such as engendering macro-economic as well as sectoral policies and
programmes and national planning processes.
12. Women from partner governments, NGOs and civil society also campaigned
intensively to ensure that the PfA highlighted and addressed the negative gender impacts
of many structural adjustment programmes and other macro-economic policies – and
were at the forefront of the discussions around the persistent and increasing burden of
poverty on women (Critical Areas A and F). The identification and final inclusion of issues
such as the effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women (Critical Area E) was also
largely a result of lobbying from women in partner countries, who drew from their personal
experiences of conflict, to highlight the specific needs of internally displaced and refugee
women and the need for women to be more actively engaged at the forefront of conflict
resolution and peace processes.
13. Responding to these concerns and very much guided by the voices of women in
partner countries, the final PfA called upon governments, the international community, civil
society and the private sector, to address the 12 interrelated areas of: poverty; unequal
access to education and training; inequalities in health care; violence against women and
the girl child, effects of conflict; participation in the definition of economic structures and
policies; power sharing; mechanism to promote advancement of women; human rights of
women; the media; the environment; and persistent discrimination and violation of the
rights of the girl child.
2.4 The Role of Partner Countries in the Beijing + 5 Process
14. In June, 2000 delegates from 180 countries convened at UN headquarters in New
York to evaluate progress made since Beijing, agree on obstacles, and map out a set of
actions to continue implementing the Platform for Action. Preceded by a series of regional
and national meetings, the Beijing +5 process culminated in the adoption of a Political
Declaration and outcome document entitled "Further actions and initiatives to implement
the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” – both of which reaffirm government
commitments to the Beijing Platform for Action and their plans to make gender equality
the key underlying principle of all development interventions.
The regional meeting of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) which was
held in Lima in 8-10 February, 2000 and adopted the Lima Consensus, which took into account the Port of
Spain Declaration (October 1999), and reaffirmed commitment to the implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action. The Lima Consensus outlined 25 actions, and adopted three resolutions.
9. 5
15. Specifically the final document reaffirmed the importance of gender mainstreaming
in all areas and at all levels and the complementarity between mainstreaming and special
activities targeting women. In addition to further action on the twelve critical areas of
concern in the PfA, women from partner countries effectively lobbied for the inclusion in
the document of new issues which have gained importance since the Beijing Conference.
In particular, they were instrumental in ensuring that emphasis was placed on issues such
as women’s access to political and economic decision-making, women’s central role in
post-conflict reconstruction and development as well as peace keeping processes,
gender-sensitive approaches to HIV/AIDS, the role and impact of new technologies on
women, men and gender relations - and violence against women, including trafficking and
in armed conflict.
16. As well as identifying additional common areas of concern, women and men from
partner countries actively engaged governments at both the national and regional level in
identifying national and regional gender priorities. A 2005 appraisal and review of the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome of the Twenty-third
Special Session of the General Assembly (2000) is currently being undertaken by the
UN Division for the Advancement of Women.
2.6 Summary
17. Women and men in partner countries today are working in a myriad of ways to
promote gender equality in the mainstream of their own countries - focussing their
attention on the development directions being pursued by their governments, the
gendered nature of the decision-making and budgetary processes underlining the national
and international development agenda as well as the gendered way in which resources
are distributed. They have also focussed attention on the way in which the national
“mainstream” is influenced (both positively and negatively for gender equality) by the
international “mainstream” – including trade practices and the approaches of international,
multilateral and bilateral agencies. Effective organizers and catalysts for change women in
partner countries have also worked hard to establish formal and informal networks and
coalitions at the national, regional and international level to support their efforts. The
following Sections of this paper outline some of the most common institutional and
programming mechanisms and tools which have been developed by women and men in
partner countries in their efforts to mainstream gender equality.
3. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PARTNER COUNTRIES– KEY INSTITUTIONAL
MECHANISMS AND TOOLS
18. So then what does gender mainstreaming mean in practice in partner countries
and what gender mainstreaming mechanisms and tools have been developed by these
countries for the empowerment of women? This Section highlights some of the positive
steps being made by development partners towards achieving the goal of gender equality
through gender mainstreaming approaches. Whilst the specific gender issues of concern
differ from country to country and region to region, there are also a number of common
institutional and programmatic mechanisms and tools that have been used by partner
countries to promote gender equality through mainstreaming approaches.
19. This Section examines more closely the key institutional mechanisms and tools
which have been employed in pursuit of gender equality goals – using good practice
examples from different partner countries to highlight how these mechanisms and tools
have been implemented in the real world. Although the “good practice” policy, project or
activity may not yet be perfect from a gender equality perspective, it is still possible, and
important, to record positive steps in the right direction. And whilst clearly much remains
to be done before gender equality can be said to be effectively mainstreamed in national
10. 6
and local policies and programmes, many partner countries have made considerable
advances which deserve recognition.
20. Section 4 builds upon this analysis, by separately considering the key
programmatic mechanisms and tools which have been used by partner countries to
mainstream gender concerns – again using good practice examples to illustrate how
these have been translated into concrete programmes and projects.
Box 3
GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PARTNER COUNTRIES
KEY INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS AND TOOLS
Institutional Mechanisms and Tools
• Establishment and Support of National Women's Machinery's
• Development and Implementation of a National Gender Policy and/or Strategy/ Action Plan
• Establishment of a Gender Unit and/or Focal Points
• Establishment of National Gender Networks and Consultative Forums
• Promoting/Agitating for Constitutional Change/Legal Reform
3.1 Establishment and Support of National Women's Machinery's
21. One of the key institutional mechanisms which have been created for the
promotion of gender mainstreaming is national women’s machineries (NWMs). The
creation of NWM’s began in the 1970’s and, as one of the eleven critical areas of concern
identified in the Beijing Platform for Action (PfA), was reaffirmed as a key enabling
mechanism in the pursuit of gender equality. Today, NWMs have been established in
almost every Member State of the UN to design, promote the implementation of, execute,
monitor, evaluate, advocate and mobilize support for policies that promote the
advancement of women and gender mainstreaming. NWM’s have adopted a range of
strategies to promote gender-sensitive policy and practice including: lobbying for the
inclusion of gender in national development plans, the creation of focal points in other
ministries to monitor an actively contribute to the mainstreaming of gender in policy-making
and programming; the development and use of guidelines and checklists to guide
project/programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; and providing
gender training for government personnel and, in some cases, NGOs and community
groups.
22. As the Beijing +5 process has noted, whilst these machineries are diverse in form
and uneven in effectiveness, a number have managed to successfully ensure that gender
concerns remain central to and mainstreamed in national and local policy and
programming development and implementation. Others are still in their formative stages
(including the example of the East Timor Office for the Promotion of Equality for Women
below) but are consciously building on lessons-learned from others NWMs to develop
effective structures, policies and programmes.
23. In addition to being vested with sufficient powers to influence national policy and
planning processes, a clear mandate and adequate financial and human resources to
effectively implement that mandates, successful NWM’s have often been those that have
maintained strong links with civil society groups. Moreover, in many partner countries
those machineries which are situated in central decision-making locations, such as the
Ministries of Planning and Finance rather than in marginalized areas of government, have
been more successful in promoting mainstreaming in the policy and planning process.
11. 7
The Office for the Promotion of Equality for Women – East Timor
24. In August, 2001 Constituent Assembly elections were held in East Timor and
established the first independent Timorese government in over 450 years. In April 2002,
East Timor held its first-ever presidential election and out of an estimated voter population
of 439,000, 86.2% went to the polls. Independence advocate and former exile, Xanana
Gusmao won the election with 82.7% of the total valid votes cast.
