Reviewing Gender Mainstreaming Practices At Compassionate Fund (Research Paper Sample)

POSITION PAPER ON GENDER MAINSTREAMING AT COMPASSIONATE FUND
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1 Executive Summary
The aim of the position paper is support the issue of gender mainstreaming at compassionate fund. It will look at the gender audit carried out and focus group discussions so that issues can be identified. These documents bring out different issues concerning gender. The Compassionate Fund is Anon-governmental organization, which helps people globally through donations. They do long term community projects that help in poverty eradication and lead to self-sufficiency. The organization implemented a gender policy a while back and has made significant progress in implementing the same. There are however, a number of issues as shown through the gender audit and focus group discussion that need to be addressed. The organization has an aim of ensuring that gender mainstreaming happens at its offices and in the communities where it works. The position paper therefore looks at the issues form the audit and focus groups and then gives a recommendation of tools and techniques, which can be used to solve these issues. The tools and techniques are aimed to help Compassionate Fund sort each of the issues that have been raised during the gender audit and the focus group discussions. Each of the issues raised need to be solved if the company is to achieve the gender equity that it is aiming for. Monitoring and evaluation will also need to be done so that the company ensures it is on the right path. This will help Compassionate Fund on its path to being fully gender mainstreamed.
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1.0Executive Summary PAGEREF _Toc498255378 \h 22.0 Situation analysis of the Compassion Fund PAGEREF _Toc498255380 \h 42.2 Issues to be Addressed as per Gender Audit Survey PAGEREF _Toc498255381 \h 42.2.1 Program Planning and Design PAGEREF _Toc498255382 \h 42.2.2 Technical Expertise PAGEREF _Toc498255383 \h 42.2.3 Monitoring and Evaluation PAGEREF _Toc498255384 \h 42.2.4 Partners of Compassion Fund PAGEREF _Toc498255385 \h 42.2.5 Gender Policy PAGEREF _Toc498255386 \h 52.2.6 Staffing PAGEREF _Toc498255387 \h 52.2.7 Human Resources PAGEREF _Toc498255388 \h 52.2.8 Advocacy, Marketing and Communication PAGEREF _Toc498255389 \h 52.2.9 Financial Resources PAGEREF _Toc498255390 \h 6 2.2.10 Organizational Culture PAGEREF _Toc498255391 \h 62.2.11 Significant Differences for Men and Women PAGEREF _Toc498255392 \h 62.2.12 National Office vs. Field Office PAGEREF _Toc498255393 \h 62.3 Issues to be Addressed as per Focus Group Data PAGEREF _Toc498255394 \h 62.3.1 Gender Policy and Implementation PAGEREF _Toc498255395 \h 62.3.2 Technical Capacity PAGEREF _Toc498255396 \h 72.3.3 Staff and Community Awareness PAGEREF _Toc498255397 \h 72.3.4 Cultural Challenges and Resistance PAGEREF _Toc498255398 \h 82.3.5 Financial Budgets for Gender PAGEREF _Toc498255399 \h 82.3.6 Human Resources PAGEREF _Toc498255400 \h 82.3.7 Program Needs PAGEREF _Toc498255401 \h 93.0 Recommended Actions PAGEREF _Toc498255402 \h 93.1 Tools for Gender Mainstreaming PAGEREF _Toc498255403 \h 93.1.1 Analytical Tools PAGEREF _Toc498255404 \h 93.1.2 Educational Tools PAGEREF _Toc498255405 \h 103.1.3 Consultative and Participatory Tools PAGEREF _Toc498255406 \h 113.2 Techniques for Gender Mainstreaming PAGEREF _Toc498255407 \h 123.2.1 Gender Equality and HR Policy PAGEREF _Toc498255408 \h 123.2.2 Partner Involvement PAGEREF _Toc498255410 \h 123.2.3 Advocacy and Marketing PAGEREF _Toc498255412 \h 133.2.4 Funding for Gender Activities PAGEREF _Toc498255414 \h 133.2.5 National Office vs. Field Mainstreaming PAGEREF _Toc498255416 \h 134.0 Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc498255417 \h 145.0 References PAGEREF _Toc498255418 \h 156.0 Annexure 1-Summary and Fact Sheets on Recommended Tools and Techniques PAGEREF _Toc498255419 \h 187.0 Annexure 2 – Key Definitions of Terms Used PAGEREF _Toc498255420 \h 20
Position Paper on Gender Mainstreaming at Compassionate Fund
2.0 Situation analysis of the Compassion Fund
The Gender Audit Survey and Focus Group Data highlighted various issues that need to be addressed so that gender mainstreaming can be achieved (Alston 2014).
