Frameworks for Gender Analysis
February 2014
What is gender analysis
Gender analysis enables us to understand:
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The different roles, experience, needs and interests of men and
women
The constraints and barriers they face
How policy and programme interventions impact on men and
women because of these differences
In order to:
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Better inform design and delivery of policy and programmes that
meet the needs of all people/target audiences
Promote equal participation in and benefits from policies and
programmes
And, at a broader level to:
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Address and ultimately eliminate discrimination and unequal power
relations
Promote substantive equality
Enable individuals to realize and maximise their capabilities and
choices
When do we do gender analysis?
When we want to understand
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Different levels of participation and involvement, eg in the labour
market, community decision-making, use and control over natural
resources
Different experiences of specific issues, eg poverty, migration,
gang violence etc
Different outcomes from the same intervention, eg education,
health services, land titling
Barriers and constraints to full participation by different groups, eg
in decision-making
Specific vulnerabilities and inequalities, eg single-female headed
households, rural women, women with disabilities etc
Cultural and social patterns of behaviour that appear to be directly
against the interests of certain individuals and groups, eg, taking
girls out of school earlier than boys, FGM
Gender Equality and Development
There are a range of different frameworks available, but gender analysis typically focuses on:
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Roles
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What do women and men actually do?
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How does this change across the life cycle?
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Access to and control over resources and decision-making
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Who controls the resources needed to generate a livelihood?
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Who has the final say in how resources are used?
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Structures
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How are women’s and men’s needs and interests recognised or excluded by institutions and
structures such as governments, markets and services?
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To what extent do women have a voice in these structures and the decision-making that takes place
in these institutions?
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Power
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Who has power to enforce their needs and interests, and to force others to do what is against their
own interests?
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How are power imbalances and inequality (eg between men and women) justified and how do people
come to see them as normal and natural?
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And “Discourse”
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How are men and women and relations between the sexes understood?
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What values and attitudes do we hold about men and women and gender relations?
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How are gender roles and identities formed and reproduced?
Examples - Gender Equality and Development
The Moser Framework was specifically developed for gender planning in development contexts. It
includes:
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Gender role identification - designed to make visible the gender division of labour, by mapping all
activities of men and women, girls and boys, in the household over a 24 hour period, including:
• Productive work that produces goods and services for the household
• Reproductive work that involves all the tasks associated with unpaid care
• Community roles that include provisioning and maintenance of community resources
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Gender needs assessment – women have specific needs and interests because of their triple role
and subordinate position to men in society
• Practical gender needs that often relate to living conditions
• Strategic gender interests/ needs that are due to women’s subordinate status vis a vis men.
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Control of resources and decision-making within the household
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Impact of planned interventions on women’s roles and workload
See
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/EXTTOPPSISOU/0,,contentMD
K:20590734~menuPK:1442609~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:1424003~isCURL:Y,00.html
Examples - Gender Equality and Development
Social Relations Approach:
• The goal of development is human development – not just economic growth and
productivity. Need to critically examine how development interventions contribute –
or not – to these broader goals.
• Focus on social relations – the dynamic structural relationships that create and
reproduce systematic differences in the positioning of different groups of people.
Unequal social relations produce unequal access to resources, claims and
responsibilities.
• Institutions (state, market, community, family / kinship) also produce, reproduce and
reinforce inequalities at the micro to macro levels.
• Institutional policies and the extent to which they recognise and promote gender
issues.
• Structural causal analysis – immediate, underlying and structural factors that cause
problems and their impact on different actors in the institutions above
See
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/EXTTOPPSISOU/0,,contentMD
K:20590891~menuPK:1442609~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:1424003~isCURL:Y,00.html
Gender Equality and Conflict
In conflict affected settings, gender analysis also needs to take account of the following:
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History of armed conflict: legacies of previous wars, e.g., children of rape, widowed women,
orphans;
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Governance and political instability: women’s exclusion from public decision-making,
corruption as it affects women differently from men;
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Militarization: spending on armies reducing resources for social services;
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Population heterogeneity: communal separatist mobilization, gender expression of ethnic
difference;
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Demographic stress: unemployed young men, infant mortality;
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Economic performance: unformalization is associated with more women in badly paid jobs and
in the informal sector;
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Human development: high maternal mortality rate, women’s unmet expectations about
education and health;
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Environmental stress: women’s access to water and arable land;
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Cultural influences: cultural practices restricting women and valuing hyper-masculinity in men;
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International linkages: trafficking in women, few links to international arena mean fewer chances
of implementation of the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW), or else women’s rights seem culturally alien.
Gender Equality and Human Rights
Using women’s rights commitments as a frame for analysis, in particular CEDAW and UNSCR
1325 and related resolutions, together with CEDAW resolutions and concluding comments.