25. Women have played a critical role in East Timor’s struggle for national
independence. Both inside the country and in the diaspora, they courageously challenged
occupation, as well as the international support that made it possible. And women are also
now playing an active and catalytic role in East Timor’s reconstruction.
26. Following the Assembly elections, and the establishment of the final transitional
phase of government, the former Gender Affairs Unit which had been put in place by the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), became the Office for
the Promotion of Equality for Women. It was located in the Office of the Chief Minister and
is headed by a former director of a prominent NGO, Fokupers.
27. Whilst still in its formative stages, the Office has been active in defining and
implementing an agenda for promoting gender equality in the policies, programmes and
legislation of the new East Timor government and East Timor’s 13 districts. Special
gender orientation sessions have been conducted for the new government and civilian
police on the varying impacts of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction on the men and
women of East Timor. Workshops have also been run in districts to inform people about
the functions of the office and develop community linkages and support. The Office has
also worked in collaboration with women’s NGOs to help women prepare testimonies to
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on human rights violations under the Indonesian
occupation, and provided an analysis of the impact of war on women and society.
28. The office has also supported the Gender and Constitutional Subcommittee of the
Constitutional Working Group to ensure that gender equality issues were enshrined in the
new East Timorese Constitution. Following lobbying from the Subcommittee and support
from the Office, the Constituent assembly voted to accept a Women’s Charter in the
Constitution. The Charter, which was supported by eight thousand signatures from women
around the country, contains ten key articles on women’s rights and includes language
prohibiting slavery, prostitution and exploitation as well as articles upholding the rights of
women to equal access to education, employment, health care, personal security and
political opportunities. Article 8 of the Charter also guarantees equal rights to inheritance.
Sources: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/peace2003/reports/BPChinkin.PDF
and http://www.etan.org/etanpdf/icwa/cg-14.pdf
3.2 Development and Implementation of a National Gender Policy and Strategy/
Action Plan
29. The formulation of a National Gender Policy reinforced by an Action Plan or
Strategy provides an important entry point for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at
the national level. Most partner countries have developed and put in place a gender
equality policy in which gender mainstreaming is identified as the principal tool or strategy.
Experience has demonstrated however that gender equality policies that are not framed
by concrete and measurable goals, objectives and outcomes are often ignored and
therefore ineffectual. A Strategy or Action Plan outlines how the policy will be
implemented, what the (measurable) objectives and performance indicators will be, who
will be responsible, how it will be resourced, and when and how it will be monitored.
Operationalizing the policy can either be done within the policy itself – or in a separate
action plan or strategy. Most partner countries have also developed and implemented
12. 8
Gender Equality Strategies or Action Plans to support their gender equality policy
commitments.
The National Gender Policy and National Gender Plan of Action (Rwanda)
30. The Rwandan National Gender Policy was finalized in 2002 with the overarching
goal of promoting gender equality by mainstreaming gender concerns and needs across
all policies and programmes in all sectors of development in Rwanda. In addition to
identifying the specific priority gender issues and concerns that need to be addressed and
mainstreamed in all national policies and programmes, the policy also identifies the major
strategies through which policy objectives can be achieved. The policy also gives specific
attention to defining the institutional framework and mechanisms within which gender
equality and equity policies and programmes will be designed, implemented, monitored
and evaluated. The National Gender Plan of Action supports the National Gender Policy,
which is also complimented by the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development
(MIGEPROFE) Sectoral Policy. Taken together these three instruments provide a policy
context and rationale for gender mainstreaming in all national and local policies and
programmes as well as concrete objectives and targets for measuring achievements.
31. The key strategic areas of work identified in these documents include::
• Poverty Reduction – including: integrating the needs of women and men, boys and
girls in the National Poverty Reduction Process (PRSP) at all levels; and ensuring that
women and men, boys and girls have equal access to and control over economic
opportunities that include access to employment and credit
• Agriculture and Food Security – including: the integration of gender dimensions into
agricultural policies and programmes; ensuring that women and men have equal
access to and control over land, seeds, fertiliser, markets and new agricultural
techniques; and enhancing the agricultural productivity of women and men for food
security
• Health and HIV/AIDS – including: ensuring that the specific health needs of women
and men, boys and girls are effectively addressed through accessible and affordable
health services; engendering health policies and programmes and supporting research
and the collection of gender disaggregated data on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS
• Education and Professional Training including: ensuring that gender issues are
mainstreamed in educational policies an programmes; promoting the enrolment of girls
in science and technology programmes ;and increasing literacy rates, with specific
emphasis on the literacy rate for women
• Governance and Decision-Making including: promoting the use of affirmative action to
offset gender gaps; developing a monitoring framework to measure the level of
women’s participation in political and decision-making processes; and strengthening
the capacity of women to participate in leadership and decision-making processes
• Human Rights and Gender-Based Violence including: the removal of discriminatory
laws that affect women and engender the new Constitution as well as the legal
system; encourage research and the collection of disaggregated data on all forms of
violence; establishing gender-sensitive structures and effective support services for
women victims of gender-based violence; and encouraging the Government to ratify
and implement all the international conventions that apply to women’s human rights
• Information, Communication and Technology including: ensuring the development of a
gender-sensitive media and ICT strategy and supporting initiatives aimed at
establishing women’s information networks.
Source: Briefing Paper 1. A Review of National Goals and Strategies for Gender equality and Women’s Empowerment in
Rwanda. UNIFEM/UNDP, 2002. http://www.unifem.undp.org/governance/National_Policy_En.pdf
13. 9
3.3 Establishment of a Gender Unit and/or Focal Points
32. Effective gender mainstreaming in any context requires staff with responsibility for
spearheading, supporting and sustaining gender work. Recognizing this, most partner
countries have put in place Gender Focal Points and Networks to implement and support
their gender mainstreaming efforts. Key to the success of these focal points and networks
is that they have clear and measurable goals and objectives to guide their work, are
provided with adequate financial and human resources to implement their mandate and
are supported by a senior management with a strong commitment to pursuing gender
equality goals. Many countries have also developed Gender Units and/or Gender
Management/Advisory Groups to oversee policy and programme implementation and
support the work of focal points. In recent years, to support their efforts to promote gender
equality, a number of partner countries have also found it useful to build external alliances
and support networks in the form of External Advisory Groups and regional and
international Focal Point Networks and Forums.
The APEC Gender Focal Point Network
33. Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) was established in 1989 to further
enhance economic growth and prosperity for the Asia/Pacific region. It operates as a co-operative,
non-treaty binding multilateral economic and trade forum and includes 21
country members - referred to as "Member Economies" – including Australia; Brunei
Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia;
Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the
Republic of the Philippines; the Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand;
United States of America; and Vietnam. APEC activities are centrally funded by small
annual contributions from APEC Member Economies which are used to fund small
projects in trade and related areas. APEC is organised around Annual APEC Ministerial
Meetings of foreign and economic/trade ministers and Sectoral APEC Ministerial Meetings
are held regularly covering areas such as education, energy, environment and sustainable
development, finance, human resource development, regional science and technology
cooperation, small and medium enterprises, telecommunications and information industry,
tourism, trade, transportation and gender issues.
