China Gender

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

MANUAL FOR GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN IFAD-SUPPORTED P ROJECTS IN CHINA

Asia and the Pacific Division

Programme Management Department

November 2009

Manual for Gender Mainstreaming in IFAD-supported Projects in China Beijing 2009

Table of Contents

FORWORDS i I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1

II. KEY GENDER DEFINITIONS AND APPROACHES 2 2.1. Key Gender Definitions and Characteristics 2 2.2. Main Gender Approaches and Implementation 4

III. GENDER IN THE PROJECT CYCLE 7 3.1. Introduction 7 3.2. Gender in Project Planning and Formulation 7 3.3. Gender in Project Implementation 12 3.4. Gender in Project Monitoring and Evaluation (M &E) 14

IV. GENDER MAINSTREAMING: MEASURES AND PRACTICES 16 4.1. Institutional Support and Commitment 17 4.2. Gender Training and Capacity-Building 17 4.3. Gender Analysis at the Household and Community Levels 19 4.4. Livelihood Analysis at the Household and Commu nity Levels 23

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 IFAD’s Targeting Policy - Checklist for Design

Appendix 2 IFAD’s Prerequisites of Gender-Sensitive Design Checklist

Appendix 3 Terms of Reference for Gender Focal Point in IFAD Projects in China


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FOREWORD I am pleased to introduce the “Manual for Gender Mainstreaming in IFAD-Supported Projects

in China”, prepared as a guide for the design and implementation of projects and the country

programme, and for thematic work. This guide was developed by Dr Song Yiching with the

support of the project-based gender focal points in IFAD’s China country programme, the

IFAD country presence officer and gender specialists at IFAD headquarters. IFAD gratefully

acknowledges Japan’s financial support for this important task, provided through the

supplementary grant funds JP-020. I would also like to thank the Government of China and

the Ministry of Finance for their continuous guidance with regard to the IFAD-supported

country programme.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central topics for both IFAD as a poverty

reduction institution and the country programme it supports in the People’s Republic of China.

Gender matters to IFAD as it affects both equity and development effectiveness. In the IFAD-

supported China country programme, rural women are the primary target group because the

majority of poor people living in rural areas are women, a result of the male-dominated

outmigration to cities and the growing feminization of agriculture. Women are playing a very

significant but unfortunately often ignored role in rural livelihoods: they constitute the main

agricultural working force and cover the managing and caretaking functions in the household.

For this reason, the IFAD China programme has set the promotion of gender equality through

gender mainstreaming as one of its strategic objectives.

Gender mainstreaming is a way of ensuring that women and men contribute to and benefit

from the progress of society in equal measure, and participate in healthy, balanced and

sustainable human development. It is hoped that this manual will be useful to IFAD’s project

management offices, women’s federations and technical institutions at all levels to promote

gender mainstreaming in project management and implementation.

Over the past 30 years of IFAD’s operations in China, gender mainstreaming for gender

equality and women’s empowerment has gained increasing importance, both as an objective

and as an instrument in IFAD’s poverty alleviation efforts. Since 2003, the IFAD China

programme has carried out a series of interlinked gender mainstreaming initiatives: (1) a

comprehensive gender assessment study during 2003 and 2004, followed by (2) the

development of a gender awareness-building plan and a series of training courses. This

Manual for Gender Mainstreaming in IFAD-Supported Projects in China was developed

during the training process as a result of discussions and interaction with the programme

management offices, women’s federations, gender focal points and gender experts.


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This manual focuses on implementation, aiming to provide basic gender mainstreaming

perspectives and practical tools for the managers of IFAD-supported projects and other

implementation staff. We trust that this manual will be helpful in the pursuit of gender-

sensitive project management and our common goal of poverty alleviation and a harmonious

society for all.

Thomas Rath

Country Programme Manager for China

International Fund for Agricultural Development


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I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Although much progress has been made in promoting gender equality across the world,

inequality still remains a universal phenomenon and is growing in complexity as the world

continues to change. Deep-rooted gender inequalities and newly emerged gender issues

present obstacles and challenges to society’s efforts to achieve poverty alleviation and

sustainable development. To remove the obstacles and meet the challenges, practical efforts

are needed to mainstream gender effectively. Gender mainstreaming is a way to assure that

men and women equally participate in, contribute to and benefit from progress in society and

realize a healthy, balanced and sustainable existence.

Since IFAD was established three decades ago, the importance of mainstreaming gender in

achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment has grown steadily and increasingly

informs IFAD’s objectives and instruments. IFAD’s Gender Plan of Action 2003-2006

established a systematic gender mainstreaming plan for IFAD’s operations at various levels.

Focusing on the project cycle, the plan includes 25 actions and provides practical instructions

and checklists for gender mainstreaming.

In its analysis of opportunities and constraints, the IFAD country strategic opportunities

programme for China identified the growing feminization of agriculture and the severe poverty

experienced by women. Under the country programme, rural women are considered the chief

target group because they play a significant but often ignored role as the main source of

family agricultural labour in poor households, and also act as manager, housekeeper and

caregiver. They are key agricultural cultivators and play a crucial role in both household and

national food security. For this reason, IFAD’s China programme has defined the promotion of

gender equality through gender mainstreaming as one of its strategic objectives.

In 2003, a gender initiative financed by the Japanese Government was launched. First, a

gender assessment study was undertaken in 2003 and 2004 to provide a comprehensive and

systematic gender assessment of IFAD-supported projects. Based on the main findings of the

study, a gender awareness-building plan was developed for IFAD-supported projects in China

in 2005. The plan entailed a series of activities for gender awareness-raising, capacity-

building and mainstreaming. The main activities were: (i) a gender mainstreaming and

targeting workshop for the key project management office directors and gender focal points

(GFPs) from IFAD-supported projects in September, 2006, in Xi’An, China; (ii) three gender

mainstreaming training-of-trainers (TOT) workshops for project implementation staff, as

potential gender trainers and GFPs for ongoing and upcoming IFAD-supported projects;

(iii) development of a manual for gender mainstreaming in IFAD-supported projects in China

in both Chinese and English. Each activity entailed supporting such "sub-activities” as the

development of the gender training and action plan and its implementation by each project

after the TOT workshops. The gender study and gender capacity-building activities have

formed a solid base for gender mainstreaming.


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This manual was developed through a process of discussions and interaction with programme

officers, project staff and related GFPs and gender experts. Based on the needs of the project

management officers (PMOs) and partners, the manual focuses on implementation. It aims to

provide basic gender mainstreaming perspectives and practical tools for project managers

and implementation staff. The manual has four chapters (i) introduction and background, (ii)

key gender definitions and approaches, (iii) gender in the project cycle and (iv) methods for

gender mainstreaming.

II. KEY GENDER DEFINITIONS AND APPROACHES

2.1. Key Gender Definitions and Characteristics

What is “gender”?

The term gender refers to culturally based expectations of the roles and behaviour of women

and men. The term distinguishes the socially constructed from the biologically determined

aspects of being male and female. Unlike the biology of sex, gender roles and behaviour and

the relations between women and men (gender relations) can change over time, even if

aspects of these roles originated in the biological differences between the sexes.1

What are “gender relations” ?

