All USAID programming has the potential to advance gender equality and/or leverage the benefits of greater equity to drive sector-specific impact. To do so requires integrated, evidence-based approaches and intentional actions to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls throughout USAID’s Program Cycle and in every sector. Good practices include:
- Having a dedicated discussion with the implementing partner in the post-award meeting on USAID’s gender requirements and expectations for the activity;
- Provide the A/COR with assistance needed to effectively integrate gender into activity implementation through regular communication, and, on occasions where this is useful, the gender advisor may accompany the A/COR on site visits or meetings with implementing partners;
- Encouraging IPs to submit a gender action plan describing how gender will be integrated into all phases of the work plan and the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan on the basis of the gender analysis;
- Encourage implementing partners to include both responsive and transformative approaches in the work plan to address gender gaps and root causes of inequalities identified in gender analysis;
- If no gender advisor or specialist is hired under the activity, require implementing partners to identify (and train) a gender point of contact with a dedicated level of effort (LoE) to support gender integration across the implementation cycle. Note that it is a best practice to ensure implementing partners have a dedicated gender expert involved in the activity;
- Ensure project/activity targeting strategy is inclusive of women and men in all their diversity, including LGBTQI+ individuals and individuals facing multiple forms of marginalization;
- Link implementing partners to local networks of women leaders, women’s rights organizations, LGBTQI+ organizations, and other stakeholders in support of gender equality in order to leverage these resources to reduce gender gaps through activity implementation;
- Include gender equality as a point of discussion during project/activity partner and stakeholder meetings;
- Ensure implementing partners address capacity deficits of staff and partners in regards to gender integration through training or other adult-learning centered activities;
- Ensure that implementing partners report on gender-related progress and results in quarterly or other reports if relevant;
- Ensure that any observed unintended gender-related consequences of the activity, including risk to GBV, are being monitored, documented, and mitigated.
