A manual for gender audit facilitators. The ILO participatory gender audit methodology

This manual provides gender audit facilitators with guidelines and practical instructions on how to plan and implement participatory gender audits in an organizational context. Structured chronologically, the manual is a step-by-step guide that provides the facilitators with a set of tools that help examine the extent to which equality is being institutionalized; identify good practices in technical work and point to effective and efficient ways of moving forward in mainstreaming gender in all work activities, thereby supporting an organization's commitment to gender equality.

The first of its kind in the UN system, the ILO Participatory Gender Audit is a tool that supports an organization's commitment to gender equality by examining the extent to which equality is being institutionalized; helping to identify good practices in technical work; and pointing to effective and efficient ways of moving forward in mainstreaming gender in all work activities.

A step-by-step approach is used that leads facilitators through each stage of the audit process, culminating with a set of recommendations and an action plan on how to improve the gender mainstreaming strategy in a given institutional setting. The manual also explains the rationale behind the use of the participatory methodology, its usefulness and relevance.

Though developed primarily to guide gender audit facilitators within the ILO, the manual can easily be adapted to suit a wide variety of organizations wishing to conduct gender audits at either institutional, programme or project levels.