GTCoP - Community of Practice Training for Gender Equality

This gender equality training manual was developed under the Commonwealth Equality Project (CEP) and supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. It was developed as part of the efforts towards integrating an intersectional lens in the engagement of issues surrounding the advancement of women and girls. The purpose of the manual is to enhance overall understandings of human rights and gender equality pertaining, to introduce intersectionality and to guide participants on how to incorporate an intersectional analysis in gender equality related issues in the Maldives.

This training manual will support both UN Women and UN system staff to better approach the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) engagement from a gender perspective. It provides guidance to facilitators and organizers on how to plan, prepare for, and conduct training on gender-responsive UNSDCF engagement. The manual is geared towards staff members who are required to deliver training on gender-responsive UNSDCF engagement to UN and partner colleagues.

This is the  2017 UN Women Training Centre Catalogue of courses. It features a schedule of courses offered by modality, resources, upcoming courses and forthcoming initiatives. It is available in English, Spanish and French.

This paper constructs a proposed theory of change for training for gender equality, which is depicted graphically in line with good practice in Theory of Change methodologies. This is accompanied by an overarching change narrative, elaborating how the different elements of the Theory of Change work together to create pathways to gender-transformative change, and the key assumptions on which the Theory of Change is premised. The Theory of Change proposed in this paper maps out how different aspects and processes of training for gender equality support the impact of training in achieving the long-term goals and broader vision of transformation. It serves to demonstrate the ongoing value of training for gender equality, whilst at the same time advocating for adequate funding and resources, as well as political will at the highest level. The paper develops a strong argument for systematically incorporating a Theory of Change approach into the course development process, and proposes how this could be integrated into the Training Cycle.

This paper explores how feminist pedagogical principles – in line with the UN Women Training Centre’s commitment to ‘participatory, non-hierarchical, and power-sharing learning’ – can guide the theory and practice of training for gender equality. The paper identifies four key principles which characterize feminist pedagogies, which work together towards an overarching goal of transforming patriarchal structures and oppression, which is at the core of all feminist pedagogical work: participatory learning; validation of personal experience; encouragement of social justice, activism and accountability; and development of critical thinking and open-mindedness.

This paper explores how feminist pedagogical principles – in line with the UN Women Training Centre’s commitment to ‘participatory, non-hierarchical, and power-sharing learning’ – can guide the theory and practice of training for gender equality. The paper identifies four key principles which characterize feminist pedagogies, which work together towards an overarching goal of transforming patriarchal structures and oppression, which is at the core of all feminist pedagogical work: participatory learning; validation of personal experience; encouragement of social justice, activism and accountability; and development of critical thinking and open-mindedness.

With this paper, the UN Women Training Centre sets out preliminary guidelines for a conceptual and methodological approach to gender-transformative evaluation of training for gender equality. A conceptual framework for gender-transformative evaluation of training for gender equality needs to take into account the non-linear, uncertain and ambiguous nature of change. A commitment to feminist transformation, adherence to feminist pedagogical principles and a flexible, dynamic approach can support a gender-transformative approach to evaluation which in turn informs the practice of training for gender equality. In terms of methodologies, feminist pedagogical principles and practices can be applied at all stages of the evaluation process and training cycle. It is hoped that this paper will lead to a deepening of debates on gender-transformative evaluation and a sharing of good practices to work collectively to demonstrate the impact of training on gender equality.

This Typology offers a classification of different aspects and forms of training for gender equality. It supports training commissioners to plan, develop, design, deliver and evaluate training-related activities more strategically and realistically. Whatever form is undertaken, all training for gender equality is ultimately about gender-transformative change. It is also important to recall that different kinds of training are not mutually exclusive or set in stone. Effective learning is an on-going, continuous and dynamic process, a “circle” or “cycle” of learning rather than a linear trajectory. The Typology derives from the experiences and reflections of the UN Women Training Centre, including several pieces of work it has undertaken, such as the Review of how training for gender equality has evolved since the Beijing Platform of Action, Annual Work Plan Reviews from a training perspective; reports of the Expert Group Meeting on Training for Gender Equality ; and the Working Paper Series. This is the second edition, following changes in key debates and research in the field.

This paper explores the differences between training and education, specifically in relation to training for gender equality. The objective is to further clarify the UN Women Training Centre’s definition of training for gender equality, and in particular how it differs from and overlaps with the field of feminist adult education. While there are key differences between training for gender equality and feminist adult education, they share a common commitment to feminist pedagogical principles and practices. As such, it is more helpful to conceptualize these two fields as co-constituting on a continuum of learning, as opposed to in opposition.

With the publication “The legacy of INSTRAW in promoting the rights of women. A historical record of the Institute between 1976 and 2010”, the UN Women Training Centre hopes to help record the past history of UN Women and the worldwide struggle by women for their rights. Although it does not claim to be exhaustive it provides an essential starting point for a closer look at the achievements of institutions like INSTRAW in improving the status of women and girls. The publication is available in English and Spanish.