CIDA'sPolicy on

Gender Equality

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"Entering the 21st century, CIDA remains committed to creating, withour partners, a better world for all - a world where inequality on any

grounds, be it gender, class, race or ethnicity, is finally overcome."

CIDA's

Policy on

Gender Equality

Agence canadienne dedéveloppement international

Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency

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Produced by the Canadian International Development Agency(CIDA)For additional information about CIDA's programs, activities andoperations, please visit our Internet site at the following address:

http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca

or contact:

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Fax: (819) 953-6088E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca

March 1999

©Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada 1999

Catalogue No.: E94-227/1999ISBN: 0-662-64144-2

Cover photos: Cindy Andrew, Stephanie Colvey

Printed in Canada

Canadian International Development Agency200 Promenade du PortageGatineau, QuebecK1A 0G4Tel: (819) 997-5006Toll free: 1-800-230-6349Fax: (819) 953-6088(For the hearing and speech impaired only (TDD/TTY): (819) 953-5023Toll free for the hearing and speech impaired only: 1-800-331-5018)E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... ii

1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1

2. RATIONALE FOR POLICY...................................................................................... 4

3. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................... 7

4. PRINCIPLES.............................................................................................................. 8

5. LINKING GENDER EQUALITY WITH CIDA'S PRIORITIES............................. 10

6. GENDER ANALYSIS AS A TOOL............................................................................ 14

7. STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE ACHIEVEMENTOF GENDER EQUALITY......................................................................................... 17

8. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................. 23

GOOD PRACTICES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY....................................... 24

GENDER ANALYSIS GUIDELINES............................................................................... 26

CHRONOLOGY OF CIDA'S COMMITMENT TO GENDER EQUALITY ............... 28

This document is also available at CIDA's Internet site, at the following address:http://w3.acdi-cida.gc.ca.

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A Vision for the 21st Century

Gender equality contributes substantiallyto improving the well-being of women,men, girls and boys in our partnercountries, which is at the heart of CIDA'smission.

Although important progress has beenmade in recent years toward achievinggender equality, much remains to be done.Entering the 21st century, CIDA remainscommitted to creating, with our partners, abetter world for all - a world whereinequality on any grounds, be it gender,class, race or ethnicity, is finally overcome.CIDA's gender equality policy is one toolto make this vision a reality.

The Goal

To support the achievement of equalitybetween women and men to ensuresustainable development.

The Objectives

◆ To advance women's equal participationwith men as decision-makers in shapingthe sustainable development of theirsocieties;

◆ To support women and girls in therealization of their full human rights;and

◆ To reduce gender inequalities in accessto and control over the resources andbenefits of development.

Guiding Principles

Eight guiding principles:

◆ Gender equality must be considered asan integral part of all CIDA policies,programs and projects;

◆ Achieving gender equality requires therecognition that every policy, programand project affects women and mendifferently;

◆ Achieving gender equality does notmean that women become the same asmen;

◆ Women's empowerment is central toachieving gender equality;

◆ Promoting the equal participation ofwomen as agents of change in econo-mic, social and political processes isessential to achieving gender equality;

◆ Gender equality can only be achievedthrough partnership between womenand men;

◆ Achieving gender equality will requirespecific measures designed to eliminategender inequalities; and

◆ CIDA policies, programs, and projectsshould contribute to gender equality.

Practical Tools

Sample results, strategies, activities andguidelines are included to support theimplementation of the policy.

SUMMARY

Looking Back: A Pioneering Policy

Canada has played a leadership role in thepursuit of gender equality internationally.For more than two decades, CIDA has beenworking toward the full and equal involve-ment of all people, regardless of sex, in thesustainable development of their commu-nities and societies.

Since producing its 1976 guidelines andreleasing its innovative 1984 policy onWomen in Development (WID), CIDAhas worked consistently - both internally,and with our partners, other donors, andinternational institutions - to promotewomen's full participation as both agentsand beneficiaries of development.

Recognising that gender is an importantsocial division marked by inequality,CIDA's policy was revised in 1995 toemphasize the importance of gender equityand women's empowerment. CIDA's useof a gender equity approach aimed toensure fairness in the way women and menare treated and involved the adoption ofspecial measures to tackle gender inequalitiesand to increase women's autonomy. Thesespecial measures and the process ofempowerment remain essential elements inremedying unbalanced power relationshipsbetween women and men. CIDA's 1995policy on WID and Gender Equity hasbeen widely used by partners in theirpolicy dialogue work and as a model forthe development of their own policies.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Why an Update at this Time?

In its 1995 foreign policy statementCanada in the World, the Governmentunderlined its commitment to sustainabledevelopment and poverty reduction andidentified the full participation of womenas equal partners in the sustainabledevelopment of their societies as one of sixprogramming priorities necessary toachieve these commitments. That sameyear, CIDA's new approach to performancereview was tested on the implementationof CIDA's WID and Gender EquityPolicy. The conclusions of the review,published in 1998, indicated the need forCIDA to demonstrate clear and sustainable

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results in promoting gender equality inline with CIDA's policy on results-basedmanagement.

On the international scene, importantadvances in the area of gender equalityhave been made at recent global gatherings- most notably the commitments to genderequality contained in the Beijing Platformfor Action, the final document of theFourth United Nations Conference onWomen held in 1995. Donor commitmentsto gender equality have also been high-lighted in Shaping the 21st Century: TheContribution of Development Co-operationand in the 1998 DAC Guidelines onGender Equality and Women's Empowerment

in Development Co-operation, both comingfrom the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Asa result of these and other factors, CIDA'sPolicy Committee recommended that theWID and Gender Equity Policy be updated.

What is New in this Policy Update?