2.2 Issues to be Addressed as per Gender Audit Survey
2.2.1 Program Planning and Design
According to the research done, there is no proper needs assessment when it comes to program planning and design at Compassion Fund. Due to this, the gender requirements that may be needed during planning cannot be determined (Velroo 2016, pp. 34).
2.2.2 Technical Expertise
The staff responsible for gender integration in different departments did not really carry out sensitization as required. The staff also had minimal expertise for gender awareness.
2.2.3 Monitoring and Evaluation
The study shows that there is no data collection for disaggregated data that can be later used in monitoring and evaluation of the gender issues (Parpart 2014, pp. 300). Monitoring and evaluation of gender impact on programs is also not done adequately.
2.2.4 Partners of Compassion Fund
The interviewees felt that they had insufficient information concerning whether gender equity was used as a criteria in the selection of partners for Compassion Fund. They also did not know if the gender policy included in its written agreements that outlined Compassion Fund’s relationships with its partners. The provision of training and tools on gender planning to partners was also not clarified to those who were interviewed hence they lacked information on the same. The major obstacle to incorporating gender analysis with partners was the lack of staff training, staffing levels, culture and lack of a tool for gender analysis (Kholsa 2015, pp.65).
2.2.5 Gender Policy
Most Interviewees were not aware of any written gender policy, which affirmed Compassion Find’s commitment to gender equity (Moser 2014, pp.121). The view was that the gender policy did not have an operational plan that includes a clear responsibility allocation, and a plan for monitoring and evaluation.
2.2.6 Staffing
Interviewees feel that the increase of representation of women in Compassion Fund’s national office for the past five years has been moderate. There are really no major proactive strategies that the company has put in place to recruit and promote women or men into senior management positions.
2.2.7 Human Resources
There is lack of awareness on an existing written equal opportunity policy. Many staffs are not aware about paternity policies or childcare and dependent care leave policy. Gender awareness is not included in job descriptions or job perfomance criteria. The training of staff in gender awareness is minimal. Training of senior management and board members on institutionalizing gender integration is also minimal (Basini 2013, pp.77). There are no rewards in relation to good perfomance in the field of gender in Compassion Fund’s national office.
2.2.8 Advocacy, Marketing and Communication
Most interviews lacked knowledge on whether advocacy, public relations policies and campaigns were informed using a gender equity perspective hence showing that this was either not done or done minimally. Advocacy policies and plans seem also not to be influenced and advised by women organizations, networks or gender experts (Cresswell 2016, pp. 200).
2.2.9 Financial Resources
As per responses, financial resources are not allocated for the implementation of gender policy at all organizational levels.
2.2.10 Organizational Culture
Interviewees felt that there was gender stereotyping and this was not adequately countered and addressed by the individual staff members in the national office. This led to females feeling uneasy around men, especially when promoted (Callerstig 2014, pp.188).
2.2.11 Significant Differences for Men and Women
There was no staff responsibility assignment for gender integration in various departments. Staffs have not been given adequate training in gender planning and analysis.
2.2.12 National Office vs. Field Office
In the field, the culture of the national office places greater emphasis on the way males work and less emphasis on how females work. Staff also said that the meetings held in the national office and field were dominated by the male staff.
2.3 Issues to be Addressed as per Focus Group Data
2.3.1 Gender Policy and Implementation
The focus groups analysed gender policy and implementation at Compassion Fund and highlighted one of the issues as being non-contextualization of the gender policy. There also needs to be more emphasis and communication on the gender policy so that it is embraced by all employees (Beveridge & Velluti 2013, pp.76). The staffs at Compassion Fund also need education on prioritizing the gender policy and understanding the kind of impact it has on their work. The organization’s mission is to work with the poor and excluded so that poverty and injustice is eradicated and this should be used in promotion of gender policy activities within the company. As much as the organization has a gender policy in place, it seems that implementation is very slow hence; they need to ‘walk the talk.’
2.3.2 Technical Capacity
In the analysis of Compassion Fund’s technical capacity, it was apparent that more training is needed so that women are empowered to be able to take risks. Gender training workshops also need to be put in place so that the whole organization is educated on gender mainstreaming and its importance (Beneria, Berik & Floro 2015, pp.75). At the field level, gender is not well incorporated well hence; there should be more capacity building. Teamwork should also be enhanced so that there is better gender integration and cooperation, such that no person feels that they have been sidelined.
2.3.3 Staff and Community Awareness