For example, CEDAW reporting provides an opportunity for States Parties to:
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Conduct a comprehensive review of the measures it has taken to harmonize domestic law
and policy with the provisions of the Convention;
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Monitor progress made in promoting the enjoyment of the rights set forth in the Convention;
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Identify problems and shortcomings in its approach to the implementation of the
Convention;
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Assess future needs and goals for more effective implementation of the Convention, and
plan and develop appropriate policies to achieve these goals.
Special rapporteurs dealing with gender issues country reports and annual reports to the GA are
also an important source of analysis and advice.
Integrating gender analysis into HRBA assessment also offers an important entry point:
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Identification of development challenges – human rights unfulfilled
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Causality analysis – immediate, underlying and root causes
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Gaps in institutions, legal and policy frameworks, enabling environments
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Rights-holders and duty bearers at all levels and their capacity gaps.
Examples – problem tree Vietnam
Examples – problem tree Vietnam
Example – problem tree Vietnam
Examples – Viet Nam Gender Assessment 2011
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW AND APPROACH OF THE VIET NAM COUNTRY GENDER
ASSESSMENT 15
1.1 Socio-economic transformation in Viet Nam: a brief overview 15
1.2 Progress on Gender Equality 17
1.3 Objectives and methodology 19
1.4 The changing context 20
1.5 Organization of the report 21
CHAPTER 2
GENDER, POVERTY AND WELL BEING: PROGRESS, REVERSALS AND
BARRIERS 22
2.1 Income poverty is declining but not the same among all groups 23
2.2 Land use rights have improved but gender gaps remain 25
2.3 Access to credit and investment opportunities are better for those with LTCs
26
2.4 The Education Gender Gap has closed but challenges remain 26
2.5 Health outcomes have improved 30
2.6 Access to health care 30
2.7 Health outcomes: child mortality and rising sex ratios 31
2.8 Maternal mortality 33
2.9 HIV and AIDS related illnesses are a growing problem 34
2.10 Gender-based violence remains significant 38
2.11 Male Health Problems: Tobacco and Alcohol 40
2.12 Gender and ageing: Widows overrepresented among the poor 41
CHAPTER 3
GENDER AND EMPLOYMENT: ESCAPING POVERTY, CONTRIBUTING TO
GROWTH 43
3.1 Introduction 43
3.2 Tracking gendered impacts of crisis on labor market 44
3.2.1 Rising rates of labor force participation but increased levels
of unemployment and under-employment 44
3.2.2 Women moved out of agriculture more slowly than men 45
3.2.3 Rising rates of vulnerable employment, deteriorating quality of work 46
3.2.4 A halt in the decline in the gender wage gap 52
3.2.5 Continued asymmetry in gender distribution of unpaid work 54
3.3 The challenge of informality in the transition to middle income status 54
3.3.1 Waged employment runs on a continuum from informal to formal 55
3.3.2 Export-oriented wage employment is exposed to global fluctuations 55
3.3.3 Low wage earners: poverty and under-employment 58
3.3.4 Self employment: formal and informal 60
3.3.5 Women lose out in informal sector enterprise 61
3.3.6 There is greater gender equality in formal enterprise 63
3.3.7 The experiences of vulnerable groups 65
3.3.8 Migrant workers 66
3.3.9 Vulnerable groups: ethnic minorities 72
3.3.10 Vulnerable groups: farmers affected by climate change 74
CHAPTER 4
GENDER AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 77
4.1 Introduction 77
4.2 Women’s roles in the Communist Party 77
4.3 Obstacles to participation 80
4.3.1 The unequal burden of unpaid work 80
4.3.2 Values and attitudes that hold women back 81
4.3.3 Differential age of retirement 83
4.4 National Machinery for Gender Equality in Viet Nam 85
4.4.1 NCFAW/CFAWs 86
4.4.2 Viet Nam Women’s Union 86
4.4.3 Non Government Actors 87
4.5 Building women’s participation in grassroots democracy 88
4.6 The role of the Women’s Union and civil society 90
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 92
5.1 Conclusions 92
5.2 Gender poverty and well being 95
5.3 Gender, employment and livelihoods 96
5.4 Gender and political participation 98
Examples – CEDAW review of Vietnamese laws
I. Viet Nam in Context 37
II. The Political and Legal Framework of Viet Nam 38
II.1 Structures of Governance 38
II.2 Legal Framework 45
III. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
III.1 CEDAW: Basic Information 49
III.2 Core Pillars of CEDAW 51
IV. Initial Facts on CEDAW and Viet Nam 57
V. Review of Key Legal Documents and Compliance with CEDAW 58
V.1 General Undertakings to Eliminate Discrimination and Ensure Equality 58
(Articles 1-3 of CEDAW)
V.2 Temporary Special Measures and Measures in Favour of Maternity 127
(Article 4 of CEDAW)
V.3 Social and Cultural Patterns of Conduct (Article 5 of CEDAW) 135
V.4 Trafficking and Exploitation of Prostitution (Article 6 of CEDAW) 143
V.5 Political and Public Life (Article 7-8 of CEDAW) 168
V.6 Nationality (Article 9 of CEDAW) 191
V.7 Education (Article 10 of CEDAW) 193
V.8 Employment (Article 11 of CEDAW) 210
V.9 Health (Article 12 of CEDAW) 244
V.10 Economic and Social Life (Article 13 of CEDAW) 276
V.11 Rural Women (Article 14 of CEDAW) 283
V.12 Equality Before the Law (Article 15 of CEDAW) 289
V.13 Marriage and Family (Article 16 of CEDAW) 295
VI. Conclusion 325
Comparative Advantage
UN System comparative advantage on gender equality includes:
• Support to government on multi-sectoral issues such as gender equality that require a
cross-sectoral, cross-government approach
• Coordination and convening role
• Promoting and supporting dialogue on potentially sensitive issues,
• Acting as a bridge/broker to facilitate government dialogue with women’s civil society groups.
