The global partnership to promote gender transformative evaluations
EvalGender+
Since 1995, profound improvements in women and girls’ lives have been made in many areas, including in the law, in politics and the economy, and in health and education. Inter-governmental, normative advances and commitments have been instrumental in bringing about these changes; but the pace and scale of progress remains uneven and inexorably slow, with no country on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for bolder commitments and even bolder actions by all development actors to realize the full promise of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development for people, planet and prosperity. As a force multiplier, accelerating progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women is fundamental to this effort. More than ever, systematic evidence and knowledge on what works for gender equality, why, for whom and in what circumstances is needed to catalyse equitable, inclusive, sustainable progress and amplify impact.
EvalGender+ has been working since 2015 to accompany development actors, decision-makers, grass-roots activists, students, and the entire global community in promoting gender transformative evaluation as an avenue to accelerate commitments to achieve the SDGs leaving no one behind. Gender transformative evaluative evidence has the power to ensure we are doing things right and doing the right things to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women.
EvalGender+ works on three different areas in order to contribute to achieving the SDGs by strengthening gender transformative evaluative evidence to better inform country-led national policies, strategies and plans, and voluntary national reviews, for decision-making. The three areas of work include:
- Advocacy and production of knowledge products related to gender transformative evaluation
- Promotion of gender transformative evaluative innovation through a Small Seeds Funds for Innovation
- Sharing and dissemination of knowledge, best practices and experiences
EvalGender+ works with a group of committed members representing voluntary organisations for professional evaluation from around the world.
Please check the members of the management group here.
Advocacy and production of knowledge products and tools related to gender transformative evaluation
EvalGender+ produces new knowledge products to advocate for the use of gender transformative evaluative evidence to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. This is done through volunteer work of EvalGender+ members of the management group and affiliates. EvalGender+ also supports national evaluation systems with innovative tools to integrate gender transformative methods in national monitoring and evaluation frameworks and country-led evaluations.
Key products to date
- EvalGender+; UN Women: Equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluation: An evolving practice in reporting Voluntary National Review; 2022
- EvalSDGs, EvalGender+, EvalPartners: EvalSDGs Insight #10: Transforming M&E for Achieving the SDGs, 2020
- EvalGender+, EvalPartners, EvalSDGs, UN Women, IIED:Equity-focused, gender-responsive evidence: a blind spot in VNR reporting , 2019
- EvalGender+ for UNDP NEC 2019 Proceedings, Gender-Evaluative Evidence: a blind spot in SDG reporting?
- VOPE Survey 2.0
- Capacity Development on Gender Transformative Evaluation with Cultural Relevance: A Global South-South Collaboration. Interregional Learning: Comparative Report of the three regions of the Global South, 2018
- Evaluating the Sustainable Development Goals with a “No one left behind” lens through equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluations, 2016 English, Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish
- Decalogue of evaluation from a gender perspective, 2015
- Guide to including a gender+ perspective in VOPES: innovating to improving institutional capacities, 2015
National Evaluation Systems
EvalGender+ has been providing support to countries national monitoring and evaluation systems to apply new tools and methodologies to evaluate SDGs with a transformative lens. EvalGender+ works with UN Women, Evaluation Associations and networks to advance this agenda.
Promotion of gender transformative evaluative innovation through a Small Seeds Funds for Innovation
EvalGender+ has launched a Small Seeds Funds for funding innovation in gender transformative evaluation. The objective is to provide seed funding for current or upcoming knowledge generation connected to equity-focused and gender responsive evaluations. Seed funding is provided on a competitive basis over 1 year.
The main objective is to identify and foster innovation for knowledge generation that can be used to advocate for more equity-focused and gender responsive evaluation in the context of the SDGs, to enrich the evaluation field.
Small Grants Winners 2022
Equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluation: An evolving practice in reporting Voluntary national reviews
Since the launch of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, countries have committed to presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at the High-level Political Forum to demonstrate their progress in implementing the SDGs.
The core principles of the 2030 Agenda are human rights, gender equality and a commitment to leave no one behind. As part of theresearch effort that the EvalGender+ and EvalSDGs networks initiated, countries in Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa were selected for a review on their VNRs. These reviews examined.
whether equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluative evidence has been integrated into the VNRs and the extent towhich these states have integrated gender equality and equity into their national policies and systems.
This report highlights the main results of the review of the 2022 VNRs conducted and suggests recommendations for enhanced integration of equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluative evidence in implementing the SDGs and preparing VNRs.
-
Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of four sub-Saharan African countries for the year 2022 – Aydan Macdougall, Charlotte Bull, Elena Gordillo Fuertes, Simran Pachar.
This regional report compiles a comparative analysis of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of four sub-Saharan African countries for the year 2022. These contributions come from the governments of Ghana, Malawi, Liberia and Somalia.
This analysis aims to inform the efforts of the United Nations (UN) Women Evaluation Division on their assessment of progress on gender equality around the world. The methodological framework used in this report mimics the evaluation framework proposed to our team by UN Women following a discussion with Ms Florencia Tateossian, Evaluation Specialist at UN Women EvalGender+, about how this framework may be used to assess the most recent VNRs.
