Gender Equality Publications

• Review

This Break Free! brief aims to provide an easy-to-read description of lessons learnt in implementing social norms change interventions in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), particularly around preventing child marriage and teenage pregnancy. The brief was developed based on an extensive document review. The recommendations section was informed by three virtual working sessions […]

• Report

The active participation of young individuals in the development and execution of programs and policies directed towards youth, particularly in matters of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), is key for the effectiveness of such initiatives. Meaningful involvement of youth in advocacy entails their engagement across all stages of advocacy, encompassing issue selection, strategy […]

• Research article

The adverse impacts of climate change on aquatic food systems (AFS) and the people who depend on AFS for livelihood security are inequitably distributed between and within countries. People facing the highest risks and experiencing the severest impacts of climate change are those who already experience multidimensional inequalities in their lives, particularly because of their […]

• Research article

Consolidating, analysing and synthesizing the empirical literature on gender and forest resources within low- and middle-income countries to unravel the multifaceted factors contributing to gender disparities. This systematic literature review provides a comprehensive understanding of the gender disparities in forest resource management, highlighting the multifaceted impact of gender norms on women’s access to and use […]

• Report

In 2022, Nestlé launched the Income Accelerator Program in Côte d’Ivoire as part of their ambition to help close the Living Income (LI) gap in their cocoa supply chain and combat the root causes of child labour risks. The current test-at-scale phase involves 10,000 farming households in Côte d’Ivoire, following a previous one-year piloting period among 1,000 farming households. These […]

• Working Paper

Social norms are widely accepted, informal, typically unspoken and unwritten rules of acceptable, appropriate, and obligatory behavior. They are often implicit, to the point where people internalize, accept, and follow them without critical thought.  Social norms are strongly linked to, but different from, behavior: they govern a behavior but are not the behavior itself. As […]

• Paper

This methodological paper introduces four projects, all of which aimed to increase women’s engagement in and benefit from the livestock vaccine value chains of small ruminants and poultry by improving women’s empowerment and supporting women’s access to animal health services. All four projects used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand the […]

• Book chapter

Understanding sexuality and power relations from the life experiences of young women Women’s sexuality was originally included in the development agenda mainly in relation to health and risks. With time, it has started to be understood also through the lenses of the ‘empowerment’ and ‘rights’ approaches. This chapter looks at the way in which young […]

• Review

In the late 1970s the first cases of a new, unknown disease began to appear, that would quickly develop into one of the modern world’s largest public health and development crises. Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has killed millions of people over four decades, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. It has challenged […]

• Research article

This paper reviews knowledge generated over the past 10 years on gendered patterns to engagement, returns on engagement, and power relations in agrifood value chains. It examines how research has advanced, evidence of improvements in gender equality and women’s empowerment, and the circumstances under which any advances have happened. Gender inequalities in value chains remain […]

• Research article

Young people in Pakistan face challenges such as child marriage, which have adverse consequences on their education, employment, health and overall well-being.  We conducted interviews (26) and focus group discussions (12) with young people (15 to 24 years) and community stakeholders to understand how child marriage is perceived by them and to gain insight into […]

• Research article

Gender-transformative change requires a commitment from everyone involved in agricultural research for development (AR4D) including organizations at international and national level, individual researchers and practitioners, farmers, development agencies, policy-makers and consumers, to transform the existing values, practices and priorities that (re)produce and perpetuate gender biases and inequities in agrifood systems.  However, the adoption of a […]

• Research article

Child marriage persists in many countries and has severe impacts on health, education, economic and social status of girls. Child marriage has many interlinked causes. This study aimed to explore the drivers of child marriage in specific contexts in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Multiple intersecting drivers, which were present in different degrees […]

• Book chapter

Serie: Advancing gender equality through agricultural and environmental research: past, present and future Almost a quarter of a century after the Beijing Declaration, and with 10 years left to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, The Guardian announced the SDG Gender Index’s finding that, “Not one single country is set to achieve gender equality by 2030” […]

• Book chapter

Serie: Advancing gender equality through agricultural and environmental research: Past, present, and future Over the past decade or so, there has been a renewed, and more concerted and comprehensive, interest in gender equality and women’s empowerment in the agricultural development sector. Renowned development organizations have put gender dynamics back in the spotlight by means of […]

