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