Workshop Report. The Future of Gender Mainstreaming. Gender Resource Facility

Transcription

1 Workshop Report The Future of Gender Mainstreaming Gender Resource Facility Project number November 2014 (final) The Gender Resource Facility (GRF) is operated by Royal Tropical Institute and Femconsult on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2 Authors Noortje Verhart, Franz F. Wong and Saskia Ivens Mauritskade AD Amsterdam P: +31 (0)

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4 Table of Contents Acronyms Introduction and approach Workshop summary Recommendations how GRF can help Conclusion Annexes Annex 1 Workshop Agenda Annex 2 Gender Mainstreaming Re-visited Annex 3 Proposed future actions... 14

5 Acronyms GRF MFA TFVG Gender Resource Facility Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taskforce on Women s Rights and Gender Equality The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 5

6 1. Introduction and approach The Taskforce on Women s Rights and Gender Equality (TFVG) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) requested the Gender Resource Facility (GRF) to develop a paper that analyses current thinking about the experience of gender mainstreaming and outlines a limited number of scenarios of how the MFA may wish to think about and approach gender mainstreaming. Additionally, the GRF organized a workshop, on October , to present the findings of the paper which were used as a starting point to reflect upon future directions for the MFA based on the presented scenarios. The workshop aimed to support the MFA to review its strategy and approach to gender mainstreaming with a focus on three questions How can its effectiveness be improved? How can it be made more results-oriented? How can it be made future (post-2015 and IATI) proof (target-setting, indicators, measurability)? See Annex A for agenda The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 6

7 2. Workshop summary Setting the scene an overview of gender mainstreaming critiques The workshop started with a presentation on the current thinking about the experiences of gender mainstreaming. Drawing on the paper, five types of critiques on gender mainstreaming processes and outcomes were presented: Gender has lost it political meaning Gender is seen as a technical deficit Organizations are gendered Gender outcomes are lost Governmentalizing technologies and its impact on gender equality. See Annex B for summary of types of critiques These critiques were discussed after the presentation, through examples that people gave from their daily work. For example, gender mainstreaming has a negative connotation in the ministry nowadays, so people avoid the word. However, the main question is then, are the objectives of gender mainstreaming still being supported? Participants found that the different perspectives showing different types of critiques on gender mainstreaming are useful to analyze the current situation in MFA and the tasks at hand for TFVG. The discussion further unfolded that participants should not look at certain approaches to gender mainstreaming as right or wrong, but to look at what really happens, where certain strategies bring us and how participants can improve things. Finally, participants discussed that strategies often work out differently in practice than envisioned. For example, the Result Based Management focus in projects can derail the focus on gender, as everything needs to be quantified. Quantifiable results are not per se a good reflection of outcomes of a program/project, especially not when it concerns gender equality objectives. Participants felt the need to understand how gender get derailed and try to find ways to deal with such undermining encountered. Examples in the MFA on how gender mainstreaming fails The next step in the workshop was to closely look at specific examples in the ministry in relation to gender mainstreaming efforts, and how developments are linked to the different types of critiques. With the new minister the meaning of gender mainstreaming has changed to women s rights. This has also changed the ways things are done and has led to confusion. For example, FLOW projects have become depoliticized (lost politics). Projects do not change the situation of women, losing the opportunities to improve their positions. This is also the case in NAP 1325 work. Gender markers are not substantiated in practice, meaning that high scores on paper do not mean that programs score high in outcome (lost outcomes). Another example addressed the lack of accountability mechanisms. Ministry staff are not being assessed whether gender equality results are taken up or not (gendered organization). Looking for opportunities to improve After these reflections on day-to-day practice, group work was introduced to look at opportunities (cracks) where gender mainstreaming can successfully be done. Identified cracks included: The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 7