This policy update is a product of manyinsights gained through experience andself-assessment. It builds on concepts thatCIDA has long supported such asempowerment and women's participationas decision-makers. It also highlights anumber of areas where our thinking hasevolved and presents some practicalguidance for staff and partners. Among themost important changes are:

◆ A new vision: In the past, CIDA usedthe concept of gender equity in itsprogramming. Gender equity strategieshowever, are used to eventually attaingender equality. Equity is the means,equality is the result. The gender equalitypolicy now reflects this evolution inCIDA's vision.

◆ A new goal and objectives: The goal ofthe policy focuses on the achievementof equality between women and menthrough our co-operation activities.Consensus now exists that sustainabledevelopment - especially poverty reduc-

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tion - will not be achieved unless weeradicate inequalities between womenand men.

◆ A greater focus on the realization of thehuman rights of women and girls: Thispolicy puts greater emphasis on theeradication of discrimination againstwomen and girls as part of CIDA'sconcern for social justice anddevelopment effectiveness.

◆ A principled approach: A series ofprinciples supporting the goal andobjectives lay out CIDA's assumptionsfor achieving gender equality.

◆ An integration of the results-basedapproach: Experience has shown thatwe need to include explicit results thatpromote equality between women andmen in order to attain CIDA's overallgoals.

◆ Making the links: The links betweenCIDA's overarching policy of povertyreduction and its programming prio-rities and gender equality are discussed,including sample results to guide thedevelopment of specific gender equalityresults in programs and projects.

◆ Practical tools: Drawing on lessonslearned, this policy offers sample results,strategies, activities and guidelines to

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support the achievement of genderequality.

A Vision for the 21st Century

Gender equality contributes substantiallyto improving the well-being of women,men, girls and boys in our partnercountries, which is at the heart of CIDA'smission.

Although important progress has beenmade in recent years toward achievinggender equality, much remains to be done.Entering the 21st century, CIDA remainscommitted to creating, with our partners,a better world for all - a world whereinequality on any grounds, be it gender,class, race or ethnicity, is finally overcome.CIDA's gender equality policy is one toolto make this vision a reality.

"A transformed partnership based onequality between women and men is acondition for people-centered sustain-able development".

Mission Statement,Beijing Platform for Action,

Fourth United Nations World Conference onWomen, Beijing, 1995

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2. RATIONALE FOR CIDA’S POLICY

Canada’s Commitments to GenderEquality

Canada is committed to supporting theachievement of gender equality at homeand throughout the world.

The rights of women and girls are aninalienable, integral, and indivisible part ofall human rights and fundamental free-doms. The Canadian Constitution, whichincludes the Charter of Rights andFreedoms, guarantees the right to equalityin the law and equal benefit of the lawwithout discrimination on a number ofgrounds including sex. Canada's FederalPlan for Gender Equality, approved byCabinet in 1995, committed all federaldepartments to the promotion of genderequality in all areas, including inter-national co-operation. Under this plan,federal departments are also required toimplement gender analysis.

Canada has ratified all the majorinternational human rights treatiesincluding the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights; the International Covenanton Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; theInternational Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights; the Convention on theElimination of All Forms of DiscriminationAgainst Women (CEDAW); and theConvention on the Rights of the Child.Canada is also committed to internationalagreements such as the United Nations

Declaration on Violence Against Women,and to the consensus reached at thevarious UN conferences such as the CairoConference on Population and Develop-ment, the Vienna World Conference onHuman Rights, and most recently theFourth United Nations World Conferenceon Women, in Beijing.

The advancement of women and theachievement of equality betweenwomen and men are matters ofhuman rights and conditions forsocial justice and should not be seenin isolation as a women's issue. Theyare the only way to build a sustain-able, just, and developed society.Empowerment of women and genderequality are prerequisites for achievingpolitical, social, economic, cultural,and environmental security among allpeoples.

Beijing Platform for Action,Fourth United Nations World

Conference on Women,Beijing, 1995, Paragraph 41

The Beijing Platform For Action, the finaldocument of the Fourth United NationsWorld Conference on Women, representsthe commitment of 189 nations to supportwomen's empowerment, guarantee women'shuman rights, and achieve gender equality.National governments committed them-selves to promoting gender equality in theformulation of all government policies andprograms. They identified 12 commoncritical areas of concern for particularattention: poverty; education and training;health; violence against women; armedconflict; economy; power and decision-making; institutional mechanisms forgender equality; human rights; media;environment; and the girl child.

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CIDA’s Commitment to AchievingSustainable Development andPoverty Reduction

Attention to gender equality is essential tosound development practice and at theheart of economic and social progress.Development results cannot be maximizedand sustained without explicit attention tothe different needs and interests of womenand men. If the realities and voices of halfof the population are not fully recognized,CIDA's objectives "to reduce poverty andto contribute to a more secure, equitableand prosperous world"1 will not be met.

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1 Canada in the World, Government Statement, February 1995, page 42.

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The goals of reducing poverty and ofachieving gender equality are distinct butinterrelated. Poverty reduction involvesaddressing the constraints that limitpeople's capability to avoid, or limitdeprivation. Gender inequalities intensifypoverty, perpetuate it from one generationto the next and weaken women's and girls'ability to overcome it. Inequalities preventwomen and girls from taking up opportu-nities which will make them less vulnerableto poverty in situations of crisis. Forpoverty reduction to be achieved, theconstraints that women and girls face mustbe eliminated. These constraints includelack of mobility, low self esteem, lack ofaccess to and control over resources, lackof access to basic social services, to trainingand capacity development opportunities,to information and technology, as well asto decision-making in the state, thejudiciary, development and private sectororganizations, and in communities andhouseholds.

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Poverty reduction means a sustaineddecrease in the number of poor andthe extent of their deprivation. Thisrequires that the root causes andstructural factors of poverty beaddressed. Reducing poverty places afocus on people's capabilities to avoid,or limit, their deprivation. Key aspectsof this are: recognizing and developingthe potential of the poor: increasingtheir productive capacity; and reducingbarriers limiting their participation insociety. Poverty reduction must focuson improving the social, economicand environmental conditions of thepoor and their access to decision-making.

