Acknowledgements, Foreword, Preface

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Gender Training Toolkit Core Working Group for their invaluable input and commitment and to all those who contributed to the research and writing of this Toolkit. The Core Group was comprised of Barbara Frost, Victor Madziakapita, Dilsy Arbutante, Grace Hukom, Clare Seddon, Joyce Jackson, Assan Golowa, Karoline Davis, Albana Dino, Edward Mubiru, Natalia Buratti, Ruthi Hoffman, Annastacia Olembo, Remedios Geraldes, Julienne Mata, Joven Opon, Reynor Imperial and Jerry Gabriel.

I am extremely grateful to Barbara Frost who designed the curriculum and the facilitators’ guide, and who worked closely with me and contributed significantly to the development of this Toolkit. I would also like

to thank Patricia Morris and Kebokile Dengu-Zvobgo for their invaluable advice, input and comments on earlier drafts of various modules and sections; and to Jessica Simpson, who contributed to the research and documentation of this Toolkit on earlier drafts of the first edition of this Toolkit.

Fatuma Hashi
Director, Gender and Development
World Vision International

Foreword

Our Christian foundations and witness, and our learning from World Vision’s journey in development lead us to acknowledge our responsibility to fully embrace, model and apply the very best practices in Gender and Development in all our work.

This requires that we actively identify and disseminate that learning so we waste no time in sharing our best with those we are called to serve. The following second edition of the Gender and Development (GAD) Training Toolkit encompasses decades of deep field experience, learning from others and our own journey in ever better appreciating the roles and gifts that women and girls, men and boys bring to sustainable development and human transformation. It represents yet another milestone in codifying the insight and progress we have made since World Vision declared its commitment to women in development (WID) in the early 1980s.

I encourage all of us to reflect on the theological grounding for transformed gender dynamics and to better understand, model and apply GAD learning in all our work and witness.

I want to thank Fatuma Hashi, the Partnership’s leader for Gender and Development, for her initiative in leading this second edition, and all those whose field experience, effort and support contributed to the content and production of this toolkit.

David Young
Senior Vice President Integrated Ministry and Strategy
World Vision International

Preface

World Vision, an international Christian NGO with a commitment to transformational development, recognises gender and development (GAD) as an essential and critical component of its ministry. As a widely referenced social transformation theory, gender and development focuses not on the needs of women and girl children in isolation, but on gender relationships among men and women, boys and girls in the context of their families and communities. In this, GAD theory shares much in common with Christian ideas of reconciliation, justice, and the notion of being co-stewards of God’s resources and co-heirs of God’s grace.

For more than half a century, World Vision has accumulated experience in working with children and families around the world to build hope, to provide sustainable access to food and clean water, to promote MED and provide education and basic health necessities for a better future, and more. Through its work with communities, World Vision has learned that women and girls are often the most marginalized and discriminated against within a given population. Nevertheless, these women and girls hold the keys to the future for their entire communities. If women are literate, their children will be too; if girls are protected and well cared for, boys will be too. Additionally, when women are encouraged in leadership and responsibilities, this new power for transformation inevitably benefits men in their communities as well.

And so, for more than a decade, World Vision staff has been accumulating knowledge and experience in gender training and capacity building. In 1992, the World Vision International Board adopted a “women in development” policy for the entire partnership. In 1997, a gender-focused leadership position was created to implement and support this policy. This policy was revised to reflect the GAD approach in 1999.

The aim of this Gender Training Toolkit is the systematic integration of gender equality sensitivity, awareness and analysis into World Vision ministry in every area of its work. Gender equity not only affects the outcome and effectiveness of World Vision programs and projects, but it is also a vehicle toward the achievement of a transformed social relations and values within World Vision staff and in the communities where the organisation works. Most importantly, the Gender Training Toolkit gives World Vision staff a holistic understanding of key biblical passages related to gender equity.

World Vision staff members in many regions are being trained to use internationally recognised GAD tools such as the Harvard Analytical Framework. However, experience has demonstrated the value of translating some theoretical principles into lay language, as well as a need to contextualise these frameworks and address World Vision’s unique ministry. Production of this Toolkit is our attempt to respond to staff needs on the ground and to specific requests for World Vision to produce a user-friendly gender training resource that is in alignment to LEAP.

As emphasized in the introduction, the integration of gender equality analysis and principles within each phase of the LEAP Cycle is an important goal in this second edtion of the Gender Training Toolkit. Key GAD concepts support sound conceptualization and rigorous program design within Assessment, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation and Reflection. Ensuring that Transformational Development Indicators and TD approaches integrate GAD principles, concepts and analysis at each step in a transformational development process is an integral part of the training sessions in this Toolkit. A particular focus on the use of gender analysis tools in Module 4 directly supports the five domains of change as presented in the Transformational Development framework.

The Gender Training Toolkit is designed as a resource for staff with training and facilitation skills to use in the training of new trainers and local and regional leaders. Staff can use the Toolkit’s contents and exercises in workshops or small group sessions. Such sessions are particularly encouraged for staff who conceptualise, design, oversee, implement, evaluate and promote area development programmes. Participants in gender training workshops may come from diverse organisational units and levels in the organisation’s hierarchy. There is something for everyone in this Toolkit, because it is designed to relate to specific and regular practices in the organisation’s daily work.

This second edition of the Gender Training Toolkit consists of eight modules, with more than 30 individual training sessions. The first module introduces participants to World Vision’s policy, mission statement and history regarding GAD. The second module discusses, explores and links gender relations with biblical reflection. The third and fourth modules define and discuss WID and GAD theoretical concepts, introduce gender analysis frameworks/tools  and  present  gender-sensitive indicators. In any community or ADP, specific sectors (health, education, MED, HIV/AIDS) face unique challenges. This is also true as these sectors integrate GAD into their work. In Module Five, the curriculum integrates specific sector needs through use of the gender analysis tools presented in Module Four. Thus, participants are able to assess GAD needs in their sectors and actively address those needs. As this training is focused on transformed gender relations, Module Six participants use their gender lens – developed in Modules 1-5 – to examine their attitudes towards children and how they can contribute to the sustained well-being of children in the communities in which they work. Modules Seven and Eight are dedicated to Advocacy and HEA to ensure that participants examine the integration of these programming tracks with GAD principles, concepts and analysis.

This second edition of the Gender Training Toolkit is a resource for the World Vision Partnership, as well as for any sister agencies who may wish to adapt from these pages. It is my hope that as these ideas are implemented, they will empower our visionary and hard-working staff and contribute to equitable transformations in communities throughout the regions and nations where we work.

Fatuma Hashi
Director, Gender and Development
World Vision International