In most contexts, women and men (or girls and boys) play different roles at the household,

community and society levels. To perform their roles, they need different resources (natural,

economic, political, social). Often however, women or men cannot play the roles they want

and/or access the resources they need because of their gender. Women in particular face

difficulties in accessing and controlling resources and their social and economic contributions

are often undervalued.

What are the key characteristics of “gender relations ”?

Unlike the biological characteristics of women and men, gender relations are context-

specific. They vary by country and within the country itself (e.g. rural/urban regions); they

also change from household to household. Patterns of male-female relations depend on the

household structure, for instance whether it is woman-headed, unclear or extended. Because

women and men interact in all aspects of life, gender relations are omnipresent in the private

sphere (i.e. at the household level) as well as in the public sphere where women and men

interact as community members or colleagues.

Gender relations interact with other social relatio ns . Age, class, ethnicity, religion, sexual

orientation and ability (physical and mental) influence women’s and men’s activities and

responsibilities, as well as their status, opportunities and constraints in life. Individuals carry

multiple identities. Depending on the circumstance, one identity may prevail over another, but

rich or poor, young or old, people are always women or men, meaning that gender is an

unavoidable relation. For instance, there are vast differences between rural and urban people

1 IFAD Gender Plan of Action


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due to unbalanced development, but women and men are undeniably affected in different

ways.

What does “gender equality” mean?

In IFAD terminology, gender equality means that women and men have equal life chances

and equal opportunities to access and control socially valued goods and resources. This

does not necessarily mean that the numbers of women and men involved in development

activities are equal, nor does it mean that women and men (girls and boys) are treated in

exactly the same way. The aim is not for women and men to become identical, but for their

opportunities and life chances to become and remain equal. In order to achieve this, it is

sometimes necessary to empower, or “build up” groups that have limited access to resources,

for example, provide rural women with credit because their access to productive resources is

restricted.2

What does “gender mainstreaming” mean?

For any institution, gender mainstreaming means that the process to close the gap between

men and women in terms of the development opportunities must become part of the

organization’s strategy, policies and operations, and the focus of continued efforts to achieve

excellence. Thus, gender mainstreaming is fully reflected – along with other core priorities –

in an institution’s leadership and staff, values, resource allocation, operating norms and

procedure, performance measurement, accountability, competencies, and learning and

improvement processes.

In IFAD’s development activities, gender mainstreaming entails assessing the implications

for women and men of any planned action, including registering their concerns and

experiences and ensuring that they are taken fully into account in the design, implementation,

monitoring and evaluation of all development activities. The aim is to develop interventions

that overcome barriers preventing women and men from having equal access to the

resources and services they need to improve their livelihoods.3

What does “empowerment” mean?

Empowerment is about people taking control of their lives. It is about people pursuing their

own goals, living with their own values, developing self-reliance, and being able to make

choices and influence – both individually and collectively – the decisions that affect their lives.

Empowerment is a process that can be long and complex. For women and men to be

empowered, conditions have to be created to enable them to acquire the necessary

resources, knowledge, political voice and organizational capacity.4

What does “integrating gender as a cross-cutting theme” mean?

Working with gender as a cross-cutting theme is one of the strategies for mainstreaming

gender. It is a planning methodology. Before decisions are taken at the programme, project

2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid.


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and sector level, this methodology entails an analysis of what the effects will be on women

and men respectively. It also requires the participation of both women and men throughout

the planning cycle and the systematic integration of their respective priorities and needs.5

2.2. Main Gender Approaches and Implementation

Three major gender approaches can be combined to mainstream gender into projects. There

is no prescription or recipe for success. A valid strategy will be the most relevant, efficient and

sustainable in terms of gender equality in a particular context. The minimum requirement is to

integrate gender as a cross-cutting theme into all planning phases and processes. The

context (women’s and men’s needs, partners’ capacity and priorities, local dynamics, etc.)

then dictates the appropriate gender-specific component/activities and measures to reinforce

gender as a cross-cutting theme. The three main approaches are described below.

2.2.1. Integrating Gender as a Cross-cutting Theme

2.2.1.1. Objectives and approach

The methodology of integrating gender as a cross-cutting theme involves all steps and

processes of the project cycle. The approach increases the relevance, effectiveness and

efficiency of interventions as it brings the respective needs of women and men to the heart of

planning.

At different steps in the project cycle, questions are asked to ensure that the processes and

results integrate gender needs (see diagram below). Particular care is taken in ensuring that

the gender element does not evaporate between different phases and that the findings of the

gender analysis translate into gender-aware planning. This requires the PMOs and their

partners to be committed to equality and to possess gender-sensitive mechanisms, skills and

tools to realize this objective.

5 Ibid.

Integrating gender as a cross-cutting theme in all interventions is a minimum requirement.

Implementing gender-specific projects/components/activities and institutionalizing gender

in organizations are complementary strategies to mainstream gender in development.


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Graph 1: Relationship between the three main gender approaches

Key questions to integrate gender as a cross-cuttin g theme

2.2.1.2. List of main gender checks in project cycl e

In analysis/planning process

� Are both women and men (target groups, staff, partners) involved in the initial situation

analysis at all levels (e.g. policy dialogue, community consultation)?

� Are qualitative and quantitative data disaggregated by sex?

� Are women’s and men’s constraints, needs and views reflected in the objectives, risk

analysis and impact hypothesis of the intervention?

� Is the allocation of financial and human resources appropriate to address equality issues?

� Are key processes (e.g. dialogue among key stakeholders), procedures

(e.g. memorandums of understanding, terms of reference for PMO and GFP) and

planning tools (e.g. logical framework) explicit on the issue of gender?

In implementation

� Do both women and men participate in the project, including in decision-making?

� Does the project have strategies to involve both women and men?

GENDER AS A CROSS-

CUTTING THEME

This is a minimum

requirement. It means

integrating gender into the

analysis, implementation

and monitoring/evaluation of

all projects.

HOW TO MAINSTREAM

GENDER?

GENDER SPECIFIC

Project/component/activity

MAINSTREAMING

GENDER ISSUES

This requires measures to integrate gender

into procedures, staff competencies, budgets,

indicators, partnerships, organizational culture,

as well as equal opportunities for women and

men, etc. These measures are often necessary

to support gender as a cross-cutting theme.

These are initiatives/budgets addressing specific

gender issues. They are necessary when other

programmes/projects/components/activities are

insufficient to reduce gender gaps. Their

implementation depends on the context analysis

and the project’s commitment to equality.


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� Do women and men have equitable access and control over project resources – e.g. are

there criteria that discriminate against women or men?

� Is the project steered with a view to equalizing women’s and men’s benefits?

In monitoring

� Do both women and men (target groups, IFAD staff, partners) take part in monitoring?

� Are collected data on the immediate and /or longer-term effects of the project and

component disaggregated for women and men?

� Are changes in gender relations reported as part of monitoring?

� Are best and worst practices documented during the gender mainstreaming analysis and

disseminated?

