Introduction

Why Gender and Development?

Of 1.3 billion global citizens living in poverty, a large percentage are women. While statisticians, theoreticians, multi-lateral organisations, NGOs and academics study this phenomenon, the women themselves – whose daily lives form the tapestry of this reality – have little time or strength for abstract debates regarding their condition. But these women know its many faces: the 18-hour day, the high risk of maternal death, the constant and consistent discrimination, the stretching of dollar-a-day incomes to feed and clothe their families, the bartering of their existence to survive one more day.

It has been said, “Women hold up half the sky.” For millions of women locked in poverty, responsibility for their families’ and communities’ well-being does not end just because they encounter unequal access to resources in health, nutrition, education and economic structures. In their ongoing responsibility, the women themselves, their families and their entire communities pay a steep price for constraints and injustices encountered in attempting to provide for basic human needs.

Men and women, girls and boys all have a role in working to transform this picture, so that both genders thrive in partnership and in living productive lives. This is the challenge addressed in the Gender Training Toolkit.

The road to transformed gender relations Historically, as agencies pioneered development efforts, they overlooked the importance of transformed gender relations and failed to recognise the contributions of both genders. Those designing projects and programmes were often unaware of the impact of the development process on the daily lives of the women and men, boys and girls in the communities in which their organisations worked. When this issue was identified, development researchers began documenting women’s and men’s contributions as well as constraints. The importance of working towards transformed gender relations emerged as a key competency.

Further, both grassroots and academic research began to demonstrate how gender interactions impact the development process. GAD (Gender and Development) became the internationally recognised term for a progressive approach to development that emphasises transformed gender relations and intentionally includes perspectives and experiences of women, men, girls and boys. GAD focuses on ways to ensure that unequal relationships do not prevent equitable and sustainable development. The development research demonstrates that development programmes, policies and projects affect women, men, boys and girls differently and that GAD programmes provide long-lasting effective transformation of communities only when women and men in the communities engage as co-decision makers.

When they hear words such as “gender equity” or “gender issues”, most people immediately assume this is “women’s stuff”. It is important that we recognise that gender is about relations—between men and women, women and women, also between men and men and boys and girls. It is about who we are as men and women and how we are developing all our potential given by God regardless of our sex.

Comment By Luis Armenta, Director of Communications, WV Mexico in Volume I, Issue 2 of La Esperanza

Christian organisations have a great responsibility to provide leadership in this arena. The highest standards for justice, equity, human dignity and transformed relationships embedded in our faith continually challenge us to improve our efforts and illumine the path for others. As Christians, we believe that female and male are created equally in the image of God. Jesus’ life and works underscored this reality, as he challenged constraints and cultural restrictions women faced in New Testament times in order to honour and empower both men and women. He continues to do so today.

World Vision’s response: Gender and Development Training
World Vision’s Gender Training Toolkit is a comprehensive response to the global challenge of implementing a GAD focus in World Vision’s work. The Toolkit reflects World Vision’s ethos, core values and policy. After decades of intentional work and effort amongst the organisation’s leadership and staff, women and men in World Vision ADPs (Area Development Programmes) are also beginning to share burdens, ideas and decisions.

While many gender training materials developed by other NGOs are available to development practitioners, the World Vision Gender Training Toolkit is a response to specific issues and challenges faced by field staff, especially in the context of a Christian NGO, in daily work. Sessions provided here focus on pragmatic uses of these tools and concepts for World Vision staff at all levels, and adapt several internationally recognised tools.

Linking the Gender Training Toolkit to World Vision’s Integrated Focus: Christian, Child-Centred  and  Community-BasedModule 2 presents theological grounding for Gender and Development and encourages participants to reflect on Christian perspectives in this development arena. Module 6 looks at roles of both girls and boys as agents of transformation, and helps development workers ensure that they are modelling healthy gender relations in their work as well as enabling full participation by children. Throughout the sessions in this Toolkit, participants are encouraged to ground what they are learning in the context of communities in which they work. Further, gender analysis tools and principles are designed to be shared with communities in each phase of the LEAP cycle.

“Now, with this knowledge, we will go back to our offices and share it with others. We hope that God will use us to help others understand the impor- tance of gender integration in our work. Understanding in depth the concept of [gender] equity is important to engage in meaningful dialogue with community groups. Eventually, we will work togeth- er to bring about change in the commu- nities, promoting transformed relation- ships for the well-being of children.”

Participant in Gender Training in Larnaca, Cyprus, for development practitioners in MEER. From La Esperanza. article by Maia Woodward, Regional Communications Officer, MEERO, and Albana Dino, Program Quality Specialist, MEERO.

Linking the Gender Training Toolkit to World Vision’s Programming Tracks: Transformational Development, Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA) and Advocacy

Ensuring that Transformational Development Indicators and TD approaches integrate GAD principles, concepts and analysis at each step in a transformational development process is an essential element of this Toolkit. Participants examine their own programmes in light of lessons learned in each session. Particular focus on use of gender analysis tools in Module 4 directly supports the Five Domains of Change as presented in the Transformational Development framework.

Modules dedicated to Advocacy and Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA) ensure that participants will examine integration of these programming tracks with Gender and Development principles, concepts and analysis. Exercises require thoughtful integration of GAD into ongoing work, and ask for thorough preparation by participants who are experts in this field as well as participants who hold responsibility for ensuring a balanced development programme in the field.

Linking the Gender Training Toolkit to LEAP

World Vision’s design, monitoring and evaluation (DME) is called LEAP. In English, the acronym stands for Learning through Evaluation with Accountability and Planning. This framework is the result of a comprehensive Partnership process to achieve a common DME approach.

LEAP promotes quality, accountability and professionalism in programming with communities. LEAP implementation builds competence and confidence, and models systematic prospective learning.1

Integration of Gender and Development analysis and principles within each phase of the LEAP Cycle is an important goal in the Gender Training Toolkit. Key GAD concepts support sound conceptualisation and rigorous programme design within Assessment, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation and Reflection.

Audience for the Gender Training Toolkit Facilitators for World Vision’s gender training workshops can use these Gender Training Toolkit sessions to meet Gender and Development training needs of staff in every country, at every level.

• ADP staff will learn to use a wide variety of gender analysis tools for project assessment, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reflection, and transition/re-design.
• Management staff will focus on learning GAD concepts and reflect on the theological grounding for transformed gender dynamics.
• Staff working in specific sectors such as health, HIV/AIDS, microenterprise development (MED) and education will find sessions that address implications of gender-sensitive programme design in their sector.
• Staff dedicated to Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA), Children in Ministry, and Advocacy will find frameworks and content customised for their particular needs.

Training sessions in the Toolkit include approaches, activities and materials for increasing World Vision staff expertise in gender and development issues in a participatory learning environment. Participants discuss obstacles and challenges and are encouraged to develop innovative strategies to address these. Their experience with LEAP, Transformational Development, sectors and programming tracks informs discussions and enhances integration of GAD with World Vision’s ongoing development work.