GENDER IN VALUE CHAINS
Manual for Gender Mainstreaming
Roxana Dulón G.
November, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
BACKGROUND
OBJECTIVE
TARGET AUDIENCE
RISKS AND LIMITATIONS
STRUCTURE OF THE MANUAL
BASIC CONCEPTS
PART I
GENDER IN VALUE CHAINS
PHASE 1: DIAGNOSIS WITH A GENDER APPROACH
PHASE 2: PROPOSALS WITH A GENDER APPROACH
PHASE 3: IMPLEMENTATION WITH A GENDER APPROACH
A)Design with a Gender Approach
B)Execution with a Gender Approach
B.1) Organisation, Realisation and Evaluation of Events
B.2) Design, Distribution and Evaluation of Publications
B.3) Provision of Services
B.4) Organisational Strengthening
PHASE 4: FOLLOW-UP
PHASE 5: EVALUATION
GENDER IN INSTITUTIONS THAT IMPLEMENT LED PROGRAMMES
LEVEL 1: GENDER IN STRATEGIC INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS AND INSTITUTIONAL PHILOSOPHY
LEVEL 2: GENDER IN OBJECTIVES, INDICATORS AND POLICIES
LEVEL 3: GENDER IN STRATEGIC OPERATIONALISATION
LEVEL 4: GENDER IN PERSONNEL TRAINING PROGRAMMES
A)Retrieval of gender knowledge, attitudes and practices
B)Design and Execution of a Gender Training Programme
PART II
GENDER TOOLS AND GUIDES
TOOL 1 TECHNICAL ITINERARY
TOOL 2 AGRICULTURAL/ CULTURAL CALENDAR
TOOL 3 IDENTIFICATION OF REPRODUCTIVE ROLES
TOOL 4 ACCESS TO AND CONTROL OF NATURAL RESOURCES, PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES AND SERVICES
TOOL 5 IDENTIFICATION OF THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION
TOOL 6 IDENTIFICATION OF HOW GENDER IS CONCEIVED
TOOL 7 IDENTIFICATION OF DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
TOOL 8 REGISTER OF PARTICIPANTS IN VARIOUS EVENTS
TOOL 9 LINKING INSTITUTIONAL ROLES TO GENDER POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES
GUIDE Nº 1 REVIEW OF OPERATIONAL WORKING PLANS
GUIDE Nº 2 DESIGN OF EVENTS
GUIDE Nº 3 CONSIDERING THE GENDER APPROACH DURING THE REALISATION OF EVENTS
GUIDE Nº 4 EVALUATION OF EVENTS
GUIDE Nº 5 PREPARING AND REVIEWING PUBLICATIONS
GUIDE Nº 6 REVIEW OF REPORTS
GUIDE Nº 7 INTERVIEW REGARDING GENDER KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE AND PRACTICES
GENDER IN VALUE CHAINS
Manual for Gender Mainstreaming
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
BACKGROUND
This project is an initiative of CEPAC and CORDAID.
CEPAC is a private, non-profit development organisation that has worked in different municipalities of the Bolivian departments of Santa Cruz, Potosí and Chuquisaca since 1990. It concentrates its work on three large subject areas: Local Economic Development, Human Development and Institutional Development.
The main objective of the Local Economic Development (LED) programme is to achieve sustainable growth in employment and family incomes in the Ichilo province. It relies on the support of CORDAID, the Dutch cooperation development agency.
Guided by a desire to improve howthe gender approach is considered when conceiving LED programmes, CEPAC and CORDAID decided to encourage various types of projects in this field. They not only aimed at concrete results for this programme and the institution at large, but also at developing a methodology that allows other organisations to move forward with mainstreaming the gender approach in productive programmes that follow the logic of production chains.
This manual is one of the results of the conceptual, methodological and instrumental process that was developed with CEPAC and validated through two workshops carried out with the CORDAID counterparts that work in Peru and Bolivia. At the same time, the methodology applied, the tools used, the guides drafted and the suggestions received during the workshops have all been systematised. In this manner, themanualis of practical use and can be employed when incorporatingor mainstreaming thegender approach.
OBJECTIVE
To contribute to the incorporation of gender mainstreaming in various types of programmes inLocal Economic Development, by answering two fundamental questions:
How do we incorporate gender mainstreaming in Local Economic Development programmes?
How do we incorporate gender mainstreaming within organisations that carry out Local Economic Development programmes?
TARGET AUDIENCE
This manual is intended for technical and management personnel who work in the design, implementation, follow-up and/or evaluation of rural programmes inlocal economic development, access to markets and/or business development.
RISKS AND LIMITATIONS
This manual attempts to be a straightforward guide and was written for different audiences. It therefore runs the risk that for some experts on gender mainstreaming and conceptual frameworks for local economic development it may seem too simple. Others who do not have much experience or knowledge in these areas may not get the answersto all the questions and doubts they have concerningthe gender approach.