A poverty profile analyzes the rootcauses and contributing factors ofpoverty, and places poverty within thecountry's economic, institutional andsocial context. It summarizes informa-tion on the sources of income,consumption patterns, economicactivities, access to services, and livingconditions of the poor, and examineshow poverty is correlated with gender,ethnic and other characteristics.

CIDA’s Policy on Poverty Reduction 1996

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Goal

The goal of CIDA's gender equality policyis to support the achievement of equalitybetween women and men to ensuresustainable development.

Objectives

The objectives of the policy are:

◆ to advance women's equal participationwith men as decision-makers in shapingthe sustainable development of theirsocieties;

◆ to support women and girls in the reali-zation of their full human rights; and

◆ to reduce gender inequalities in accessto and control over the resources andbenefits of development.

3. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

Gender Equity and GenderEquality

Gender equity is the process of beingfair to women and men. To ensurefairness, measures must often beavailable to compensate for historicaland social disadvantages that preventwomen and men from otherwiseoperating on a level playing field.Equity leads to equality.

Gender equality means that womenand men enjoy the same status.Gender equality means that womenand men have equal conditions forrealizing their full human rights andpotential to contribute to national,political, economic, social and culturaldevelopment, and to benefit from theresults.

Gender equality is therefore the equalvaluing by society of both thesimilarities and differences betweenwomen and men, and the varyingroles that they play.

Excerpts from: Gender-Based Analysis:A guide for policy-making,

Status of Women Canada, 1996

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4. PRINCIPLES

CIDA's policy on gender equality is rootedin the following principles:

a) Gender equality must be consideredas an integral part of all CIDApolicies, programs and projects. Inaddition to being one of CIDA's sixprogramming priorities, genderequality is also a cross-cutting goal.Addressing gender equality as a cross-cutting goal requires that women'sviews, interests and needs shape thedevelopment agenda as much as men's,and that the development agendasupport progress toward more equalrelations between women and men.

b) Achieving gender equality requires therecognition that every policy, programand project affects women and mendifferently. Women and men havedifferent perspectives, needs, interests,roles and resources - and thosedifferences may also be reinforced byclass, race, caste, ethnicity or age.Policies, programs and projects mustaddress the differences in experiencesand situations between and amongwomen and men.

c) Achieving gender equality does notmean that women become the sameas men. Equality means that one'srights or opportunities do not dependon being male or female.

d) Women's empowerment is central toachieving gender equality. Throughempowerment, women become awareof unequal power relations, gain con-trol over their lives, and acquire agreater voice to overcome inequality intheir home, workplace and community.

Empowerment

Empowerment is about people - bothwomen and men - taking control overtheir lives: setting their own agendas,gaining skills, building self-confidence, solving problems, anddeveloping self-reliance. It is not onlya collective, social and politicalprocess, but an individual one as well -and it is not only a process but anoutcome too.

Outsiders cannot empower women:only women can empower themselvesto make choices or to speak out ontheir own behalf. However, institu-tions, including international co-operation agencies, can supportprocesses that increase women's self-confidence, develop their self-reliance,and help them set their own agendas.

e) Promoting the equal participation ofwomen as agents of change in eco-nomic, social and political processes isessential to achieving gender equality.Equal participation goes beyondnumbers. It involves women's equalright to articulate their needs andinterests, as well as their vision ofsociety, and to shape the decisions thataffect their lives, whatever culturalcontext they live in. Partnership withwomen's organizations and othergroups working for gender equality isnecessary to assist this process.

f ) Gender equality can only be achievedthrough partnership between womenand men. When choices for bothwomen and men are enlarged, allsociety benefits. Gender equality is anissue that concerns both women andmen, and achieving it will involveworking with men to bring aboutchanges in attitudes, behaviour, rolesand responsibilities at home, in theworkplace, in the community, and innational, donor and internationalinstitutions.

g) Achieving gender equality will requirespecific measures designed to elimi-nate gender inequalities. Giveningrained disparities, equal treatmentof women and men is insufficient as astrategy for gender equality. Specific

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measures must be developed to addressthe policies, laws, procedures, norms,beliefs, practices and attitudes thatmaintain gender inequality. Thesegender equity measures, developedwith stakeholders, should supportwomen's capacity to make choicesabout their own lives.

h) CIDA policies, programs, and projectsshould contribute to gender equality.Gender equality results should beincorporated into all of CIDA'sinternational co-operation initiativesalthough application will vary amongbranches, programs and projects.

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provides examples of results that cancontribute to the achievement of genderequality.

Progress can be made by identifying resultsthat advance women's equal participationwith men as decision-makers in shapingthe sustainable development of theirsocieties, support women and girls in therealization of their full human rights andreduce gender inequalities in access to andcontrol over the resources and benefits ofdevelopment. Gender equality resultsshould be clearly articulated in the designof all of CIDA's international co-operationinitiatives.

Measuring progress on gender equalityresults requires the tracking of appropriateindicators to capture information onchanges which contribute to the achieve-ment of gender equality.3

The following table outlines the linksbetween CIDA's overarching policy ofpoverty reduction, its programmingpriorities, and gender equality.2 It also

5. LINKING GENDER EQUALITY WITH CIDA’SPRIORITIES

2 Definitions taken from Canada in the World, Government Statement, February 1995, page 42, CIDA’s Policy onPoverty Reduction, 1996; Results-Based Management - Policy Statement, 1996.

3 This topic is treated more thoroughly in the CIDA documents Guide to Gender-sensitive Indicators and The Whyand How of Gender-Sensitive Indicators - Project Level Handbook, 1997.

