Briefing on the Gender Audit: Making the Grade on Gender Integration

As a part of its congressional briefing series, InterAction hosted a briefing on the "The Gender Audit: Making the Grade on Gender Integration".   The briefing was co-hosted by the Women's EDGE Coalition.  The presenters at the briefing were Patricia Morris, former Deputy Director of the Commission on the Advancement of Women, InterAction (Director of Programs at Women for Women International as of January 3, 2005); Elisa Martinez, Senior Program Advisor for Gender Equity and Diversity, CARE USA; and Fatuma Hashi, Director of Gender and Development, World Vision.  Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) opened the briefing by noting how far gender issues has come in Congress and by noting that more remains to be done.  Representative Lowey's remarks were followed by welcoming remarks by Sam Worthington, CEO of Plan USA/Childreach and co-chair of the Commission on the Advancement of Women.   

Patricia Morris opened the presentation portion of the briefing by describing and defining The Gender Audit.  The Gender Audit is an organizational self-assessment tool and action planning process.  It is designed to build the capacity of international development and humanitarian assistance organizations to systematically integrate gender equality throughout their field programs and in organizational structures and processes.  Elisa Martinez and Fatuma Hashi discussed their organizations' experiences of undergoing the gender audit and the impact the audit has had on their field programs.  Both speakers noted that political will and leadership at the top of an organization are necessary to achieve gender equity within an organization and at the program level. 

The briefing was attended by key staff including staff from the offices of Representatives Kolbe, Lowey, Slaughter and Senator Lugar.

View World Vision's Presentation on Transformational Development and the Promotion of Justice: Integrating Gender and Development in the World Vision Partnership 

View CARE's presentation on Mainstreaming Gender Equity and Diversity: Lessons from CARE’s Journey

View InterAction's presentation on Gender Mainstreaming for Effective Development Assistance: InterAction’s Gender Audit