8 use of networks, in the organization, of people who are willing to be part of the gender mainstreaming agenda be opportunistic and timely, choose the right moments to address issues, such as the Bangladesh textile industry example shows. new people in new positions can provide opportunities. the TFVG itself; people embedded in other departments provides opportunities to mainstream gender in the MFA. How to use the opportunities? The last part of the workshop was dedicated to identify concrete activities to use acknowledged opportunities. Examples of future directions for the TFWG included: strategize how TFVG can better facilitate gender integration into the four main foreign policy themes (food security, water, rule of law and SRHR) through the embassies. undertake a portfolio review of TFVG: Are we doing the right thing? invite people to tell stories that the MFA does not want to hear. understand what can go wrong when gender mainstreaming fails; only then the story becomes clear why gender mainstreaming is important. send an annual result letter to parliament to create better visibility of results and trigger the development of incentives and accountability mechanisms on gender mainstreaming for MFA and other ministries. See Annex C for other examples. The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 8

9 3. Recommendations how GRF can help A number of entry points for action were identified during the workshop. The big question now is how to also realize these ideas? Participants came up with a number of recommendations on how TFVG can move forward and how to what degree GRF can facilitate this process: Knowledge exchange and management Collect the stories that are needed to show MFA impact by mainstreaming gender. This includes the stories that are normally not told. Subversive research which should be translated into policy relevance. This type of knowledge should be state of the art and include major critiques. Knowledge management system for the TFVG: create database of relevant resources with relevant policy driven but subversive knowledge. Link local, regional and international levels. What actual difference is made by different types of efforts at different levels? Bring in an international perspective to learn from and to help TFVG to learn from others. Be a sounding board for the TFVG in regular knowledge meetings like this workshop and take a moment to reflect and discuss. Capacity Development Provide a course/training on how to integrate gender into the ministries policies/programs. The course would be for all MFA staff. Facilitate a workshop within one of the thematic departments to advice on how they can support the implementation of the gender goals that have been set. On paper this often looks nice, but in reality, things fall between the cracks. Specific Ideas for requests FLOW and the next phase: we need a new direction. How to support embassies and the departments in charge of the four main directions of foreign policy: food security, water, rule of law and SRHR? Be proactive in strategy development. The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 9

10 4. Conclusion The critiques in the gender mainstreaming paper resonated by many of the participants of the workshop and also helped to analyze what TFVG faces in supporting the mainstreaming of gender concerns. There are different reasons why gender mainstreaming is not leading up to its promise and, the typology of critiques helps to first analyze why a strategy works out or not before defining ways forward. The paper and the analysis formed a good basis to understand what happens in gender mainstreaming processes, discuss the options that everyone sees ( cracks ) and, most importantly, identify potential ways to turn these cracks into opportunities. Participants seemed to welcome the opportunity to step back, engage with critical thinking and renew their commitment to promoting gender equality. People left the room with a number of insights and plans and renewed energy ( Find the cracks and let s go for it! ). Most participants realized that MFA is far removed from where implementation happens and the strategies they choose should try to bring experiences closer to the ministry. This means, for example, that the ministry needs to hear more stories from the field, not only the successful ones, but also the stories that show why things fail and how; the stories that people do not necessarily want to hear. Also, there is a need for subversive knowledge, to be able to put results and realities in a different perspective, and to share with external people what goes well, and what does not work and why. There is also a need to share and compare in an international context. When gender loses its political meaning, outcomes are lost too. However, the fact that women s rights are now a priority for the minister means there s space for a gender equality agenda. The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 10

11 Annexes The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 11

12 Annex C Annex 1 Workshop Agenda Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Venue: Indonesia Meeting Room, NH Tropen Hotel, Amsterdam Workshop aim: To support MFA to review its strategy and approach to gender mainstreaming with a focus on three questions How can its effectiveness be improved? How can it be made more results-oriented? How can it be made future (post-2015 and IATI) proof (target-setting, indicators, measurability)? Background: The MFA Taskforce on Women s Rights and Gender Equality (TFVG) requested the Gender Resource Facility to develop a paper that analyses current thinking about the experience of gender mainstreaming and outlines a limited number of scenarios of how MFA may wish to think about and approach gender mainstreaming (see Annex A for Terms of Reference). KIT Gender has been contracted by the GRF to undertake this assignment which is led by Maitrayee Mukhopadhyay. This workshop presents the findings of the paper which will be used as a starting point to reflect upon future directions for MFA based on the presented scenarios. Agenda 10:00 Welcome and Introductions 10:15 Understandings of and approaches to gender mainstreaming 11:00 Thinking about Gender Mainstreaming in MFA 12:00 Lunch 13:15 Change and resisting the mainstream in MFA 14:30 Identification and prioritization of next steps 16:00 Role of the GRF The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 12