• Research article

This Guidance Note highlights key points for gender integration in the research for development (R4D) project cycle. It uses an intersectional lens to recognise how aspects of social identity such as age or life stage, class, caste, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation and so forth crosscut and shape gender and power. It provides an overall introduction, guide and set of signposts to help […]

• Research article

Maternal mortality continues to be a major public health concern in Ghana where women still die from preventable maternal deaths. Several factors contribute to the high maternal mortality in the country including delay in seeking skill birth attendance, sociocultural factors among others. This study aims to analyze the role of gender in accessing skilled birth […]

• Report

Reflections on the Sea of Change project This learning report describes the processes involved in implementing a tailor made gender integration approach based on capacity development, technical assistance, and action learning involving unpacking the project’s Theory of Change from a gender perspective. Qualitative fieldwork and a series of reflection workshops generated the findings presented in […]

The Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Advocacy, and Accountability (YW4A) programme envisages young women in Egypt, Kenya, Palestine and South Sudan enjoying their rights to dignity, bodily integrity and equal participation in decision-making towards gender-just laws, policies and norms. This brief showcases KIT operationalization of Gender Transformative Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (GTMEL) by summarizing the […]

• Research article

The term “feminization of agriculture” is used to describe changing labor markets that pull men out of agriculture, increasing women’s roles. However, simplified understandings of this feminization persist as myths in the literature, limiting our understanding of the broader changes that affect food security. Through a review of literature, this paper analyses four myths: 1) […]

• Book

This book marks a shift away from a typical, instrumentalist outlook focused on how gender analysis can contribute to research objectives, such as improved productivity. Contributors intentionally flip the question to ask: How does agricultural and environmental research and development contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment? By reframing the analysis, the book puts gender […]

Results of the Yes I Do programme (2016–2020) in West Lombok and Sukabumi, Indonesia This Yes I Do end-line study was conducted to observe how changes have occurred between the beginning of the programme in 2016 and its end in 2020 in the five pathways of the theory of change. It is a mixed-methods study […]

• Research article

This document presents a value chain study, through an integrated gender lens, of the aquaculture sector in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions in northwestern Bangladesh. The aim was to generate a knowledge base to inform project interventions as well as provide broad baseline information regarding chain composition and both social (including gender) and economic performance. The […]

• Working Paper

This paper provides insights and guidance on the value of participatory approaches for understanding and measuring empowerment of women and girls and grounding measurement in the lives and perspectives of women and girls. The paper aims to inspire practitioners, M&E specialists and policy makers working on the measurement of empowerment of women and girls in […]

Results of the Yes I Do programme (2016–2020) in Rembang, Indonesia Child marriage, teenage pregnancy and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are three issues that the Yes I Do programme tried to address. In 2020, the programme implementation entered the fifth and final year of the Yes I Do programme activities in Rembang, Indonesia. An end-line […]

As part of its Cocoa for Generations (C4G) Strategy, Mars Wrigley aims to empower women in its supply chain, both socially and economically. To this end, Mars Wrigley engaged the KIT and Pabla van Heck (independent) to develop insight-driven recommendations for potential future investments to advance women’s empowerment. The outcome of this work will inform […]

This report presents the results of the Yes I Do base-, mid- and end-line study in Chadiza and Petauke districts in Eastern Zambia.

Gaining insight into (changes in) the magnitude, causes and consequences of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Nampula, Mozambique This report contains the end-line study conducted in the three districts in Northern Mozambique where the YES I DO programme has been implemented. The report draws on literature about child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Mozambique, […]

This report is the result of a case study conducted in Colombia as part of theevaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IOB). The Colombia study focuses on the mining sector and explores whether and how Dutch IRBC […]

This report is the result of a case study conducted in Bangladesh as part of the evaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IOB). The Bangladesh case study aimed to evaluate how different Dutch IRBC policy instruments manifest […]

