Mainstreaming a Gender Justice Approach: A Manual to support NGOs in self-assessing their gender mainstreaming competence

Overview

This manual has been created to help gender experts and consultants to coach organisations in self-assessing their gender mainstreaming competence. In this manual you find the ingredients for a self-assessment, to be organised in a workshop setting. It is meant to support development organisations in ‘screening’ their gender mainstreaming competence and recognising their potential to move ahead – both in the programs and in the organisation itself. The organisation’s strengths and weaknesses are identified and possibilities for improving gender mainstreaming are explored. This leads to the formulation of an action plan, with clearly defined objectives and a time-line, budget and defined responsibilities. The staff members involved in the self-assessment are taken step-by-step through critical questions and discussions concerning the extent to which their organisation addresses gender issues. The methodology allows staff to answer questions such as: Why are things the way they are? Why do we act the way we do? Are we doing the right things ‘ and are we doing these in the right way? What are the forces of change? Where are the forces that make change possible? The variety of participatory and inclusive methods as well as the tools that the manual offers provokes reflection and learning.