Integrating Gender into the Design of Cash Transfer and Public Works Programmes – Fao Technical Guide 2: A Toolkit on Gender-Sensitive Social Protection Programmes to Combat Rural Poverty and Hunger

Introduction

Welcome to FAO Technical Guide 2 – Integrating gender into the design of cash transfer and public works programmes. This is the second of three technical guides in the Toolkit on gender-sensitive social protection programmes to combat rural poverty and hunger (see Figure 1).

The purpose of the Toolkit

This Toolkit on gender-sensitive social protection programmes to combat rural poverty and hunger is designed to support social protection (SP) practitioners in their efforts to systematically apply a gender lens to SP programmes in ways that are in line with FAO commitments¹ to expanding inclusive SP systems for rural populations. The Toolkit is intended to deepen the knowledge and technical skills practitioners require to integrate gender issues effectively into the design, delivery, and monitoring and evaluation of cash transfers and public works programmes (PWPs). The Toolkit has a specific focus on SP’s role in reducing gender inequalities and rural poverty and hunger. For a detailed discussion of the rationale and scope of the Toolkit, see Technical Guide 1. The Toolkit is designed for government staff involved in SP programme development and implementation. It may also be of use to FAO gender and social protection focal points in regional and country offices, development partners and SP practitioners in general.

Overview of Technical Guide 2

Technical Guide 2, which provides practical advice on how to formulate and design a gender-sensitive cash transfer and PWP, has four parts:

Part 1: A guide to undertaking a gender-sensitive poverty and vulnerability analysis (GSPVA).

Part 2: How to integrate gender considerations into the core design features of cash transfers.

Part 3: How to integrate gender considerations into the core design features of PWPs.

Part 4: Enhancing gender impacts of social transfers through complementary support.

Technical Guide 2 combines conceptual and empirical insights, illustrative examples, and practical tools, such as checklists and exercises (see Annexes 1-5). It is intended for beginners and men and women with an intermediate level of experience in working in SP policy and programming.

How should the technical guides be used?

The technical guides in the Toolkit follow a logical programming sequence: from planning and design to implementation and monitoring and evaluation. Each technical guide can be used as a stand-alone resource or in combination with the other technical guides. Figure 1 indicates the key issues and topics covered in the technical guides. Users can work at their own pace and according to their personal interests and learning objectives, without direct guidance or facilitation.

The combination of techniques used throughout the technical guides is designed to build on the participants’ existing knowledge and experience.

The technical guides can be adapted for, and used in face-to-face training workshops with a dedicated facilitator to respond to specific country demands and contexts. The combination of techniques used throughout the technical guides is designed to build on the participants’ existing knowledge and experience.

How were the technical guides prepared?

The technical guides are based on:

a comprehensive review of literature on gender, rural poverty and vulnerability, SP, and gender-sensitive SP programming. The review combined theoretical and conceptual review of literature including impact evaluations and case studies;

expert consultations with key partners within and outside FAO;

policy and operational insights into gender-sensitive SP, gathered during a series of webinar events on gender and SP organized by FAO and the IPC-IG;² and

a peer review by external experts, academics and senior FAO staff.

The technical guides are based on: a comprehensive review of literature, expert consultations, policy and operational insights and a peer review by external experts.

1.1 Purpose and objectives of the GSPVA

The GSPVA is a starting point for developing gender-sensitive SP programmes. Before formulating programme objectives and design features, it is critical to establish a comprehensive understanding of gender dynamics in a given context and their links to rural poverty. Conducting the GSPVA allows SP programme designers to understand the ways poverty and vulnerability affect women and men differently throughout their lives, and the different needs women and men have for SP. This information can help to identify gender equality programme objectives, and ensure the programme is designed in a manner that is sensitive to these different needs and priorities of men and women. In this way, the SP programme can better satisfy both the practical needs of women and men (e.g. food, housing, employment) and their strategic interests (e.g. education and training, decision-making, political power).

The GSPVA asks questions in four key areas.

The GSPVA asks questions in four key areas:

i. What are the specific risks and vulnerabilities that rural women and men face? How do gender norms and inequalities affect the vulnerability and poverty of women relative to men?

ii. What are the various potential gender-related factors (e.g. the socio-cultural, economic, financial, political and legal obstacles) that limit the participation of rural women and men in the programme, and hinder their access to and control over benefits?

iii. What are the programme’s likely gendered impacts, both positive and negative, and how are different stakeholders likely to affect, or be affected by, the programme activities and outcomes?

iv. What are the potential challenges and opportunities for the SP programmes to promote gender equality and economic empowerment of rural women?

Box 1 provides an example of a GSPVA in action.

Performing the GSPVA allows programme designers to develop SP programmes that help rural women and men to overcome poverty and food insecurity in a more effective and sustainable way by: (i) taking the specific needs, priorities and perspectives of both women and men into account; (ii) not excluding or harming the well-being of women and men; and (iii) addressing gender-specific livelihood constraints.

The GSPVA can also generate baseline data that can be used to track the impact of the programme on gender-related issues.

The GSPVA is particularly relevant during the formulation stage of the SP programme. It enables staff to integrate gender effectively into key elements of SP programming based