34. Recognizing the need to provide an effective mechanism to mainstream gender
concerns into APEC deliberations, APEC Minister’s established the Gender Focal Point
Network (GFPN) in 2002. In particular, the establishment of the network underlines the
growing recognition within Asian and Pacific governments of the central nature of gender
equality issues in macro-economic policy development and implementation and the
achievement of sustainable development outcomes. More specifically, the GFPN, which is
drawn from focal points from each of the APEC member countries, will work to assist
APEC fora to: identify and address gender issues in their work; promote and report on
women’s representation across APEC; collect and share good practices in gender
mainstreaming; and support and report upon the implementation of gender mainstreaming
both within individual for a and across APEC countries. The first meeting of the network
took place in 2003 and activities on the first plan of action are expected to begin in 2004.
Source: APEC website at http://www.apec.org/apec/apec_groups/other_apec_groups/gender_focal_point_network.html
3.4 Establishment of National Gender Networks and Consultative Forums
35. Both institutions (e.g. Ministry/Commission/National Women’s Machineries
responsible for gender issues) and people (e.g. gender advocates and focal points),
benefit from the support and encouragement that comes from working in partnership with
others.
36. In many partner countries, a range of effective alliances, coalitions and networks
have been formed to promote gender equality goals, support those working to achieve
14. 10
those goals and facilitate active collaboration on gender issues between government and
civil society. Women’s organizations for example have a key role to play in enabling
women to collectively voice their needs and demands as well as to support those working
for change within government and can thereby help those internal catalysts to hold
government accountable for legislative an policy commitments.
The Afghan Women’s Consultation, 2002
37. In 2002, the Afghan Women’s Consultation was organized by the Afghan Ministry
of Women’s Affairs (MOWA) with support from a number of UN agencies with the
objective of developing a common platform of action to promote women’s rights and
thereby effectively contributing to the reconstruction process. The consultation brought
together 60 Afghan women from seven provinces with policy-makers, representatives of
key ministries, UN agencies and donors and discussed issues of security, women’s rights,
education, health, political participation, the need for political representation, economic
security and employment. A Plan of Action was developed which sought to identify key
issues of concern to Afghan women and to provide a guiding framework for the work of
government ministries as well as national and international organizations. Specifically, the
Plan of Action calls for:
• the equal contribution of women to all aspects of the political and administrative
processes of the government including, legal and constitutional mechanisms
• the disarming of warring factions under the auspices of peacekeeping forces and
the establishment of internal security
• the installation of legal processes and transparent mechanisms for the
establishment of the Loyia Jirga and to support women’s full participation in
elections.
• a minimum of 25% representation of women in the Loyia Jirga
• the establishment of an inter-ministerial commission for the advancement of
women.
38. Preceded by a series of other national (as well as international) meetings to
discuss women’s contribution to the peace-building and reconstruction process in
Afghanistan, the consultation underlines the Afghan Government’s recognition of the
importance of using participatory processes to develop national partnerships and
networks and to ensure that the recovery and development work is informed and framed
by gender equality goals.
Source: UNIFEM website at: http://www.unifem.undp.org/newsroom/press/pr_afghan_women.html
3.5 Promoting/Agitating for Constitutional Change and Legal Reform
39. Many partner countries have recognized that legislation has a key role to play in
establishing a national framework for mainstreaming gender equality. Agitating for legal
reform has therefore been a key area of focus and has included activities such as
reviewing existing legislation for discriminatory and constraining provisions; identifying
vague or unclear legal provisions to ensure that their interpretation does not work to the
detriment of women or disadvantaged groups; formulating corrective or supplementary
legislation to address discrimination and disadvantage; and establishing procedures
requiring all legislation to be gender sensitive.
The New Moroccan Family Law
40. In October, 2003 the Moroccan National Assembly introduced reforms to
Morocco’s Family Law – or Moudouana- that significantly improved women’s rights in
marriage and divorce. The change in the law was underlined by significant pressure from
Moroccan women’s groups and the subsequent establishment by King Mohammed VI of a
multi-disciplinary advisory committee to review and make recommendations that would
15. 11
promote gender equality within the context of the Moudouana. The final amendments in
the law were strongly resisted by a number of religious groups and coalitions within
Morocco and the subject of several street protests and marches.
41. The previous Moudouana was characterised by strongly patriarchal underpinnings.
The reforms changed this by placing the family under the joint responsibility of both
spouses. Key additional amendments included raising women’s marriageable age from 15
to 18 (like that of men) and restructuring marriage and divorce proceedings to promote
greater gender equality. Women and men now have the right for instance to contract their
own marriage without the legal approval of a tutor and men’s right to unilateral divorce or
repudiation has been greatly restricted. The new legislation makes repudiation conditional
upon the courts prior authorization and introduces divorce by mutual consent. Verbal
repudiation is no longer valid as divorce is now subject to a court ruling. The new text
also greatly limits polygamy, which is now subject to a judges authorization and to
stringent legal conditions – including the woman’s right make her marriage conditional
upon non-acceptance of other wives. In addition the new law assigns a key role to the
judiciary and provides for the public prosecutor to be party to every legal action involving
the enforcement of Family Law stipulations. The code also calls for the establishment of
family courts and a family mutual assistance fund for the effective enforcement of the
family Law. Importantly all language within the law has been made gender-neutral.
42. Whilst not achieving gender equality in all respects, the new Moroccan Family Law
does demonstrate the importance of legal reform in the pursuit of gender equality as well
as the way in which government and women’s organizations can effectively coalesce to
challenge resistors to the promotion of gender equality.
Source: Full Text of the new Family Law at the Women Living Under Moslem laws (WLUML) website at:
http://wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-21950&cmd[189]=x-189-21950
4. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PARTNER COUNTRIES - KEY
PROGRAMMING MECHANISMS AND TOOLS
43. Building on Section 3, this Section considers the most common programming
mechanisms and tools used by partner countries to mainstream gender equality goals into
national policies and processes. These have been summarised in Box 3 and whilst not all
partner countries use all of these programming mechanisms and tools all the time, most
are central to most countries efforts to work towards gender equality.
Box 3
GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN PARTNER COUNTRIES
KEY PROGRAMMING MECHANISMS AND TOOLS USED BY PARTNER COUNTRIES
Programming Mechanisms and Tools
• Engendering Macro-economic Policies and Programmes
• Engendering National Planning Processes and Programmes
• Engendering Sectoral Planning Processes and Programmes
• Support for Gender-Focussed Research and Other Analytical Work
• Developing and Using Gender Mainstreaming Tools such as Guidelines and Checklists
• Provision of Training at the National and Local Level
44. For each of the programming mechanisms and tools which are discussed in this
Section, a good practice example has been highlighted with a view to demonstrating the
positive impact such mechanisms and tools can have in the real world on the promotion of
gender equality. Although the good practice example may not yet be perfect from a
gender equality perspective, it is still possible, and important, to record positive steps in
the right direction.
16. 12
4.1 Engendering Macro-economic Policies and Programmes
45. At the macro-economic level, where decisions are made with regard to public
expenditure, gender-blind policies and programmes have greatly disadvantaged women.
In response, a rich and growing spectrum of initiatives in partner countries have been
initiated that reveal and in some cases reshape the social content of macroeconomic
policies from the perspective of poverty and gender inequality. With their participatory
focus, they also demonstrate the potential for democratising decision-making processes
and transforming economic frameworks and policies into instruments of people-centred
development. Overall, these initiatives have contributed to the economic and political
empowerment of women and the poor by:
• Raising the awareness of the public on gender inequality and poverty issues by
sparking social dialogues on these social problems.
• Fostering the accountability of governments to meeting their gender equality
commitments
• Demonstrating how macro-economic policies can be made responsive to the needs of
women and the poor by incorporating their interests and voices into policy decisions.
