UNESCAP is seeking detailed case studies or examples of policies, programmes and projects that have attempted to mainstream gender in their formulation, processes and outcomes. This documentation of good examples of gender mainstreaming in development initiatives is aimed to facilitate discussions on achievements and key factors of success in integrating gender analysis as a part of the package of interventions for sustainable human development at the High-level intergovernmental meeting (HLM) to be hosted by UNESCAP in September 7-10, 2004. The HLM will review the progress made in the last 10 years towards the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) in the Asia Pacific region. The output of the HLM will form the regional input for the global review and appraisal of the implementation of BPfA, to be carried out by the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-ninth session in March 2005. The case studies may be related to any field of development. The selected good examples of gender mainstreaming will form the annex of UNESCAP’s background report to the HLM, and may later be developed into a separate publication for the global review as UNESCAP’s regional input.

In order to facilitate the process of documentation, UNESCAP has drafted some guiding indicators clustered under institutional, policy, programme and project levels as well as under different stages of the programme/project cycle that it will use to identify and select effective examples. If you know of examples that you consider encapsulate the guiding indicators, please send them to UNESCAP at the address given below. Please attach supporting materials such as activity reports, policy directives, advocacy literature, and information brochure. Please also share this request for gender responsive case studies with your partners in development.The deadline for sending the examples is 20 July 2004. They may be emailed to Ms. Uzma Hoque at hoqueu@un.org and/or to Koh Miyaoi at miyaoi@un.org. Alternatively, they may be faxed to + 02-288-1018 or sent to The Gender and Development Section, Emerging Social Issues Division (ESID), UNESCAP, The United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.Please feel free to contact the above, should you have any queries regarding the documentation.

Guiding Indicators For
Identifying Good Examples of Gender Mainstreaming in Development

Initiatives Gender mainstreaming at the institutional level:

1) The rationale identified by the institution for integrating gender analysis and planning in development - whether for economic contribution, reduction of poverty or as an issue of human rights and social justice.

2) Existence of political will for gender positive outcomes in the institution – for example, gender aware policies, mandates, active engagement of senior officials in gender equality concerns, an action plan to implement Beijing plan of action. Is the commitment reflected in allocation of adequate resources – for example adequate budget, staff time, etc.?

3) Existence of skills related to gender analysis among the staff. Can they formulate policies and implement programmes on gender issues?

4) Existence of a common understanding of language and concepts. Do training and staff development activities for all layers of the institution – policy, management and administrative – include gender issues? Existence of a consensus in and/or a current set of guidelines on gender planning, analysis and tools.

5) Existence of policy and active support to increase the representation of women at planning, management and decision making levels in the institution through recruitment, promotion and training. Policies address concerns of personal security faced by women staff.

6) Staff access to information and research on gender and gender disaggregated data.

Gender sensitive indicators in policy, programme and project formulation:

1) Objectives of the policy or intervention. Who decided upon the objectives and who was consulted? Are they shared equally by both men and women?

2) Gender specific outcomes identified by the objectives - expected results expressed in terms of their impact on men and women. Target audience of the policy or intervention - men, women or both.

3) The existing division of resources and responsibilities. New resources and responsibilities to be generated from the policy or intervention. How does it fit with the existing distribution and who will have access to, manage and benefit from this new distribution? The benefits of this policy/ intervention -who (which men and which women) will benefit and who will lose? The justification of these benefits and losses.

4) Gender needs and interests addressed by the policy or intervention – whether practical, strategic or both. Does it challenge the existing relations of dependence and inequality?

5) Types of resistance or obstacles during implementation. Appropriate strategies to counter resistance.

Gendering the monitoring system and its implementation:

1) Monitoring Information Systems (MIS) provide gender disaggregated data on the stakeholders involved in the various aspects of project and on the indicators selected to monitor change and impact. Both men and women stakeholders involved in identifying indicators to monitor change and impact, and both involved in providing feedback.

2) Gender equality targets – short term and long term. The intervention’s efforts and achievements to date in addressing gender equality related concerns. Factors that supported their achievements. Can lessons be learnt for other projects?

3) Obstacles and solutions. If targets have not been met, what were the obstacles? Can they be addressed? Are the original targets still relevant? If not, then what modifications should be made?

Gender responsive evaluation:

1) The evaluation’s terms of reference clearly specifies the issues and questions regarding the gender specific equality outcomes to be assessed, in both short and long term.

2) Evaluation reviews the extent to which women as compared with men benefited from the resources and responsibilities generated from the policy/ intervention. It reviews the appropriateness and implementation of initiatives to address gender equality objectives. Assesses institutional capacity with regard to the outcomes and with particular reference to gender equality concerns in the sector.

3) Assessment of the policy/intervention’s broader socio-economic impacts on the responsibilities, workloads, livelihoods, opportunities of women and men and on the relations between women and men.

4) Lessons learnt with respect to the gender equality outcomes vis-à-vis the policy/intervention for modification of existing or future policy/intervention.