Goal of the policy paper is to support the achievement of equality between women and men to ensure sustainable development. CDD’s Internal Policy document on Gender Equality represents the main principles of the organization concerning the gender equality. Concrete activities and guidelines will be developed and included to support the implementation of the policy.
Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness, measures must often be available to compensate for historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field. Equity leads to equality. Gender equality means that women and men enjoy the same status. Gender equality means that women and men have equal conditions for realizing their full human rights and potential to contribute to national, political, economic, social and cultural development, and to benefit from the results. Gender equality is therefore the equal valuing by society of both the similarities and differences between women and men, and the varying roles that they play.
Guiding Principles
• Gender equality must be considered as an integral part of all CDD policies, programs and projects;
• Achieving gender equality requires the recognition that every policy, program and project affects women and men differently;
• Achieving gender equality does not mean that women become the same as men;
• Women's empowerment is central to achieving gender equality;
• Promoting the equal participation of women as agents of change in environmental, economic, social and political processes is essential to achieving gender equality;
• Gender equality can only be achieved through partnership between women and men;
• Achieving gender equality will require specific measures designed to eliminate gender inequalities; and CDD policies, programs, and projects should contribute to gender equality.
Definition of terms
This chapter explains the main terms used in CDD gender policy, with definitions being based on the EU glossary.
Gender - “A concept that refers to the social differences between women and men that have been learned are changeable over time and have wide variations both within and between cultures. Gender refers to the rules, norms and practices by which the biological differences between men and women, boys and girls, are interpreted so as to result in unequal assessments, possibilities and opportunities in life.”
Gender equality - “The concept that all human beings are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by strict gender roles; that the different aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favored equally.”
Empowerment - “The process of gaining access and developing one’s capacities with a view to participating actively in shaping one’s own life and that of one’s community in economic, social and political terms.”
Gender mainstreaming -The strategy for implementing the aim of gender equality and empowerment of women is called “gender mainstreaming”, which is generally defined as follows: “Gender mainstreaming concerns planning, (re)organisation, improvement, development and evaluation of policy processes so that a gender equality perspective is incorporated in all development policies, strategies and interventions, at all levels and at all stages by the actors normally involved therein.”
Implementation and Assessment
CDD’s Chairperson is appointed as responsible for annually coordinating and following-up on the implementation of the Gender Equality policy and to report to the board on quarterly bases.
