The Importance of Gender Analysis in an Organization

17 October 2014 -

Written by Laspnet

There are a variety of methods used to understand the relationships between men and women, the differences between the roles that women and men play, the different levels of power they hold; their access to resources, their activities, their differing needs, constraints and opportunities, and the impact of these differences on their lives. These methods are what come to be known as Gender Analysis.

Gender Analysis incorporates such elements as sex, gender, gender relations, Gender balance and Gender equity. Also Gender Neutrality, blindness, Equality and Gender mainstreaming are crucial elements in determining Gender Analysis. These are some of the key terms which were underscored during a training on Gender Analysis and Reporting which was undertaken by LASPNET on 15^th October 2014 at Kati Kati Restaurant.

The training set out to analyze the background to gender disparities that are inherent in Uganda, the importance of Gender analysis in an organization, its role in mainstreaming gender as well as appropriate ways of reporting with a gender sensitive dimension.

In an organization, Gender Analysis is important because it determines Policy frameworks, budget preparations, competences among the different genders, programming and project design. It is also a prerequisite to cultural and human resource balances as well as a mechanism for allocating responsibilities within the organization. Gender analysis is applied throughout project design i.e. during baseline research, problem definition, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

During the training, it was pointed out that having projects exclusively designed for women does not bring work towards gender equality or equity. Gender Analysis is not about women and women's participation is not equal to gender.

A women-only programme is gender blind if it keeps women in traditional areas and does not offer scope for change towards gender equality. In fact, women specific programmes may create gender problems where they are none. They may make women as ‘beneficiaries’ worse off where men feel excluded and viewing all projects as going to women.

When Carrying out a Gender Analysis there is need to consider the following:

Culture - pattern and norms of what women and men, girls and boys do and experience in relation to the issues being examined and addressed.
Why there are disparities and whether they are a matter for concern, and how they are and might be addressed.
Who benefits directly from the programme?
Who may be concerned or affected by the programme activities, directly or indirectly?
Who may participate in and contribute to the programme?
Who may be involved in decision-making in the programme?
Who may find it difficult to participate/ make decisions in the programme?
Not all women and not all men are the same.

While preparing a Gender Analysis in a programme, there are steps to follow

Clearly request gender disaggregated information (qualitative and quantitative) in the programme
Ensure the participation of different groups of women and men in the consultation according to age, income, different household structures etc., as relevant)
Talk to women and men separately, as well as together
Include women and men in the research team so as to facilitate access to both women and men in the groups targeted in the analysis;

The training also focused on reporting beyond gender distribution and providing more detailed information regarding the ways in which access to resources such as inheritance, land, income, and political influence by women is comparable to that of men as well as mechanisms through which any existing inequality is maintained and preserved. It also brought out the need to report on ways in which men’s and women’s activities are separate, cooperative, or conflicting towards the available opportunities in society at large.