In the last decade, efforts to make the development, human rights and peace/security ‘mainstreams’ work for women have resulted in impressive gains as well as staggering failures. Futhermore, gains for women’s rights are facing growing resistance in many places and too often positive examples are the exception rather than the norm. This paper briefly outlines the successes and failures of the current UN system in addressing gender equality and women’s rights, and puts forth several principles and characteristics that are critical to reforming the gender equality architecture in order to deliver consistent positive gender equality outcomes.  [DOWNLOAD]

Development organisations can play a significant role in supporting women in the communities where they work to challenge unequal gender relations. The authors of this article argue that the majority of development organisations fail to do so because they pay insufficient attention to the importance of social institutions in perpetuating inequality. The article also examines how Gender at Work encourages development organisations to analyse gender relations in the societies in which they work, and in the organizationsinstitutions they need to challenge.  [DOWNLOAD]

In the world of feminist activism, we need to ask why change is not happening, what works, and what is next. This article points to the fact that while women have made many gains in the last decade, policies that successfully promote women's empowerment and gender equality are not institutionalised in the day-to-day routines of State, nor in international development agencies. The authors argue for changes which re-delineate who does what, what counts, who gets what, and who decides. They also outline key challenges and ways to envision change and strengthen the capacity of State and development organisations to deliver better on women's rights.  [DOWNLOAD]

Aruna Rao looks at how change is happening through the daily grind of gender equality activists. She argues that in order to achieve basic development objectives we need both better delivery and better accountability for a range services to women - not just education and health, but also agricultural extension, land registration and property protection, regulation of labour markets, and safety. She also argues that institutional insiders and outsiders need to support each others' different but complementary roles as change agents.  [DOWNLOAD]

In recent years, feminist scholarship and action has shifted its focus to the nature of institutional values and practices, and how they embody male agency, needs and interests, obstructing a gender equality agenda. This paper examines the role of organizations in unraveling institutional biases, how deep structure acts to hinder work on gender equality, and the need to weave new institutional rules for gender equality. The authors also present three complementary types of changes required - gender infrastructure, organizational change and programming for institutional change.  [DOWNLOAD]

Written by Aruna Rao, Rieky Stuart and David Kelleher, Gender At Work presents an analysis of the institutional barriers to gender equality. It describes how to uncover the hidden values and cultures in order to stimulate and entrench new, gender-equitable ways of working. It lays out strategies and approaches for transforming organizations into cultures expressing gender equity and describes how these approaches have been applied in five separate interventions. The book concludes with an analysis of the approaches used in the five case studies and examines what can be used to create even greater gender equality in the future.

This information-packed workbook contains a step-by-step guide for conducting four-day workshops in gender analysis. It also provides a "Gender Analysis Matrix" - a community-based technique for the identification and analysis of gender differences. Filled with useful learning tools on how to incorporate gender variables into development projects, the text is designed for gender training and self-teaching. The book includes practical case studies specifically chosen for gender training. These open-ended cases allow students to exercise problem-solving skills and develop practical solutions. Readers are also presented with alternative management strategies, and planning and evaluation techniques sensitive to gender issues. To order this book, CLICK HERE!

Restructuring, downsizing, rationalization, merger. These terms have become a part of every-day conversation within non-governmental organizations(NGOs). Indeed, the NGO community is facing new economic realities in an ever-changing environment. Grabbing the Tiger by the Tail proposes an approach to the organizational changes taking place that will equip NGOs with the skills they need to resolve their problems and inject new life into their organizations. The book describes in clear detail the work method which has been tested in Canadian NGOs and has yielded excellent results. To order this book, CLICK HERE!