Tips for Conducting a Gender Analysis at the Activity or Project Level

This analysis typically involves examining the differential impact of development policies and programs on women and men, and may include the collection of sex-disaggregated or gender-sensitive data. Gender analysis examines the different roles, rights, and opportunities of men and women as well as relations between them. It also identifies disparities, examines why such disparities exist, determines whether they are a concern, and looks at how they can be addressed. The purpose of conducting a gender analysis at the activity or project level is to analyze gender roles in the context of the project or activity, identify root causes of existing gender inequalities, and increase understanding about how to address them. It also helps to identify different needs and priorities of men and women, collect sex-disaggregated baseline data, and avoid perpetuating traditional power imbalances. Furthermore, conducting a gender analysis enhances the likelihood of strengthened and sustainable project or activity results. The ADS contains several sections related to gender analysis, including Section 201.3.11.6, which specifies that Operating Units must consider two questions when conducting gender analyses for projects or activities. The first question is how the different roles and status of women and men within the community, political sphere, workplace, and household will affect the work to be undertaken. The second question is how the anticipated results of the work will affect women and men differently. Section 201.3.11.6 also requires that all projects and activities must address gender issues in a manner consistent with the findings of any analytical work performed during development of the Mission's long-term plan. Section 203.3.4.3 requires that performance management systems and evaluations must include gender-sensitive indicators and sex-disaggregated data when the technical analyses supporting the AO, project, or activity demonstrate that there are gender issues that must be considered. Section 302.3.5.15 states that for all solicitations, the Contracting Officer must ensure that the requiring office integrated gender issues into the procurement request or provided a rational as to why gender is not an issue. Section 303.3.6.3 reiterates the main provisions of Section 302.3.5.15 but with respect to all USAID-funded activities. To collect the information needed to conduct a gender analysis at the activity or project level, one should search for and read recent gender assessments or sectoral gender analyses that have been conducted by USAID or others for the countries in which the project will be implemented. Consult with gender experts at NGOs, donor, and other organizations who may be able to outline key gender issues in the countries and the sector that will be the focus of the project. Examine available quantitative and qualitative data that may reveal relevant gender issues in the sector in which the project will be implemented. Consult with women and men in the countries and/or communities where the project will be implemented to solicit their perceptions of whether the project will result in equal outcomes for men and women and to reveal gender issues that may not have been considered in the initial stages of project design. The Six Domains of Gender Analysis is a framework that has been developed and used to collect and organize information pertaining to gender differences in the health area by the USAID's IGWG. This framework is also applicable to most other areas in which USAID works. The six general areas that should be examined in conducting a gender analysis utilizing this framework are access, control, power, social norms, and social relations. Access refers to being able to use the resources necessary to be a fully active and productive participant (socially, economically, and politically) in society. It includes access to resources, income, education, and healthcare. Control refers to the ability to make decisions and have a say in one's life. Power refers to the ability to influence and shape the decisions and actions of others. Social norms refer to the unwritten rules and expectations that govern behavior in a society. Social relations refer to the interactions and relationships between individuals and groups. In the context of designing an entrepreneurship program, specific questions that could be asked in the context of conducting a gender analysis include: What are the different access needs of men and women to resources, income, education, and healthcare? How do men and women have different levels of control over their lives and decision-making processes? What are the power dynamics between men and women in the entrepreneurship sector? What are the social norms and expectations that govern the behavior of men and women in the entrepreneurship sector? How do men and women interact and relate to each other in the entrepreneurship sector?