USAID Grants-ADS Chapter 205 -Integrating Gender Equality and Female Empowerment in USAID’s Program Cycle 

1. ADS CHAPTER 205 -Integrating Gender
Equality In USAID’s Program Cycle
Nudrat Mufti

2. Gender Defintion
• Gender is a social construct that refers to relations
between and among the sexes, based on their relative
roles. It encompasses the economic, political, and socio-
cultural attributes, constraints, and opportunities
associated with being male or female.
• As a social construct, gender varies across cultures, is
dynamic and open to change over time. Because of the
variation in gender across cultures and over time, gender
roles should not be assumed but investigated. Note that
gender is not interchangeable with women or sex.
(Chapters 200-203)

3. Gender Analysis
• *Gender analysis refers to the systematic gathering and
analysis of information on gender differences and social
relations to identify and understand the different roles,
divisions of labor, resources, constraints, needs,
Opportunities/capacities, and interests of men and women
(and girls and boys) in a given context.
• USAID requires that the findings of a gender analysis are
used to inform the design of country strategic plans,
02/10/2012 Partial Revision

4. Gender Assessment
• *Gender assessment involves carrying out a review, from a gender
perspective, of an organization’s programs and its ability to monitor and
respond to gender issues in both technical programming and institutional
policies and practices. A gender assessment is a flexible tool, based on the
needs of the Mission, and may also include a gender analysis at the country
level.
• If a gender analysis is included in a gender assessment, this meets the ADS
requirements. Findings from a gender assessment may be used, for example,
to inform a country strategic plan or a Development Objective and/or develop
a Mission Gender Plan of Action or a Mission Order on gender. (Chapters
200-203)

5. Gender Equality
• A broad concept and a goal for development. It is
achieved when men and women have equal rights,
freedoms, conditions, and opportunities for realizing their
full potential and for contributing to and benefiting from
economic, social, cultural, and political development.
• It means society values men and women equally for their
similarities and the diverse roles they play. It signifies the
outcomes that result from gender equity strategies and
processes. (Chapters 200-203)

6. Gender Equity
• The process of being fair to women and men. To ensure
fairness, measures must often
• be available to compensate for historical and social
disadvantages that prevent women
• and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field.
Equity leads to equality.
• (Chapters 200-203)

7. Gender Integration
• *Involves identifying and then addressing gender
differences during strategic planning, project design,
implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Since the roles and relations of power between men and
women affect how a project is implemented, it is essential
that USAID staff address these issues on an ongoing
basis. USAID uses the term gender integration in planning
and programming. (Chapters 200-203)

8. USAID’s CriteriaFor Assessing Performance Indicators
Include:
• Direct (valid) : Closely represents the result it is intended to measure.
• Objective: Unambiguous about what is being measured; has a precise
operational definition that ensures comparability over time.
• Practical :Data can be collected on a timely basis and at reasonable cost.
• Adequate : Only the minimum number of indicators necessary to ensure
that key dimensions of a result are sufficiently captured.
• Reliable: Data are of sufficient quality for confident decision-making.
• Disaggregated where possible: By characteristics such as sex, age,
economic status, and location,

9. Policy Stance On Gender Equality
• To advance women’s equal participation with men
as decision-makers in shaping the sustainable
development of their societies
• To support women and girls in the realization of
their full human rights
• To reduce gender inequalities in access and control
over the resources and benefits of development

10. ADS Chapter205 -IntegratingGender Equalityand Female
Empowerment in USAID’s Program Cycle
In 2012, USAID adopted several comprehensive and interlinked policies and
strategies to reduce gender inequality and to enable girls and women to realize
their rights, determine their life outcomes, influence decision-making and
become change agents in households, communities, and societies. These policies
and strategies include:
The Gender
Equality and
Female
Empowerme
nt Policy,
The U.S.
National
Action Plan
on Women,
Peace and
Security,
The U.S.
Strategy to
Prevent and
Respond to
Gender-
Based
Violence
Globally,
The USAID
Vision for
Ending Child
Marriage
and Meeting
the Needs of
Married
Children,
and
The USAID
Counter-
Trafficking in
Persons
Policy

11. Gender Analysis Is A Subset Of Socio-
economic Analysis.
Socially Relevant Category
Households, Communities,
And Countries
Age, Income, Ethnicity, Race,
Disability Status, Location,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And
Transgender
Country, Geographic, Cultural,
Institutional, Economic
Education, Health, Political
participation, Economic
activity and earnings, Time
use, Violence, and Other
relevant domains.
Access To Assets, Resources,
Opportunities And Services

12. Domains Of Analysis To Include In Gender Analysis:
Cultural Norms and Beliefs
Domains of Analysis to include in gender analysis:
Gender Roles, Responsibilities, and Time Used
Access to and Control over Assets and Resources
Patterns of Power and Decision-making

13. Gender Integrationand the Program Cycle
• Agency Level Policy And Strategy Formulation;
• Country Development Cooperation Strategies
• Technical Components Of The Solicitation
• Statements Of Work, Statements Of Objective And
Performance Work Statements
• Project Design And Implementation
• Spelled Out In The Problem Statement
• Reflected In Project Design
• Monitoring, Evaluation, And Learning
• Tracked By Qualitative Or Quantitative Indicators In Performance Monitoring
• Addressed In The Evaluation Plan And Reporting Requirements.

14. Understanding Will Result
Gaps
Between
Males And
Females
Reduced
Economic,
Political,
And Social
Resources
Controlled
Prevalence
Of Gender-
based
Violence
Reduced
Reductions
In
Constraints
That
Prevent
Women And
Girls,
Influence
made in
Decisions In
Their
Societies

15. Gender Key Issue
• In Operational Plans (OPs) and Performance Plan and Reports
(PPRs), the Gender Key Issue is comprised of four sub-key
issues
Gender Equality/Women’s Empowerment (GE/WE) – Primary
Gender Equality/Women’s Empowerment (GE/WE) – Secondary
Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)

16. Outcomes
Three Outcomes Specified In The Gender Equality And
Female Empowerment Policy:
• Reductions In Gaps Between Males And Females In Access
To/Control Over Economic, Political, And Social Resources;
• Reductions In The Prevalence Of Gender-based Violence;
• Reductions In Constraints That Prevent Women And Girls
From Leading, Participating Fully In, And Influencing
Decisions In Their Societies

17. Additional Reference
• Gender 101 Online Training Course (course code G101GEUSAID)
• Gender and Health Resources
• Guide on How to Integrate Disability into Gender Assessments and
• Analyses
• Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GenDev)
• Tips for Integrating Gender Into USAID Agricultural Sector Solicitations
• Tips for Integrating Gender Into USAID Education Sector Solicitations
• Toward Gender Equality in Europe and Eurasia: A Toolkit for Analysis