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GENDER MAINSTREAMING PROCESS IN CASA |
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GENDER MAINSTREAMING PROCESS IN CASA – A Note On Progress so far…
Background:
Gender is a conceptual tool to highlight the various structural relationships of inequality between men and women as manifested in households and in society at large. Gender justice is one of the core development principles, which cuts across all actions. Gender mainstreaming is viewed as a means (but not an end) to Gender Justice. In this context, goal of Gender Mainstreaming is to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women, transformation of unequal social and institutional structures with equal and just structures for men and women.
A Gender Task Force was set up in CASA at the national level and also at Zonal level with staff members drawn from various regions and programmes of CASA, Mrs. Sheila Jones, CZO, Chennai being the Convenor. It is envisaged that the Gender mainstreaming will be facilitated by this Task Force and the process as such will enhance CASA’s overall capacity to address issues of concerns from gender perspective. This includes engendering the organisation as well as programmes.
Gender Mainstreaming in CASA:
The entire process is to be covered under 5 phases:
| | - Gender diagnostic phase
- Perspective building phase
- Programme analysis phase
- Organizational Development Phase
- Follow up phase
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Gender Diagnostic phase focuses on assessing, analyzing, identifying the needs and concerns of the organization’s vision, objectives, activities, systems, structure, policies from the gender perspective. This cannot be limited to a particular time even though this is the first phase. It continues throughout the process.
Perspective building phase focuses on analyzing and reflecting the issues and concerns in the socioeconomic political context.
Programme Analysis phase focuses on analyzing the programmes or activities’ appropriateness to the context from the gender perspective.
Organizational Development – Review and Reformulation phase - focuses on identifying the gap in the vision, structure, policies, and systems from the gender perspective. This also includes setting up values to the organization from the gender perspective.
Follow up phase focuses on strengthening and monitoring the entire process.
Each phase is not isolated or segmented but one flows into the other, thus with a strong inter-linkage.
Present Process:
It was collectively realized that Gender Mainstreaming is a long-term process and not a ‘quick fix method’. The task force felt the need to include Director as the ‘Advisor’ and also to train Perspective and Capacity Building officers of the programme on Gender sensitivity.
Follow up actions initiated:
| | - The Gender Policy was approved by the board.
- The constitution was modified to include two women at least in co-opted membership.
- Existing Gender Task Force was revamped by the Director taking into consideration the willingness and the availability of the staff
- A workshop of GTF members facilitated by IWID on ‘looking at the policy of CASA through Gender lens’ with the presence of the Director.
- Zonal Gender Task Force was formulated to support and compliment the National Task Force.
- The mandate, roles and responsibilities for the GTF were discussed and articulated
- The preparation of guidelines to policy document is under way – this includes strategies and indicators to measure the progress.
- Initiatives for tackling cases of sexual harassment – A grievance cell to be set up to address this issue more effectively.
- GTF had chalked out one TOT for zonal GTF members in June 2008 and a review for its members in May 2008.
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SAGA – Focal Point
For the year 2008 CASA will be the focal point for SAGA – South Asia Gender Alliance / NCA. It will be the responsibility of the GTF to carry forward the process.
The Gender Mainstreaming process in CASA has begun well and we are hopeful of achieving the goals ahead. |
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Gender Policy of CASA 