Likewise, this manual should not be considered a document aimed at raising awareness and formulating concepts, neither a document aimed at taking an institutional stance in regard to gender. It is a methodological and instrumental text that serves as a practical guide for the personnel of institutions or organisations that want or need to consider the issue of gender in their work, but who wonder how to do it, where to do it, when to do it, and who should do it. This manual answers these and other questionsposed byinstitutions and peoplewho have already made the decision and have the intention to incorporate gender mainstreaming. The participants during the validation workshops mentioned some limitations when applying this manual. These include the political decision-making processes of institutions, the clarity of approach that one should have from the beginning, and the series of changes that must be realised at an institutional level.
Finally this manual, like any other, should be considered a working guide only and not a recipe that shouldbe followedto the word.
STRUCTURE OF THE MANUAL
This manual is divided into two sections. The first part consists of the manual itself and includes gender mainstreaming, firstly in programmes for local economic development that emphasise the primary links of production chains, and then in institutions that support and promote local economic development programmes.
The second part is exclusively dedicated to tools and guides that have been suggested in the different phases of mainstreamingtreated in the first part. These include tools that can be systematised by usingcharts, matrixes and tables, and that allow for both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the information. The guides mostly include qualitative instruments that facilitate a reflection and the analysis of the subject.
The entire manual was developed on the basis of questions. Itdefines concepts and calls attention to specific subjectsat those places where they are treated in the document. This facilitatesthe immediate understanding of each concept.
Because some people prefer using tools and guides more directly, these can be found in the second part of the manual, including a brief explanation on how to use them. In addition, some examples are included to show howthese tools can be applied in practice.
Another way to read the manual is to go directly to thatphase of the project or chain in which one wants to incorporate gender mainstreaming. This can be the diagnostic, implementation, follow-up or evaluation phase. In the same manner, one can directly review the level one wants to work at with this approach. These levels range from the strategic framework, policies, training and education of personnel, or actual operations.
BASIC CONCEPTS
We shall begin by laying down some basic conceptual definitions.
What is gender?
Gender is a concept that:
Allows one to understand men and women, not as elements that are independent of society, but ratherform an integral part of it.
Separates biological issues from cultural ones, while it characterises the discrimination of women as a problem rooted in power.
Deals with the unequal power relationships that exist between men and women, both ata personal level and at the level of society as a whole.
The KEY TERMS of this concept refer to:
Social building
Social relationships
Power relationships
What is a gender approach?
When one follows a gender approach or perspective, one takes an integral look at the conditions in which the lives of women and men unfold within society. It gives visibility to those factors that, under given circumstances, place women at a disadvantage relative to men. It also attempts to analyse gender relationships that are potential pillars for development proposals. Whenfollowing a gender approach, one is able to question and clarify various development paradigms that, upon their conception, do not take into consideration the existence of power relationships between men and women that stand in the way of development that is just, equitable and sustainable.
What is Local Economic Development?
Local Economic Development is a process through which strategies are conceived based on the vocation and potentials of a specific area or territory. It follows a market perspective that leads to the establishment of alliances amongst private and public stakeholders that can manage and finance jointinvestments. These, in turn,generate the conditions that attract more economic activities aimed at building a more competitive territory where private initiative is able to create employment and generate income.
The activities carried out in the context of the LED approach that CEPAC works with follow two dimensions: territorial and business/ entrepreneurial – with a focus on value chains. In terms of territory, its activities are aimed at:i) defining the profile that differentiates the territory, and specialising in those production chains where the territory enjoys an obvious competitive advantage;ii) consolidating a decentralised institutional sector by strengthening the publicprivate coordinating entities as Local Economic Development agents; andiii) defining strategies that take into account valueand competitiveness, and that aim at using endogenous resources inorder to link them up with exogenous markets.
In terms of the business component, it takes into account the need for business organisations to adapt themselves to market tendencies andbe able to produce goods that enjoy high added values. This also includes strengthening business development services (financial, technical assistance, marketing, etc.) andjoint public-private investments.
What does value chain mean?
A production chainis a concept that integrates all of the logistic steps within a process of production (starting with primary production and moving on to final consumption), as well as the provision of services to the different links of the chain.Avalue chainis a vertical alliance or strategic network amongst a number of independent enterprises that are related to each other within a production chain. A value chain requires the following: safetyin the relationships amongst its members based on their shared objectives and strategies; high levels oftrustamongst the stakeholders – they engage in competition for prices and competitive advantages with stakeholders outside the value chain; astrategic relationshipamongst the various links of the chain that are willing to cooperatein order to identify strategic objectives; andsharingthe risks and benefits, while investingthe necessary time, energy and means in this relationship.
What are the benefits of value chains?
The benefits of working under a value chain logic are manifold: decrease transaction and production costs, develop safer and longer-lasting relationships amongst stakeholders, follow a general framework that makes communication easier, increase the efficiency (competitive advantage) in order to improve the ability to respond to new market demands, react better to changes in consumers’ demands, and improve end-product quality.