46. In particular, programmes to engender national budgets have been a key focus of
such initiatives and have now taken place in many partner countries in Africa, Asia and
South America. The South African gender budget initiative is now well progressed and
acts a model for other countries in and outside the African region (see Box 4). Gender
budget initiatives are also underway in Sri Lanka, Barbados and a number of countries in
the African region including Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique are also in the
process of engendering their national budgets. The Southern African Development
Community (SADC) are also actively encouraging gender-sensitive budgetary practices
within the region and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting
initiatives in six central Eastern Europe (CEE) and CIS countries.
The Tanzanian Gender Budget Initiative
47. The Tanzanian Gender Budget Initiative was initiated by an NGO, the Tanzanian
Gender Networking Programme (TNP) and developed in the context of cost sharing and
retrenchment policies implemented as part of the structural adjustment programmes
(SAPs) implemented in the 1980s. The SAPs precipitated cuts in vital social services,
particularly in health care and education, while liberalisation and privatisation caused
massive layoffs of government workers.
48. The gender budget initiative has been conducted in two phases so far. Phase
1,(1997-2000) focused primarily on building working relationships with relevant areas of
government, information collection, research and dissemination and capacity building.
During the research phase, the budgets of four sectoral ministries (Education, Health,
Agriculture and Industries and Commerce) as well as the central Finance and Planning
Commission, were examined. Research was also conducted on the budget process in
selected districts. For most of the sectors, TGNP teamed a government official from that
sector/Ministry with a non-government researcher as part of their strategy of reaching key
actors and building alliances. Workshops on gender budgeting were also held showing
how to integrate gender at each stage of the budgeting process. Tools, checklists and
manuals have also been developed as a result of these workshops.
49. The second phase of the process, which began in 2001 is continuing the work of
the first phase with a focus on other sectoral Ministries as well as an advocacy
programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society to participate in the
budgeting process – from planning through to implementation and evaluation. In
particular emphasis has been given to engendering macroeconomic models, frameworks
and tools – known as the MACMOD process. This arose from a recognition that although
17. 13
much work had been done on addressing policies surrounding budgetary planning and
processes and building gender capacities, the gendered nature of many macro-economic
tools and models had been neglected.
Source: Gender Responsive Budgets Initiatives Website. (UNIFEM, Commonwealth Secretariat and Canada's International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) project) http://www.gender-budgets.org/index.php and: Gender Budgets make
Cents. Understanding Gender-Responsive Budgets. Budelnder, D; Elson, D; Hewitt, G; and Mukhopadhyay,T (2001)
Box 4
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S BUDGET INITIATIVE (WBI)
The Women’s Budget Initiative (WBI) in South Africa was introduced in mid-1995 and is proving to be one of
the best practices in engendering women’s participation in economic structures and decision making.
In spite of its name, the Women's Budget Initiative does not aim to have a separate budget for women drawn
up, but to analyse the entire national budget from a gender perspective, and on this basis to change
economic and social-policy priorities, and shift funds accordingly in the interests of women. Within the
framework of gender analyses, women are not seen as a homogenous group, but are differentiated on the
basis of other categories such as social class, and racial and regional background. The focus is on poor
women. On the basis of data gathered on the life situation and working conditions of (poor) women, WBI
examines the expenditure and revenues of all 27 ministries covered by the national budget, and the revenue
and expenditure policies of selected lower level bodies for their impacts on (poor) women and men. The
results of these studies are published every year. Since 1997, the Ministry of Finance has incorporated the
results of the WBI's work in its preparatory work on the budget. The reports on national expenditure policy in
terms of various sector authorities are already indicating initial changes in focus in the form of greater gender
and poverty orientation.
Another important field of work of the Initiative is sensitisation and training for state and civil society actors.
The main results have been published in three brief, easy to understand brochures entitled "Money Matters",
which target the general public. In conjunction with the NGO Gender, Education and Training Network
(GETNET) training modules have also been developed for workshops on topics such as how to read
budgets, how a budget comes to be, instruments for gender analyses and lobby and advocacy techniques.
The elaboration and production of these training modules was partly funded by German technical co-operation.
The WBI has achieved renown both in South Africa and at international level, not least because of the
extensive documentation it produces on its work.
From: SPV/ GTZ Gender Advisory Project. Website: http://www.gtz.de/gender-budgets/english/budgetinitiative SA.html
4.2 Engendering National Planning Processes and Programmes
50. Like national development budgets, national development plans are important
public statements expressing the key priorities for change and progress. Two inter-related
strategies have been adopted by partner countries to include gender issues in national
development planning processes and procedures – firstly the development of a national
action plan or programme on gender issues and secondly the mainstreaming of gender
into the central development planning process. Whilst both have been important to
ensuring that gender equality goals are effectively mainstreamed at the national level,
gender action plans on their own have been marginalized and/or forgotten in the context
of national development planning processes.
51. Since 1999, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) introduced
the requirement that heavily indebted developing countries formulate nationally owned
participatory poverty reduction strategies, in the form of Poverty Reduction Strategy
Papers (PRSP), as a condition of receiving concessional lending under the Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. In these countries, PRSPs have come to
replace national development plans as the key mechanism for identifying key national
development priorities and the strategies required to achieve them. Although the gender
equality is integral to the PRSP, which is underlined by the twin objectives of poverty
reduction and economic growth, considerably more work needs to be done to ensure that
18. 14
gender equality is mainstreamed effectively. This is currently a key focus of attention for
both the Bank and the IMF as well as national and international NGOs
52. In seeking to promote gender equality in national development plans (and PRSPs)
partner countries have found a number of factors to be important including: the need for
top level commitment and support – often by one or several gender champions with
significant political influence; the need for the plan to be underlined and guided by
accurate information including gender-disaggregated data and indicators and gender
analytical research; the need to develop concrete, measurable time-bound targets and
progress indicators at both the macro and sectoral levels; and the need for the plan to be
linked to adequate resource allocations for implementation.
The Rwandan PRSP
53. Considerable effort was made to mainstream gender concerns into the Rwandan
PRSP process. As the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development (MIGEPROFE)
noted, “The PRSP provides an exceptional opportunity for MIGEPROF to take forward the
issues of mainstreaming gender issues into the policies of the government as a whole”.
Although the final PRSP (2002) is not perfect from a gender mainstreaming point of view
(for example neglect of gender issues in the privatization and taxation discussions), it
does represent a considerable improvement on other PRSP’s from the region in which
gender concerns were not properly considered or mainstreamed into the programming
process. The development of the PRSP was underlined by a strong participatory process
and in its final form includes:
• The incorporation of Ministry of Gender and Women inputs into all sector expenditures
• Advocacy of ending discrimination against women in the context of the new land
strategy
• Commitment to gender desegregate all annual macro-economic indicators including
GDP, employment/wages, public expenditure data
• Reform of all laws discriminating against women
• Promotion of girls education and adult female literacy including sex-disaggregated
data of primary level enrolment and completion rates
Source Do Poverty Reduction Papers (PRSPs) Address Gender? A Gender Audit of 2002 PRSPs. Zuckerman, E and
Garrett, A. 2003.
4.3 Engendering Sectoral Planning Processes and Programmes
54. Engendering sector plans and programmes has also been central to gender
mainstreaming approaches in many partner countries, and provides an understanding of
gender differences and inequalities in resources, access, needs and potential
contributions at the sector level so that gender-responsive sector policy frameworks and
programmes can be developed and implemented. A key first step in mainstreaming
gender at the sector level is therefore a comprehensive gender analysis of conditions in
the sector - including for example a gender analysis of the legal and regulatory framework
as well as an analysis of the constraints and issues facing women and men at the micro or
household level.
