Policy on Gender Equalityand Female Empowerment

June 2012

Sylvia CabusGender AdvisorUSAID/Bureau of Food Security

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USG Policy and Gender Integration

• Investments that benefit women and girls

Presidential Policy Directive

• Focus on women and girls

QDDR

• Promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empower-ment

USAID Policy Framework 2011 – 15

• Gender integration in systems, practices, program cycle

Gender Equality & Female Empowerment Policy

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Changes in USAID Gender Policy Landscape

• New Gender-Related Policies– Updated policy on Gender Equality and Female

Empowerment – first in 30 years! – National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security– Counter -Trafficking in Persons

• Changes in Institutional Practices– Operational Plans– Seven new indicators – Program Performance Review and annual report on

gender

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Gender Equality & Female Empowerment Policy Goal

“to improve the lives of citizens around the world by advancing equality between females and males, and empowering women and girls to participate fully in and benefit from the development of their societies.”

Source: The Hunger Project

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What’s new?• Makes an evidence-based case showing that

reducing gender gaps and empowering women and girls is vital to successful development outcomes

• Articulates clear Agency-wide outcomes • Lays out clearly defined practices • Spells out organizational roles and responsibilities for

bureaus, offices, and staff, with special emphasis on senior management and mission directors

• Institutionalizes two senior full-time gender positions: Senior Gender Advisor (PPL) and Senior Coordinator on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (AA)

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Focus on Three Outcomes

Reduce Gender Disparities• In access to, control over and benefit from

resources, wealth, opportunities and services

Reduce Gender-Based Violence• Mitigate harmful effects • Individual and community approaches

Increase Capabilities of Women & Girls• Realize rights and determine life outcomes• Influence decision making at multiple levels

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Guiding Principles

Integrate gender equality and

female empowerment into

USAID’s work

Pursue an inclusive approach to foster

equality

Build partnerships across a wide

range of stakeholders

Harness science, technology, and

innovation to reduce gender

gaps and empower women and girls

Address the unique challenges in crisis

and conflict-affected

environments

Serve as a thought-leader and learning

community

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Eight New Gender Indicators

• Gender Equality: – Number of laws, policies, or procedures drafted, proposed or

adopted to promote gender equality at the regional, national or local level.

– Proportion of target population reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and females should have equal access to social, economic, and political opportunities.

• Women’s Empowerment:– Proportion of female participants in USG assisted programs ‐

designed to increased access to productive economic resources (assets, credit, income, or employment).

– Proportion of females who report increased self efficacy at the ‐conclusion of USG supported training/programming.

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Eight New Gender Indicators• Gender-Based Violence:

– Number of laws, policies or procedures drafted, proposed, or adopted with USG assistance designed to improve prevention of or response to sexual and gender based violence at the regional, national or local level.

– Number of people reached by a USG funded intervention providing GBV services (e.g., health, legal, psycho social counseling, shelters, ‐hotlines, other.

– Percentage of target population that views Gender Based Violence ‐(GBV) as less acceptable after participating in or being exposed to USG programming.

• Women, Peace and Security– Number of local women participating in a substantive role or

position in a peace-building process supported with USG assistance

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What to expect from USAID

Solicitations

• Increased attention to gender• Technical & institutional requirements

Technical Reviews

• Clear understanding of issues within context

• Logical approach to specified results

Monitoring &

Evaluation

• Request for sex disaggregation & gender-equality indicators

• Required reporting on progress

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A new paradigm• Not additional, but integral to

design• Analysis is focused on identifying

the gaps between men and women• Projects are designed to reduce

those gaps

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Implications of gender issues

Gender Relations (Between and Among Men and Women)

ExpectedProgramResults

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USAID’s expectation of implementers

• Conduct a gender analysis• Address identified issues in project

design; detail strategies in work plan• Budget accordingly• Collect sex-disaggregated data and

set gender-sensitive indicators• Monitor and evaluate gender issues*• Report on progress in closing gaps,

creating opportunities, negative impacts avoided and emerging issues

Thank you!