2. 2. 2. Gender-specific project/component/activity

2.2.2.1. Objective and approach

Sometimes, integrating gender as a cross-cutting theme in general projects is not sufficient to

address disparities. Here, specific projects/components/activities are needed to promote

equality between women and men.

A key factor in achieving gender equality is women’s empowerment, in particular women’s

participation in decision-making in both formal and informal political structures. Gender-

specific projects/components/activities strategically address inequality factors and create the

conditions for women to become the agents of their own development. Such initiatives can,

for instance:

� Build women’s awareness of their own situation (e.g. their rights)

� Promote decision-making by women at home, in the community and in society

� Sensitize men to accept women as equal partners (e.g. in decision-making processes)

Who to target: women and/or men?

Gender-specific programmes do not automatically or exclusively target women. Experience

has shown that to improve the situation of women (and girls) it is often necessary to involve

men too. Working with men will change the gender dynamic but also provides both groups a

chance to communicatethier needs and expectations vis-a-vis each other in the contaxt of a

prgramme.

In agricultural development and poverty alleviation projects currently being implemented

by IFAD in China, gender is treated as a cross-cutting theme. This means that gender

concerns inform all project activities and components. In addition, each project has a

social development component with gender-specific activities to defend women’s strategic

interests and support their needs through specially designed activities such as microcredit

support for women’s group, skills and technical training for women, enhancement of


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Gender-related work may require the development of capacity, procedures and mechanisms. The

institutionalization of gender within an organization supports the integration of gender as a cross-cutting

theme. For instance, the IFAD gender assessment shows that the strategic support provided to the

women’s federation (WF) system, which includes support to WF representatives in project management

at the provincial, county, township and village levels is helpful for gender mainstreaming in IFAD projects

in China. Another good example is GFPs and PMOs in all IFAD-supported projects in China.

2.2.2.2 Gender mainstreaming in organizations

III. GENDER IN THE PROJECT CYCLE

3.1. Introduction

Given this manual’s practical aim and implementation focus, gender mainstreaming will not be

referred to as a theoretical ideal or dealt with in general terms. Gender mainstreaming is a

fundamental principle that guides IFAD’s work and an important criterion used in its

evaluation. It should be reflected in all project-related practices (e.g. decision-making,

planning and resource allocation), and promoted throughout the project cycle as a cross-

cutting theme.

The IFAD Gender Action Plan 2003-2006 provides a clear and systematic gender checklist of

the main questions and indicators for the four phases of the project cycle, i.e. needs

assessment, planning/formulation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

(See appendices for details.)

3.2. Gender in Project Planning and Formulation

3.2.1. Taking gender differences into account in pr oject planning

To ensure gender-sensitive design and planning, IFAD includes the following key gender

concerns in the design and formulation of its projects:

• Context–specific gender issues and the related gender strategy to pursue gender equality

and women’s empowerment.

• Gender-sensitive targeting, for instance aimed at woman-headed households.

• Operational measures to ensure gender-equitable participation in and benefit from project

activities, for example (i) a set proportion of women participants in planned activities;

(ii) empowerment of women in decision-making through women’s groups and women's

associations; (iii) involvement of women and women’s organizations, such as WFs, in

project management arrangement. For example, WF representatives collaborate with

PMOs and GFPs in project coordination units.

• Monitoring system specifying sex-disaggregated performance and impact indicators.


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The integration of these gender concerns into projects requires the following preconditions

and support:

� Gender analysis of the project area to identify context-specific key gender issues and an

appropriate gender strategy.

� Integration of gender-specific objectives within the project goals and objectives.

� Tools and methodologies to address the identified gender issues.

� Awareness-raising for partners, Management and field teams on gender and the need for

greater gender sensitivity.

Project management teams and partners will need training before and during the design and

formulation process to ensure that this support is provided.

3.2.2. Dialogue with women and men in target groups

Dialogue is needed to allow women and men to express their respective priorities for change

and plan how to address them. The wishes of women and men with regard to project design

and implementation, and their expectations vis-à-vis what the project will achieve and improve

for them must be identified.

This process should be transparent and inclusive of different groups of women and men to

ensure that they are committed to the intervention and gain a sense of ownership over it. It

should be a participatory process, using participatory rural appraisal tools such as public

meetings, focus group discussions and interviews. The expression of women’s and men’s

needs must be facilitated (e.g. by organizing separate focus group discussions) and the data

collected should be disaggregated by sex to gauge women’s and men’s different reactions,

wishes, future contributions, expectations etc. The following table 1 is a summary of such

target group discussions, held during formulation of the South Gansu Poverty Reduction

Programme.

Table 1: Ranking of preference by different groups of farmers Evaluator’s Activity

Men’s Group

Women’s Group

Poor household (B category)

Very poor household (C category)

Drinking water 4 1 1 2 Electricity 1 4 3 3 Road 2 6 6 5 Irrigation 3 5 5 4 Clinic 6 3 2 1 Biogas 5 2 4 6 Skills training 3 4 3 4 Women’s credit 2 1 1 3 Data source: South Gansu Poverty Reduction Programme formulation mission (2003) in

China.


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3.2.3. Gender information collection at the househo ld and community levels

1. Gender equality and household livelihood/poverty (may be collected at both the household

and the community level)

Sex- and age-disaggregated data for:

- population, labourers

- income (agricultural and non-agricultural)

- remittances

- paid and unpaid work and main conductors

- long-term migrants and seasonal migrants

- land tenure

2. Gender equality and human development (health and education)

Sex-disaggregated data for:

- infant mortality, under-5 mortality

- maternal mortality

- gynaecological diseases

- access to education (boys and girls in middle and higher education)

- illiteracy rate (gender and age)

- farming women’s workload

3. Gender equality and women’s empowerment

Sex- and age-disaggregated data for:

- access to paid work

- women’s voice and participation in decision-making (women in village committees)

- access to support services (training, extension services, market information) (gender ratio)

- access to credit (gender ratio)

- associations and other collective action headed by women and men (gender ratio)

4. Gender information at the community level

- What community/development resources have women/men access to?

- Which are controlled by women/men?

- How do women and men participate in community activities and what roles do they

perform?

- What factors (culture/traditions, laws) influence women’s and men’s participation and

gender relations at the household and community levels?

《《《《Obligatory 》》》》Gender information at the household level:

� What reproductive tasks do women and men have in different household structures

(e.g. woman-headed, nuclear, polygamous, extended)?

� What productive roles do women and men have? What benefits do they obtain?

� How do women and men use their time and resources (in different roles/ tasks)?

� What do women and men contribute (value attached to their contributions)?

� What resources are accessed and controlled (decision-making) by women/men?


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� What factors (culture/traditions, laws) influence gender relations at the household level?

� How do gender relations improve/constrain the welfare of individuals and of the

household?

� What would women/men like to change in gender relations at the household level?

� What are women’s/men’s priorities for change?

《《《《Obligatory 》》》》Gender information at the community level

� What initiatives address gender needs (which needs? practical and/or strategic initiative)?

� How do women and men participate in local activities/projects?

� What roles do they perform?

� Who is involved in making decisions?