55. Many partner countries that have recently begun to engender their sectoral
planning processes have done so in the context of Sector Wide Approaches (SWAPs),
which have gained increasing support from donors in contrast to the previous project–
based approach. Whilst much remains to be done to mainstream gender at the sector
level, a focus on gender equality in sectoral planning mechanisms and instruments
19. 15
(including SWAPs) is now understood to be critical if sector policies and programmes are
to be successful in meeting the goals of equitable and sustainable development.
Mainstreaming Gender in Education (Ghana)
56. To mainstream gender concerns in the education sector, particularly relating to the
education of the girl child, in late 1997 the Ghanaian Ministry of Education (MOE)
established the Girls Education Unit (GEU) with a mandate to undertake an awareness
raising initiative for improving girls’ participation in education. To ensure that activities
were effectively mainstreamed to the grassroots level, the GEU appointed District Girls
Education Officers (DGEOs) in all 110 Districts as well as Regional Girls Education
Officers to oversee the DGEOs work. Gender issues were included in district planning
initiatives without changing the overall structure of the office by appointing officers already
working at the district level as DGEOs.
57. The role of the DGEO was to work with the GEU at the District level to increase
girls’ access to and successful participation in education. Key activities included:
• actively promoting girls’ education by liasing with local institutions such as religious
organizations community groups and NGOs
• acting as a link between the GEU and the district communities by: providing the GEU
with quarterly reports of activities focussed on promoting access to education for girls;
conducting community outreach programmes on the benefits of girls education; and
providing advice to girls and their parents;
• developing an awareness of the issues relating to girls education within the District
Education Office by organizing workshops and seminars for colleagues and teachers;
distributing the GEU Newsletter; supporting female teachers in the District and
encouraging them to actively promote girls education; and working in close
collaboration with the District Science, Technology and mathematics Education
Organizer ;
• taking positive action within the District to raise female enrolment and retention rates
in school by working with colleagues to identify communities in the District with low
female enrolment; researching the constraints to girls participation; and developing
and implementing strategies to overcome those constraints; and
• monitoring girls enrolment, retention and achievement rates by collecting relevant
gender-disaggregated data.
Source: Gender Mainstreaming: Emerging Lesson’s from Ghana. A Synthesis of a Gender Mainstreaming Workshop.
(2000). Akapulu, E; Ofei-Aboagye, E; and Derbyshire, H.
4.4 Support for Gender-Focussed Research and Other Analytical Work
58. Gender analytical research and sex-disaggregated statistical data (about for
example “beneficiary groups as well as managing and implementing organisations) is
essential to effective gender mainstreaming. Such information (i) enables the identification
of gender differences and inequalities; (ii) makes the case for taking gender issues
seriously; (iii) informs the design of policies and plans that meets women’s and men’s
needs; (iv) and facilitates the monitoring of the differential impacts of policy, project and
budget commitments on women and men. Many partner countries have developed
information systems that disaggregate by sex, undertake gender analysis as part of social
and institutional monitoring processes and undertake gender-focussed research to
examine particular issues and address information gaps. Many have also focussed on
developing mechanisms to incorporate findings into programme and project planning,
20. 16
design and implementation so that information is effectively utilized in the pursuit of
gender equality goals.
Adapted from: Gender Manual: A Practical Guide for Development Policy Makers and Practitioners. DFID, 2002)
The Gender Analysis Pathway (Indonesia)
59. The Gender Analysis Pathway (GAP) was developed in Indonesia by the National
Planning Board (BAPPENAS) and the Ministry for Women’s Empowerment (MWE) as a
comprehensive approach to gender mainstreaming. The GAP tool sets out the
components for gender analysis and identifies gender indicators to help assess and
monitor whether there is still gender inequality between men and women in government
policies and programs.
60. In particular GAP takes policy makers through a series of questions regarding
gender-sensitive policy-making and implementation. The key steps include:
• Step 1 General Objectives.
Government policy is rarely neutral. What has government already agreed to do to
improve the status of women? Are these commitments reflected in existing policy
objectives? If not what needs to be done?
• Step 2 Eye-Opening Data: Quantitative and qualitative data reused to assess the
differing impacts of existing policies on women and men or to determine the gender
dimensions of new policies. This data must be disaggregated by sex so that policy
makers can understand the different experiences of women and men
• Step 3 Gap Factors: In most cases, eye-opener data reveals gaps in how policies
affect women and men. What are these gaps? Do men and women participate in
government programmes at different rates and in different ways? Do women and men
enjoy the same access to government resources (policies, programmes, projects,
legislation and budgets)? Who controls the resources? Do men and women benefit
from them in an equitable way?
• Step 4 Gender Issues: What larger issues do the gap factors illuminate? What are
the gender gaps between women and men? Why do these gaps exist? Have
government policies and programmes contributed to this imbalance? What are the root
causes of these problems? How can they be redressed?
• Step 5 Gender Equality Objectives: How can government reduce or eliminate
gender gaps? What measures need to be taken to redress imbalances in women’s
status relative to men’s? What policy options can be identified to close the gaps?
Recheck the Objectives. Do these solutions reflect the gap factors?
• Step 6 Gender Indicators: What performance indicators, both qualitative and
quantitative, can be identified to evaluate the success of the government’s
implementation of the new gender equality policy objectives? What kinds of indicators
will tell us if the gap factors have been reduced or eliminated?
61. The GAP is now being piloted in a number of Ministries in Indonesia with previous
pilots in the Ministries of Manpower, Education, Justice and Agriculture suggesting that
policy-makers found it simple, clear and easy to use. In particular GAP is a pedagogical
as well as technical tool that can be used to help planners and the organizations in which
they work understand and undertake the work of gender mainstreaming.
Source: Accelerating Change. Resources for Gender Mainstreaming. CIDA, 2000
21. 17
Box 5
THE GENDER IMPACT ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK (BANGLADESH)
The Gender Impact Analysis Framework (GIAF) is a practical Bangladesh specific approach
to assess the impact of existing an proposed government policies, programmes, projects and
activities on women and men. It was developed in Bangladesh by the Ministry of Women and
Children’s Affairs (MWCA).
The role of the GIA framework is to support government policy makers and planners in their
implementation of the National Policy on Women’s Advancement and the National Action Plan
for Women’s Advancement. The GIAF involves gender-based analysis of Bangladesh policies
at a number of levels. Gender issues are assessed at the “problems/issues identification
stage” of policy making. All programme “visions and objectives” are reviewed to determine the
extent to which gender considerations have been integrated or need to be integrated. Sectoral
planners are expected to determine whether men and women are participating as decision-makers
and beneficiaries in project activities. The GIAF also requires an analysis of resource
allocations for programmes and projects to ensure that sufficient funds are being designated
to activities that promote gender integration.
From Accelerating Change. Resources for Gender Mainstreaming. CIDA, 2000
4.5 Developing and Using Tools such as Guidelines and Checklists
62. Like development agencies, many partner countries have developed country-specific
checklists, guidelines and manuals to assist staff in government, Community
groups and the private sector to mainstream gender at the programme, project and
sectoral level. Whilst these tools cannot “do” gender mainstreaming in and of themselves
they can help to provide a national context for gender mainstreaming and explain why,
where and how to incorporate a gender perspective in policies, programmes, projects and
sectors. Many partner governments, either through NWMs or similar, have also supported
and implemented training to enable effective use of these tools.