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"Poverty Reduction: to promotepolicies that create an enablingenvironment for poverty reduction;support poverty-focused programsthat improve income-generationopportunities, skills training andbasic services; launch targetedinterventions that directly empowervulnerable groups like women,children, minorities, the landless,the unemployed, and the displaced."

"Basic Human Needs: to supportefforts to provide primary healthcare, basic education, familyplanning, nutrition, water andsanitation, and shelter."

Compared to men, women generallyhave less access to and control overproductive assets, employment andtraining opportunities, basicservices, information, and decision-making mechanisms in the state,judiciary, private sector organiza-tions, the community, and withinthe household. These genderinequalities contribute to andperpetuate poverty from onegeneration to the next.

Women and men have differentneeds arising from their sociallyconstructed roles and respon-sibilities. Women tend to beresponsible for meeting their ownand their families' basic humanneeds. However, they face specificconstraints in gaining access toservices which meet their basic

Increased access to and control overproductive assets (especially land,capital and credit), processing andmarketing for women.

Increased access to and control overbasic services (especially primaryand reproductive health, child care,shelter and basic education for girls).

Increased skills training and capacitydevelopment opportunities, as wellas on-the-job training and manage-ment opportunities for women.

Increased participation of women indecision-making in the state andthe judiciary, as well as in privatesector and civil society organizations,the community, and the house-hold.

Strengthened capacity of partnerinstitutions, governments and civilsociety organizations to promote,design and implement policies,programs and projects which reflectthe needs, priorities and interests ofboth women and men, and supportgender equality.

Increased decision-making powerfor women regarding expendituresin the household.

Increased sharing of householdresponsibilities between womenand men.

Increased options for child-care.

CIDA overarching policy andprogramming priorities

Links withgender equality

Examples of results thatcontribute to the achievement

of gender equality

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"Infrastructure Services: to helpdeveloping countries deliver envi-ronmentally sound infrastructureservices, with an emphasis onpoorer groups, capacity-building,and the environment."

human needs, given their lack ofaccess to and control and owner-ship over resources, and their lack ofdecision-making power. Girls, inparticular, face constraints in termsof their opportunities and lifechoices.

These specific constraints must betaken into account in order to ensurethat the basic human needs of theentire community are met, and thatbasic human needs programmingcontributes to poverty reduction.

Experience has shown that womenand men have different prioritiesand preferences in relation to tech-nology, and make different uses of(and have different access to andcontrol over) infrastructure servicesbased on their socially ascribedroles, responsibilities, privileges,and ownership over assets andfinancial resources.

By recognizing these differences,programs and projects will be ableto provide appropriate and acces-sible infrastructure services thatmeet the water, energy, transport,

Increased access to and control overprimary health care services forwomen and girls.

Increased understanding of genderdifferences in determinants andconsequences of diseases such asmalaria, HIV, AIDS and respiratorydiseases.

Increased access to a broad range ofreproductive health care services forwomen and men.

Increased access to educationprograms for girls.

Elimination of gender stereotypesin school curricula.

Increased access to and control overdecision-making by women in thedesign, management and mainte-nance of water and sanitationservices.

Improved access for women to safeand affordable public transportservices and infrastructure.

Increased capacity of women andtheir organizations to influencedecisions regarding the design ofpublic services and infrastructure.

Increased employment of women(at all levels - from road constructionworker to manager) in infrastructureservices.

Increased capacity of institutions todesign and implement infrastructure

CIDA overarching policy andprogramming priorities

Links withgender equality

Examples of results thatcontribute to the achievement

of gender equality

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"Human Rights, Democratizationand Good Governance: to increaserespect for human rights, includingchildren's rights; to promote demo-cracy and better governance; and tostrengthen both civil society andthe security of the individual."

"Private sector development: topromote sustained and equitableeconomic growth by supportingprivate sector development indeveloping countries."

communications and informationneeds of both women and men.

The human rights of women andgirls are an inalienable, integral, andindivisible part of all human rightsand fundamental freedoms.

By both promoting and supportingprocesses towards the eradication ofall forms of discrimination on thegrounds of sex, CIDA can helpshape a new human rights practicethat protects all human beings.

Women and men face differentsocial and economic constraints inresponding to economic opportu-nities in the private sector. Ingeneral, these constraints relate towomen having less education orappropriate training, less access toand control over collateral andcapital and financial markets.Women also have greater householdand childcare responsibilities. Taxa-tion laws and regulations mayinclude discriminatory provisionsagainst women, while attitudes andbeliefs may put up barriers towomen's opportunities in theprivate sector.

By recognizing and addressing these'inefficiencies' in the market and the

investments which respond to theneeds and priorities of poor women.

Increased numbers of womenemployed in non-traditionaloccupations.

Greater numbers of civil societyorganizations advocating forwomen's and girls' rights.

Greater awareness by women andgirls of their economic, social, civil,political, and cultural rights, andgreater support for these rights bymen and boys.

Increased capacity of institutionssuch as the judiciary and the policeto implement policies and programsthat address domestic violence.

Adoption and implementation ofnational policies and plans ongender equality.

Increased economic options for poorwomen.

Greater access to and control overcredit, training and services forwomen entrepreneurs.

Increased capacity of partnerorganizations to address genderequality issues in trade policy andeconomic reform.

Elimination of taxation provisionsthat discriminate against women.

CIDA overarching policy andprogramming priorities

Links withgender equality

Examples of results thatcontribute to the achievement

of gender equality

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Environment: to help developingcountries protect their environmentand contribute to addressing globaland regional environmental issues."

"Women in Development: tosupport the full participation ofwomen as equal partners in thesustainable development of theirsocieties."

social barriers to women's equalparticipation, CIDA will contributeto equitable and sustained economicgrowth.

