Last year the team at Strategic Grants helped write or critique close to 50 applications for the competitive Perpetual IPAP Grant. And while outcomes measurement continues to be a challenge for many charities, the recent focus on how organisations apply a gender lens to project outcomes seems to be catching many off guard.
But, what do funders mean by this?
Historically, the world has been created by heterosexual men which has resulted in biases that often disadvantage women and gender diverse people.
We’ve been socially conditioned to make generalised assumptions when it comes to things like societal roles and the skills that each gender possess.
We’re not usually conscious of these biases and that’s where applying a gender lens comes in. It represents an opportunity to think deliberately about how different genders are impacted by the world, and more specifically by the programs designed to help them.
When funders ask how you are applying a gender lens, they want to know how your proposed project has (or will) recognise and respond to the different needs, experiences, and outcomes for individuals based on their gender.
There are number of reasons that funders are increasingly asking this question:
1. To support projects that are addressing gender-based inequity
Ask yourself: Does your project actively work to reduce gender disparities or promote equal opportunities for people of all genders?
Real life examples: Mettle acknowledged the lack of safe and accessible employment for women experiencing homelessness (often due to domestic violence). In response, they created a social enterprise to provide opportunities for women to establish financial independence with the aim of preventing women from returning to homelessness or their abuser.
Action can also be taken at an organisational level. One of our clients has adopted an organisation-wide Gender Equality Action Plan, embedding a commitment to improving workplace gender equality.
2. To understand gender-specific impacts
Ask yourself: How might the proposed project affect different genders in unique ways? Are the results of the project evaluated through a gendered perspective to see if and how each group is impacted differently? How is your organisation using gender-specific insights to inform service delivery design, implementation, and evaluation? If your program targets a particular group (e.g. women) is it also impacting men and boys?
Real life example: The Big Issue discovered that women weren’t participating in their street vendor program due to safety concerns and caregiving responsibilities. In response, they created a women’s enterprise that took these challenges into consideration.
3. To promote inclusivity
Ask yourself: Can you demonstrate how your project will create an environment where people of all genders are represented, valued, and able to participate equally? Is there diverse representation at leadership level, do you adopt gender-inclusive language and policies, have you considered barriers that might prevent people from participating in focus groups?
Real life example: One of our clients, a prominent conservation council, are working to ensure at least 50% of volunteers and engaged community members are women. This action was taken in response to research showing that women are disproportionately vulnerable to climate issues and often provide leadership at a household and community level.
The potential pitfalls of applying a gender lens
Gender alone doesn’t determine inequality or guarantee a universal experience. For example, the needs, barriers and experiences of a 50-year-old First Nations woman might differ hugely to a young Caucasian woman with a disability.
So, while applying a gender lens to charitable projects has huge benefits, it is important that we also take into consideration intersectionality – understanding how different aspects of a person’s identity may impact them (e.g. race, age, socioeconomic status, sexuality and disability). Failure to do so could lead to inaccurate assumptions or even reinforcing gender stereotypes instead of challenging them.
All this isn’t to say we should throw applying a gender lens out the window, but rather to approach the exercise with caution and careful consideration.
The takeaway
A gender lens is a conscious effort to consider if and how our actions are impacting different genders.
Don’t think of applying a gender lens as a chore, or way to secure more funds, but rather as an opportunity for curiosity and to maximise the impact of your work for all beneficiaries.
Strategic Grants is Australia and New Zealand’s most trusted team of grants specialists, delivering the largest funding base of AU and NZ funders through the GEMS funding database and wrap around consulting services. Find out more about Team SG here.