The document discusses strengthening institutional capacity for gender balance. It emphasizes establishing policies and procedures that promote gender equality and non-discrimination. This includes policies on equal employment opportunities, recruitment that encourages applications from women and disabled people, career development without discrimination, and anti-harassment protections. The goal is to have policies and systems that guide institutions to achieve gender balance in decision-making positions and throughout operations.

1. Mainstreaming Gender in Community Based Disaster Risk
Management (CBDRM)
Strengthening Institutional
Capacity for Gender Balance

2. The 2009 Economic and Social Survey of
Jamaica states that women make up 50.7%
of the population, however, they are
woefully under-represented in the public
and private decision-making spheres…
Although Jamaica has made an
international commitment…to have at least
30% of women in parliament by 2015, the
figure currently stands at 14%.
Source: National Policy for Gender Equality 2011.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/pdf/NPGE-JA-FINALwCover21311.pdf

3. A 2008 study found that women only
constituted 16% of places on boards of
publicly listed companies and that 42.3% of
these women reported being on multiple
boards.
The job seeking rate of women (9.0%) is
greater than that of men (5.8%); the female
unemployment rate stands at 14.8%
compared to the male unemployment rate
(8.6%).
Source: National Policy for Gender Equality 2011.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/pdf/NPGE-JA-FINALwCover21311.pdf

4. Category Share of Women
Members 40%
Management boards 42%
Employees 60%
Employees on permanent and temporary contracts 62%
Volunteers 59%
Table 1: Women in NGOs (Polish Study)
Notes: Table shows the share of women among different categories of people
engaged in NGOs in 2010. It shows median values for every organization operating
with each category of people. SOURCE: Herbst and Przewlocka, 2011.
Source: Gender equality in non-governmental organizations
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/2012/10/PL1210039I.htm

5. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
•Policies
•Procedures

6. Policies
Have in place policies that are
inline with the primary objective – gender
balance
Procedures
Establish systems and operational procedures
that will guide daily activities.
Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance

7. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Policy on Employment
Our employment procedures are designed so
that the most competent and qualified person
is hired for an available opening. In addition,
to maintain gender balance, a conscious
effort shall be made to ensure an equal
opportunity for females for all vacancies
from the lowest position to the highest.

8. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Recruitment and Selection Procedure
Preparation and Planning
What are the criteria (academic qualifications,
experience, skills, traits) on which the
recruitment and selection decision will be made?
Attraction
Create advertisement from selection criteria and
publish vacancy (internal posting – intranet, notice board;
external posting - internet job boards, newspapers, employment
agencies).

9. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Recruitment & Selection (contd.)
Attraction (contd.)
To maintain gender balance and to promote
non-discriminatory employment practices, a
statement shall be made indicating that
“Females and persons with disabilities
are encouraged to apply”.

10. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Recruitment & Selection (contd.)
Attraction (contd.)
“Registration Fairs for Disabled Persons
Underway”– Jamaica Information Service
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/34777
An additional 6500 persons with varying
degrees of disabilities have been added to the
Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities
(JCPD) database, through a series of island-
wide registration fairs, currently underway.

11. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
The initiative, which began on July 22, forms
part of the Council’s thrust to enhance its
outreach programme to disabled persons across
the society.
These services include: skills training; job
placements; job coaching; housing benefits;
the provision of rehabilitation grants for
persons interested in starting small businesses;
and a bus pass service.
Attraction (contd.)

12. Sample Job Posting (excerpt)
…The Jamaica Red Cross is an
equal opportunity employer and does not
discriminate against: colour, race, nationality,
ethnic or national origin, sex, marital or parental
status, sexual orientation, age, social class,
religious belief, or disability except when a
disability prevents the performance of job duties
in a reasonable manner…
Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Attraction (contd.)

13. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Career Development Policy
…Various training opportunities and activities
are offered to you to help you increase job
knowledge and further your career with the
Red Cross. There shall be no discrimination
based on gender or disability except when a
disability prevents the performance of job
duties in a reasonable manner…

14. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Anti-harassment Policy
The Society’s harassment complaint procedure
shall be designed to encourage victims to come
forward. Victims of sexual harassment, male or
female, are especially likely to be reluctant to
make a complaint. To that end, it clearly
explains the process and ensures that there are
no unreasonable obstacles to complaints.

15. Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Gender Balance
Anti-harassment Policy (contd.)
The Society will not tolerate adverse
treatment of employees because they report
harassment or provide information related to
such complaints. An anti-harassment policy
and complaint procedure will not be effective
without such an assurance.