The subsections of this framework include the dimensions of ‘Keywords’, ‘Governance’, ‘Methods’, ‘Evaluation’, ‘Gender Policies’, ‘Leave No-One Behind’ and ‘Looking Ahead’. Each of these categories has been examined in detail for all four countries to highlight trends in the progress and challenges that these African nations are facing while they work to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our analysis covers the entirety of each of the country VNR reports but focuses in particular on Goal 5 on Gender Equality and the ways in which gender is addressed throughout the report.
– Paper: VNR Africa
- Program Evaluation of United Nations Womens’ Gender Equality Efforts in Asia – Kopal Heda, Mitali Madhusmita, Nicole Ng, Simran Kaur, Xi Pu
Based on their respective Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) 2022, the following chapters highlight gender equality endeavors made by Jordan, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and United Arab Emirates (UAE), specifically in efforts to increase women’s political participation, preventing and addressing violence against women, implementing evidence-based policy-making, promoting women’s economic empowerment, ensuring social inclusion, and improving women’s health.
– Paper: VNR Asia
-
Equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluation in Latin America and the Caribbean: an evolving practice in reporting voluntary national reviews – Meredith Barkey, Melissa Lo, Nozomi Shirakawa, Rachel Thibeault, Liliane Umuhoza
The review covers a sample of four VNRs from 2022 in Latin America and the Caribbean. The selection of the sampled VNRs took into account the language in which they were presented, as the reviewing group had a limited understanding of Spanish and Portuguese languages. The sampled VNRs covered the Latin America and Caribbean region and included the following countries: Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname.
– Paper: VNR Latin America
Small Grants Winners 2021
- Brazilian Monitoring and Evaluation Network – Tatiana Vieira de Jesus
Rethinking the Evaluation of the 2030 Agenda Target 5.5: This article presents the results of action research with the aim of identifying new metrics for the evaluation of target 5.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which refers to ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life. The research instruments were built based on the method for social innovation Theory U. During the process, interviews were carried out with 17 women leaders from different racial and age groups and working in distinct sectors, as well as two meetings in small groups to create a set of elements for an evaluation that contributes to the strengthening of women’s role as leaders. In this way, this research sought to contribute to the generation of knowledge for equity-focused and gender responsive evaluations.
– Paper: Rethinking the Evaluation of the 2030 Agenda Target 5.5 (forthcoming)
- Academia National de Evaluadores de México – EvalGender Capitulo México -Edelith Romero Monterde and Macarena Orozco Martínez
English: The Gender Perspective (PEG) in the evaluation makes visible and contributes to transform inequalities, discrimination, violence and violations of human rights, especially of women and girls. This Diagnostic Evaluation aims to contribute to the strengthening of the National Academy of Evaluators of Mexico, A.C. (Aceval) and its community based on analyzing the current situation of the PEG both in the VOPE and in the training, skills and professional practices of its members. Various opportunities for improvement were identified, a route is proposed to advance in the transversality and institutionalization of the PEG in the organization and in the professionalization of the community. For this, evaluation was considered as a process of generating useful knowledge to transform and improve not only public policies, programs and projects, but also the social reality and the lives of people dedicated to the evaluative practice associates in a VOPE as Aceval.
Spanish: La Perspectiva de Género (PEG) en la evaluación visibiliza y contribuye a transformar desigualdades, discriminaciones, violencias y violaciones a los derechos humanos, especialmente de mujeres y niñas. La presente Evaluación Diagnóstica pretende contribuir al fortalecimiento de la Academia Nacional de Evaluadores de México, A.C. (Aceval) y su comunidad a partir de analizar la situación actual de la PEG tanto en la VOPE como en la formación, competencias y prácticas profesionales de sus integrantes. Se identificaron diversas oportunidades de mejora, se propone una ruta para avanzar en la transversalidad e institucionalización de la PEG en la organización y en la profesionalización del gremio. Para ello, se consideró a la evaluación como un proceso de generación de conocimiento útil para transformar y mejorar no sólo las políticas, programas y proyectos públicos, sino la realidad social y la vida de las personas entregadas a la práctica evaluativa agremiadas en una VOPE como Aceval.
- Full final report (Spanish)
- Graphic sheets (Spanish) ( A; B; C; D; E; F)
- Video (Spanish)
- Executive Summary (English)
- Graphic sheets (English) ( A; B; C; D; E; F )
- Gender an Equity Network South Asia – Dr. Shweta Anand and Bijita DevSharma
South Asia is home to extreme gender inequities and masculinities, male privilege and entitlements, and these remain underserved areas for gender and equity evaluation. Through our three key final products, which include – Report cum tip sheet on Evaluating Men & Masculinities in South Asia, an E-module on masculinities and transformative evaluation and a Podcast titled- Rethinking evaluative practices in the context of understanding men and masculinities in South Asia, we attempt to highlight some of the key evaluation issues and challenges as well as possible responses to it from the region. The two key questions that we have attempted to unpack are: (a) What evaluative practices have been most effective and contextually relevant towards a deeper understanding of masculinities in South Asia? ; (b) What evaluative lessons have been learned especially in the context of the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic?