Environmental conditions such asdeforestation, soil degradation andwatershed reduction affect womenand men differently, given theirdifferent roles and relative decision-making power. As consumers, pro-ducers and users of natural resourcesfor their livelihoods, caretakers oftheir families, and educators,women also play an integral role inpromoting sustainable and ecolo-gically sound consumption andproduction patterns and approachesto natural resource management.

CIDA's goal of environmentalsustainability will be elusive unlessthe differential impact of environ-mental factors on women and menis addressed and women's contribu-tion to environmental managementis recognized and supported.

Support for the achievement ofgender equality is carried outthrough integration efforts in allareas of programming (referred to inthe past as WID-integrated) as well

Elimination of discriminatory prac-tices against female workers,especially in relation to establishedinternational and national labourcodes (e.g. health and safety codesand regulations, right to organize,freedom from sexual harassment).

Increased recognition of women'sknowledge of the natural environ-ment and increased decision-making role for them in naturalresource management - especiallyfor indigenous women, whoseparticular knowledge of ecologicallinkages and fragile ecosystems isessential.

Increased participation of womenand organizations advocatinggender equality in the developmentof national strategies for sustainabledevelopment.

Increased capacity of ministries for theenvironment to design and imple-ment environmental programs andprojects which respond to thedifferent needs, priorities andinterests of women, particularlypoor women.

Increased involvement of women andwomen's groups in the design andmanagement of viable recyclingactivities.

Strengthened capacity of partnerorganizations, institutions, govern-ments, private sector organizationsand firms to promote, design andimplement policies, programs and

CIDA overarching policy andprogramming priorities

Links withgender equality

Examples of results thatcontribute to the achievement

of gender equality

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as through investments in initiativeswhose principal objective is tosupport gender equality (referred toin the past as women or WID-specific).

While gender equality is a goal to beintegrated into all areas of pro-gramming, programs and projectswhose principal objective is tosupport the achievement of genderequality can complement andsupport broader efforts to integrateand promote gender equality.Examples include Gender Funds,direct institutional support togovernment ministries responsiblefor promoting gender equality, andsupport to advocacy organizationsworking for gender equality, orworking with men to end violenceagainst women.

projects which reflect the needs,priorities and interests of bothwomen and men, and supportgender equality.

Increased recognition of violenceagainst women as a social problem,and greater commitment fromgovernment, civil society andcitizens to eliminate it.

Greater participation of women inpolitical office and increasedattention to women's needs,priorities and interests in politicaldiscourse.

Increased capacity of governmentagencies mandated to promotegender equality, women's organiza-tions, and other organizationspromoting gender equality, tomonitor and influence governmentplanning processes and publicpolicy.

Increased capacity of governmentsand civil society to implementinternational commitments such asthe Beijing Platform for Action.

Greater social, economic andpolitical empowerment for womenas measured through increasedeconomic security, decision-makingin the household, legal awareness,and collective action for self-determination.

CIDA overarching policy andprogramming priorities

Links withgender equality

Examples of results thatcontribute to the achievement

of gender equality

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6. GENDER ANALYSIS AS A TOOL

Gender analysis is an indispensable tool forboth understanding the local context, andpromoting gender equality.

CIDA defines knowledge of the localcontext as: "the recognition that develop-ment interventions operate within existingsocial, cultural, economic, environmental,institutional and political structures in anycommunity, country or region. Further,few communities, countries or regions arehomogeneous - formal and informal powerstructures within each reflect social,economic and political relationshipsamong the people concerned as well as with

the outside world. Simply put, knowledgeof the local context is vital to under-standing these relationships and theirconnection to the project in terms ofneeds, impact and results".4

Gender analysis examines one of theserelationships, that between women andmen. It identifies the varied roles played bywomen and men, girls and boys in thehousehold, community, workplace, politi-cal processes, and economy. These differentroles usually result in women having lessaccess than men to resources and decision-making processes, and less control over them.

4 Effective Programming: Technical Notes, Policy Branch, CIDA, 1997

Gender, Gender Roles and the Gender Division of Labour

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles and responsibilities of women and men.The concept of gender also includes the expectations held about the characteristics,aptitudes and likely behaviours of both women and men (femininity and masculinity).These roles and expectations are learned, changeable over time, and variable within andbetween cultures. Gender analysis has increasingly revealed how women's subordinationis socially constructed, and therefore able to change, as opposed to being biologicallypredetermined and therefore static.

The gender division of labour refers to the different work that women and mengenerally do within the community or inside the home. Factors such as education,technology, economic change, and sudden crises like war and famine cause gender rolesand the gender division of labour to change. By examining the gender division oflabour it becomes evident that women's and men's tasks are interdependent, and thatwomen generally carry the greater burden of unpaid work in the home and community.

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Gender analysis is an essential tool forunderstanding the local context. It isparticularly useful in project design as ithelps planners identify constraints andstructure projects so that objectives can bemet and measured. The use of genderanalysis, throughout the project cycle,provides information on:

◆ the differential perspectives, roles,needs, and interests of women and menin the project area, country, region, orinstitution, including the practical needsand strategic interests of women andmen;

◆ the relations between women and menpertaining to their access to, and controlover resources, benefits and decision-making processes;

◆ the potential differential impact ofprogram or project interventions onwomen and men, girls and boys;

◆ social and cultural constraints, opportu-nities, and entry points for reducinggender inequalities and promoting moreequal relations between women andmen;

◆ the capacity of institutions to programfor gender equality; and

◆ the differences among women and menand the diversity of their circumstances,social relationships and consequentstatus (e.g. their class, race, caste,ethnicity, age, culture and abilities).

Practical Needs andStrategic Interests

Practical needs can be defined asimmediate necessities (water, shelter,food, income and health care) withina specific context. Projects that addresspractical needs generally includeresponses to inadequate living condi-tions.

