Gender Equality Measures in Early Recovery

Download the Early Recovery Tip Sheet

This Tip Sheet offers interventions, guiding questions and an example of how 4 Key Gender Equality Measures (GEMs) support gender equality in Early Recovery projects and programs.   It should be read together with the GAM Overview.  The IASC GAM identifies and codes projects based on the extent to which key programming elements are consistently present in proposals and implemented projects.  Four steps (GEMs) are assessed in the design phase, and twelve GEMs are reviewed in monitoring.

The end of a crisis is often a time when the roles of men and women, and boys and girls are changing.  There are choices to be made about whether the different roles and responsibilities taken on in the emergency will be sustained, and it is an important time for ensuring interventions continue to promote equality.  The Early Recovery Cluster seeks to ensure that men and women fully participate in and equally benefit from development outcomes.

Early Recovery interventions can make assistance responsive and fair by:

  • Conducting a situation analysis of the needs and opportunities for women/girls, men/boys in appropriate age groups;
  •  Addressing differences related to gender and age in the design of economic recovery measures such as financial services and emergency employment.
  • Supporting local government planning to address gender-based socioeconomic inequalities that hamper equal recovery.
  • Facilitating meaningful and equal say by women and men in project decisions and wider community governance structures.
  • Monitoring women’s empowerment and self-reliance project outcomes, as well as satisfaction levels for women and men.
  • Monitor possible negative effects of changes in power relations

Questions to inspire action:

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Gender mainstreaming, or a targeted action?

Some Early Recovery interventions may target action to address specific vulnerabilities or discriminations resulting from gender norms or expectations: these are “targeted actions” (T.)  For example, a project may decide to dedicate resources for specific interventions that empower women and girls in order to reduce their vulnerability, build self-esteem and leadership, provide them with access to resources, protect their human rights and enable them to equally benefit and participate in society.

However, most humanitarian interventions will aim to assist everyone in need while adapting activities to address the roles and priorities women and men (or boys and girls) in different age groups: gender mainstreaming (M.)  An example would be a small-business revitalization initiative for both men and women business owners, that takes into consideration and addresses the different concerns and capacity-building needs of both women and men.

Example of Good Gender Equality Programming in EARLY RECOVERY

(GAM Code 3(T) – can you work out why? See the GAM Overview)

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Using Gender Equality Measures in projects or cluster programs leads to better quality programming, responsive to gender and age issues.