• Advocating for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable women– those without a voice.
• Provision of technical expertise and exchange of knowledge, based on global normative
standards, international best practice, innovative approaches.
• Supporting and monitoring the integration of international norms and standards in
national legislative and policy frameworks
• Ensuring decision-making is evidence-based, is in line with international norms and
standards, and benefits women, men, girls and boys.
Critical to be able to articulate comparative advantage in country context and vis a vis other
partners, including through stakeholder mapping/perception research.
Entry Points
Steps in CCA
a. Preparing the first draft of the CCA
Entry Points
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b. Ensuring quality check of the CCA
by independent readers
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c. Finalizing the CCA
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d. Extracting lessons from the CCA
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Identify, provide and advocate for inclusion of data disaggregated by sex for all priority
issues identified in the CCA.
Ensure the analysis in the CCA reflects the different ways that men and women
experience and can influence major issues.
Use information from most recent CEDAW reports (government and shadow reports) or
government-completed questionnaires from the 10-year review of the Beijing Platform for
Action.
Determine from relevant government and civil society partners whether reports are
currently being generated for upcoming CEDAW sessions and draw on work in progress
(periodic reports are due every four years).
Ask gender equality and women’s human rights experts to read draft versions of the full
CCA and provide feedback.
Check to ensure that individuals with experience in gender equality and women’s human
rights are among the members of the readers group.
Check that representatives of NGOs submitting shadow reports and government sectors
engaged in generating state party reports for CEDAW are also members of the readers
group.
If not in each case, advocate for their inclusion.
As a consultation with government is often organized for this phase, ensure that
representatives of the national machinery for women – as well as other national experts
on gender equality programming – are part of the consultations. If a gender focal point
network within government ministries exists, hold a consultation with its members.
Use the gender analysis in the CCA to inform other reporting processes, including
CEDAW reporting and MDG reporting and monitoring.
Source: Resource Guide for Gender Theme Groups, 2005.
Issues to consider
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Need – is the UNCT using existing material, working with government,
supplementing government or doing a full CCA? Can gender be fully integrated
into this analysis or will you need to undertake separate or supplementary work?
Other Programming Principles – eg is the UNCT doing a HRBA analysis as part
of the country analysis – if so can gender be fully integrated or can this be done
jointly?
Timing – ideally to be useful, a gender analysis will need to be conducted
before, or alongside, the UNCT country analysis, in order to inform this.
Focus – consider what the country priorities are and what the UNCT is likely to
focus on and ensure these issues are included. Often helpful to structure by
theme.
Partners – such an analysis should be done across agencies, and with
government/other partners including donors.
Data – this is a good opportunity to look at what data sources are available,
what is missing, and what will be needed to monitor the new UNDAF.
Resources and Further Reading
Gender Analysis
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/gender/Institutional%20Development/TLGEN1.6%
20UNDP%20GenderAnalysis%20toolkit.pdf
Gender and Conflict Analysis
http://www.unwomen.org/~/media/Headquarters/Media/Publications/en/04AGenderandConfl
ictAnalysis.pdf
Gender and Human Rights Monitoring
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Chapter15-20pp.pdf
Vietnam Gender Assessment
http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/11/14/000333038_2
0111114003420/Rendered/PDF/655010WP0P12270sessment.0Eng.0Final.pdf
CEDAW Review of Laws Vietnam
Cambodia Gender Assessment 2008
http://www.un.org.kh/index.php/component/jdownloads/finish/4-cambodia-reports/6-a-fairshare-for-women-cambodian-gender-assessment-2008
CEDAW AND THE LAW: A Gendered and Rights-Based Review of Vietnamese Legal
Documents through the Lens of CEDAW
http://cedaw-seasia.org/docs/general/CEDAWandVietnamese_Law.pdf