Child marriage and teenage pregnancy are challenges experienced by many young people in Malawi. In 2013/2014, Machinga was among the districts with the highest prevalence of child marriage and teenage pregnancy. The Yes I Do alliance chose to implement a package of interventions in this district, and Traditional Authority (TA) Liwonde in particular, aiming to […]

The overall goal of this endline study was to provide insight into the magnitude, (interrelated) causes and effects of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and female genital mutilation/ cutting, as well as the extent to which these causes and effects are present in the intervention areas (Kajiado West County) of the Yes I Do programme in […]

This study explores how young people exercise agency in rural Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia in relation to sex, relationships and marriage, to inform local programmes aiming to prevent teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

This report details the endline study of the Yes I Do programme in Ethiopia conducted in two intervention woredas (districts) in the Amhara region, Bahir Dar Zuria and Kewet. The main aim of the study was to assess changes in relevant outcomes over the programme implementation years through a comparison of base-, mid- and end-line […]

Policy note

As part of its Cocoa for Generations (C4G) strategy, Mars is seeking to address the barriers faced by women in their supply chain and communities from which they source cocoa to reach their full potential. Since 2019, Mars has partnered with KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Anna Laven and Pabla van Heck (independent consultants) to develop […]

Factors Driving Adolescent Pregnancies Among Young Women Clients From Health Clinics in Bangladesh This study aims to explore factors associated with adolescent pregnancy using a qualitative lens and focuses on five different geographic regions in the country, namely Barisal, Cumilla, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, and Dhaka. It adopted a qualitative research design. Accordingly, data was collected […]

Women play a powerful role in business, and research proves that unlocking opportunities for women bolsters communities, drives profitability and enhances value. Now more than ever, we need a greater focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 – Achieving Gender Equality & Empowering All Women and Girls, and a significant step-change in […]

An operational qualitative study report as part of the YES I DO programme implemented from 2016 to 2020

Beginning in 2019, KIT worked with the Austrian Development Bank to develop a 5-year Gender Action Plan to highlight key steps and targets for integrating gender into the bank’s investment processes, for different sectors and portfolios. OeEB is committed to contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality and the empowerment […]

The YES I DO programme found that arranged child marriages are being cancelled in the Bahir Dar Zuria and Kewet woredas, in the Amhara region in Ethiopia, but there was limited evidence about the implications of the cancellations on the lives of adolescent girls. This brief highlights the main findings of a study conducted within the YES I DO […]

የ የስ አይ ዱ (YES I do) ፕሮግራም በአማራ ክልል በባህርዳር ዙሪያና በቀወት ወረዳዎች ባደረገው ጥናት የታቀዱ/ የተፈጸሙ ያለዕድሜ ጋብቻዎች እንደሚቋረጡ ለማወቅ ተችሏል፡፡ ይሁን እንጅ ያለእድሜ ጋብቻ በሚቋረጥበት ጊዜ በታዳጊ ልጃገረዶች ህይወት ላይ የሚያመጣውን ተፅዕኖ ለማወቅ የሚያስችል በጥናት የተደገፈ ውስን መረጃ ነው ያለው፡፡ ይህ አጭር ፖሊሲ ተኮር ጽሁፍ በ የስ አይ ዱ ፕሮግራም በተካሄደ ጥናት […]

This document contains the findings from a study conducted in November 2019 in the implementation areas of the YES I DO programme in Northern Mozambique, namely Nampula, Rapale and Mogovalas districts. The YES I DO programme in Mozambique is part of a multi-country programme aiming to prevent child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

This study offers a thorough review of the evidence around Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the mining sector in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Whilst SGBV can be experienced by anyone, this paper predominantly explores the experiences of women. Notably, it […]

The European Commission project, “Taking gender transformative approaches to scale for impact on SDG2 – food security, nutrition and agriculture” aims to embed Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) in policy dialogue, programs and working modalities of the United Nations Rome-Based Agencies (RBAs). It will do this by strengthening understanding of GTAs of relevant staff and partners; […]

A Qualitative study in Bahir Dar Zuria and Kewet woredas, Amhara region, Ethiopia This report presents the results of a study conducted within the Yes I Do programme in some of the intervention areas in Amhara region in Ethiopia in 2019 (Bahir Dar Zuria and Kewet woredas). The purpose of the study is to provide […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of the IDEAL program […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of the IDEAL program […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of the IDEAL program […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of the IDEAL program […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of […]

