Gender mainstreaming strategy – implementation and development perspectives Agnieszka Siekiera

The EQUAL Polish National Support Structure in co-operation with the UNDP in Poland have been implementing a gender mainstreaming training project which has as its main objective to create training models and a system of eduaction regarding equal opportunities. The idea came out of the results of analysing the DPAs - how gender equality issues are implemented in projects.

The National Support Structures report about gender mainstreaming in EQUAL projects in Poland: Lack of gender perspective analysis of beneficiaries and stakeholders on the project-planning level. Conclusions from the background analysis are not reflected in future, planned project activities. Implementation of gender equality in most proejcts means: - gender parity (50/50), - gender neutral - gender incompatibility

Implementing bodies in Poland Lack of methodological support = lack of information about including gender perspectives in planning and implementing projects – advanteges of including and ramifications of not including gender perspective Lack of institutional support = institutions responsible for implementation of structural funds are not able to provide project promoters with information about GM (publications, training, manuals etc.)

Lack of methodology results in project promoters treating gender mainstreaming (a horizontal issue) as an administrative requirement and therefore, equal opportunitiy issues are excluded from the overall project

A gender mainstreaming training project by the NSS and UNDP Objective 1: raising awareness and knowledge about equal opportunities among project promoters implementing projects from individual government as well as common European funds Objective 2: transfer of knowledge and abilities about practical tools and methods of implementing gender perspectives in project cycle management

The gender maisntreaming training project by NSS and UNDP Product 1: The first training model in Poland concerning project management with a gender perspective. This model includes both training for trainers and training for project promoters. Product 2: The first Polish network of professionals trainers in gender mainstreaming (currently 38 trainers).

The gender maisntreaming training project by NSS and UNDP Product 3: the website: Gender Equality in Projects includes virtual articles, publications and tools for implementing gender perspectives in PCM, as well as exchanging GM good practices

The gender maisntreaming training project by NSS and UNDP Workshops based on an individual approach to every project, taking into account range of specific activities, strategies, aims, beneficiaries as well as regional or sector context. Two-day training sessions were designed and led by two trainers for every EQUAL Partnership. Each trainnig scheme was divided into three main areas: awarness (type of problem) – knowledge (familiarity with the problem) – practical activities (solution to the problem).

The gender maisntreaming training project by NSS and UNDP Result: 94 project teams working in the framework of the EQUAL Community Initiatives in Poland were trained in the field of gender maisntreaming. More then 1,500 people were trained from over 600 organisations across Poland.

The gender maisntreaming training project by NSS and UNDP Plan 1: preparing training modules differentiated by specific beneficiaries (training for: experts assessing projects from European funds, implementing and managing bodies, project promoters) Plan 2: working out a methodology for conducting needs analysis concerning gender equality policies (project specificity) Plan 3: preparing support materials for gender mainstreaming in projects (e.g. set of good practicies, case studies)

Thank you for being such a good audience! Agnieszka Siekiera