W4GF is working to bring additional visibility and links to gender assessments and has created stronger virtual platforms for women to gather, learn from each other and organise work in both English and French. Through this work, W4GF has been able to make the Global Fund more accessible to women and girls.
W4GF is currently focusing efforts in three countries. The work in Morocco has commenced (led by Association de lutte contre le SIDA (ALCS)) and work in Malawi and Tanzania is soon to kick off.
Download the full W4GF’s information note: Gender Assessments: Moving to gender transformative approaches now available also in French – Évaluations de genre : Vers des approches transformatrices de genre or watch a W4GF video below that explains it all
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What is the gender assessment tool?
The gender assessment tool supports countries to use a gender lens to assess HIV epidemics, contexts and responses to make HIV responses gender transformative, equitable and rights based.
W4GF Advocates can provide leverage to the gender assessments to influence changes during the review of national strategic plans (NSP) and they can support advocacy to inform funding requests submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).
Additionally, the Stop TB Partnership has developed a Protocol to conduct an integrated Tuberculosis (TB) Communities, Rights and Gender (CRG).This protocol is informed by the UNAIDS gender assessment together with national TB programmes and TB affected communities.
Gender assessments for HIV, TB and malaria
Conducting gender assessments can pave the way for more significant, transformational HIV responses that lead countries to achieve gender equality. Other important gender assessments across TB and malaria include:
- UNAIDS reviewed the HIV GAT in 2017 leveraging the lessons learned from the gender assessment tool for national HIV and tuberculosis (TB) responses
- The Malaria Matchbox is an important tool that should be scaled up as an innovative approach to guide gender integration into malaria policy and programme approaches. It helps to ensure equity in malaria programmes by connecting data on access and utilisation of healthcare services in accordance to malaria programmes in each country.
- The TB CRG Assessment described above and the TB Stigma Assessment
Where have they happened?
Gender assessments have been conducted in Benin, Central African Republic, Côte d´Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. These countries are at different stages of the process – some are just commencing the process and others have finalised their gender assessments. Other countries are currently doing the preparatory work prior to launching their gender assessment.
TB CRG Assessments have been performed in a total of 20 countries, namely: Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Ukraine
How can you get involved?
COVID-19 has generally derailed our progress across HIV, TB and malaria.
We must build on the momentum and political will to end gender inequality – and to ensure the rights and needs of women and girls affected by HIV – in all their diversity – are clear.
Now is the time to convene women in communities to call for gender assessment. The Gender Assessments provide a clear plan on how to ensure this happens in your country. It all starts with securing political will. Engaging with leaders who share your desire to ensure that your country is able to conduct a Gender Assessment often results in success. The following can be done to create momentum:
- Advocate that your country conduct a gender assessment which includes reviewing programmes on HIV, TB and malaria.
- Contact UNAIDS in your country, or the Stop TB Partnership or the RBM Partnership to End Malaria to determine what is happening in your country and offer a partnership with them, as a local community partner, with the ability to provide links and support.
- Benefit from national networks and seize opportunities to share information on what is happening in the gender assessment field.
- Engage with your governments and, if you have access, with champions, including your First Ladies who can sometimes provide tremendous support.
- Request workshops to strengthen national plans in the next twelve months and even consider writing a statement to appeal for the gender assessment to be conducted.
- If your country has performed a gender assessment, ensure that a review is made of your country’s funding requests to the Global Fund and assess how many of those recommendations are being supported.