Q 1. Many evaluators struggle with the evaluation of the gender equality and empowerment of women, limiting the assessment to women’s participation in different project activities. This approach, however, does not allow the evaluation of the multiple dimensions of gender equality and empowerment of women, such as the allocation of resources to gender programs, equal participation in decision-making, and access to productive resources, services and markets. To better evaluate gender equality and empowerment of women, gender-responsive methodologies, methods and tools, and data analysis techniques should be selected. Guiding documents for gender equality and empowerment of women such as the System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP), which provide guidance on gender-responsive indicators can be consulted to do so.
The implication of trade-offs related to gender activities need to be taken into account. For example, in the project X there were indications of added responsibilities for women that were not necessarily accompanied by proportional income gain. “The single women supported under ‘One Cow Per Poor Family project’, were provided with the cow breeds which have higher milk production. However, women were concerned about increased work drudgery related to fodder supply, especially within the context of its scarcity. Higher milk production per cow could result in additional income source for women. However, the project did not foresee connection to a potential markets making income gains uncertain.”
In addition, as mentioned by Dowsen Sango, the type of evaluation matters – some project and programmes provide little or no space for gender dimension.
Q 2. The UNEG Guidance Integrating Human Rights Further provides examples of the gender-responsive indicators helping to design/access/evaluate projects www.uneval.org/document/download/1294 (p. 46-47).
The UN-SWAP assessment is done through scorecards answering the following questions:
1) Gender equality and the empowerment of women (GEEW) is integrated in the evaluation scope of analysis and evaluation criteria and questions are designed in a way that ensures GEEW related data will be collected.
2) A gender-responsive methodology, methods and tools, and data analysis techniques are selected.
3) The evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendation reflect a gender analysis.
Technical note on how to score the above criteria can be read here:
RE: Gender and evaluation of food security
Dear members,
In relation to the questions of Georgette:
Q 1. Many evaluators struggle with the evaluation of the gender equality and empowerment of women, limiting the assessment to women’s participation in different project activities. This approach, however, does not allow the evaluation of the multiple dimensions of gender equality and empowerment of women, such as the allocation of resources to gender programs, equal participation in decision-making, and access to productive resources, services and markets. To better evaluate gender equality and empowerment of women, gender-responsive methodologies, methods and tools, and data analysis techniques should be selected. Guiding documents for gender equality and empowerment of women such as the System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP), which provide guidance on gender-responsive indicators can be consulted to do so.
It is important to assess/map the possible positive and negative consequences right from the start and possibly include them into the evaluation methodology. Data rehearsal/finding rehearsal method can be applied: https://evalsdgs.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/unicef-innovation-in-evaluation-webinar-ppt.pdf (p. 22).
The implication of trade-offs related to gender activities need to be taken into account. For example, in the project X there were indications of added responsibilities for women that were not necessarily accompanied by proportional income gain. “The single women supported under ‘One Cow Per Poor Family project’, were provided with the cow breeds which have higher milk production. However, women were concerned about increased work drudgery related to fodder supply, especially within the context of its scarcity. Higher milk production per cow could result in additional income source for women. However, the project did not foresee connection to a potential markets making income gains uncertain.”
In addition, as mentioned by Dowsen Sango, the type of evaluation matters – some project and programmes provide little or no space for gender dimension.
Q 2. The UNEG Guidance Integrating Human Rights Further provides examples of the gender-responsive indicators helping to design/access/evaluate projects www.uneval.org/document/download/1294 (p. 46-47).
The UN-SWAP assessment is done through scorecards answering the following questions:
1) Gender equality and the empowerment of women (GEEW) is integrated in the evaluation scope of analysis and evaluation criteria and questions are designed in a way that ensures GEEW related data will be collected.
2) A gender-responsive methodology, methods and tools, and data analysis techniques are selected.
3) The evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendation reflect a gender analysis.
Technical note on how to score the above criteria can be read here:
www.unevaluation.org/document/download/2148
These guidance documents might be well-known, yet not often applied in evaluation design and projects assessment.
Alena Lappo
Evaluation Analyst
FAO