Gender-transformative public policy alternatives

Recommended reading! She RISES: a framework for caring cities Cities often mirror the inequalities embedded in society. She RISES: A Framework for Caring Cities, developed by surabhi tandon mehrotra, Kalpana Viswanath, Ankita Kapoor and Rwitee Mandal from Safetipin, brings this imbalance into sharp focus. It exposes how urban design and governance frequently overlook the gendered dimensions of city life, especially the invisible role of care work in sustaining urban systems. The framework is built around four core principles: Responsive, Inclusive, Safe and Equitable Spaces. Together they form an integrated approach to gender transformation through four streams of action. The first stream focuses on public spaces and infrastructure. Well-lit streets, obstacle-free pavements, safe public toilets and mixed-use neighbourhoods are presented as essential design features that enable women’s participation in urban life. The second stream addresses services and amenities, highlighting the need for childcare facilities, housing for single women, and access to affordable health care. Recognising and redistributing care work across communities, markets and the state is seen as a cornerstone of an equitable city. The third stream targets mobility and public transport. Women’s complex travel patterns, shaped by care duties and multiple destinations, require safe, affordable and well-connected systems. Gender-disaggregated data and inclusive recruitment policies in the transport sector are proposed as practical tools for change. The fourth stream concerns responses to gender-based violence, emphasising the implementation of existing laws, the establishment of crisis hubs, and public campaigns that reshape social attitudes. The She RISES framework is both analytical and operational. It is intended for planners, policy makers and urban managers who aim to embed gender sensitivity into every layer of urban governance. The report also serves as a reminder that the care economy is not peripheral but foundational to the functioning of cities. Safetipin, the social enterprise behind this work, has been collecting and analysing safety data in more than forty-five cities across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Their evidence confirms that cities designed with care in mind not only improve safety for women but also strengthen social cohesion and economic resilience for all. #GenderEquality #UrbanDevelopment #InclusiveCities #UrbanPlanning #PublicSpace #CaringCities

Embedding gender equality across development policy and practice requires more than good intentions—it demands systemic transformation. This handbook from UN Women provides comprehensive guidance on how to implement gender mainstreaming to achieve gender equality results. It equips practitioners, policymakers and institutions with principles, methods and tools to integrate gender considerations in planning, implementation, evaluation, and organizational change, rooted in global mandates like the Beijing Platform and the 2030 Agenda. The handbook examines the following core dimensions in depth: – Conceptual foundations including definitions of gender, gender equality, gender-responsive and gender-transformative approaches, and intersectionality – Five integrated approaches for gender mainstreaming: sector-wide integration, institutional attention, early-stage gender analysis, results-focused transformation, and leadership participation – Strategies for conducting and applying gender analysis, from identifying power dynamics to ensuring inclusive stakeholder engagement – Managing for gender equality results through logic models, planning processes, accountability systems and outcome monitoring – Organizational change methods including leadership commitment, procedural alignment, staff training and evaluation metrics – Practical application at national level, including budget integration, legal frameworks, and decentralised program design – Monitoring and evaluation techniques for oversight, learning and adaptation, featuring trends and promising practices – Annexes with tools, definitions, templates and scorecards to operationalize gender mainstreaming in diverse contexts By positioning gender equality as a central outcome rather than a peripheral concern, this handbook empowers institutions to shift from compliance to transformation, delivering lasting change for women, men and gender-diverse people across all sectors.

