Gender-responsive evaluation for a sustainable future for all
Step 2: When should you analyse gender impacts?
In principle, all EU interventions should be analysed for gender impacts.
While we recognise that no intervention or policy area is neutral with regard to gender equality, in line with the principle of proportionate analysis,[1]not all evaluations have to assess all types of impacts in depth – including gender impacts.
Use the following guidance to balance the principle of proportionate analysis with the commitment to assess gender impacts and make decisions in the context of your evaluation.
Consider: is the intervention you will evaluate people related? Does it affect people’s lives?
In the case of many EU policies, the answer to these questions is ‘yes’. If this applies to your intervention, this would be a reason for you to identify its impacts on equality between women and men, girls and boys, in more detail.
Consider: does the intervention have specific requirements relating to the assessment of gender impacts and gender mainstreaming?
In particular, some EU funds and investments have established specific requirements regarding gender equality and gender mainstreaming (*), including the CPR, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Horizon Europe and the Social Climate Fund.
If this applies to your intervention, this would be a reason for you to identify its impacts on equality between women and men, girls and boys, in more detail.
Consider: is the intervention you will evaluate related to important horizontal or cross-cutting policy priorities such as the European Green Deal?
Given its overarching impact on present and future generations, if the intervention to be evaluated relates to the green transition, you should consider assessing its gender impacts to ensure that no one is left behind.
Consider: what was the intervention's approach to gender equality?
This will also help you to establish whether or not you need to further assess its gender impacts for example by reflecting on whether it intended to advance gender equality (i.e. it was gender targeted) or made any gender-based assumptions (i.e. it was gender-biased) or made any gender-based assumptions (i.e. it was gender biased).
When reflecting on your intervention’s approach to gender equality, it will be useful to familiarise yourself with EIGE’s model to assess the contribution to gender equality of different interventions.[3] In line with international standards for gender-responsive policymaking, EIGE has developed minimum criteria to consider if an intervention has used a gender-responsive approach in its design and implementation and, thus, contributed to gender equality.
In addition, consider these guiding questions:
Is promoting gender equality or closing a particular gender gap the main objective of the intervention (i.e. is it gender-targeted)? Was the intervention expected to have a substantial positive impact on gender equality?
Did the intervention have, whether directly or indirectly, different impacts on women and men, in all their diversity? If so, why? Was this a desired outcome (such as closing a gender gap), or was it unintended?
Was gender equality and intersectionality considered in the design of the intervention, including in its objectives, budget and beneficiaries?
Were gender mainstreaming methods and tools used during the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the intervention?
If your intervention is considered neutral to gender equality, did it adopt a ‘do no harm’ approach to gender equality? Did the intervention monitor any risks of unintentionally perpetuating or reinforcing gender inequalities?
Did the intervention reinforce or take advantage of existing gender inequalities and gender stereotypes, and operate without considering gender differences? For example, it ignored existing gender gaps and discrimination or perpetuated the status quo, and by doing so, it worsened the situation for women and girls, in their diversity.
[2] The CPR establishes gender equality as a general principle and mandates gender mainstreaming and the integration of a gender perspective throughout the preparation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of programmes.The Recovery and Resilience Facility regulation establishes that Member States must explain how the measures in their recovery and resilience plans contribute to gender equality, equal opportunities for all and the mainstreaming of these objectives.To access funding from Horizon Europe programmes, it is necessary to have in place a gender equality plan with dedicated resources (including for training), as well as arrangements for data collection, monitoring and evaluation. The Social Climate Fund asks Member States to explain how measures and investments of their social climate plans will address gender inequality, if applicable.