� What community/development resources have women/men access to?

� Which are controlled by women/men?

� What benefits do women/men gain from these development initiatives?

� What factors (culture/traditions, laws) influence women’s and men’s participation and

gender relations at the community level?

� How do gender relations improve/constrain community welfare?

� What would women/men like to change in gender relations at the community level?

� What are women’s/men’s priorities for change?

3.2.4. Dialogue with project implementation staff a nd partners

The role of IFAD project implementation staff and partners is to support and facilitate change,

including gender change. Their vision or beliefs should not overrule what women and men in

target groups wish to do and achieve. When formulating the project, they must consider both

external and internal constraints and opportunities for gender equality:

� External: what opportunities and problems could affect women’s and men’s equitable

participation, access to decision-making and benefit from the project?

� Internal: a dialogue within and between different institutional stakeholders must assess to

what extent IFAD's project implementation institution and its key partners are willing, able

and equipped to work with gender.

� Intervention: what are the appropriate project components and activities to address the

constraints and opportunities for gender equality?

For example, using the livelihood framework approach, the PMOs of the Environmental and

Poverty Reduction Programme in Ningxia and Shanxi drew a diagram to indicate gender

disaggregated resources (the pentagon in red represents women) and the project

intervention’s entry point and focus should be on social and human aspects


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Source: Gender Mainstreaming Training in Xi’An (200 6).

Gender and the logical framework

The logical framework (logframe) is a basic management tool used by IFAD. It allows for

development and poverty alleviation projects to be conceptualized, to give a structure for the

analysis of complex realities. It helps to communicate a plan of action and to monitor or

evaluate the results of a project. One of the main principles of the logframe is to develop a

vertical, logical hierarchy of objectives. Those objectives are linked with a corresponding level

of indicators and expected results.

In order to mainstream gender and integrate it as a cross-cutting theme, its use has to be

complemented by pre-planning gender analysis to improve the understanding of the main

factors that affect women’s and men’s livelihoods in a particular context (e.g. access to assets,

vulnerability, gender needs of target groups, policies, social development issues). For

planning activities, the logframe should be shared, as far as possible, with partners to

encourage ownership and allow active participation by women and men in the process of

planning and producing a logframe. The final plan is the result of the negotiation process and

should fully reflect the principles and priorities of each party. Some gender-related questions

could be asked during the development of logical frameworks, as below:

� Could partners express their vision concerning gender and development, and equality

between men and women?

� Did women and men contribute equally to designing the programme/project goals and

objectives?

� Could women and men, in both the target group and the implementation team, express

their points of view on existing problems and ways to address them?

� Are indicators – qualitative and quantitative – at all levels disaggregated by gender

where relevant?

� Did the project contribute to improving living standards for women and men?

“The project intervention area should be in human and social aspects which could benefit women more …..” by Ningxia PMO


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3.3. Gender in project implementation

Women’s participation is not equal to gender mainst reaming

Merely including women in a project or activity is not enough to claim that an intervention is

gender-aware. For instance, a women-only project is gender-blind if it keeps women in

traditional areas and does not offer scope to progress towards gender equality. A mixed-sex

project is also gender-blind if it does not offer equal opportunities to women and men to

participate and benefit according to their needs. However, a men-only project (e.g. educating

men or family planning) is gender-aware if it aims to change gender relations between women

and men.

Of course, strategies promoting equal numbers of women and men in projects, including

quotas, can really boost women’s participation (e.g. the percentage of women on electoral

lists). But the results of such strategies are limited if women’s participation is silent

(i.e. without decision-making power). Quotas are often interpreted as a maximum and efforts

are not made to reach a real gender balance. To be effective, these strategies need to be

accompanied by capacity-building and empowerment measures, for instance, gender training

and the formation of women’s groups, etc. An important requirement is for women to

participate in 50 per cent of all the project activities, with one WF representative present in the

project management office. IFAD observes this practice in all the projects it supports in China.

More importantly, targeted women should be empowered and gender sensitivity increased

among PMOs, especially that of leaders, through training. IFAD has followed this approach in

the China programme since 2003.

Women’s group working on a village development plan

Source: West Guangxi Poverty Alleviation Project (2006)


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Women are not the only actors

So far, women have been the main actors working on gender (as trainers, agents, planners,

etc.).This area of work represents a real opportunity for women to develop as professionals.

However, working only with professional women can marginalize gender as a women’s issue.

It is essential also to develop men’s skills in this area to provide gender balance in the

working teams and bring men’s point of view to bear on gender debates.

For example, the gender training held in Xi’An in 2006 targeted both men and women PMOs,

and especially PMO leaders, who in most cases are men. After the training, the PMO director

of the Gansu project became a gender agent, taking a leading role in gender activities and

mainstreaming in the project.

Implementation through “gender lenses”

During implementation, the participation of women and men and their respective access to

decision-making and benefits must be examined. The point is not to create gender problems

where none exist, but rather to ensure that IFAD’s projects and partners keep a conscious

eye on gender.

Steering gender in annual planning

The annual planning process is a key moment in which to reflect on how projects affect

women and men and how they could be improved to support gender equality further. The

question ”Are we doing the right thing and are we doing it right?” requires an assessment of

gender changes in three main spheres:

(1) Focus on the context

Annual planning requires a quick review of the main socio-economic, political and

environmental changes over the year and their immediate effects on the women/men of the

target groups. New policies, laws, political or economic events, projects and actors that may

affect gender in the project sector or geographical area are identified.

(2) Focus on the project

Annual planning must take stock of new gender-related issues/demands that may have

emerged during implementation (e.g. linked to unequal participation, decision-making, and/or

benefits). Monitoring and budget reviews are undertaken through “gender lenses”.

(3) Focus on the institution/partners

Annual planning must look at project management office staff and partners: do they effectively

support the integration of gender in the projects? If the answer is no, there are two solutions:

� Partnerships cannot be altered overnight (for contractual and other reasons), but new

alliances and synergies can be created to enhance work on gender. Gender-competent

staff can also be hired to train and support existing staff.

� Internally, gender activities can be planned to build the capacity of project management

office staff and the staff of partner agencies on gender issues (e.g. gender training and

exchange workshops, and training on use of gender analysis, gender tools, gender

indicators) and to promote equal opportunities for women and men in implementation.


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3.4. Gender in Project Monitoring and Evaluation (M &E)

Effective M&E mechanisms should be established for the entire project cycle. A participatory

and gender-sensitive M&E approach should be adopted so that the women and men of the

target group can fully express their opinions and participate in the process. The Results and

Impact Management System (RIMS) is the framework adopted by IFAD for measuring and

reporting the results and impact of IFAD-supported projects. It is important to address gender

issues by collecting and reporting data disaggregated by sex in the project cycle.

Gender in RIMS:

The RIMS identifies three main levels of results in M&E: outputs, outcomes and impact. The

first and second levels relate to project implementation and correspond to different spheres of

responsibility and influence.

� The first level focuses on project outputs and allows for measurement of project

efficiency (sphere of direct responsibility, what a project has to guarantee).