National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (The Philippines)
63. The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) has produced
a series of guides and tools to assist both government planners and community
organisations to use gender mainstreaming approaches in the pursuit of gender equality
goals (see Box 6 for a summary of the Philippines Plan for Gender Responsive
Development (PPGD). The booklets include a framework and guidelines for
mainstreaming gender in development planning: a guidebook in using statistics for
gender-responsive local development planning; and a sourcebook for advocates, planners
and implementers in making the bureaucracy more gender responsive. In addition the
Commission has developed guidelines to assist different provinces in achieving the
targets set out in the PPGD.
64. The NCRFW website contains a full list of all of these resources and others as
well as a list of Good Practices and other relevant material related to achieving gender
goals at the national level. It can be located at:
http://www.ncrfw.gov.ph/gender_main/jmc_2001_1.htm
22. 18
Box 6
THE PHILIPPINES PLAN FOR GENDER RESPONSIVE DEVELOPMENT (PPGD)
The Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD, 1995-2025) is a 30-year
framework for implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (PfA). The PPGD addresses the
concerns of women for equality and development across six key spheres: the individual, the
family, socio-cultural, economic, political and legal life. The development of the PPGD was
underlined by a participatory process involving government agencies and NGOs operating at
regional, national and community levels.
The PPGD is supported by a number of additional planning mechanism including the Philippines
Framework Plan for Women (FPW) , the requirement for the development of separate agency-level
Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and the GAD Budget Policy. The FPW is a three
year time slice of the PPGD, and sets realistic directions for program interventions for government
agencies as well as providing a tool for planning and budgeting. It was developed in response to
the need for: a1 more concrete basis for agency planning and budgeting on GAD; to focus on the
specific time-bound outcomes and impacts; and to provide clearer directions for government
agencies in implementing gender mainstreaming. Agency level GAD Plans define the
interventions designed to make the agency's regular programmes, projects and activities gender-responsive
and the GAD Budget Policy requires agencies and local government units (LGUs) to
set aside a minimum of five percent of their annual appropriations to be used for priority programs,
projects and activities designed to address gender issues and women concerns.
See the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) website at:
http://www.ncrfw.gov.ph/gender_main/jmc_2001_1.htm for a full copy of the PPGD and the FPW.
4.6 Provision of Training at the National and Local Level
65. Many partner countries have long recognized that gender mainstreaming initiatives
cannot be sustained without the provision of regular and relevant gender training and that
training is one of the key methods to support behaviour and organizational change.
Capacity development through gender training has therefore become central to many
partner governments strategies for mainstreaming gender – and has not only helped to
develop knowledge and skills in mainstreaming itself by enabling people to use the many
different tools which are available in the most effective and appropriate way, but has also
sensitized people to gender issues and how they relate to and impact upon their day to
day work. Gender training has also been used by many partner countries as a
mechanism to reach out to, inform and influence resistant individuals and groups. Gender
training programmes vary considerably from country to country – and are often specifically
developed around meeting the needs of specific targets groups such as national or local
government officials, community leaders and religious groups and the private sector.
Engendering the National Truth and Reconciliation Process – Peru
66. Between 1980 and 2000, Peru experienced a tragic internal armed conflict. During
that period, clashes between State forces and insurgency groups resulted in the violation
of the human rights of thousands of people. In the aftermath of conflict in 2001, the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission in Peru (La Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación en
Peru or CVR) was established to investigate these violations and propose initiatives to
affirm peace and harmony among Peruvians. The results of the Commission’s
investigation were published in a Final Report in August 2003.
23. 19
67. The incorporation of a gender perspective into the investigations of the CVR
recognized that the human rights of women and men are violated in different ways and
with different consequences. In particular, women had experienced increased physical
and sexual violence, and suffered distinct consequences such as forced pregnancy and
sexual mutilation. Women also had to cope with the shift in gender relations that resulted
as men – whose more public, visible roles left them open to persecution – disappeared
and/or became victims in mass executions. In their absence, the survival of the family
became dependent on women and women began to take on functions in the public
sphere.
68. Recognising the importance of documenting women’s experiences, the CVR
decided to establish the Gender Programme (la Línea de Género). Its fundamental
objective was to raise awareness of gender issues in the work of the Commission’s
interviewers and the rest of its officials, in order to ensure a gender perspective would be
present across all its work.
69. The Gender Programme developed a series of training documents that included
communication strategies, suggestions for how to run investigations in the country’s
provinces and guidelines for the interviewers. It also created Gender Programme Links, a
working group made up of representatives from each of the CVR’s regional headquarters.
The role of these representatives was to work actively in the community to ensure
information on gender concerns was being shared where appropriate. As well, the
Programme participated in a series of training workshops aimed at promoting gender
analysis in a number of CVR areas such as communications, disappeared persons and
volunteering. The Programme also provided educational materials such as flyers and
cartoons.
70. Ensuring the incorporation of gender-sensitive approaches through training and
capacity building enabled the CVR to address the changes in gender relations resulting
from the internal armed conflict in Peru. The recommendations of the CVR emphasise that
gendered concerns must be taken into account if future human rights violations are to be
prevented.
Source; Gender and Development in Brief. Issue 13, Gender and Armed Conflict. Bridge.at:
http://www.ids.ac.uk/bridge/dgb13.html
4.7 Gender-Sensitive Consultation with Key Stakeholders
71. In order to ensure that women’s as well as men’s needs, priorities and constraints
are recognized and addressed and can influence the development agenda, all processes
of policy development and project design should involve participatory consultation with
women as well as men in beneficiary groups and include women as well as men in
decision-making at all levels. This involves finding ways to ensure that: women’s groups
are actively involved in the consultation and decision-making process and that the range
of women’s views and needs is adequately represented (for example recognizing that
different women have different needs based on class, ethnicity, religion, age and other
factors). Gender-sensitive consultation with stakeholders has increasingly become a
routine aspect of the project appraisal, design and planning process of many development
agencies as well as in routine monitoring and evaluation.
(Adapted from: Gender Manual: A Practical Guide for Development Policy Makers and Practitioners. DFID, 2002)
The Moroccan Gender Plan of Action
72. The development of the Moroccan Gender Plan of Action (1999-2003) which was
led by women's NGOs in co-operation and co-ordination with the Government, was
underlined by a strong participatory approach to ensure complete ownership of both the
process itself and the outcomes by all key stakeholders – including women’s community
24. 20
groups. The participatory process which included research, co-ordination, consultation
and advocacy, was carried out through a series of public meetings to raise awareness of
gender issues as well as thematic workshops attended by relevant ministers and various
civic groups active in the field.
73. The planning process produced concrete recommendations aimed at improving
the status and the conditions of women which were brought together under the umbrella
of a Gender Plan of Action (GPA). The GPA provides the Government, civic groups,
international organizations, as well as bilateral and multilateral aid organizations engaged
in promoting gender equality with guidelines and a framework to facilitate immediate and
future interventions.
From:UNIFEM/UNDP Good Practices Database at:http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/unifem/project.pl?do=view&id=16
5. CONCLUSION
74. This paper has highlighted the considerable efforts that have been made by
partner countries around the world to actively engage policies and programmes towards
the achievement of gender equality goals through mainstreaming approaches. Playing a
pivotal and conclusive role in major international forums including the 1995 Beijing
Conference and the subsequent Beijing +5 process, many of these countries have actively
promoted and lobbied for the implementation of gender mainstreaming approaches at the
national and international level – noting in particular the fundamental and integral links
between gender equality, poverty alleviation and the achievement of sustainable
development outcomes.
