IFAD Gender Markers

Prepared by PTA Gender Desk

January 2014

The IFAD Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment of 2012 provides guidance insystematizing and intensifying its efforts to close gender gaps and to address gender equality as across-cutting theme in IFAD operations. To support this approach, the use of an effective anduniform method to assess the gender sensitivity of IFAD projects at various stages of the projectcycle is central (this is known as a gender marker).

IFAD already tracks gender - along with other features - in field operations using a six-point systemfor reviewing the design, implementation, completion and evaluation of a project. However, withthe exception of the project status report, the terms used to describe each point are generic andhave no specific description from a gender perspective. The purpose of this paper is to develop amore nuanced approach to the IFAD scoring system with a qualitative description to accompany thescore.

IFAD gender marker system

The table overleaf presents the proposed gender marker system for IFAD based on the six-pointscale, for each stage in the project cycle. Thus projects and their performance would range fromgender blind and gender neutral, to gender aware and gender mainstreaming, through to gendertransformative.

Gender mainstreaming (score 5) represents projects where gender equality issues have been fullyintegrated into the design – addressing all three objectives of the gender equality policy - andimplementation. Gender transformative approaches (score 6) go beyond addressing the symptomsof gender inequality, to tackling the underlying social norms, attitudes, behaviours and socialsystems, and consequently produce far-reaching effective changes.

The QA and PSR descriptions address four main aspects:

Extent to which actions have been taken to identify and address gender inequalities; Resource allocations; Operational and procedural measures; and Monitoring and reporting.

Note: The description of the PSR scores in the gender marker are almost the same as those alreadyused in IFAD, with minor modifications.

In contrast, the PCR and evaluation scores focus more on:

The achievement of impact on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE); The inclusion of women as project beneficiaries; and Likely sustainability ex-post.

IFAD gender marker system for different stages of project cycle

Score Project design(QA) Project implementation (PSR) Project completion

(PCR and Evaluation)Users CPMs

Design mission members PTA lead advisers QA reviewers

CPMs PMU staff Regional portfolio adviser RIDE

Government PMU staff Regional portfolio adviser IOE

1 Highlyunsatisfactory

=Gender blind

There have been no attempts toidentify and address genderconcerns or mainstream genderinto project design.

There have been no attempts to addressgender concerns or mainstream genderinto project activities or projectimplementation arrangements.

There were no attempts to address genderconcerns or mainstream gender intoproject activities.

2 Unsatisfactory=

Gender neutral

Focus on gender issues is vagueand erratic and appears inisolated items, with no specificresource allocation.

Focus on gender issues is vague anderratic.

Operational measures and proceduresare inadequate, as are resources.

Project seldom reports on or monitorsgender differentiated participation andbenefits.

Focus on gender issues was vague anderratic.

The project did little to improve there waslittle impact on gender equality andwomen’s empowerment.

Operational measures and procedureswere inadequate, as were resourceallocations.

3Moderately

unsatisfactory=

Gender aware

The project is designed tocontribute in a limited way togender equality, but with limitedattention to operational aspectsand resource allocation.

Some measures are being taken tostrengthen gender focus.

However, project management/implementer commitment is slight.

Operational measures, procedures andresources are inadequate.

Monitoring and reporting limited.

Some limited measures were taken tostrengthen gender focus and some effortswere made to facilitate the participationof women.

Operational measures and procedureswere not adequate, and resourceallocations were insufficient.

4Moderatelysatisfactory

=Partial gendermainstreaming

Gender considerations havebeen mainstreamed in someaspects of project design,including operational andprocedural measures, withlimited allocation of resources.

Project is making a partial contributionto addressing gender needs, andpromoting GEWE, addressing two of thegender policy objectives.

Project management/ implementersshow partial commitment to GEWE.

Operational measures and proceduresare in place for some aspects of projectimplementation, with limited resources.

Project occasionally monitors andreports on gender differentiatedparticipation and benefits.

Project made a partial contribution toaddressing gender needs, and promotingGEWE, addressing two of the genderpolicy objectives.

Efforts were made to facilitate theparticipation of women and theyaccounted for a significant number ofbeneficiaries.

Operational measures and procedureswere adequate, including monitoringsystems, as were resource allocations.

Gender-related impacts are likely to besustainable.

5 Satisfactory=

Gendermainstreaming

A commitment to genderequality is fully integrated withinrelevant project componentsand is reflected in the allocationof financial and humanresources, as well as the projectactivities and operationalmeasures and procedures.

Project is making a significantcontribution to addressing gender needsand achieving GEWE, addressing allthree gender policy objectives.

Project management/ implementers arecommitted to GEWE. Project hasinvested in building capacity to addressgender mainstreaming.

Operational measures and procedures inplace in all major aspects, includingfinancial and human resources.

Project regularly monitors and reportson gender-differentiated participation,outcomes and benefits, and uses thisinformation to improve performance.

Project made a significant contribution toaddressing gender needs and achievingGEWE, addressing all three gender policyobjectives.

Procedures and resource allocations wereappropriate.

Gender considerations weremainstreamed into implementation.

Women accounted for a substantialnumber of beneficiaries.

Gender-related impacts are likely to besustainable beyond the life of the project.

6 Highlysatisfactory

=Gender

transformative

The design of the project goesone step beyond gendermainstreaming (whichaddresses the symptoms ofgender inequality) tochallenge and transform theunderlying social norms,attitudes, behaviours andsocial systems.

Project is making a significantcontribution to gender transformation,addressing all three gender policyobjectives and engaging in policydialogue.

Project management/ implementers arefully committed to gendertransformation.

Operational measures and proceduresare in place, including adequate humanand financial resources.

The project consistently monitors andreports on gender-differentiatedparticipation, outcomes and benefitsfrom the project, and utilises thisinformation to make the project moregender transformative.

Project made a significant contribution togender transformation, addressing allthree gender policy objectives andengaging in policy dialogue.

Gender issues were addressed by project,and both women’s and men’s situationimproved as a result.

Women accounted for a substantialnumber of beneficiaries.

Procedures and resource allocations wereappropriate.

Gender-related impacts are likely to besustainable.