� The second level measures the results obtained against project objectives. The

outcomes provide information about the effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of

a project (its domain of influence, partnerships, and expectations).

The four key factors – efficiency, effectiveness, relevance and sustainabi lity – measured

by the two main RIMS levels should take full account of gender issues during the M&E

process to ensure a balanced and successful project.

Efficiency

Efficiency is a measure of how economically resources/inputs (financial, human, time,

material resources required for project implementation, etc.) are converted into outputs. At

this RIMS level, the focus is on the project’s deliverables, i.e. goods or services, in numbers

and other quantitative measurements, generated by the activities. To integrate gender

concerns at this level, check if:

� The selection criteria for project partners include gender criteria, and if project partners

are gender-sensitive and gender-competent or are willing to learn.

� Women’s organizations, such as WFs, are well represented among IFAD partners.

� Gender training and specific action to mainstream gender (e.g. in institutions, procedures)

have been planned where necessary.

� The gender approach has been integrated into all activities and all tools used.

� Operational objectives address women’s and men’s practical and strategic needs.

� Activities are planned and resources are used to respond equally to women’s and men’s

expressed needs.

Dialogue is crucial in the formulation of gender-aware projects. Women and men in

target groups and partner organizations at all levels of decision-making must be part of

this process. Working on gender is an investment. The implications of integrating and of

not integrating gender into projects must be assessed. Lessons must be learned from

the past and for the future.


15

� Expected results focus on the roles, resources and needs prioritized by beneficiary

women and men.

� Women and men have equal access to project resources and benefit equally from the

project.

� The workload related to the project activities is shared equally by women and men. At

this level, the project should support women not only in reaching the expected results in

terms of practical needs (as it is often the case), but also in benefiting from it to meet

their strategic needs.

Effectiveness

Effectiveness is defined as the extent to which the project’s objectives were achieved. At this

level, how successful the outputs have been in producing the desired outcome is assessed by

reviewing immediate or mid-term observable effects and results. Generally, several outputs

are necessary to attain an outcome. The quality of partnerships, and the contribution and

commitment of the main stakeholders are crucial, in particular, to promoting gender in

projects. Key points to be checked are if:

� Gender responsive and/or gender-competent staff are involved in planning activities or at

other key stages of the project.

� All partners agree with the set objectives and participate in their formulation.

� Cooperation and collaboration on gender issues lead to changes in practices, behaviour

and power relations between women and men in the partner organizations supported by

the project.

� Mutual gender expectations are met.

� Project objectives address/reflect the needs of both men and women; specific objectives

that address women’s and men’s needs separately may be required.

Relevance

This is the extent to which the goal or development objective(s) of a project is consistent with

women’s and men’s practical/strategic needs, country needs and global priorities. At this level,

comprehensive information about project impact is necessary. This should cover the positive

and negative, intended and unintended, long-term changes/effects for women and men. To

integrate gender at this level of analysis, check if:

� Project results have been gender-disaggregated to allow relevance to be assessed.

� The results are relevant to the beneficiaries and readily comprehensible to them.

� All identified women’s and men’s needs/problems are reflected in the development

objective, together with their strengths and potential.

� The project is coherent with the country’s and IFAD’s gender policies and priorities.

� The project promotes greater equality between women and men, and girls and boys, and

does not reinforce or reproduce inequalities. Opportunities and life chances

become/remain equal.

� The project has no negative effects on women and men.

� The project has identified and reinforced local positive gender dynamics.


16

� Whenever possible, the project is involved in policy dialogue concerning gender issues

or supports local organizations working in this field, in order to create favourable

conditions and change towards gender equality.

Sustainability

The effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of a project are strongly linked. Experience

has shown that integrating gender and reducing inequality between women and men

contribute to sustainable development. It is important to raise awareness of this link among

the relevant project focal points. Here too, project partners should be familiar with basic

approaches to sustainability and how to integrate gender into this area. The discussion is

especially important concerning the effectiveness of a programme/project, within the sphere

of influence of the programme/project and the partner institutions on a medium–term time

horizon. Project results and benefits should guarantee sustainable gender impact, i.e. that

impact continues to be felt after the conclusion of the programme/project. Check if:

� Women’s and men’s differing circumstances have been taken into account.

� The project focuses on the main interests of women and men (ownership).

� Members of the target group – both women and men – benefit equally from the project

and have greater access to resources (income, education, health services).

� The project considers equitable benefits for women and men as a key criterion.

� The effects of the project are relevant and easily comprehensible to women and men.

� The ecological effects on women and men have been considered, as well as the

ecological context (e.g. desertification context).

� Partner organizations are learning-oriented and are willing to bring gender issues into the

mainstream (gender institutionalization). Organizations follow gender-balanced practices.

IV. GENDER MAINSTREAMING: Measures and Practices Five key measures should be introduced during implementation;

� Institutional support and commitment

� Gender training and capacity-building

� Livelihood analysis

� Gender analysis

� Policy dialogue

It is worth noting that these gender-mainstreaming measures may be used in various ways

(individually or in combination). Gender training, for example, may be combined with gender

The integration of the gender perspective and the disaggregation of information along gender

lines is a pre-requisite for all projects. Gender-aware analysis at the household, community

and country levels makes a key contribution to the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and

sustainability of development interventions.


17

analysis and gender programming. Similarly, gender analysis may be integrated with gender

programming, implementation or M&E, so that it covers various processes of decision-making

in the project cycle. The projects and institutions concerned should use the pertinent

measures in a flexible and effective way, and in line with their particular conditions.

4.1. Institutional Support and Commitment

Institutional support and commitment are prerequisites for gender mainstreaming. The

following efforts are called for:

(1) Increase awareness of gender equality

Without a full understanding of the significance of gender equality and its realization, there will

be no meaningful institutional support, commitment or efforts. Without a strong sense of

mission and true commitment, action taken to realize gender equality will be merely symbolic;

similarly, the institutions set up to promote gender equality and the policies formulated will

have little meaning.

(2) Sufficient resources guarantee

Without material commitment to gender equality in terms of budget and resource allocation,

there is no guaranteed implementation of gender plans or measures. Resource guarantee

covers both sufficiency of funds, and availability of pertinent organizational set-ups and

human resources.

4.2. Gender Training and Capacity-Building

Gender training is an immediate and effective way to promote gender knowledge and skills.

Specialized gender training should be organized for all PMOs and staff from partner

institutions, especially their leaders and the key project implementer. In addition, inclusion of

gender-related content in general training activities is useful for gender mainstreaming and

institutionalization. Gender training can be conducted in two ways: provision of specialized

gender training or inclusion of gender-related content in general training activities, as

described below.

1. Specialized gender training

The provision of specialized gender training to decision-makers and staff members at various

levels became international practice in the 1990s. In specialized gender training, participatory

and field-based approaches are followed in designing course content and modes of delivery.

Training needs are assessed and then coupled with practices. Projects are used for case

studies, and course content is oriented to suit local conditions, to ensure that such training is

well received and useful. Specialized participatory gender training could start with general

gender-mainstreaming training for PMO leaders, main project managers and implementers,

and be followed by training for trainers in gender issues. IFAD followed this process when

holding the Gender Mainstreaming Workshop in Xi’An in 2006 and the TOT workshops in

2007.