Assessing the social contract between local governments and their citizens Inclusive Decision at Local Level (IDEAL) is a programme implemented by VNG International (VNG-I) which supports local governments in building bridges with all their citizens and allows them to better cope with fragility and its associated risk. This infographic document presents the mid-line results of […]

• Research article

Over the last decade, Egypt’s aquaculture sector has expanded rapidly, which has contributed substantially to per capita fish supply, and the growth of domestic fish markets and employment across the aquaculture value chain. Despite the growing importance of aquaculture sector in Egyptian labour force, only a few studies have explored the livelihoods of Egypt’s women […]

• Research article

Much research on gender and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has tended to focus on describing the different roles women undertake in mining, while there has been less attention to how gender relations are constructed, reinforced and challenged in and through ASM. Drawing from desk and field research in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, […]

Experiences of Youth and Enabling Support Structures in claiming their SRHR Solving problems of youth sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is significant for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Young people aged 15 to 24 constitute 17% (45 million) of the total Indonesian population (Indonesian Central Statistics Agency, 2011). The availability of services, […]

Facing internal and external crises, the European Union and the African Union have revitalized their inter-regional cooperation. This article theorizes inter-regional norm dynamics and explores how, in times of crises, gender equality norms are shaped in inter-regional relations between the African Union and the European Union. The question is all the more relevant because gender […]

For aquaculture to continue along its current growth trajectory and contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, value chains must become more inclusive. Smallholders and other local value chain actors are often constrained by circumstances and market failures in the global aquaculture industry. Integrating these actors into aquaculture value chains through inclusive business models (IBMs) […]

A Method’s Note for Measuring Women and Girl’s Empowerment This Methods Note has been developed in partnership with and for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is the product of close collaboration between The Equality Institute (EQI), the foundation Gender Equality Team, and program staff of the foundation, building off research and analysis conducted […]

In June 2017, FAO, Twin and KIT organized a multi-stakeholder workshop on “Promoting Inclusive and Gender-Sensitive Producer Organizations and Agricultural Investments in Cocoa and Coffee Value Chains”. A range of actors from coffee and cocoa value chains came together to share experiences of their work in investing in gender-sensitive policies and activities and incorporating these […]

The integration of male and female smallholders in high-end value chains (e.g. those for tree crops like cocoa, oil palm, avocado, and mango), has been promoted throughout the global South as a strategy for poverty alleviation, economic growth, employment generation, gender equality, and improved wellbeing. More critical literature, however, questions the inclusiveness of farmers’ value […]

Working Paper Series 2015 – 6 The feminization of agriculture is well recognized: women are acknowledged as the main food producers in mainstream development policy and practice. However, women are disproportionally affected by hunger and malnourishment. A growing body of literature focuseson how to contribute to improved nutrition through agricultural interventions. ‘Women’s empowerment’ is often […]

How you interpret the term can shape project achievements If you are a scientist or project manager seeking to integrate gender approaches effectively in your projects, this resource can help you. This publication analyses of how gender approaches were applied in three different CIMMYT projects in Africa and Asia. In particular, it examines the differing […]

The development potential of conflict-free mineral supply chains is now firmly recognised, however, for this potential to be fully realised, men and women need to benefit equally from mineral production and trade. Women’s critical role – and the unique risks and challenges they face – need to be made visible to support more equitable development […]

There is momentum on gender equality across sectors, including in mineral supply chains. Governments, the private sector and civil society are acknowledging that women’s rights are human rights, and that empowering women and girls is the best way to achieve positive economic and inclusive social development outcomes. Stakeholders are tackling gender discrimination, increasing the number […]

• Working Paper

Gendered opportunities & challenges to innovation in forage production in Afghanistan This working paper discusses the interface between gender and agricultural innovation systems. More specifically, the working paper investigates how gender norms and roles influence social relations between actors in forage innovation systems in rural Afghanistan. In this regard, the paper firstly explores how gender […]

