Reflection questions for integrating gender equality

Reflection Questions for Integrating Gender Equality in Public Engagement

BEST PRACTICE #1 : Integrate gender equality at the project planning stage

Choosing and analyzing your topic

1. Did I do a gender analysis to collect sex-disaggregated data?
2. Did this data help me understand and explain how individuals of different genders experience the issue differently?
3. In the terms of reference for the background research, did I specify the need to collect and analyze information on how the issue affects different genders differently?

Defining your objectives

1. Gender mainstreaming: Did I include gender equality in the framing of all project objectives?
2. Specific objectives on gender equality: Did I include a specific objective on gender equality in addition to other project objectives?
3. Gender mainstreaming and stand alone work on gender equality: Did I decide to do both?

Choosing your indicators

1. Did I design my indicators in such a way as to gather sex-disaggregated data?

BEST PRACTICE #2 : Integrate gender equality in your project strategy

Designing your awareness raising activities

1. Were the project activities equally accessible to different gender identities (women/girls and men/boys, cis-gender and trans-gender, gender-neutral/gender-noncomforming, intersex, Two Spirit, and other gender identities)?
2. Did the project activities take into account the availability of different gender identities?
3. Did the project activities equally appeal to different gender identities?
4. Did the project activities offer the opportunity for different gender identities to equally express themselves?

Deciding who your advocacy campaign will target

1. Did I do a power analysis to determine who was likely to support or oppose the project’s efforts to promote gender equality?
2. Did I organize specific activities to raise awareness and convince elected officials who were less informed or had misgivings about gender equality?

BEST PRACTICE #3 : Raise awareness and commitment to gender equality within your team

Making time to discuss and raise awareness about gender equality

1. Have I demonstrated my own commitment to promoting gender equality within the project?
2. Do I raise the issue of gender equality during team meetings and when planning activities?
3. Did I organize a gender equality training at the outset of the project to strengthen the capacity of my colleagues?

Choosing partners with expertise in gender equality

1. Did I involve women’s organizations and/or other civil society organizations with expertise in gender equality?
2. Did I involve the queer community?

BEST PRACTICE #4 : Integrate gender equality in your communication strategy

Crafting your messages

1. How do my key messages reflect my organization’s commitment to gender equality?
2. Do I have specific messages on the gender dimensions of my project theme?
3. Do my messages reinforce stereotypes about women and men’s roles?

Choosing the right images

1. Are all genders equally represented in my communication materials?
2. Are women represented as victims or as leaders in my communication materials?

Using the right words

1. Do I use gender-binary or inclusive language?
2. Do my written communications use gender-neutral language?

Choosing your media outlets and promotional materials

1. Do the media outlets and promotional materials I use allow me to reach people of all genders?

Choosing your spokespeople

1. Are there as many women as men who speak publicly about the project (as spokespeople, panelists, facilitators, etc.)?

Choosing the journalists you work with

1. Do I work with journalists of different genders?
2. Do I provide them with sex-disaggregated data so they can convey the different realities faced by different genders?

BEST PRACTICE #5 : Integrate gender equality in your project evaluation

Setting up your project monitoring system

1. Have I collected sex-disaggregated data for all my project monitoring indicators?
2. Does the data collected allow me to measure the participation and specific impact of the project on different genders?

Choosing your evaluation methods

1. Did the evaluation allow me to determine whether the project achieved its specific gender equality objectives?
2. Did the evaluation allow me to assess whether I adequately integrated gender equality in the design and implementation of all steps of the project?
3. Did the evaluation allow me to measure increased awareness or changes in attitudes vis-à-vis gender equality?