Following from my last post, I wanted to list out some other components of both gender equity and equality in a project, and how both can support each other and contribute to related, though slightly different, aims and goals.

Both have their place, and it depends completely on where you are in the project cycle, what your context looks like, the change you’re working towards, the work of your partners and other groups of people, and a host of other factors.

I’d be the last person to say equity is the only solution and the only lens through which you should see your work, since as discussed in the last post, sometimes to hold onto the gains you’ve made you will need an equality focus and strategy. That’s what inspired this checklist.

Gender Equity

• Targeted interventions that specifically address the unique barriers faced by different genders. For example, providing childcare support to enable single parents to participate in project activities.
• Resource allocation in a way that intentionally benefits underrepresented or disadvantaged gender groups to level the playing field.
• Access to project resources and participation opportunities, adapting strategies as necessary to overcome barriers to access.
• Customized training that address the distinct needs and circumstances of different genders, such as leadership training for transgender people in cisgender-dominated fields.
• Protection for vulnerable groups, as relevant depending on your context and safeguarding policies, from discrimination and abuse within the project’s scope, such as establishing safe complaint mechanisms and providing legal aid resources.
• Responsive policy framework that recognises and adapts to the specific needs of all gender identities, ensuring that project guidelines promote inclusivity and fairness.

Gender Equality

• Decision-making with equal representation of all genders in leadership and decision-making roles within the project.
• Equitable employment or procurement to ensure fair treatment for employees and contractors, including equal pay.
• Awareness campaigns and educational programmes that promote gender equality and challenge traditional gender roles.
• Equality metrics that help to regularly assess the project’s impact on gender equality using specific indicators to measure progress and identify areas needing improvement.
• Community engagement, especially for the wider community and public actors to help understand and support the project’s strategies, ensuring a broad base of support in the medium term.
• Sustainability of the project through designing equality-focused outcomes that extend beyond the life cycle of the project, and that embed best practices and lessons learned.