This paper presents an overview of main findings of perspectives and lessons on integrating efficiently and effectively gender in research and development programs. These have been gleaned from the gender synthesis of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) undertaken by KIT Royal Tropical Institute in particular, this synthesis of the program addresses five […]

• Report

In many respects, agriculture as a sector is ground zero for gender in development theory and practice: agriculture and rural development were Boserup’s empirical base for her 1977 landmark book Women’s Role in Economic Development. Her finding of the inconspicuous absence of the role of women in rural development policy and practice inspired an era […]

Policy makers and scholars often assume gender to be irrelevant in energy politics. However, an increasing body of scholarship and development policies has focused on how gender discrimination has negative effects on women’s access to energy resources and equal contributions to decision-making processes that influence energy issues. This article evaluates four overarching and salient policy […]

• Yes i do Report

YES I DO. is a strategic alliance of five Dutch organizations which main aim is to enhance the decision making space of young women about if, when and whom to marry as well as if, when and with whom to have children. The present report details the baseline study conducted in Mozambique. The report draws […]

• Yes i do Report

The baseline study of the YES I DO (YID) programme found, among other issues, that initiation ceremonies stimulate young people to experiment with sex, leading to teenage pregnancy and consequently (child) marriage. This study was initiated to explore how initiation ceremonies have evolved over the last 30 years and especially how they have impacted on […]

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring and working on gender and mining issues in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) as well as in the formal larger-scale mining (LSM) sector. Many international stakeholders have become active in this field, such as the World Bank, and UN Women in particular via its […]

• Yes i do Report

This report presents the findings of the YES I DO (YID) midline study, conducted in April 2018, in Group Village Head (GHV) Mangamba, Traditional Authority (TA) Liwonde, Machinga District in Malawi. The study aimed to provide insight into the (interrelated) causes and effects of child marriage and teenage pregnancy and the extent to which these […]

How development programmes choose to measure the empowerment of women and girls impacts whether an intervention ultimately contributes to or impedes their empowerment. In this paper, KIT Royal Tropical Institute provides insight and guidance on the value of participatory approaches, those that ground the measurement of empowerment in the lives and perspectives of women and […]

This is a factsheet for the Ministery of Foreign Affairs, made by the Gender Resource Facility.

The development potential of conflict-free mineral supply chains is now firmly recognised, however, for this potential to be fully realised, men and women need to benefit equally from mineral production and trade. Women’s critical role – and the unique risks and challenges they face – need to be made visible to support more equitable development […]

• Report

The African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) program is an Africa-wide collaboration led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with diverse stakeholders including universities, national research institutes and private sector partners in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania. ACGG tests and makes available high producing, farmer preferred genotypes that increase smallholder chicken productivity in Africa. ACGG works […]

• Report

A range of current policies and programs target greater inclusion of the poor and marginalized–including women–in financial systems and services. Debate and effort have largely focused on widening access to products and services for these groups. But little is known about whether and how such efforts may be benefiting women, and whether improving access alone […]

• Report

This report raises awareness of continental-African commitments to women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). It also tracks progress in implementing SRHR across the continent. Le Rapport sur la condition des femmes africaines a pour ambition de contribuer à la réalisation et à la promotion des droits des femmes et des filles, notamment […]

• Whitepaper

What does empowerment of women and girls mean? The White Paper that was developed as the first component of this project sought to address this question. A conceptual model on empowerment of women and girls was developed in close partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The model aims to provide conceptual clarity and […]

This study explores how gender matters in small-scale farm power mechanization in African agriculture, particularly in maize-based systems. It investigates how intra-household gender dynamics affect women’s articulation of demand for and adoption of mechanization in Ethiopia and Kenya. The study offers a conceptual approach to grasp these gender dynamics, a gender analysis methodology, and a […]

The women’s movement in Zimbabwe has gone through highs and lows in its long history of mobilizing at different levels and on various issues. The first years of the 2000s were such ‘low’ ones that many afterwards wondered whether the women’s movement still existed. Yet new initiatives have emerged and grown, and contexts are changing. […]

