Unit 3: How to mainstream gender in ILO operations

Gender analysis in country objectives reviews

Gender integrated country objectives

The Active Partnership Policy

The ILO's active partnership policy aims at bringing the ILO closer to governments, employers' and workers' organisations which make up its membership. It is based on the principle of continuous dialogue, leading to the definition of a set of country objectives and a programme of work on social or labour issues that the ILO and its social partners are committed to achieving in the country.

The country objectives must reflect the needs and requirements of the tripartite constituents. At the same time they must be in keeping with the values of the ILO.

The country objectives should be realistically obtainable over a period of 3 to 4 years.

The actors: "tripartite plus"

The ILO constituents in each country are the government (Ministry of Labour), the national employers' association and the national trade union federation. The consultation on the country objectives should also take place with other ministries and national institutions and organisations working in fields of importance to the ILO.

In the case of gender, this may include the national women's ministry or bureau, non-governmental organisations working on gender, and community-based women's groups. Thus, for ensuring gender-responsive dialogue, the notion of "tripartite-plus" is a useful one to remember.

The ILO Area Office director is responsible for initiating discussions with the constituents. The director can call upon the technical advice of the multidisciplinary team specialists and/or the headquarters' technical department specialists—including gender specialists—to analyse the various social and labour issues.

Gender integrated country objectives

ILO's focus on gender analysis and planning is an integral part of ILO's goals and future plans. The country objectives serve to advance ILO's three main objectives:

1. democracy
2. workers' protection
3. reduction in poverty and unemployment

The objectives must also serve to overcome inequalities between men and women, which operate to the detriment of society as a whole. It is therefore important to identify methods, approaches and strategies that favour the full integration of gender concerns in the country objectives. The applicability of these methods and strategies may vary according to region and their relevance to categories of constituents.

There will often be the need to clarify the gender perspective in the social and labour issues identified as they affect men and women in a differentiated way. The country objectives should reflect this. Gender-related issues are often intersectoral. The multidisciplinary approach adopted by the ILO should therefore help in addressing gender issues.

Steps in the country objectives process

[Frequent contacts among the ILO Area Office, the MDT specialists and the ILO constituents and other concerned parties are required throughout the process.]

1. During the preparatory phase, prior to undertaking the country objectives mission, the ILO Area Office should familiarise the tripartite constituents with the purpose and need for the country objectives exercise—-and of the need for making these objectives gender responsive. Special attention should be paid to clarifying with the constituents which of their needs should have priority.

2. The Area Office should make a preparatory (desk) survey of technical assistance to the country over the last ten years and should assess its impact to the extent possible. It should also carry out a review of major donor programmes in the country, to help in identifying potential donor support for ILO's programme of action. The survey should highlight the extent of gender-responsiveness of these programmes.

3. The Area Office can prepare a background note, reviewed by technical departments, analysing recent economic and social developments and tentatively outlining priority areas for ILO's work in the country. At this time, gender analysis should be undertaken to identify gender differences in socioeconomic activities, needs and priorities. Priority gender concerns, if any, should be specified.

4. The country objectives review should then take place. This may require a multidisciplinary mission to the country, led by the Area Office director. The mission should have full consultations with the "tripartite-plus" partners.

5. The Area Office should draw up the first draft of the country objectives statement, for comments by ILO technical departments. The Area Office will have further consultations with the constituents to finalise the draft statement. The final statement will include:

6. Constituents should endorse the finalised country objectives. The objectives should be publicised through a national seminar or conference.

7. The Area Office may set up a "tripartite-plus" committee to oversee the process of developing the country objectives.

8. The country objectives require full consultations with constituents at each stage. Gender concerns must be adequately discussed with representatives of constituents, with government agencies and NGOs working on gender, and with women's organisations. These consultations should result in building formal or informal alliances to help develop ways to achieve greater equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women. Such alliances can ensure the identification of gender-integrated objectives and their proper implementation. Finally, these alliances can help identify expertise available within the country on gender concerns.

[Adapted from Gender Issues in the World of Work: Gender Training Package, ILO, Geneva, 1995]

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