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Abstract:
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DFID London in its TSP on Poverty Elimination and the Empowerment of Women (DFID 2000) identifies gender equality and the empowerment of women as essential to the elimination of world poverty, and outlines a twin-track gender mainstreaming (GM) strategy that includes both the integration of women and men’s concerns throughout the development process, as well as specific activities aimed at empowering women. The objective of this gender audit is to systematically assess DFIDM policies, strategies and activities in terms of their implementation of DFID’s GM strategy. This is contextualized within the broader political, economic and social environment on gender issues in Malawi. The recommendations are intended to assist DFIDM in supporting the Government of Malawi (GoM) to achieve the country’s MDGs. The gender audit is divided into four sections:
a) Part one, by way of background, outlines the importance of gender equality for reaching the MDGs, as well as DFIDM’s endorsement of the MDG commitment to gender equality.
b) Part two provides the main findings and conclusions. These include an ‘external’ evaluation of the twin-track GM strategy in DFIDM’s country strategy, its sector programmes and its specific activities aimed at empowering women.
c) Part three provides a short ‘internal’ organizational self-assessment of internal GM responsibilities and associated capacity.
d) Part four focuses on the way ahead and introduces a practical action plan developed in consultation with DFIDM.
With no standardized DFID gender audit methodology, the Malawi audit elaborates its own, incorporating eight quantitative and qualitative assessment tools triangulated in the results. |