From Awareness to Action: How Male Engagement Shifts Gender Norms in Health In recent years, gender-transformative programs have gained traction as a strategy to improve health outcomes by shifting restrictive gender norms. But how effective are they, and what role do men and boys play in driving this change? A landmark review by Levy et al. (2020) analyzed gender-transformative programs aimed at shifting gender norms for children, adolescents, and young adults (0-24 years old). The findings were both promising and concerning: ✅Programs led to improvements in gender-related behaviors and health outcomes. ❌ But only 16% showed strong evidence of actual norm change. 🚨 Most programs targeted women and girls, often neglecting the role of men and boys in shifting harmful masculinity norms. Fast forward to 2025, and a new systematic review by Gottert et al. moves this conversation forward by analyzing how male engagement programs impact gender norms and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. Gottert et al. reviewed 35 systematic reviews and nearly 1,000 studies and found that engaging men in SRH programs not only improves health outcomes but also contributes to norm change in key ways: ✔ Men as Clients – Encouraging men to access SRH services (e.g., HIV testing, contraception) helps normalize help-seeking behavior, breaking down stigma. ✔ Men as Partners – Supporting their female partners in reproductive health fosters shared decision-making and challenges traditional power imbalances in relationships. ✔ Men as Agents of Change – When men actively promote gender-equitable norms in their communities, it leads to wider social change beyond individual behavior shifts. Key Findings from Gottert et al. ·      Male engagement programs lead to positive shifts in gender attitudes—men are more likely to support women’s contraceptive choices, engage in caregiving, and reject harmful gender norms. ·      Behavioral change accompanies attitude shifts—men who participate in interventions are more likely to seek HIV testing, support partners in SRH, and challenge gender stereotypes in their communities. ·      Unlike Levy’s findings, Gottert provides stronger evidence that male engagement leads to measurable norm change, not just temporary shifts in behavior. What’s Next? Scaling Up Norm-Shifting Approaches Levy et al. highlighted that most norm-shifting programs remain small-scale pilots—rarely institutionalized in health systems or policies. Gottert et al. argue that to create lasting change, we must integrate norm-shifting strategies into mainstream health and development programs by: The Takeaway If gender-transformative programs are to succeed, they must move beyond just targeting women and girls—we need men actively engaged as partners and advocates for gender equality. #GenderEquality #MaleEngagement #NormShifting #PublicHealth #SocialNorms #ReproductiveHealth #SRHR #BehaviorChange #HealthEquity #SocialMarketing #AdolescentHealth

Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) refer to strategies and interventions that go beyond addressing the symptoms of gender inequality and instead seek to challenge and change the underlying power dynamics, structures, norms, and behaviours that perpetuate gender-based discrimination and inequality. Key Features of Gender Transformative Approaches: 1. Challenge Unequal Gender Norms and Roles: GTAs confront and aim to shift societal expectations and cultural norms that reinforce gender inequalities (e.g., traditional roles that restrict women's decision-making power). 2. Promote Gender Equality and Equity: These approaches actively promote equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for all genders, recognising that equity (fairness) may sometimes require unequal inputs to achieve equal outcomes. 3. Empower Marginalised Groups: GTAs prioritise the empowerment of women, girls, and other marginalised gender groups by building their skills, voice, agency, and access to resources. 4. Engage Men and Boys: They involve men and boys as allies in challenging harmful masculinities and promoting equitable relationships. 5. Systemic Change: GTAs aim for long-term transformation at multiple levels—individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal. 6. Context-Specific: These approaches are informed by context-sensitive gender analyses to ensure they are culturally relevant and locally owned. Examples of Gender Transformative Interventions: Education: Curriculum reform to challenge gender stereotypes and promote critical thinking about gender roles. Health: Programs addressing gender-based violence (GBV) that involve both survivors and perpetrators in understanding power and gender dynamics. Agriculture and Livelihoods: Ensuring women have equal access to land, inputs, and markets, while promoting joint decision-making in households. Policy: Developing and enforcing gender-equitable laws and institutional policies. Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI), Gender at Work India, Gender, Work & Organization, HBS Race, Gender & Equity Initiative, CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion, ADB Gender, Gender DEI, Gender & Health Hub, Gender Unit | Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Gender Justice & Women’s Rights Division - PJ&RI, Gender, Adolescent Transitions & Environment (GATE) Program, Grow. Gender and Work., Gender Equitable and Transformative Social Policy for Africa, Institute for Gender and the Economy, Africa & Middle East Gender Mainstreaming Awards, Gender Initiative For Change and Social Tranformation, Military Gender Trainers, Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment (IFAGE), Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA), Gender Justice Fund, Gender Mainstreaming Research Association, Gender Mainstreaming Governance & Leadership at OECD

🌍 Working at the intersection of gender and climate justice in the Global South? Here are some principles we uncovered while developing a gender-transformative framework in our recent paper: 📄 Urgent Imperatives: Advancing Gender Equality in Climate Action 💡 A few key takeaways: - Climate change is not the root cause of gender inequity, but it deepens existing inequalities especially for women and marginalised genders. - A gender-transformative approach is essential. This means going beyond inclusion by tackling structural power imbalances, gender norms, and the root causes of inequality. - Solutions must center the agency and lived realities of women and gender-diverse communities. Their participation in decision-making is critical to just and lasting climate action. - The framework foregrounds intersectional vulnerabilities acknowledging caste, class, geography, occupation, and more. - We see real potential in leveraging government schemes but only when these are grounded in the leadership and insights of those most affected. Explore more here: https://lnkd.in/gGn6QrJP Saumya Shrivastava Elizabeth Soby Ankita Bhatkhande Shraddha Mahilkar #GenderAndClimate #ClimateJustice #FeministClimateAction #GlobalSouth #JustTransitions #Intersectionality #GenderTransformativeApproach