18

Specialized gender training normally includes four main steps:

a) Training needs assessment. During the design phase, specific details should be

obtained about the course participants, for instance their background, their attitudes to gender

equality, and their expectations, demands and concerns with regard to the training.

b) Determination of objectives and content. Objectives and training content should be

determined by the different backgrounds and needs of the participants. For those with little

previous exposure to gender issues, training should be designed to sharpen their awareness

of gender; for those already sensitized, training should focus on gender analysis

methodologies; and for those with insight into the concept and with a command of some

analysis methods but without knowledge of how to apply them, training should be focused on

gender programming.

c) Formulation of training programmes. When formulating training programmes, the

following factors should be taken into consideration: training objectives, content, outcomes,

main activities, agenda, and training resources. Ideally, such training should be conducted in

a systematic and progressive way. If conditions do not allow for this, a stage-by-stage

approach can also be productive.

d) Follow-up action. Gender training is sustainable only when accompanied by follow-up

action. Such follow-up could take the form of specialized forums on the issues raised during

the training course (e.g. the increasing phenomenon of feminization and ageing in agriculture,

which was raised and discussed in the Xi’An workshop), development of a project Gender

Action Plan, which could cover such activities as gender assessment, training, exchange

networks, etc. (as was the case during and after the Xi’An Gender Mainstreaming Workshop).

2. Inclusion of gender-related content in general o r specific training activities

While providing specialized gender training, attention should also be paid to inclusion of

gender-related content in other project training activities such as the start-up workshop, RIMS

and M&E training provided to the PMOs and partners. Methods for developing gender-

sensitive parameters, for instance, could be covered by M&E training.


19

4.3. Gender Analysis at the Household and Community Levels

4.3.1. Introduction

Why gender analysis?

Experience shows that some interventions do not reach their objectives because they have

not taken enough account of social relations, including gender. A gender analysis is essential

to understand local dynamics (problems, opportunities, values), plan interventions that are

relevant and beneficial to both women and men, and assess the different benefits/drawbacks

of the project for women and men. In particular, it is necessary to examine assumptions that

IFAD projects and its partners unavoidably bring with them to project planning and

implementation. For instance:

� In many projects, the participation of target groups is a key assumption. It is assumed

that target groups will contribute in terms of ideas, labour/ time and, increasingly, money

(cost-sharing). Women’s and men’s ability to participate (time availability, skills, decision-

making, financial capability, etc.) and the impact of gender on participation are not

systematically assessed, which can affect both the relevance and efficiency of the project.

� Many projects aim to reduce the workload of women (e.g. water collection by building

some water tanks) and enhance women’s productive role (by increasing availability of

microfinance) to empower women. But women do not always control their income, and

may have limited access to skills-building and technical training, etc. In such cases, a

gender analysis is needed to assess whether the reduction in women’s workload and

their enhanced productive roles are sufficient to empower them, or if any supporting

activities are needed, e.g. skills training and market access.

Why at the household and community levels?

Gender analysis at the household and community levels is essential, as this is where women

and men live and experience the effects – positive and negative – of development.

Yet, many development projects make assumptions about the way women and men live at

the household and community levels. Projects may not take adequate account of the fact that

women and men have different roles, responsibilities, rights/power, resources and needs. The

lack of knowledge regarding the livelihoods and specific needs of women and men in target

groups is a key factor in the failure of projects. Collecting gender-aware data at the micro

level is essential to establish baselines and assess change over time.

4.3.2. Gender Analytical Framework

While gender analytical frameworks may vary, they all try, in one form or another, to establish:

� the gender division of labour (gender roles and responsibilities)


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� women’s and men’s access to and control over resources in various aspects and at

different levels

� women’s and men’s needs (practical and strategic)

The gender division of labour: identifying gender r oles

The first question to answer is who does what. The participation of women and men in each

of the four roles , (reproductive, productive, community-managing, politics) must be analysed

both qualitatively and quantitatively. The analysis of the gender division of labour by gender

roles is the starting point of virtually all gender analysis.

The reproductive role includes activities that take place mainly at the household level, such

as domestic chores, caring for the young and the elderly, looking after the health of household

members, their education, etc. These activities are unpaid because they are seen as

“natural ”. The world over, women are more involved than men in the reproductive role.

The productive role refers to the activities of women and men that produce economic

resources, in cash or in kind. In many contexts, women work at home and their work

(e.g. doing piecework for factories from home) in subsistence livelihood/farming or

contribution to food and cash crop farming are productive tasks, albeit invisible. In many

contexts, men are involved in more remunerative and formal forms of work than women. For

instance, among married couples in rural China, it is normally the man who migrates to cities

or works in non-farming activities at home, with women working in farming activities at home

and taking care of their families. The following graph, drawn by women in the West Guangxi

Poverty Alleviation Project, indicates daily gender division of work in both the busy farming

season and the slack season.

Table 2: Farming calendars and gender division of labour

Source: Formulation of the South Gansu Poverty Reduction Programme in Gansu (2003)


21

Graph 1: Gender division of work in busy and slow seasons

Source: Supervision of West Guangxi Poverty Alleviation Project (2006)

The community-managing role refers to voluntary activities undertaken at the community

level to ensure the provision and maintenance of collective resources and infrastructure

(e.g. water points, roads, health services). Women are very involved in this role because

deficient public goods and services affect women before anyone else. Yet, they often have

less access to decision-making than men.

The constituency-based politics role includes political and advocacy activities at the

community and local levels, within traditional structures such as village committees or local

authorities. Women’s and men’s participation in this role is strongly influenced by their status,

education, age, ethnicity, etc. In most contexts, men dominate local political leadership,

except in women’s own groups or organizations. This is why IFAD-supported projects

normally include activities to enhance women's groups and associations for women’s

empowerment.

Women’s and men’s access to and control over resour ces

The analysis of the gender division of labour should be followed by a review of what

resources are relevant in each role.

In the reproductive role, tangible resources are food, money, housing, clothing, clean water,

transport (e.g. to attend a clinic) and information (e.g. about social services). Intangible

resources include health, education, reproductive rights, time and social networks.

In the productive role, tangible resources include land, equipment, credit, raw materials and

transport. Intangible resources are skills and knowledge, mobility, the right to work and control

one’s income, and access to economic markets, networks and information.


22

In the community-managing role, access to information and decision-making is critical. Time

is a key resource as participation consumes time that women and men could otherwise spend

on reproductive or productive activities.

In the political role, key resources are information, political education, rights (e.g. to

participate in public debate, run as candidates for elections, vote), physical mobility and self-

confidence.

Women’s and men’s gender needs

The analysis of the gender division of labour and of women’s and men’s access and control

over resources should be followed by the identification of women’s and men’s gender needs.

� When women and/or men demand greater access to some resources/opportunities to

perform their existing gender roles better, they express a practical gender need, for

instance, women’s demand for credit to play their new productive role. Such a practical

need/demand does not aim to challenge the customary gender division of labour.