The Educational Sector Development Programme (ESDP) IV has set objectives to strengthen the representation and leadership of women academics in universities. It aims to have by 2015 20% of academic staff to be women and 16 females in top academic positions (university (vice-) president). Affirmative action and women’s rights are also enshrined in the Ethiopian […]

In recent years, social protection has climbed up the policy agenda as a major policy response to chronic poverty and vulnerability with positive impacts on food security, income and access to basic services. In SubSaharan Africa, persistent levels of poverty and inequality, unemployment and underemployment, and a high degree of labour market informality have encouraged […]

The growing strength of the women’s movement in the 1960s and 1970s challenged the ‘medicalization’ of women’s bodies and the medical construction of woman’s health needs as distinct from women’s own experiences and priorities (Boston Women’s Health Book Collective 1992). The women’s movement questioned the fallacy that males, as doctors or partners, knew better or […]

In 1995, Novib and a number of its partners initiated a courageous and risky journey; they undertook a collective learning and organisational change process to promote gender equality within their organisations. The programme was called the Gender Focus Programme. The Politics of the Possible is the story of the journey undertaken by seven NGO partners […]

• Briefing paper

Decentralisation, in its simplest definition, is a form of governance that transfers authority and responsibility from central to intermediate and local governments (ODI 2002). In much of the development literature decentralisation of government has been treated as a technical exercise involving administrative and institutional reform to improve performance and planning and to make allocative decisions […]

This article is about taking stock of experiences of mainstreaming gender. It addresses two related concerns. First, that after three decades of feminist activism in the field of development – both at the level of theory and practice – most development institutions have still to be constantly reminded of the need for gender analysis in […]

While it is clear for Thekla, the Namibian woman quoted above, that politics and power play a central role in decisions governing her life and that of people like her, international development agencies supporting the good governance agenda in the 1990s largely failed to acknowledge this in their approaches (Robinson, 1995). The ‘good governance’ agenda […]

• Research article

Mainstreaming a gender perspective in development was the overall strategy adopted at the Fourth UN Conference for Women, held in Beijing in 1995, to support the goal of gender equality. The rationale for this strategy is that it is important to bring the goal of gender equality to the centre of the development process. After […]

• Report

The conference ‘Governing for Equity’ was the outcome of a process in which many individuals and institutions have been involved over a period of three years beginning in 1999. In that year KIT Gender, at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, initiated a three-year programme entitled ‘Gender, Citizenship and Governance’. The Gender, Citizenship and Good […]

Case Study For several years, the faith community has intensively worked with other civil society members in the East African region to advocate for and mobilise support for the SRHR Bill of the East Africa Community. Faith to Action Network facilitated faith leadership and faith community interactions with the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), in […]

Case Study Partnership is a cornerstone in achieving civil society goals and impact. Mobilising the right and complementary partners results in better use of resources, harnessing of expertise, increased confidence and more progress towards ensuring that women and girls can realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights, amongst others by accessing information, health and services. This […]

Case Study This case illustrates the complex interlinkages between child marriage, early pregnancy, female genital mutilation (FGM) and the underlying gender inequality that contributes to sustaining harmful practices and women and girls’ exposure to poor health, discrimination, social stigma, and exclusion.

Case Study Armed with the barrel of the pen, journalists can change the world! This has been proven true for a vibrant network of journalists from across the continent who passionately report on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) issues. After years of engagement with these journalists, the coverage of SRHR issues continues to […]

Case Study Launched in 2018, the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) and the African Union co-lead a continental campaign to end new HIV infections in children and to keep mothers alive, called Free to Shine Campaign. This case study describes the process of advocacy and concerted effort that lead to the development […]

Synthesis Brief The main objective of the State of African Women (SoAW) campaign is to contribute to securing, realizing and extending women’s rights enshrined in African Union (AU) policies in African countries. This synthesis brief reflects on the strategies pursued by this campaign to safeguard gains made and to advance progress in women and girls’ rights in […]

Synthesis Brief The main objective of the State of African Women (SoAW) campaign is to contribute to securing, realizing and extending women’s rights enshrined in African Union (AU) policies in African countries. This second synthesis brief (read the first one here) reflects on the strategies pursued by this campaign to advance women and girls’ rights through […]