Gender Audit

Has gender been mainstreamed in YOUR organization?

CAPWIP MGGR Nov 2007

Tool and process based on a participatory methodology to promote organizational learning at individual, work unit and organizational levels on how to practically and effectively mainstream gender


Social audit Belongs to the category of quality audits as

opposed to financial audits Considers whether internal practices and related

support systems for gender mainstreaming are effective and reinforce each other and whether they are being followed

Establishes a baseline Identifies critical gaps, and challenges


Recommends ways of addressing gender gaps

Suggests possible improvements and innovations

Documents good practices toward achievement of gender equality


Enhances collective capacity of organization to examine its activities from a gender perspective

Identify strengths and weaknesses in promoting gender equality issues

Monitors and assesses relative progress in gender mainstreaming

Helps build organizational ownership of gender equality intiatives


Sharpens organizational learning on gender through a process of ◦ Team building◦ Information sharing◦ Reflection on gender


To promote organizational learning on how to implement gender mainstreaming effectively in policies, programmes and structures and assess the extent to which policies have been institutionalized at the level of the organization, work unit and individual


Generate understanding of the extent to which gender mainstreaming has been internalized and acted upon by staff

Assess the extent of gender mainstreaming in terms of the development and delivery of


gender-sensitive products and services Identify and share information on

mechanisms, practices and attitudes that have made a positive contribution to mainstreaming gender in an organization


Assess the level of resources allocated and spent on gender mainstreaming and gender activities

Examine the extent to which human resources policies are gender-sensitive


Examine the staff sex balance at different levels of an organization

Set up the initial baseline of performance on gender mainstreaming in an organization with a view to introducing an ongoing process


Of benchmarking to measure progress in promoting gender equality

Measure progress in implementing action plans on gender mainstreaming and recommend revisions as needed

Identify room for improvement and suggest possible strategies to better implement the action plan.


Report with recommendations for performance improvement and concrete actions for follow-up by the audited unit/organization


Let us now focus on YOUR organization Choose a work unit – a section, a division or

department where you belong


Review your organization in terms of: ◦ What gender issues exist and why◦ What actions have been taken to address these

issues and ensure gender equality in your work unit


First Pillar: Gender and Development Approach

Second Pillar: Qualitative Self-assessment

Third Pillar: Adult Learning Cycle

Fourth Pillar: Learning Organization Approach


Focus on ◦ Women as an isolated and homogeneous group ◦ Roles and needs of both men and women


Establish consensual understanding of the reality in which people are working and which they are creating together

Builds on facts and interpretation of facts taken into account

Balances subjective perceptions with objective data


QSA allows work unit staff to ask questions:◦ Why are things the way they are?◦ How did we get to go where we are?◦ Why do we act the way they do?◦ What are the forces of change?◦ Where are the forces of change?


Where are the forces that make change possible?

Are we doing the right things? Are we doing the right things in the right

way?


Information gained thru self-assessment can be cross-checked against data from other methods


To discover the extent of the gender gaps and to foster a learning process that leads work units to redress the gap

Thru reflection and exchange, participants able to translate their own experience into general and abstract conclusions relevant to their work unit and to the work unit as a whole


Turn proposals for change through experimentation



Direct experience

Reflect and discuss experiences

Apply lessonsLearned to change Ways of working

Generalize from experiences and discussions:

Lessons learned

The Individual The Work The Organization


Focus on changes in organization and changes in individuals

Iterative process; single loop and multiple loop learning

MGGR July 2009

A Current national/international gender issues and gender debate affecting the audited unit, and unit’s interaction with national gender institutions and women’s organization


B Organization’s mainstreamed strategy

on gender equality as reflected in audited unit’s objectives, programme and budget

C Mainstreaming of gender equality in the

implementation of programmes and technical cooperation activities


D Existing gender expertise and strategy

for building gender competence

E Information and knowledge management

F Systems and instruments in use for monitoring and evaluation


G Choice of partner organizations

H Products and public image

I Decision-making on gender mainstreaming


J Staffing and human resources

K Organizational culture

L Perception of achievement on gender equality


Gender issues in the context of the work unit and existing gender expertise, competence and capacity building (A& D)

Gender issues in work unit’s objectives, programming and implementation cycles, and choice of partner organizations (B, C, F, G)


Information and knowledge management within work unit, and gender equality policy as reflected in work unit’s products and public image (E,H)

Staffing and human resources, decision making and organizational culture (I,J,K)


Work unit’s perception of achievement of gender equality (L)