13 Annex C Annex 2 Gender Mainstreaming Re-visited Approaches to explaining the mainstreaming story The Lost Politics analysis claims that gender has been absorbed into development organizations and governments in the gender mainstreaming process, but in the process its meaning has been substantially changed. Broadly, the concept has lost the political aspects of its meaning that communicate ideas about transformation, changes in power, or changes in social structure. Instead, only the technical part of the meaning of gender has been taken on, compatible with the processes of development organizations which work with toolkits, procedures and technical fixes. A similar process has also happened to the meanings of several associated concepts, like empowerment. The Technical Deficit analysis focused on the technical tools and procedures used to mainstream gender and identified where these were not working adequately, or where there were missing inputs. Solutions suggested refinements to existing tools for better performance, or new tools to focus in areas previously neglected. The Gendered Organization analysis takes a step beyond the technical deficit approach to look more closely at how organizations, through procedures, practices and organizational culture, often derail gender equality objectives. It seeks to understand the institutional politics of gender equality work through which real progress on redistributions of power, both within organizations and in programmes, is blocked. The Lost Outcomes analysis makes the criticism that too much focus on internal aspects of mainstreaming both technical aspects and aspects of organizational culture and values has sidelined attention to any results of mainstreaming on the ground. This criticism is made at two levels. First it is claimed that attention to internal processes means that changes in gender relations external to the organization i.e. in programmes has not been scrutinized. Over and above this, some studies claim that where external outcomes were scrutinized, little evidence of improvements to gender inequality has been found. The understanding governmentalizing technologies approach aims to gain insight into the workings of power, and the mechanisms of organizations involved in governing which guide people to conduct themselves in a particular manner. The approach includes studies which analyses how meaning is established and maintained in organizations and identify the variety of technologies which influence the generation of meaning. Through establishing the meaning of concepts, influence over the behavior of those engaging with a change process is also established. Other studies show how both mainstreaming and resistance to it contribute to a broader picture of feminist politics. Therefore the co-optation of gender knowledge into development institutions must be seen as only part of the much broader logic of the operations of power in feminist politics in general. The approach points the way to a broader understanding of mainstreaming in the context of a bigger picture of sites of feminist struggle. It offers a more aware understanding of the workings of power in organizations and also suggests some strategic directions. The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 13

14 Annex C Annex 3 Proposed future actions Proposed future actions for the Taskforce on Women s Rights and Gender Equality Courses on gender for TFVG members, provide advice to them and keep them informed (using some form of digital platform). Job crafting workshop with TFVG instead of with DSO. Open discussion on policy coherence, for example 1325 and new FLOW. Support embassies and the departments in charge of the four main spearheads of foreign policy to mainstream gender: food security, water, rule of law and SRHR. Undertake a portfolio review of TFWG by the task force (capacity and if we do the right thing). Gender disaggregate data and tell stories to exemplify what our work really means. We don t want to hear the stories we already know, but hear what we are not supposed to hear. Build on opportunities to link local, national and international levels: work with IOs who work with local partners and not surpass the levels in between. Establish annual result letter to parliament for better visibility of results. Use next year for coming letter. Establish accountability mechanisms for gender mainstreaming, create incentives and publicize results (for staff from all ministries). Support from GRF and Task Force. Improve design of action plan 1325 and new FLOW (What is the level of results on the ground as well as their alignment focus of strategic partnerships, which is directed to lobbying and advocacy as a result in itself). Get topics on political agenda and follow that through (monitor) and support in the implementation. Establish direct line to the field, hear good stories but also stories we may not want to hear. The Future of Gender Mainstreaming (Workshop Report) final version 14