75. Whilst it is clear that specific issues of concern differ within each country and
between different countries and regions, the paper has highlighted a number of common
institutional and programmatic mechanisms and tools that have been used by partner
countries to promote gender equality through mainstreaming approaches. At the
institutional level for example these have included: the establishment of national women’s
machineries (NWMs); the development and implementation of a national gender policy
and/or strategy or action plan; the establishment of gender units and/or focal points; the
establishment of gender networks and consultative forums; and undertaking constitutional
change and legal reforms (see Chapter 3).
76. As Chapter 4 highlights, the most common programmatic mechanisms and tools
used by partner countries for gender mainstreaming, have targeted the macro-decision
making level where key policy and financing decisions are made and where gender-blind
policy and programming have greatly disadvantaged women in the past. This represents a
strategic shift from earlier gender mainstreaming efforts which focussed primarily on the
project or sub-sector level - a shift that is similarly reflected in the growing emphasis on
gender mainstreaming at the macro level by many international development agencies.
Key mechanisms and tools which have been developed have included for example the
engendering of macro-economic policies and programmes as well as the engendering
national and sectoral planning processes and programmes. In addition partner countries
have developed a range of country-specific gender mainstreaming tools such as
guidelines and checklists and have supported training at the national and local level (see
Chapter 4).
77. Finally, in giving profile to the commitment to and active pursuit of gender
mainstreaming for gender equality by partner countries throughout the world, this paper
suggests that not only have many development partner’s clearly identified the key
strategic and practical gender needs of women and men in their countries but have
developed, or are in the process of developing, appropriate mechanisms and tools to
meet those needs. There is therefore an abundance of both country and regional level
25. 21
information available to assist international development institutions and agencies in
planning their country and regional (gender) strategies as well as established points of
contact within countries to facilitate the development of appropriate programmes (see the
Annex for links to these). Recognizing that many partner countries are actively working to
address gender inequalities and have established contact points, information bases and
other mechanisms and tools to inform this process, is a key first step in ensuring that
policies, programmes and projects meet the real needs of development partners.
26. 22
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
ADB Asian Development Bank
CEDAW Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women
ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Council
GAD Gender and Development
HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome
INSTRAW United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women
KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
NGO Non Government Organization
OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
OECD/DAC Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development/Development
Assistance Committee
PFA Platform for Action (of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women –
Beijing)
UN United Nations
UNDP United Nations Development Agency
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
UNIFEM United Nations Fund for Women
WHO World Health Organization
WID Women in Development
27. 23
ANNEX RESOURCES AND LINKS
Gender-Related International Conventions and Declarations
• http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/: The United Nations Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action, 1995.
• http://www.un.org/womenwatch/un/iinstrum.htm: Convention on the Elimination of
Discrimination Against Women, 1979.
• http://heiwww.unige.ch/humanrts/instree/e2cprw.htm: Convention of the Political Rights of
Women, 1954.
• http://heiwww.unige.ch/humanrts/instree/e3dpwcea.htm: Declaration on the Protection of
Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict, 1974.
• http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/21.htm : Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women, 1967.
• http://heiwww.unige.ch/humanrts/instree/e4devw.htm: Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence Against Women, 1993.
• http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ : CEDAW-The Convention to Eliminate all Forms
of Discrimination Against Women, 1979.
Gender and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• http://www.undp.org/mdg/ UNDP Web site on MGDs
• http://www.developmentgoals.org/ World Bank Web site on the MDGs
Statistical Sources
• http://www.unicef.org/statis/index.html UNICEF - World maps for selected indicators and
economic and social statistics on the countries and territories of the world, with particular
reference to children’s well-being. e.g.:Gender: http://www.unicef.org/sowc03/tables/table7.html
• http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ extensive statistical : This is the UN Internet Gate on the
Advancement and Empowerment of Women". Provides information on women.
• http://www.focusintl.com/statangl.htm: WIDNET-Women in Development NETwork. Presents a
databank on women’s statistical information arranged by country and subject matter.
Regional Links
These links are just a small sample of the vast number of information sources available at the
regional and national level and many also contain their own useful link sites.
A key first link into country level information is the National Action Plans prepared by UN Member
States to implement the Beijing Platform for Action and the CEDAW National Reports for those
countries which have signed the CEDAW Convention. A full list of these National Action Plans,
CEDAW Reports and other country information can be found at the Division for Advancement of
Women (DAW) website at: : http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/country/.
In addition, there are many NGOs comprised of women from partner countries work that at the international
level in collectives such as Development Alternatives for a New Era (DAWN) at : http://www.dawn.org.fj/ and
the Women living Under Moslem Laws Network at: : http://www.wluml.org/english/index.shtml.
Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa:
• Africa Women News Service at: http://www.africawoman.net/
• Afrol Women is an African Internet media, covering almost daily African gender news,
background presentations and country gender profiles. At:
http://www.afrol.com/Categories/Women/msindex.htm
• GETNET. Gender Equality and Training Network (SADC). At: http://www.getnet.org.za/index.html
• African Gender Institute at: http://web.uct.ac.za/org/agi/
28. 24
• South African Commission for Gender Equality at : http://www.cge.org.za/
• Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network at: http://www.zwrcn.org.zw/
• Zambia National Women’s Lobby Group at: http://www.wedo.org/5050/zambianew.htm
• Women of Uganda Network at: http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/gabafrica.html
• Tanzania Gender Networking Programme at: http://www.tgnp.co.tz/
North Africa/Middle East:
• Arab Women Connect. Contains studies, reports, and statistics on Arab women collected from
focal points and women's organizations in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen,
UAE, and Qatar. At http://www.arabwomenconnect.org/awc/e_main.asp
• The Arab Regional Resource Centre on Violence Against Women (Jordan) at :
http://www.amanjordan.org/english/index.htm
• Arab Network for NGOs (SHABKA) at:: http://www.shabaka.org.tn/eng/sindex.htm
• ESCWA, Development of National Gender Statistics Programmes in the Arab Countries (GSP).
GSP aims to enhance national capabilities in the production, use and dissemination of gender
statistics to lead to more effective policies promoting change for the benefit of women and the
advancement of society as a whole. Participating countries include:: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen. At:
http://www.escwa.org.lb/gsp/index.html
• The Arab Women’s Court . Symbolic court established by Arab NGOs to fight violence against
women in Arab societies. At: http://www.arabwomencourt.org/
• Yemen Yemeni Women’s National Committee at : http://www.yemeni-women.org.ye/
• Algeria List of Algerian Women’s Associations at:
http://www.euronet.nl/~fullmoon/womlist/countries/algeria.html
• Sudan. Afhad University for Women - A private university in Sudan dedicated to educating
women, strengthening women's roles in national and rural development, and achieving equity
for women in Sudanese society at: http://www.ahfad.org/
• Egypt . Institute for Gender and Women’s Studies at the American university in Cairo. At
http://www.aucegypt.edu/igws/
• Lebanon. The Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women (LCRVAW) at :
http://www.lebanesewomen.org/
ional http://www.ahfad.org/er for Studies and Analyses for Population and Development
Asia and the Pacific:
• Directory of National Focal Points for the Advancement of Women in Asia and the Pacific at
(some with e-mail only addresses) at: http://www.unescap.org/wid/04widresources/02national/
• APEC Gender Focal Point Network at:
http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/apec_groups/other_apec_groups/gender_focal_point_network.html
• National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women at: http://www.ncrfw.gov.ph/
• South Asian Women’s Network at : http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/users/sawweb/sawnet/index.html
• Women Living Under Muslim Laws – an international Network committed to legal reform and
research in Muslim countries at : http://www.wluml.org/english/index.shtml
• Asia Pacific Gender Equality Network at: http://www.undp.org.ph/apgen/home1.htm
• National Commission on Women’s Affairs – Thailand at:: http://www.inet.co.th/org/tncwa/
• Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan at: http://rawa.fancymarketing.net/index.html
Latin America/Caribbean:
• The Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network at:
http://www.reddesalud.org/espanol/Women’s Action 2000 – an initiative of the women's
movement and civil society of Latin America and the Caribbean, in the framework of the Beijing
+ 5 revision process.
• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean – Gender Site- at:
http://www.eclac.org/mujer/
• Inter-American Development Bank – Gender Site at:
http://www.iadb.org/sds/WID/index_wid_e.htm
• Inter-American Commission on Women at: http://www.oas.org/cim/default.htm
• Caribbean Crisis Centres Working to Eliminate Violence Against Women at:
http://www.sdnp.org.gy/hands/crisiscntre.html
• Women’s Development Network at: http://www.redmujeres.org/home.htm
29. 25
• Cuban Women’s Federation at: http://www.cuba.cu/politica/webpcc/fmc.htm
• National Council of Women’s Rights, Brazil at: http://www.mj.gov.br/
• National Women’s Council, Argentina at: http://www.cnm.gov.ar/
• National Women’s Service, Chile at: http://www.sernam.gov.cl/
• National Women’s Institute, Mexico at: http://www.inmujeres.gob.mx/
• National Presidential Council for Women’s Equity, Columbia at: http://www.presidencia.gov.co/
• Salvadoran institute for Women at:: http://www.isdemu.gob.sv/
• National Women’s Institute, Costa Rica at: http://www.inamu.go.cr/
Europe:
• KARAT (a regional coalition of organizations and individuals from 18 countries in Central and
Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries) at:
http://www.karat.org/
• Gender Statistics Website for Europe and North America. Contains links to Beijing national
plans of Action and CEDAW Reports for many Eastern European and CIS States.
http://www.unece.org/stats/gender/web/genpols/genpols-3.htm
• UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States contains a
Gender Virtual Library with national reports and links to Government ministries responsible for
gender at the national level. At http://gender.undp.sk/
• ASTRA – Central Central and Eastern European Women's Network for Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights at: http://www.womenaction.org/csw44/astra.html
• Government of the Republic of Slovenia – Office for Equal Opportunities at: http://www.uem-rs.
si/eng/
Sectoral Gender Sites
Agriculture:
• http://www.worldbank.org/gender/tools/checkag.htm: World Bank: Checklist of gender issues
for project preparation and appraisal in the agriculture sector.
• http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/ardext.nsf/22ByDocName/Gender: World Bank gender and
rural development web site
• http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/ardext.nsf/22ByDocName/GenderinMonitoringandEvaluati
oninRuralDevelopmentAToolKit: World Bank gender in monitoring and evaluation in rural
development toolkit
• http://www.adb.org/Documents/Manuals/Gender_Checklists/Agriculture/default.asp?p=genche
ck : ADB gender and agriculture checklist
• http://www.cgiar.org/ifpri/themes/mp17/gender/gender.htm: CGIAR/IFPRI web site
• http://www.wedo.org/ : WEDO-Women Environment and Development Organisation.
• http://www.fao.org/gender/: FAO’s web site on gender and food security.
• http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/guidetogenderanddevelopment.pdf : AusAID Guide
to Gender and Development (Gender and Agriculture Checklist)
Education:
• http://www.unicef.org/girlsed/gelef.htm: UNICEF’s web site on Girl’s education.
• http://www.adb.org/Documents/Manuals/Gender_Checklists/Education/default.asp?p=genchec
k : ADB Education and gender checklist
• http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php@URL_ID=3160&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=20
1.html : UNESCOs gender mainstreaming web site
• http://www.unicef.org/gender/ : UNICEF Gender equality web site
• http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/guidetogenderanddevelopment.pdf : AusAID Guide
to Gender and Development (Gender and Education Checklist).
Energy
• http://www.energia.org/about/index.html : The International Network on Gender and
Sustainable Energy
• http://www.elci.org/energy/ : African Regional Network on Women and Sustainable Energy
30. 26
• http://www.undp.org/seed/eap/html/publications/2001/2001a.html: UNDP publication
“Generating Opportunities: Case Studies on Energy and Women” includes tips on integrating
gender into energy projects as well as good practice examples
• http://phantom.eri.uct.ac.za : Energy and Development Research Centre (ERDC), University of
Cape Town South Africa. Has produced over a 100 publications on energy, poverty,
development and gender with a focus on Africa.
Good Governance and Democratization:
• http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/publicfinance/decentralization/gender.htm : World Bank web site
on Gender, Decentralization and Public Finance
• http://www.thecommonwealth.org/gender/htm/whatwedo/activities/macroeconomic/natgenbudg
.htm : Commonwealth Secretariat web site with tools for a gender analysis of the national
budget
• http://www.adb.org/gender/practices/governance/default.asp : ADB Gender and Governance
Good Practices web site
• http://www.undp.org/governance/gender.htm : UNDP Gender and Governance web site
Health and Population:
• http://www.oecd.org/health : OECD- Health
• http://www.genderandaids.org: UNIFEM/ UNAIDS created portal on gender and HIV/AIDS
• http://www.who.int/gender/en/ : WHO-World Health Organisation’s Department of Gender and
Women’s Health
Micro-Enterprise Development:
• http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/guidetogenderanddevelopment.pdf : AusAID Guide
to Gender and Development (Micro-Credit Checklist)
• http://www.swwb.org/English/1000/index.htm : Women’s World Banking web site. Includes links
to other gender and micro-finance related sites
• http://www.uncdf.org/english/links/microfinance.html : United Nations Capital Development
Fund (UNCDF) which specializes in local governance and micro-finance. Includes links to other
gender and micro-finance sites.
• http://microfinancegateway.org.master.com/texis/master/search/?q=gender+equality&s=SS:
The Microfinance Gateway. The site contains several documents about the role of microcredit
in poverty reduction and promoting gender equity. See also:
• www.cgap.org: CGAP, Building Financial Systems for the Poor. CGAP is housed at the World
Bank, but it operates as an independent entity.
• http://www.fao.org/sd/2002/PE0401a_en.htm : FAO Guide to Gender Sensitive Micro-finance
• http://www.gdrc.org/icm/wind/binns-cover.htmlb : European Commission paper on Integrating a
Gender perspective in Micro-finance in ACP Countries
• http://www.swwb.org/English/4000/wwb_coalition_publications/ : International Coalition on
Women and Credit
Transport and Communication
• http://www.worldbank.org/gender/transport/ : World Bank Gender and Transport web site
• http://www.worldbank.org/gender/transport/Tools/Packages/packages.htm : World Bank gender
and transport toolkits
Water and Sanitation
• http://www.adb.org/Documents/Manuals/Gender_Checklists/Water/default.asp?p=gencheck :
ADB gender and water supply/sanitation checklist
• http://www.worldbank.org/gender/resources/wstlkt4.pdf : World Bank Toolkit on Gender in
Water and Sanitation
• http://www.undp.org/water/genderguide/ : UNDP Mainstreaming Gender in Water Management
web site
• http://www.genderandwateralliance.org/english/main.asp : Gender and Water Alliance website .
Focus on mainstreaming gender in water management
• http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/envdev737.doc.htm : UN Inter-Agency Gender and
Water Task Force (coordinated by IANGWE)