The GEF is celebrating the International Women's Day on March 8, 2015 by highlighting its work and advancements in gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment that contributes to improve the environmental health of the planet.
Through the projects it finances, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) recognizes the linkage between the achievement of global environmental benefits and gender equality and social inclusion.
In many countries, women play an important and widely recognized role as primary land and resource managers. Studies show that addressing gender dimensions within environmental projects increases results and impacts on environmental sustainability, gender equality, and household welfare.
While the degree of relevance of gender dimensions may vary depending on the environmental theme or the type of engagement entailed by a project, accounting for gender equality is an important consideration when financing projects that address global environmental issues.
The GEF council last year approved a new Gender Equality Action Plan in line with the GEF Policy on Gender Mainstreaming. Following are listed the key elements of this action plan.
Project Cycle
Guideline on Mainstreaming Gender in GEF Project Cycle
Recognizing that each GEF Agency has a different gender policy, strategy, and/or action plan, the Secretariat, in collaboration with the Agencies, will clarify and facilitate a consistent approach by providing practical guidance for the implementation of the GEF Policy on Gender Mainstreaming in key steps of the GEF project cycle.
The guidance will specifically reinforce and build on: the application of gender marker/screening and analysis already conducted by the GEF Agencies at the project preparation phase; development of project frameworks with gender-responsive outcomes and outputs; and gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation for relevant projects. The first step for developing such guidance could be to map the different standards and practices on gender mainstreaming used by the GEF Agencies.
Project Templates and Guidelines
In order to facilitate comprehensive project design, reporting, and analysis that are gender responsive, the GEF will review and incorporate a specific section on gender mainstreaming in the templates and/or guidelines for the Project Identification Form (PIF), CEO Endorsement Request Form, Project Implementation Report, Mid-term Evaluation Report, Terminal Evaluation Report and other relevant documents.
Further, to ensure that gender outcomes are adequately captured in the GEF project evaluation process, the GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) policies and guidelines need to be updated to include gender responsive elements. These will include the Performance Evaluation, Country Portfolios, Impact Evaluations and Thematic Evaluations. In addition, the IEO’s own Ethical Guidelines (2007), the Guidelines for GEF Agencies in Conducting Terminal Evaluations (2008) and the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (2010).
Programming and Policies
Along with the new business model of GEF 2020, the GEF will adopt a more strategic and comprehensive approach toward gender mainstreaming across GEF programs and projects. The GEF will aim to strengthen mainstreaming gender in all programs and projects, while initially focusing its efforts on key programs and projects that could generate significant results for gender equality and women’s empowerment to contribute to achieving the goals of global environmental benefits.
Gender responsive approaches and activities are incorporated in the GEF-6 Focal Area Strategies and Integrated Approaches Pilots, along with the five core gender indicators at the corporate level (see Table 2). The core gender indicators will be monitored and aggregated at the focal area and corporate levels. Additional work is required to analyze and identify relevant gender equality results against each of the focal area results framework.
In line with the GEF focal area strategies and programs, the Secretariat, together with the GEF Agencies, will support country-driven projects and opportunities where gender mainstreaming and empowerment of women could be strengthened. Some of the key GEF-6 programs, including Integrated Approach Pilots, could be given special attention in enhancing gender responsive approaches.
In addition, the GEF will address gender issues in key strategic policy and guideline documents, such as social and environment safeguards, public involvement, private sector, indigenous peoples and others. Further, appropriate budget will be allocated to ensure implementation of the GEAP.
Knowledge Management
The GEF will enhance its role in knowledge management on gender equality, in line with its overall strategy on knowledge management. The GEF can build on existing related knowledge facilities as well as develop new knowledge on gender and environment through its diverse projects.