– Podcast
- RedWIM – Red de Mujeres Latinoamericas y del Caribe en Gestion de Organizaciones – Solange Grandjean and Adriana Alonso
Gender perspective inclusion at small and medium private sector companies represent important challenges considering the Latin American context. The main challenge is directly related with the limited financial resources that changes investment priorities.
Gender evaluation is key to understand the process, barriers, achievements and lessons learned in the women inclusion at the labor market regarding career promotions, salary, work load, family – work balance and gender – based violence. This report shows the results from the implementation of a methodological tool to evaluate gender equality practices in four women-led private companies in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. The analysis includes the results and evaluation of gender gaps and recommendations to reduce and prevent them.
Small Grants Winners 2020
- Evaluation Association of Bhutan – Phunstsho Choden
Research Paper aimed to understand the lived experiences of women of different generations in Bhutan. It is part of an exercise to develop a local knowledge base to inform a gender equality policy evaluation framework.
- Sri Lanka Evaluation Association – Piroshini Trikawalagoda, Randika De Mel & Team
Study on the economic and social effects of the low-income earners in Sri Lanka and the extent of equity in action during the emergency arising from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The project includes provided the opportunity for capacity development for Young an Emerging Evaluators (YEEs) and two officers from the Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Unit of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs on using participatory interactive tools at grassroots level.
- SAHAJ -Society for Health Alternatives – Dr Nilangi Sardeshpande and Ms Renu Khanna
– Manual for Localising SDGs: Building capacities of grass roots organizations from a gender perspective
Sharing and dissemination of knowledge, best practices and experiences
The Community of Practice on Gender and Evaluation, with more than 1,100 members globally is an open global platform that promotes engendering national policy through evaluation. Gender and Evaluation will serve as a knowledge hub for gender transformative evaluation on behalf of EvalGender+.
We invite you to join the CoP by signing up at http://gendereval.ning.com and be part of the Gender and Evaluation growing community!
Events:
2022
- UNEG – EvalPartners Forum
- gLocal
- Innovations in gender transformative evaluations: experiences and learnings from South Asia, Brazil, Mexico and South America
- Recording of the Session
- Presentations
- ADRIANA MARÍA ALONSO ROZO, REDWIM: Evaluation of Gender Equality Good Practices in Women-Led Small and Medium Enterprises
- Tatiane de Jesus, EvalYouth Brazil / RBMA – Brazilian Monitoring and Evaluation Network: Rethinking the evaluation of SDG Target 5.5
- Edelith Romero Monterde, Academia Nacional de Evaluadores de México, (ACEVAL): Diagnostic Evaluation of ACEVAL
- Dr. Shweta Anand, Gender and Equity Network South Asia GENSA: Evaluating Men &Masculinities in South Asia
2021
- EES Virtual Panel
- EvalForward
- gLocal
- Transforming M&E for Achieving the SDGs: Gender Integration
- Becoming Feminist Evaluators: A learning Journey at Global Affairs Canada
- Dialogue on good practices in gender responsive evaluation
- EG+ Small Grant Winner: The covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of the vulnerable – learnings based on studies conducted in Sri Lanka & India
- UN Women – EvalGender Joint Webinars
2020
- gLocal
- EG+ Small Grant Winner: Localizing SDGs: what grassroots communities can teach us
- High Level Political Forum
- EvalMena
2019
- UNDP NEC Conference
- IDEAS Global Assembly
- Feminist Evaluation: First Hand Experiences and Reflections;
- Feminist Evaluation: From Principles to Practice
- AEA
- AFREA
2018
- EvalColombo: Global Parliamentarian Forum for Evaluation EvalGender+ and UN Women facilitated a side event at the Global Parliamentarians Forum on Evaluation in Colombo Sri Lanka. 24 Members of Parliament and evaluators engaged in discussion about how to promote gender responsive and equity focused evaluation within national evaluation systems.
2016
- Evaluating SDGs with an equity-focused and gender responsive lens A multi-skateholder event with EvalGender+, United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of UN Women, in collaboration with EvalPartners, Global Parliamentarians Forum for Evaluation, International Organizations for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Swiss Development Cooperation and Coneval Mexico to strengthen M&E systems to assess SDGs with an equity-focused and gender-responsive lens.
Gender and Evaluation Website
Visit the Gender and Evaluation site for more EvalGender+ initiatives http://gendereval.ning.com/
A Brief History
EvalGender+ was launched during the Global Evaluation Week at the Parliament of Nepal on 25 November 2015 in front of 450+ development professionals and policy makers, including almost 100 Parliamentarians from all over the world.
Resource Center
The Evalgender brochure (Updated June 2018)
Newsletter Issue #3, October 2017
English
Newsletter Issue #2, May 2017
English | Français | Español | Português
Newsletter Issue #1, February 2017
English | Français | Español
Helpdesk
If you would like additional information about EvalGender please contact
Sonal Zaveri, EvalGender+ Co-chair, sonalzaveri@gmail.com
Florencia Tateossian, Florencia.tateossian@unwomen.org