2021 IOB - gender mainstreaming evaluation

IOB Evaluation
Gender mainstreaming in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign AffairsBeyond ‘add women and stir’? June 2021

"Future perspective
In conclusion, true gender mainstreaming goes beyond the ‘add women and stir’ approach where women are invited to participate in interventions, the design of which has not changed. If gender mainstreaming aims to be transformative, a more comprehensive approach is needed. Such an approach would include the integration of gender equality targets throughout all phases of the policy cycle and also take male perspectives on board. Expectations for transformative change in short-term and small-scale projects should however always be treated realistically and only be addressed in projects and evaluations that are able to reflect on such high-order processes, such as country-level evaluations that review a period of 10 to 15 years.

IOB Report

"IOB’s recommendations:

i. Examine whether the current quantitative and qualitative outcome and impact indicators can be used for annual reporting on gender equality and women’s rights;

ii. Ensure that a more consistent distinction is made between outcome/impact and output indicators;

iii. Systematically introduce gender-disaggregated indicators in all relevant policy areas and systematically collect and analyse related data;

iv. Strife for consistency in the use of conceptual approaches toward gender in both evaluations and the programme design stage’; and v. Ensure that, apart from gender-related questions and the need to undertake a gender impact assessment, a budget is set aside for involving gender expertise – or explain why this is not necessary."

Sources and read more

IOB report mainstreaming beleid

Kamerbrief IOB rapport Gender Mainstreaming