Gender learning objectives/questions could be identified under each focal area, in relation to the results framework, to facilitate the knowledge management process. Opportunities may include focusing on key programs and projects related to sustainable use of natural resources such as agro-biodiversity, fisheries, and forest resources management under the biodiversity, land degradation, and international waters focal areas and integrated approaches. The role of women among the indigenous peoples and local communities in implementing these projects could also be highlighted and analyzed. Within the climate change portfolio, renewable energy projects have historically generated positive benefits, particularly for women. The chemicals portfolio has also generated noticeable impacts on the improvement of the health of men and women and boys and girls through reducing their exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other toxic chemicals that cause adverse reproductive, developmental, immunological, hormonal, and carcinogenic effects and active engagement of both women and men in awareness-raising and capacity-building activities.
The GEF Inter-Agency Working Group on Gender will provide guidance on how to develop and disseminate knowledge in this area, and develop a more detailed work plan on the related activities, including specific timeline for each identified products. This will include good practices, lessons learned and case studies from GEF Agencies that are active in generating related knowledge. The new GEF Knowledge Management Plan and the Results Based Management Plan currently in development will also ensure that they are cross-referenced with the GEAP.
The GEF will actively seek to learn good practices and examples from the GEF Agencies, civil society organizations, and other partners, by utilizing existing networks and knowledge facilities. The networks of gender experts that already exist within GEF Agencies and partners will be fully utilized to address the knowledge gaps. The GEF will also explore and develop partnership with existing relevant gender networks, such as ENERGIA, the Gender Water Alliance (GWA), the Global Gender Climate Alliance (GGCA), and other financial institutions, especially those on climate change.
An interactive GEF webpage on gender mainstreaming will be coordinated to facilitate exchange of existing and new knowledge and lessons on gender mainstreaming activities derived from specific GEF programs and projects as well as to provide links to best practices and practical tools for related projects, including online training modules, webinars, and interactive online platforms for exchange of knowledge.
Results-based Management
The GEF will further strengthen GEF-wide accountability for gender mainstreaming by enhancing gender-specific performance targets at all levels. At the corporate level, the GEF Results-based Management Framework will include the set of core Gender Indicators to examine concrete progress on gender related processes and outputs (Table 2). These gender indicators will be further discussed and coordinated with the development of the overall RBM strategy/action plan of the GEF, with a view to avoid overburdening the system but at the same time ensuring visible outcomes and outputs. These Gender Indicators will be applied to all projects, and monitored and aggregated at the focal area and corporate levels.
The guidance paper on the project cycle, which to be prepared under this GEAP, will further clarify how these indicators will be monitored and reported, including standards and methods (e.g. who, how, and when) for collecting relevant data.
At the focal area level, the focal area results framework and indicators will be reviewed and recommendations will be made to enhance their gender responsiveness. Guidance notes will be developed on the use of the gender-responsive indicators for projects. To develop and apply these tools, the Secretariat will build on and draw lessons from good practices and practical tools that are already used by the GEF Agencies and others for mainstreaming gender in their projects.
At the project level, the project results framework will include gender-responsive indicators and sex-disaggregated data where relevant. This will be monitored, analyzed, and reported on an annual basis through the AMR exercise and assessed and evaluated through the Medium-term and Terminal Evaluations. The Project Implementation Reports (PIR), Project Evaluation Reports, and other information from the GEF Agencies will provide important inputs to the analysis and reporting. Use of existing Tracking Tools that are applied to monitor progress and results of each focal area project will also be explored to monitor progress on gender issues.
Capacity Development
To effectively implement the GEAP, it is important to further strengthen capacity among the GEF Secretariat staff to increase their understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment, according to their roles and responsibilities. This is also expected to lead to effective projects that addresses gender issues as staff become more aware of, and have increased capacity on gender issues.
An effective first step will be to conduct a gender equality needs assessment or audit with a resulting plan on how to meet those needs. Secretariat staff will be encouraged to make use of various capacity development opportunities, including training and knowledge management, to increase their understanding on available tools and best practices on mainstreaming gender in projects.
