The Gender Resource Facility (GRF) supported the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassies in integrating gender equality into policy development and programme implementation. 

GRF supports women’s rights & gender equality

The GRF was established in mid-2014 and was operated by a consortium of KIT Royal Tropical Institute and Femconsult. It was formed at the request of the Dutch Taskforce on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. The GRF was the sole source of expert advice, technical assistance and knowledge services on gender equality and women’s rights to the Ministry, its embassies and partners. It consisted of a secretariat and a pool of specialists that undertook assignments at the request of the Ministry.

Between 2014 and 2018, the GRF provided:

• 32 advisory services
• 65 quick advices
• 50 advisory reports
• 10 publications and five factsheets
  

These services and reports induced assignments related to policy advice, research, programme development and knowledge services.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency

The GRF supported the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) to promote opportunities for female entrepreneurship and decent employment for women through their international programmes. Activities included:

• Mapping of staff capacity and priorities, assessment of RVO’s policy on gender equality to provide recommendations for integrating gender equality into the programme and instruments of RVO.

• Development and delivery of a training program for relevant RVO staff with the aim to strengthen RVO’s gender capacity. The focus is on three RVO instruments: the Dutch Good Growth Fund, Sustainable Water Fund and the Facility for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Food Security.

The Department for Economic Development, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, Solidaridad & UTZ Certified

The GRF organised and facilitated a learning & sharing trajectory with the Department for Economic Development, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, Solidaridad and UTZ Certified. During 2016-2017, the GRF conducted a series of five workshops to share lessons on integrating gender in sustainable economic development programmes. The workshops also explored the relevance of gender as a theme within the organisation. Through learning and exchange, this trajectory also became a capacity development trajectory. The trajectory resulted in two lessons learnt documents. The first focused on gender and inclusive economic development. The second document focused on the necessary conditions to successfully mainstream gender in an organisation as well as its programmes.

EKN Addis Ababa

The GRF assisted EKN Addis Ababa to strengthen the contribution and relevance of a number of selected development projects towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. The GRF reviewed the selected Food Security and Security and Rule of Law portfolio projects. Subsequent work focused on capacity building activities, drafting of Gender Action Plans, and a report with recommendations.

The GRF Factsheets

The GRF also published factsheets on gender in access to finance, climate change, food security, water and sexual and reproductive health & rights. The factsheets provide background information on the arguments for addressing gender issues in the respective sectors. Furthermore, they describe effective strategies to address gender in policy making and programming.