Gender Analysis
2.1. Definition and importance of gender analysis
Gender analysis: - refers to the process of gathering
information to understand
• The relationships between men and women,
•Their access and control of resources,
•Their activities, and the constraints they face relative to each
other
•Moreover, it provides information that recognizes gender
Type of gender analysis
A. Quantitative gender analysis:
- is the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data
- It shows us if there is difference in a given situation for
women and men, girls and boys,
- but it does not tell us why the difference exists between
men & women
- It is measures of quantity (total numbers, proportions,
percentages etc)
Cot…
B. Qualitative gender analysis:
- is the tracing of historical, political, economic, social
and cultural forces in order to clarify how and why the
differences between men & women have come about
- is based on people’s judgments, perceptions and
opinions about a subject
- is obtained through attitude surveys, focus group
discussion, participatory rural appraisals etc
Importance of gender analysis
• To identify gender specific constraints and opportunities
• To identify possible strategic measures to overcome the
constraints,
• To recognize different impact of research activities to achieve
positive change
Cont…
• To concerned with the underlying causes of
inequalities
• Helps to apply understanding of causes of
inequalities for policy development and
service delivery
The cornerstones of gender analysis are
• collecting good information;
• understanding gender trends in the economy and
society; and
• to discover potential problems and solutions in your
daily policy work.
Gender analysis recognize:-
• Women's and men's life experiences, their
needs, and relationships are differences
• Women's and men’s lives are not the same;
their interests may determine by their social,
economic position etc.
• Different strategy should be necessary to make
intervention for different target groups
Gender Analysis tools/Frameworks (GAF)
• Framework is a system of ideas or conceptual
structures that help us "see" the social world,
• A gender Analysis Framework is a step-by-step tool to
Raise questions,
Analyze information,
Develop strategies to increase women’s and men’s
participation in and
Benefits both from projects and programs
Types of Gender Analytical Frameworks
• The Harvard Analytical Framework
• The Moser Analysis Framework (gender planning)
• (Sara Long we) women’s Empowerment Framework
• Social relation approach(SRA) Framework
• FAO Gender Analytical framework
• The Gender analysis Matrix (GAM) and
• Capacities and Vulnerabilities Analysis framework
Harvard Analytical framework
• a tool for collecting data at the micro level
• assists planners to design more efficient projects and
improve overall productivity
• by mapping the work and resources of men and
women in a community and highlighting the main
differences
• It has four interrelated components for collecting
information at micro level
Features/characteristics
1. Socio Economic Activity profile
2. Access and control profile
3. Analysis of influencing factors
4. Contains a checklist of key questions to ask at each
stage
Best Suited (appropriate)
• Only for project design
• For collecting baseline data
Strengths
• Practical and hands on
• Collects and organizes information about gender division
of labour - it makes women’s work visible
• Distinguishes between access to and control over resources
Cont…
• Useful for projects at micro level
• Can be easily adapted to a range of settings
Cont…
Limitations
• Needs another tool
• Focus on projects not programmes
• Focus on efficiency not effectiveness - does not
provide guidance on how to change gender
inequalities
• Can be carried out in a non-participatory way
Cont…
• Tends to over simplify
• Ignores other inequalities such as race, class and
ethnicity
• ignores connections and cooperative relations
The Moser Gender Analytical Framework
• Focus on strategic gender needs
• Concentrates on gender inequalities and how to address
these at programmers and policy level
Features
• Two main tools used:
– Gender roles identification - focus on triple roles of
women (productive, reproductive and community
management roles)
– Gender needs assessment (practical and strategic needs)
Cont…
Best Suited
• For planning at all levels from policies to projects
• In conjunction with the Harvard Framework
Strengths
• Through planning to challenge unequal gender relations
and support women’s empowerment.
• Makes all work visible through concept of triple roles
• interrelationships of triple roles
Cont…
• Recognizes institutional and political resistance to
transforming gender relations
• Distinguishes between practical gender needs and
strategic gender needs
Cont…
Limitations
• It does not mention other inequalities like class, race
and ethnicity
• It is static and does not examine change over time
• Looks at separate, rather than inter-related activities of
women and men
Cont…
• Strict division of practical and strategic needs not
always helpful in practice
• Strategic needs of men not addressed