Gender Issues

USAID works to integrate gender issues into all of its programs. USAID has incorporated gender requirements into its ADS (USAID's official guidance on policies and operating procedures) and established the Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG), which comprises representatives from USAID and numerous other organizations. The main goal of the group is to promote gender equity within family planning, health, and nutrition programs by providing guidance in the areas of research, policy, training, communications, and service delivery.

USAID Resources

• International Women's Day – March 8, 2009
  International Women's Day celebrates the many achievements and contributions of women around the world and brings attention to the many issues and challenges that remain in the effort to achieve gender equity.
  
  
  • International Women's Day – March 8, 2008
    To celebrate, USAID kicked off a series of features on women whose work through USAID-supported projects are making a difference in the lives of other women, families, and communities.
    
    
• Gender-based Violence in Tanzania: an Assessment of Policies, Services, and Promising Interventions - 11/01/08
  Gender-based violence (GBV) is a grave reality in the lives of many women in Tanzania. Based on key informant interviews and focus group discussions, this assessment provides a snapshot of the current GBV policy environment, and the state of services for those affected by GBV in Tanzania.
  
  
• 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence – November 25 – December 10, 2008
  The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign provides a forum for speaking up for support services for survivors, calling for greater prevention efforts, pressing for legal and judicial reform, and using international human rights instruments to address the issue of GBV.
  
  
• USAID's Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Program
  USAID supports programs that integrate anti-GBV activities and messages into broader health efforts. By addressing GBV, health programs are able to enhance their effectiveness, prevent escalation of violence, and empower GBV victims.
  
  
• Addressing Gender-Based Violence Through USAID's Health Programs: A Guide for Health Sector Program Officers – September 2008 [PDF, 1.5MB]
  This publication provides USAID program officers with specific recommendations to integrate GBV initiatives into their health sector portfolios.
  
  
• Gender-Based Violence and Reproductive Health & HIV/AIDS: Summary of a Technical Update – May 1, 2002
  This publication summarizes the Technical Update held at USAID on May 1, 2002, a day-long event that drew more than 130 program managers, policymakers, service providers, and trainees.

Additional Resources

• Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators – October 2008 [PDF, 843KB]
  MEASURE Evaluation developed this compendium in collaboration with a technical advisory group of experts. The goal was to develop a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policymakers who are working to address violence against women and girls at the individual, community, district/provincial, and national levels in developing countries.
  
  
• Cross-Generational Sex: Risks and Opportunities – July 2008 [PDF, 394KB]
  This new policy brief was produced by the IGWG and the Interagency Youth Working Group. It defines cross-generational sex, summarizes where it occurs, outlines the motivations behind the behavior, and recommends actions for policymakers and program managers. This brief builds on a lengthier publication, Addressing Cross-Generational Sex: A Desk Review of Research and Programs [PDF, 800KB], produced in August 2007.
  
  
• Sakhi Saheli – Promoting Gender Equity and Empowering Young Women: A Training Manual – April 2008 [PDF, 3.9MB]
  This training manual will benefit those engaged in programs that aim to involve young women in critical reflection on how gender-normative attitudes and behaviors can result in increasing their vulnerability to HIV and other reproductive health problems.
  
  
• New Voices, New Perspectives
  This research paper series from the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) includes papers written by post-graduate students with backgrounds in academia and policymaking. Ten papers cover issues related to gender, governance, and women's political participation; gender, migration, and remittances; and gender, peace, and security.
  
  
• Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG)
  This is a network that USAID and its partner organizations can use to share resources and best practices of health programs as they relate to gender equity.
  
  
• Office of Women in Development (WID)
  USAID believes strongly that women are key to effective development. WID addresses the many obstacles of poor women in developing nations. Lack of access to appropriate health services, education, and economic opportunities all hinder a woman’s chance to live a happy and healthy life. WID has a wide range of programs that work to address these issues and advance the status of women in society.
  
  
• Gender, Women, and Health (GWH)
  The World Health Organization's GWH program advocates gender equality in health for women and men around the world. GWH brings attention to the ways in which biological and sociocultural factors affect the health of women, men, boys, and girls. The GWH aims to increase knowledge and strengthen the health sector response by gathering evidence, strengthening capacity, and engaging in advocacy.