� When women and/or men want to challenge the customary gender division of labour and

power relations and when they wish to fight factors that create gender inequalities, they

express a strategic gender need .

More projects – including IFAD-supported projects in China – respond to practical gender

needs as these are easier to diagnose than strategic ones. Practical gender needs also

create less resistance because they do not directly challenge gender-based power relations.

Practical gender needs are often perceived as social and identified in sectors such as health

or water and sanitation. In these sectors, it is mainly women (and children) who are most

visible as primary users, for example of water or services. However, where gender is

associated with and limited to the social sphere , linkages with power and the political

dimension can be overlooked. For example, an IFAD Gender Assessment in China revealed

that the impact of previous IFAD projects has tended to be limited to social development

components.

Practical or strategic gender needs: which should b e addressed?

There is no “right answer” to this question. The project’s context and objectives orient the

strategies. Sometimes, it is necessary to meet a practical need first (e.g. constructing a clinic,

or building a water tank or biogas system, etc.) in order to fulfil a strategic need later

(women’s and men’s shared control of the clinic, etc). On other occasions, strategic needs are

given priority. Strategic needs are strongly linked to decision-making and empowerment.

Because of their low level of participation in decision-making, women cannot promote their

practical needs (e.g. better health, competence in certain skills, stronger decision-making

The distinction between access to and control over resources is critical in the

analysis. The continuum between the two is not automatic and often requires some

level of empowerment for those excluded from decision-making.


23

power). Gender-specific project or component/activities are therefore appropriate to tackle

women’s strategic needs.

It is for the women and men in a specific context to define their priority gender needs. Women

and men may not always agree on what these are. Differences of age, income, culture,

religion, etc. at the household, community and regional levels will influence how women and

men prioritize their gender needs. Gender and PRA methods and tools are needed to obtain a

better understanding of different situations and needs. Table 3 provides a framework for

gender analysis.

Table 3: Guiding questions for three major aspects

Reproductive Productive Community

managing Political Roles

Aspects women Men women men women men women men 1. Roles: what are the tasks and contributions of women and men in each role

2. Resources: what resources do women and men have access to/control over; what benefits and status accrue to women and men in each role

3. Gender inequalities and gender needs: What gender inequalities/needs are expressed in each role by women/men? What gender inequalities/needs are not so easily expressed by women/men? What gender inequalities/needs are directly linked to the project (e.g. accessibility criteria)? What gender inequalities/needs are context-specific (e.g. cultural values, traditions, etc.)?

4.4. Livelihood analysis at the community and house hold levels

4.4.1. Why livelihood analysis?

As discussed above, gender issues are not isolated issues. Rather they are embedded within

and interlinked with complex social relations in a changing social context. Experience in IFAD-

supported projects in China shows that the sustainable livelihood analysis framework is useful

for poverty analysis and targeting. Experience has also revealed that a combination of

livelihood analysis and gender analysis is helpful and practical, introducing a gender lens into

the project cycle and preventing gender from being dealt with in isolation.

However, context-specific gender analysis alone may also provide insufficient insight into

complex livelihood situations, especially the deep-rooted causes of poverty in relation to

gender issues. Livelihood analysis is often used with gender analysis for targeting and


24

evaluation, allowing comparison between rich and poor households, and between men and

women. While for the purpose of poverty targeting, the focus is on the analysis and

comparison of different types of households (e.g. household categories A, B and C in the

case of IFAD projects). To address the gender situation, the emphasis needs to be on gender

differentiation in participation, access and benefits with respect to five categories of

resources/capital.

4.4.2. Combination of livelihood analysis and gende r analysis

Graph 3: Sustainable livelihood framework

The Sustainable Livelihoods FrameworkThe Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架可持续性农户生计框架

政策政策政策政策

机构机构机构机构

程序规则程序规则程序规则程序规则

NS

FP

H

贫困农户贫困农户贫困农户贫困农户

脆弱性脆弱性脆弱性脆弱性

打击（天灾人祸）

季节性

趋势

变化

影响影响影响影响农户生计

策略农户生计

状况

Graph 4: Gender analysis with sustainable livelihoo d framework

SoSo…………....HumanHumanHumanHuman CapitalCapitalCapitalCapital• physically weaker• lower education level• lack of skills and technology

NaturalNaturalNaturalNatural CapitalCapitalCapitalCapital• limited access to land• limited access to common NRFinancialFinancialFinancialFinancial CapitalCapitalCapitalCapital• lower income• limited access to credit

Material CapitalMaterial CapitalMaterial CapitalMaterial Capital• water supply• living conditions• poor communication

Social CapitalSocial CapitalSocial CapitalSocial Capital• social and household status• close relationships with relativesand friends• tradition of exchange and mutual help•traditional knowledge

WomenWomenWomenWomen farmersfarmersfarmersfarmers’capital capital capital capital situationsituationsituationsituation isisisis a a a a muchmuchmuchmuch

smallersmallersmallersmaller pentagonpentagonpentagonpentagon

Fiancial

SocialCapital

Material

Humancapital

NaturalCapital

Table 4: Gender analysis for capital/resource acces s, control and benefit

Access Control (decision-

making) Benefit Type of capital

M F note M F Note M F Note income credit gift

Financi

al

…… land forest river mine

Natural

…..


25

Access Control (decision-making)

Benefit Type of capital

M F note M F Note M F Note road water electricity irrigation hospital school

Material

…… labour education skills experience

Hum

an

…. customer laws

association religion tradition norm

institutional services

laws and regulations

Social

…..

4.4.3. What to analyse?

The general aim is to identify key issues or processes at the micro level (e.g. access to credit

or skills training and market information). This will enable a mapping out of local dynamics

and actors that can influence or address the identified issues. This exercise should be

undertaken using “gender lenses” within a livelihood analysis or other analytical frameworks,

or a combination of different frameworks, according to the local context.

Like any situation analysis, a gender analysis is concerned with two scenes : the local scene

where endogenous social processes take place and the development scene , which

concerns projects. “Gender lenses” are used to analyse both scenes.

1． Social context and processes: The analysis focuses on the local scene. It identifies what

women and men do and how, their respective needs/opportunities as well as the gender

relations and possible imbalance therein. The exercise reveals out how traditions, as well

as economic and social changes/problems, affect women and men in various groups

(such as the A,B,C groups normally identified in IFAD-supported projects). Depending on

needs, the analysis may focus on:

� Household and community levels

� Specific sector levels (livestock, food crop production, etc.)

2． Planned interventions of project. The analysis focuses on the project setting. It examines

women’s and men’s participation in projects and assesses:


26

� To what extent, how and why projects respond to women’s and men’s respective

gender needs

� The effects of IFAD interventions on gender relations

Graph 5: Two-scene analytical framework

Reciprocal impact?

Social context & processes Planned interventions

Household level

Community level CONTEXT

Guiding Manual for Gender Mainstreaming in IFAD Supported Projects in China Beijing 2009

27

Appendix 1: IFAD’s Targeting Policy - Checklist for Design

IFAD’s Targeting Policy - Checklist For Design Score

1-6 Issues and

Recommendations 1) Does the main target group - those expected to benefit most- correspond to IFAD’s target group as defined by the Targeting Policy (the extremely poor and food insecure)?