The GEF Secretariat will establish and clarify an accountability structure on gender related work among GEF Secretariat management and staff. The GEF Secretariat will enhance staff capacity and expertise by creating a gender anchor with gender specific expertise to oversee day-to-day activities and coordination to implement the GEAP, in addition to the gender focal points that are appointed from each relevant team within the GEF Secretariat. Gender equality is the business of every GEF Secretariat staff member, not just of gender specialists. Some recognition system could be explored to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women among the staff, including through the regular performance review system.
Further, appropriate capacity building support and guidance will be provided to the GEF Operational Focal Points to enhance gender mainstreaming in country-level portfolio and project management. Coordination with relevant MEAs and financial institutions could be considered to implement such activities at the global, regional and national levels. The sharing of knowledge and lessons on gender mainstreaming with involvement of relevant institutions at the country-level could also enhance GEF operation and projects.
Gender mainstreaming in projects
Since 2012, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat has been conducting every year an analysis of how gender issues are addressed and integrated in GEF projects through the annual project implementation report (PIR) reviews. The analysis in 2012 entailed a review of 151 PIRs across all the GEF focal areas representing various sectors of environmental endeavor.
The review showed that, at a minimum, all projects had at least some degree of relevance in addressing gender issues, based on the nature and design of the projects, as they relate to both benefits and impacts towards women and men, and girls and boys in the society.
The magnitude of the gender dimension became particularly obvious in the case of natural resources projects, covering the biodiversity, land degradation, and international waters focal areas. Women and girls were recognized as key natural resource users and managers, particularly for water, fuel wood and farming. They were identified as important stakeholders and engaged in and benefited from capacity building and improved natural resources management. Women were also shown to be heavily involved in related income-generating activities. Many projects also recognized that women often have unequal rights and insecure access to land and other natural resources, and thus have limited opportunities and ability to access and manage productive assets. Based on this understanding, many GEF projects have also addressed and incorporated gender issues in related national policies and strategy development.
One example is the Sahel Integrated Lowland Ecosystem Management Project (World Bank, PMIS 1178), a multi-focal area project in Burkina Faso, which fully accommodated gender dimensions in integrated ecosystem management. The project has adopted a participatory planning approach to increase the involvement of local communities in conservation activities and decision-making, with particular attention to women as users of biological resources and as transfer agents of knowledge to youth. Women were prominently represented in village associations and participated in decision making at the community level, even through the administrative structures of the community remained largely male dominated. The project also conducted beneficiary assessment among the vulnerable groups, including women and youth, which provided useful information on the status and suggestions to further strengthen women's involvement in project activities.
Some of the climate change portfolio projects have also identified clear linkages to gender dimensions in project implementation. Gender mainstreaming in energy projects have recognized the roles and responsibilities of women both as beneficiaries of electric power in their communities and as users of energy for domestic, production and community use. Deployment of renewable energy technologies has also created jobs for both men and women. Rural electrification and renewable energy projects have resulted in a positive impact on women and girls in terms of improved access to information and education through radio and television, improved security with street lighting, and improved opportunities for small and medium size enterprises.
Examples from the climate change portfolio include the Barrier Removal to Namibian Renewable Energy Project (UNDP. PMIS 2256). This effort represents a comprehensive case of gender mainstreaming in all levels of project implementation, from including an equal number of women as men participating in related training programs and benefiting from electricity use, to the project implementation staff having equal gender representation.
Another example is the Energy Efficiency for District Heating Project in Ukraine (UNDP, PMIS 2249), which had a significant impact on women and girls' health by reducing childhood sickness rates with the provision of quality hot water and heat supply to households and an improved heating system in the municipal hospital with maternity care.
Through the chemicals focal area projects, women have been actively engaged in the POPs and PCB management, particularly through training and awareness-raising activities.
In the case of Improved Management and Release Containment of POPs Pesticides Project in Nicaragua (UNDP. PMIS 3545), women have been active stakeholders in implementing environmentally-sound chemical management, often as heads of families and trusted members of the communities.
The Secretariat will continue to undertake reviews and highlight best practices in mainstreaming gender in GEF projects, as part of the activities agreed under the GEF Gender Equality Action Plan.