A value chain requires that mechanismsbe in place that allow individual companies to achieve goals that they would otherwise not be able to do working alone. It implies a market and client demand-driven approach that focuses on meeting therequirements of the consumerand on exercisingjoint control over the critical factors behind quality and consistency.
Who are the actors involved in value chains?
Those key actors who are able to meet requirements regarding quality, volumes, timely delivery and information flows participate in a value chain. It is not necessary to include all the actors that participate in a production chain. Rather, one should concentrate on analysing the resulting costs and benefits of incorporating new actors in a value chain. That is to say, major transaction costs should be avoided.
Why is it important to cross-cut the gender approach through value chains?
First and foremost, because one should consider universal values and the validity of human rights: the principle of the equality of human beings regardless of gender, race or religion.
Secondly, if one fails to take into account that men and women are in the same situation and condition to benefit from the targeted local economic development, one runs the risk that these inequalities shall remain or, even worse, that the gaps that foster inequality shall grow. This would especially affect women, and might carry along an undesirable, high impact effect that one is partly responsible for.
Throughout this manual, other concepts are defined related to the gender approach. The annex contains a glossary of these terms and concepts.
PART I
GENDER IN VALUE CHAINS
In order to apply a gender approach to different kinds of programmes or value chains, you can study and apply five phases that are similarly related to the cycle of preparation and implementation of projects. Although these phases follow a specific order, it is often necessary to work by following the logic of successive approximation. This means that as you advance to the next phase, the previous one must be evaluated, thus generating the necessary feedback between phases for enriching the process as a whole.
There are five phases:
PHASE 1: DIAGNOSIS WITH A GENDER APPROACH
What is a diagnosis? / A diagnosis is a process through which one retrieves information about the reality of a specific area or territory, including its population.The scope of a diagnosis can be as broad or specific as the subject matter, the geographical area and the population one wishes to learn more about. For example, a diagnosis of a production chain is broader than a diagnosis of the production of a specific sector, and a municipal diagnosis is broader than a diagnosis carried out in a community setting.
The scope and level of detail of a diagnosis also depends on the available time and resources (technical, logistic, financial and human).
What is a diagnosis with a gender approach? / A diagnosis with a gender approach is a process through which various aspects and variables related to the issue of gender have been taken into account.
The scope of a diagnosis with a gender approach varies depending on how broadly and deeply one wishes to delve into the issue.
Regardless of how broad or deep a diagnosis is, an important recommendation to bear in mind when carrying out diagnoses with a gender approach is to pay attention to both the public and private sectors, and to the various rolesfulfilled by men and women: reproductive, productive and in the community. / CONCEPTS
Roles: Tasks and responsibilities, rights and duties that are handed over to and internalised in a different way by men and women.
Reproductive Roles: These are related to the duties concerning maternity, raising children, and managing the household. These roles are not usually made visible or valued in economic development proposals.
Productive Roles: These are related to productive and economic activities that, in the case of women, are usually linked to secondary income generation endeavours.
Community Management Roles: These activities refer to efforts carried out jointly by men and women, which in the case of women, are often geared to demanding basic services, housing or health care services.
What is a diagnosis with a gender approach good for? / To get to know and better understand thesituationandconditionofthe men and women of the target populationin various fields, or in those areas that are the most interesting.
To get to know the problems that men and women face, as well as the solutions they propose.
To identify and quantifythegender gapsthat affect men and women.
To be able to later measure and evaluate the progress made. / CONCEPTS
Situation: The material condition in which men and women find themselves, which reflects the degree of their development in terms of education, health, employment, housing, etc.
Condition: The space that women occupy relative to men within a society’s economic, political, and cultural power structures.
Gender Gaps: Quantified or qualified differences that exist between men and women. For example,the illiteracy gap in Bolivia is 19% against women.
How does one carry out a diagnosis with a gender approach? / There are three alternatives:
- (Easy) Gather gender-specific information from secondary sources.
- (More complicated) Use model gender tools to generate primary information.
Technical itineraries (Tool 1)
Agricultural/ cultural calendar (Tool 2)
Reproductive roles (Tool 3)
Access to and control ofnatural resources, means of production and services (Tool 4)
Identification of the access to information (Tool5)
Identification of how gender is conceived (Tool 6)
Decision-making processes (Tool 7)
All these tools shall be further treated and explained in Part II of this manual. / CONCEPTS
Access: The possibility of using specific resources: natural, economic, productive, political, social, and related to time and space. Access is also related to services in the fields of health care, education, information, and the like.
Control: The capacity to decide on the destiny and use given to a resource or service in an independent manner.For example: Men and women both have access to land, although it is usually the men who control this land.
- (The most complicated) To cross-cut a gender approach in those tools that one has decided to use in the diagnostic process being carried out.