2) Have target sub-groups been identified and described according to their different socio-economic characteristics, assets and livelihoods - with due attention to gender differences?

3) Is evidence provided of interest in and likely uptake of the proposed activities by the identified target sub-groups?

4) Does the design document describe a feasible and operational targeting strategy in line with the Targeting Policy? The targeting strategy will involve either all or some of the following measures and methods.

. 4.1) Geographic targeting – based on poverty data or proxy indicators to identify, for area-based projects or programmes, geographic areas (and within these, communities) with high concentrations of poor people

4..2) Enabling measures – These include measures to strengthen stakeholders’ and partners’ attitude and commitment to poverty targeting, gender equality and women’s empowerment, including policy dialogue, awareness-raising and capacity-building, and appropriate project/programme management arrangements (references in ToR, PCU composition); language in describing staff positions (s/he; masculine/feminine).

4.3) Empowerment and capacity-building measures including information and communication, focused capacity- and confidence-building measures, organisational support, in order to empower and encourage the more active participation and inclusion in planning and decision making of people who traditionally have less voice and power.

4.4) Direct targeting when services or resources are to be channelled to specific individuals or households. Such measures may include eligibility criteria, to be developed and applied with community participation; quotas (e.g. for women), earmarked funds

4.5)Attention to procedural measures that could militate against participation by the intended target groups (such as, excessive beneficiary contributions; cumbersome legal requirements, etc)

5) Monitoring targeting performance. Does the design document specify that targeting performance will be monitored using participatory M&E, and also be assessed at Mid-term review?

AVERAGE SCORE


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Pre-Requisites of Gender Sensitive Design – Checkli st For Design

Score 1-6 Issues and Recommendations

1. Does the design document contain a context-specific gender strategy that aims to:

• Expand women’s access to and control over fundamental assets – capital, land, knowledge and technologies;

• Strengthen their agency – thus their decision-making role in community affairs and representation in local institutions;

• Improve well-being and ease workload. .

2. The project identifies operational measures to ensure gender- equitable participation in, and benefit from, planned activities, and in particular:

2..1 Sets indicative and realistic targets in terms of proportion of women participants in different project activities and components;

2.2 Establishes women’s participation in project-related decision-making bodies (such as Water User Associations; committees taking decisions on micro-projects; etc)

2.3 Reflects attention to gender equality/ women’s’ empowerment in project/ programme management arrangements (e.g. including in Terms of Reference of project coordinating unit or project management unit (PMU) responsibilities for gender mainstreaming; inclusion of gender focal point in PCU, etc).

2.4 Explicitly addresses the issue of outreach to women (e.g. through female field staff; NGO group promoters, etc) especially where women’s mobility is limited

3. The project log frame and suggested monitoring system specify sex-disaggregated performance and impact indicators.

AVERAGE SCORE


29

Appendix 2: IFAD’s Pre-requisites of gender-sensiti ve design-Checklist

6 Adapted from: “Mainstreaming a gender perspective in IFAD’s operations – Plan of Action, 2003-2006”

Pre-Requisites of Gender-Sensitive Design 6 Checklist

Yes No Partial Issues and Recommendations 1. Project document contains poverty and gender analysis data .

2. Based on the above, the project articulates a gender strategy that aims to:

• Expand women’s access to and control over fundamental assets – capital, land, knowledge and technologies;

• Strengthen their agency – thus their decision-making role in community affairs and representation in local institutions;

• Improve well-being and ease workloads by facilitating access to basic rural services and infrastructures.

3. The project identifies operational measures to ensure gender- equitable participation in, and benefit from, planned activities, and in particular:

• Sets specific targets in terms of proportion of women participants in different project activities and components;

• Ensures women’s participation in project-related decision-making bodies; and

• Clearly reflects actions identified in the gender strategy in the cost tables;

• Ensures that the Terms of Reference of project coordinating unit or project management unit (PMU) include responsibilities for gender mainstreaming, especially at level of project director, M&E officer, extension officer and microfinance officer;

• Explicitly addresses the issue of present and likely availability of field staff to ensure outreach to women, and designs activities accordingly;

• Establishes experience working with women and marginalized groups and willingness to work with these groups is a criterion for NGO selection.

4. The project logframe and suggested monitoring system specify sex-disaggregated performance and impact indicators.

5. The project provides opportunities for policy dialogue on issues related to gender equality and empowerment of women.

Appendix 3: Terms of Reference for Gender Focal Poi nt in IFAD Projects in China 7

The Gender Focal Point (GFP) will assist the Project Director in ensuring gender equity and equality in project implementation and management, through the development and implementation of a gender strategy and action plan for the project and by cooperating with Women Federation and RCC, other line agencies, VIG and beneficiaries. The overall objective is to facilitate equitable participation of both rural men and women in project activities and provide benefits on an equitable basis. This would be done by creating necessary enabling environment, using appropriate tools/procedures to address gender differences and by collaborating with all project stakeholders. Women’s empowerment is facilitated through the delivery of good quality project activities designed specifically for them. The role of the project GFP is crucial in initiating necessary actions and coordinating with stakeholders to achieve the gender objectives. In particular, the GFP will:

� Develop project gender strategy encompassing all its institutions and components. � Develop, implement and monitor gender action plan for the project by cooperating

with M&E officers, recommending related gender indicators to make sure project activities are monitored and evaluated by using these indicators, and ensuring that gender action plan is supported and included in the M&E system for documentation and experience-sharing.

� Coordinate with relevant project institutions to ensure equitable participation of rural men and women in all project activities. In activities focused specifically on women, attention will be paid to enhance the quality of such activities for their benefits.

� Plan and organize gender training for project managers and implementers from the PMO and related implementation institutions involved in project actions.

� Coordinate with relevant project institutions to create an enabling climate for women to play an effective and broad role in all project-generated actions.

� Coordinate with RCC and other related financial institutions to ensure equitable access to credit for men and women and suggest specific activities for women to address gender imbalances in this respect.

� Promote and disseminate the project’s gender approach and achievements at all levels.

� Monitor the allocation of resources and other important implementation aspects for supporting gender-related activities and report to PMO directors any problems occurred and results achieved.

Expected results of the GFP:

� A realistic gender strategy guiding the project implementation has been prepared. � An action plan outlining the major activities and tools to be adopted for implementing

the gender strategy has been prepared. � Process and quality indicators of gender sensitivity in project have been incorporated

in the M&E system. � The understanding of and staff capacity in gender mainstreaming improved. � Training on gender has been delivered to stakeholders. � A coordination mechanism on gender focus has been established with stakeholders. � Specific actions and activities have been conducted to benefit women. � Women’s participation in project activities increased. � Women leaders have increased at all levels. � Women’s organizations have been strengthened and increased. � Good practices/cases have been identified, documented and shared.

7 Drafted by Yinhong SUN and revised by Yiching Song with feedbacks from the Gender TOT workshops in 3 provinces in China 2007

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