International Labour Organization
SEAPAT
South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team

Unit 1: A conceptual framework for gender analysis and planning

Tool: Constraints and opportunities profile

This tool helps construct a profile about the constraints and opportunities in the environment that can potentially influence gender-related development efforts in the area.

The following are two examples of constraints and opportunity profiles for gender analysis: You can use any or both of them to construct your own profile, as relevant to your work.

Example 1

Constraints and opportunities profile
Description	Opportunity	Constraint
Economic/demographic conditions
Institutional arrangements
Norms and values
Political environment
Legislation
Training and education
Other

Example 2
 

Supports and Constraints Profile
	Supports (which patterns in the area make life better?)	Constraints (which patterns in the area make life more difficult?)
Physical	e.g.: are there environmental problems in the area?	e.g.: are there environmental advantages in the area?
Social	e.g.: do both girls and boys go to school equally?	e.g.: are women/men moving out of the area?
Economic	e.g.: do both women and men have access to new technology?	e.g.: are women/men getting poorer?
Political	e.g.: do both women and men have leadership roles?	e.g.: who decides who can use resources?

[Adapted from Gender Issues in the World of Work: Gender Training Package, ILO, Geneva, 1995 and Vicki L. Wilde and Arja Vainio-Mattila, International Training Package: Gender Analysis and Forestry, FAO, Rome, 1995.]

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