Strategic interests, on the other hand,refer to the relative status of womenand men within society. Theseinterests vary in each context and arerelated to roles and expectations, aswell as to gender divisions of labour,resources and power. Strategic inte-rests may include gaining legal rights,closing wage gaps, protection fromdomestic violence, increased decision-making, and women's control overtheir bodies.

To ensure sustainable benefits, bothpractical needs and strategic interestsmust be taken into account in thedesign of policies, programs andprojects.

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Gender analysis provides information todetermine the most effective strategies in aparticular context and to identify resultsthat support gender equality. For example,programs or projects may be identifiedwhose principal objective will be tosupport gender equality, or entry pointsfor the support of gender equality may be

identified within programs or projectswhere gender equality is one of a numberof objectives.

Gender analysis is required for all CIDApolicies, programs and projects. Applica-tion of gender analysis will vary accordingto the nature and scope of initiatives.

Good Practices in Gender Analysis

Gender analysis is one of the "windows of opportunity" in a project or program cyclewhere the investment of resources (time, energy and funding) leads to gender equalityresults. Good gender analysis:

◆ places people front and centre ◆ requires skilled professionals◆ involves local expertise with a solid background in gender equity issues◆ involves significant numbers of women and/or key women members of partner

organizations.

Source: WID&GE Performance Review: Best Practices Study

CIDA, 1996

CIDA supports people in partnercountries through a variety of internationalco-operation initiatives.

The following describes strategies andactivities that can support the achievementof gender equality in these initiatives.

a) Policy Dialogue

CIDA's activities are not limited toprograms and projects. Throughpolicy dialogue, CIDA and its partnersexchange views and information andraise issues related to the policyenvironment in which they operate.Policy dialogue is an important way inwhich CIDA works with its partners toachieve gender equality results. It maybe carried out at formal discussionssuch as consultative groups, orinformally through regular contacts.

Promoting gender equality in policydialogue means:

◆ developing and maintaining know-ledge of the nature and scope ofgender inequality in the region,country, or sector, and of strategiesto overcome it;

◆ addressing gender equality in allpolicy dialogue with governments,institutions, and civil society

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7. STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORTTHE ACHIEVEMENT OF GENDER EQUALITY

partners, especially through the useof the Beijing Platform For Actionand the Convention on the Eliminationof All Forms of DiscriminationAgainst Women as a basis fordiscussions;

◆ sharing with partners good practices,project and program experiences,and lessons in promoting genderequality;

◆ using policy dialogue activities toidentify constraints, opportunities,and entry points for promotinggender equality; and

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◆ encouraging participatory approa-ches by involving women's organiza-tions and gender equality advocatesin the policy dialogue process.

b) Programming Frameworks

CIDA uses programming frameworks(PFs) to link its corporate program-ming priorities with its projects/programs, and to define the basis of allCanadian international co-operationefforts in specific countries/regions,and with partner institutions. A PF isa key mechanism for ensuring thatprogramming with a country, region,or institution will support genderequality. The PF process starts byidentifying the development needs andopportunities within the country,region, or institution (which couldinclude the critical areas of concernfrom the Beijing Platform For Action).

PFs should:

◆ recognize gender equality as a cross-cutting issue, and integrate gender-analysis findings into the identifi-cation of programming areas,expected results and indicators;

◆ include information disaggregatedby sex on the country, region, orinstitution, as well as key results andlessons learned from past program-ming in support of gender equality;

◆ be developed in a participatoryfashion, including a wide range offemale stakeholders at the govern-mental level and from civil societyfrom the country, region, orinstitution;

◆ consider Canada's capacity ingender equality (i.e., policy orprogram experience within Canada,gender equality resources) in theanalysis of Canadian capacity andinterests;

◆ use the findings of the initial genderanalysis to establish a baselineagainst which to analyze andmeasure actual gender equalityresults achieved over time; and

◆ include assessment of progress onachieving gender equality results inthe performance measurementframework.

c) Program Assistance

Program assistance, which is oftenused to support economic and sectoralreform in partner countries, has abroad impact on economic and socialconditions and thus on the lives ofwomen and men. Yet too often it hasbeen undertaken with no reference tothe differential roles, needs, andinterests of women and men. Recentprogram experience and the develop-ment of methodologies to carry outgender-aware country economic

analyses have demonstrated that it ispossible to promote gender equality inprogram assistance initiatives and inthe analysis of policy options foreconomic restructuring.

Including gender equality in programassistance initiatives involves:

◆ actively promoting positive imagesof women and their needs, interestsand views; 21

◆ bringing together social scientists(including economists), governmentand civil society women's organiza-tions, and gender equality advocatesin the dialogue on program assis-tance initiatives, in order to designintegrated approaches to economicand social reform that promotegender equality;

◆ conducting gender analysis at thepre-design stage and reflecting itsresults, for example in the design of

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program assistance (this couldinclude examination of the differ-ential impact of macro-economicpolicies such as government budgetallocation and interest rates onwomen and men at the national,community and household levels);and

◆ supporting and designing economicassistance initiatives that respond tothe needs and interests of poorwomen and men, in particular.

d) Institutional Strengthening andCapacity Development

Institutional strengthening andcapacity development initiatives canadvance gender equality by:

◆ promoting and supporting organi-zational change that contributes togender equality;

◆ actively promoting positive imagesof women and their needs, interestsand views;

◆ encouraging women's participationthroughout the organization anddeveloping strategies to increasetheir representation at decision-making levels;

◆ supporting partners in developingtheir capacity to undertake genderanalysis at the policy, program, andinstitutional levels, and to designand carry out programming thatsupports gender equality; and

◆ providing assistance for developingcapacity at the national and sectorallevels to collect and make availablesex-disaggregated data.

e) Bilateral Projects and Programs

Bilateral projects and programs offersignificant opportunities for support-ing gender equality.

