EFA Gender Mainstreaming Checklist

The following is derived from the "Guidelines for Implementing, Monitoring and Evaluating Gender Responsive EFA Plans".

Stage 1 - Research and data collection

• Gender-sensitive men and women make up the research design team,
  data collectors and analysts. Gender training is provided, if needed.
• Sex-disaggregated qualitative and quantitative data is provided.
• National data is broken down into pertinent data sub-sets. (i.e. urbanrural;key socio-cultural and economic subgroups).
• Qualitative data explores gender disparities.
• Teaching-learning materials are analyzed to identify if there is gender
  bias.
• Teaching-learning processes and teacher training processes are assessed to see if teaching methods are appropriate for male and female learners.
• Ministry of Education strengthens its own gender and education
  research by exchanging information with other education stakeholders
  (education NGOs, research centres and other civil sector sources)
• When research gaps are identified, new education research/surveys are conducted using a gender lens.

Stage 2 - Policy and planning

• The Minister of Education and senior MoE management send clear
  messages throughout MoE and to education stakeholders that MoE is
  firmly committed to gender-equal education. This message is given at
  all major EFA meetings.
• The planning team is composed of gender-sensitive women and men.
  The Gender Focal Point is a member. Additional gender experts join
  the team, as needed.
• All members of the planning team are oriented in gender concepts and the major gender and education issues in their country.
• The EFA plan has gender-responsive goals, objectives and a gender
  mainstreaming strategy aimed at meeting these objectives.
• Central to the EFA plan is the commitment to meeting the basic
  requirements of girls and boys, and of the women and men who teach
  them.
• EFA policy and planning is grounded in the gender and education
  research compiled in Stage 1.
• Key education stakeholders, inside and outside government, are
  involved in the EFA planning process.
• Planners carefully assess the potential of affirmative action measures
  to help meet the special needs of disadvantaged boys and girls, men
  and women.
• The EFA plan includes indicators to measure gender progress.
• The EFA plan’s budget clearly identifies funds for target groups and
  activities aimed at reducing gender disparities. Explicit funds are also
  identified for gender advocacy and training.
• Planning and budgeting for the design and construction of education
  and literacy facilities is done from a gender perspective.

Stage 3 - Implementation

• Women and men make up the implementation board or core
  implementation team. The Gender Focal Point is a member. Additional
  gender specialists join, as needed.
• Gender training is provided to the senior management team.
• A budget and process exist for providing practical gender information,
  tools and resources to MoE staff.
• A trainer-of-trainer network is formed to provide gender training to
  all deliverers of formal and non-formal education.
• A gender component is built into all training and capacity-building
  activities.
• Schools involve parents and others in their communities so all education stakeholders see the value of each girl and each boy getting a quality education. (i.e. parent-teacher associations, school management committees, local businesses, community leaders)
• Priority is given to creating:
• gender-responsive teacher pre-service and in-service
• teaching-learning materials that are free of gender bias
• defining and delivering ‘child-friendly’ learning environments that empowers girls and boys
• mechanisms for recognition of teachers and administrators who
  advance gender equality in positive and creative ways.

Stage 4 - Monitoring and evaluation

• Monitoring and evaluation teams have both male and female members.
• All members of the M&E teams are trained in gender analysis and in
  gender mainstreaming.
• An M&E system is in place that identifies specific gender equality results, gender indicators and cost-effective ways to collect meaningful data.
• Whenever possible, the beneficiaries (students, teachers, communities) are consulted in identifying indicators and data collection methods.
• Gender progress is monitored regularly as an integral part of MoE’s
  monitoring activities.
• Clear gender mainstreaming requirements are built into MoE’s
  monitoring checklist and its evaluation checklist.
• Sex-disaggregated qualitative and quantitative data is collected.
• Monitoring reports are distributed to policy-makers, beneficiaries and
  key stakeholders for feedback and recommendations.

Stage 5 - Sharing and use of lessons learned

• Finalized monitoring and evaluation reports, which have
  comprehensive analysis of gender progress, are presented in roundtable discussions involving MoE senior officials and key national
  education stakeholders. (donors, international education organizations, education institutions and education NGOs) Comments and recommendations are given.
• Comments and recommendations on gender progress are also gathered from schools, communities and administrators.
• M&E results and recommendations from internal and external
  stakeholder consultations are fed into MoE’s policy and planning
  process. They become the basis for MoE revising its objectives,
  strategies, training and other implementation activities.
• The media is briefed periodically by MoE senior management on
  gender and education issues and gender progress. The Gender Focal
  Point is part of the briefing team.

This EFA Gender Mainstreaming Checklist was created by the GENIA Network of Asian MOE Gender Focal Points - 2003