Purpose
The Gender Audit is a self-assessment tool for identifying staff perceptions regarding how gender issues are addressed in programming and in internal organisational systems and activities. It is also a process for creating continuing gender-action planning, and to identify challenges and opportunities for increasing gender skills and organisational equality.
Overview
The Audit is organised into four steps:
- Preparing your organisation to carry out a Gender Audit: first, you need to gain support from senior leadership; second, you need to tell organisation staff what the gender audit is about and what steps are involved, including the benefits to the organisation and timeline; third, you need to develop a plan for communicating each step of the audit process to organisation staff.
- Surveying staff to uncover their perceptions regarding gender equality in the organisation and programmes: conduct the survey using the Gender Audit questionnaire. There is a choice of two survey instruments: a long or short version.
- Conducting focus groups to develop an organisational vision of gender equality: This is the point where a focused review by staff of the results of the questionnaire takes place. These conversations provide the basis for identifying actions that need to be taken to promote gender equality.
- Creating your organisation‘s Gender Action Plan: The primary output of the Gender Audit is a detailed Gender Action Plan that builds on the organisational strengths you have identified through the survey and focus group conversations.
Usage: Monitoring and evaluation
Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners
Reference: Morris, P. (2010). The Gender Audit Handbook: A tool for organisational self-assessment and transformation. InterAction. Pp. 2-135. Available from: https://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/Gender%20Audit%20Handbook%202010%20Copy.pdf
[Accessed: 18th July 2016]