This involves:

◆ carrying out gender analysis andintegrating the findings into projectand program planning;

◆ seeking participation in the projectdesign process by local organiza-tions and individuals with genderequality expertise;

◆ assessing the potential impact of theproject or program on genderequality, and ensuring that potentialnegative impacts on women andmen are addressed;

◆ identifying and using opportunitiesto reduce gender inequalities;

◆ working to ensure the equal participa-tion of women as decision-makersin all activities;

◆ integrating gender equality intoproject results from the beginning,and developing gender-sensitiveperformance indicators at theoutput, outcome and impact levels;

◆ specifying resources and resultsrelated to developing the capacity of

government and civil societypartners to implement programmingthat supports gender equality;

◆ developing, as part of the projectimplementation plan, a strategy tointegrate gender equality results,and allocating an adequate budgetfor its implementation;

◆ developing a selection process thatgives adequate weight to assessmentof the capacity of implementors,consultants and executing agenciesto address gender equality in theproject's or program's specific tasksor focus;

◆ creating contracts and terms ofreference that include clearlydefined roles and responsibilities,objectives and specific resultsrelating to the promotion of genderequality; and

◆ describing progress in the achieve-ment of gender equality withinperformance measurement.

f) Multilateral Programs

Multilateral organizations such asinternational and regional financialinstitutions and United Nationsagencies are important partners forCIDA, offering considerable opportu-nity to support gender equality.

CIDA can support gender equality inmultilateral programs by:

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◆ working with multilateral partnersto improve their institutionalcapacity to support gender equality,including ensuring an equitablerepresentation of women at thedecision-making level and thedevelopment of policies andprocedures that promote genderequality where these do not exist;

◆ ensuring that programming frame-works, assessments and evaluationsof multilateral organizationssystematically consider genderequality as a cross-cutting goal;

◆ working with multilateral partnersto ensure the use of gender analysis,the development of gender equalityresults in projects and programs,and the reporting of progress; and

◆ supporting dialogue and co-ordination on gender equality withmultilateral partners, especially infields such as macro-economicpolicy reform and areas whereCIDA and multilateral programsand projects could mutually re-inforce each other's efforts.

g) Projects and Programs of CanadianCivil Society Partners

CIDA supports a broad range of Cana-dian civil society partners who designand carry out international co-operationactivities with groups abroad. Many ofthese partners - non-governmental

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organizations, educational institutions,unions, co-operatives, professionalassociations, municipalities and privatesector firms - have developed their ownpolicies and procedures for addressinggender equality and have amassedconsiderable experience in the field.Other partners are relatively new tointernational co-operation and have alimited capacity to support genderequality.

CIDA can support gender equalitythrough projects and programs of itscivil society partners by:

◆ encouraging the development ofpolicies and procedures thatpromote gender equality wherethese do not exist;

◆ requiring the use of gender analysis,the development of gender equalityresults in projects and programs,and the reporting of progress onresults;

◆ supporting partners in improvingtheir institutional capacity tosupport gender equality, includingpromoting an equitable represen-tation of women at the decision-making level; and

◆ encouraging dialogue, betweenCIDA and civil society partners inCanada and in partner countries,on good practices to promotegender equality.

h) Humanitarian and Emergency Assis-tance and Peace-Building Activities

There is growing recognition thatattention to gender equality is essentialto meeting the basic needs of womenand men in critical conditions.

This involves:

◆ building a knowledge base of thegender-specific needs and interestsof people in emergency situations(i.e. regarding security, food, shelter,health care, trauma support, etc.),and of those affected by deminingand landmine victim assistanceprograms;

◆ including institutional capacity ongender equality within the criteriafor selecting organizations deliver-ing humanitarian and emergencyassistance, and peace-buildingactivities; and including capacitydevelopment on gender equalitywithin activities themselves;

◆ including gender equality withinprogramming frameworks, assess-ments, and evaluations of multila-teral organizations; and

◆ including discussion of genderequality results in policy dialoguewith partners involved in the deli-very of humanitarian and emergencyassistance.

Corporate Level Results

The objectives of this Policy, as set out onpage 7, can be seen as corporate levelresults against which implementation ofthe gender equality policy can be mea-sured. A performance measurementframework including indicators againstwhich to assess the implementation of thegender equality policy will be developed bythe Gender Equality Division, PolicyBranch in collaboration with PerformanceReview Branch and other Branches. Theframework will address issues such as:

◆ the collection and analysis of datadisaggregated by sex, as well as by ageand socio-economic and ethnic groups;

◆ analysis of information on constraintsto the achievement of gender equality,and on progress in the reduction ofgender inequalities and the promotionof gender equality;

◆ quantitative and qualitative informationand analysis;

◆ non-project activities such as policydialogue on gender equality;

◆ CIDA's institutional capacity fordelivering gender equality results; and

◆ availability and use of resources, bothfinancial and human, in support ofgender equality.

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8. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

Branch Level Results

Program Branches will be responsible fordeveloping Branch level gender equalityresults statements for each of the genderequality policy objectives as well as forensuring that results statements in all prio-rity areas support these objectives. Genderequality results should be expressed,measured and reported upon for all CIDAsupported initiatives. Program Brancheswill report on progress against genderequality results through normal perfor-mance assessment processes.

Accountability

Accountability for the implementation ofthis policy rests within each of CIDA'scorporate and program branches, partnersand executing agencies.

Performance review of the implementationof this policy is the responsibility ofPerformance Review Branch and will becarried out as part of the normal perfor-mance review cycle.

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GOOD PRACTICES TO PROMOTE GENDEREQUALITY

Two decades of experience within CIDAhave taught us several lessons that arerelevant to supporting gender equalitythroughout CIDA programming initia-tives. Gender equality is more apt to beachieved if the following conditions exist:

At the Corporate Level

◆ senior management is committed togender equality;

◆ there are sufficient resources andknowledgeable personnel, along with anenabling corporate environment topromote gender equality;

◆ there are accountability frameworkswhich ensure that the gender equalitypolicy is implemented;

◆ qualified gender equality specialists(especially locally-based ones) areemployed on a regular basis; and

◆ gender equality is treated as an objectivein and of itself.

In the Planning Process

◆ gender equality is recognized as relevantto every aspect of international co-operation from macro-economic reformto infrastructure projects;

◆ gender analysis is carried out at theearliest stages of the project or programcycle and the findings are integratedinto project or program planning;

◆ institutional weaknesses or culturalbiases that could constrain the achieve-

ment of gender equality results arerecognized in policy, program, orproject design, and strategies aredeveloped to address them;

◆ means are identified to ensure there isbroad participation of women and menas decision-makers in the planningprocess;

◆ clear, measurable, and achievable genderequality results are developed in theearliest phases of the process;

◆ gender-sensitive indicators, bothqualitative and quantitative, aredeveloped (this requires the collectionof baseline data disaggregated by sex, aswell as by age and socio-economic andethnic groups);

◆ a specific strategy and budget isprovided to support the achievement ofgender equality results;

◆ partners and implementors are selectedon the basis of their commitment andcapacity to promote gender equality; and

◆ gender equality specialists are involvedfrom the start of the planning process.

During Implementation

◆ gender equality specialists are part ofproject teams;

◆ external support is sought fromwomen's organizations, key female andmale decision-makers, leaders and allies;

◆ the objective of gender equality is notlost in rhetoric or in preoccupation withagency processes;

◆ there is flexibility and openness torespond to new and innovative methods,and to opportunities for supportinggender equality that present themselvesduring implementation; and

◆ there is broad participation of womenin the implementation.

Performance Measurement

◆ gender equality results are expressed,measured and reported on usingqualitative and quantitative indicators;

◆ data, disaggregated by sex, as well as byage and socio-economic and ethnicgroups, is collected;

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◆ qualified gender equality specialists(especially locally-based ones) areinvolved in performance measurement;

◆ information on progress in reducinggender inequalities is collected andanalyzed as an integral part of perfor-mance measurement;

◆ a long-term perspective is taken (i.e.,social change takes time); and

◆ participatory approaches are used,where women and men actively takepart in the planning of performancemeasurement frameworks, in theirimplementation, and in the discussionof their findings.

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◆ Does the intervention challenge theexisting gender division of labour, tasks,responsibilities and opportunities?

◆ What is the best way to build on (andstrengthen) the government's commit-ment to the advancement of women?

◆ What is the relationship between theintervention and other actions andorganizations - national, regional orinternational?

◆ Where do opportunities for change orentry points exist? And how can they bestbe used?

◆ What specific ways can be proposed forencouraging and enabling women toparticipate in the policy/program/project,despite their traditionally more domesticlocation and subordinate position?

◆ What is the long-term impact in regard towomen's increased ability to take chargeof their own lives, and to take collectiveaction to solve problems?

Gender analysis: What to ask

◆ Who is the target (both direct andindirect) of the proposed policy, programor project? Who will benefit? Who willlose?

◆ Have women been consulted on the'problem' the intervention is to solve?How have they been involved indevelopment of the 'solution'?

GENDER ANALYSIS GUIDELINESC

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Gender analysis: What to do

◆ Gain an understanding of genderrelations, the division of labour betweenmen and women (who does what work),and who has access to, and control over,resources.

◆ Include domestic (reproductive) andcommunity work in the work profile.Recognize the ways women and menwork and contribute to the economy,their family and society.

◆ Use participatory processes and include awide range of female and malestakeholders at the governmental leveland from civil society - includingwomen's organizations and genderequality experts.

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◆ Identify barriers to women's participationand productivity (social, economic, legal,political, cultural...).

◆ Gain an understanding of women'spractical needs and strategic interests, andidentify opportunities to support both.

◆ Consider the differential impact of theinitiative on men and women, andidentify consequences to be addressed.

◆ Establish baseline data, ensure sex-disaggregated data, set measurable targets,and identify expected results andindicators.

◆ Outline the expected risks (includingbacklash) and develop strategies tominimize these risks.

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CHRONOLOGY OF CIDA’S COMMITMENT TOGENDER EQUALITY

1976: CIDA adopted initial policy guidelines on Women in Development (WID)

1984: WID Directorate established and first CIDA WID Policy developed

1986: CIDA's five-year WID Plan of Action launched

1993: CIDA's WID Policy and activities evaluated

1994: WID and Gender Equity Division established in Policy Branch

1995: WID Policy update: WID and Gender Equity Policy

1995: Government of Canada Policy for CIDA on Human Rights, Democratization andGood Governance released; it recognizes the centrality of women's human rights

1995: Support for the full participation of women as equal partners in thesustainable development of their societies is identified as one of CIDA's sixprogramming priorities in the Government's foreign policy statement,Canada in the World, Government Statement.

1995: CIDA performance review conducted focusing on the WID and GenderEquity Policy

1995: CIDA's Policy on Poverty Reduction released; it commits the Agency to addressgender equality as part of poverty reduction

1996: CIDA's Strategy for Health released, emphasizing the importance of women'sand girls' empowerment to improving their health

1997: CIDA's Basic Human Needs Policy launched, emphasizing the promotion ofgender equality as a necessary strategy to meet the needs of women and theirfamilies

1997: CIDA's draft Strategy for Children released for consultation; it declares genderequality and women's empowerment essential for girls' and boys' well-being

1997: CIDA strategy Our Commitment to Sustainable Development released; itacknowledges that achievement of CIDA's sustainable development andpoverty reduction mandate depends on support for the full participation ofwomen, along with CIDA's five other programming priorities.