Implementing the PAHO Gender Equality Policy in SURINAME Elly van Kanten WDC, 10 November 2009

National Gender Mainstreaming efforts: Government: Ministry of HOME AFFAIRS (National Gender Bureau):  National Gender Policy -> Integral Gender Action Plan , covering 9 areas, incl. Health  Mapping study (in cooperation with Ministry of Planning) ->Gender budgeting -> Paris Declaration - > new Aid Modalities  Gender Focal Points in each Ministry

National Gender Mainstreaming efforts: (cont’d) Ministry of EDUCATION (Institute for Women, Gender & Development Studies at the University)  Research, presentations etc. Ministry of AGRICULTURE  GM plan (not implemented yet) Ministry of HEALTH NGO’s:  Several NGO’s, mainly involved in issues of women & development

Gender Mainstreaming in Health Coalition (MoH, PAHO, NGO):  was trained in Barbados (July 2008) and in Salzburg (March 2009)  made a Plan of Action for GM in Health Strategy: to focus on the planning capacity of the MoH.

What was done (within MoH): 1) Discussion paper 2) Advocacy session with the DDoH 3) Sensitizing session (1 day) for the Planning Unit of the MoH 4) Training in GM (3 days), using PAHO manual

Additional activities:  Training workshops MoH/UNIFEM/PAHO; “Capacity building for mainstreaming gender analysis in HIV/AIDS Programming in the Caribbean” (August 2009) for: 1. Education sector (teachers, curriculum developers) 2. Health sector (front line health workers, HIV nurses)

Additional activities (cont’d):  Session for PAHO colleagues on “Implementing the Gender Equality Policy in the work of PAHO Suriname” (July 2009)  Participate in round table discussions on Aid Modalities

GM training participants from:  Legal dept.  NHA  NHIS  HRM  International relations  Procurement  PR  Nursing inspectorate  Min. of Home Affairs, NBG  etc.

Results : Participants worked on:  Draft PoA for own department  Jointly elaborated a plan for 1 issue (NHIS) Coalition and participants agreed to:  Meet regularly (once a month) to prepare and implement a pilot for GM in one area (NHIS or NCD)

Follow up  Implement GEP by integrating 4 lines of action into the PoA of Health Sector plan  Provide TA to screen official guiding documents on GM, such as the EPHF and the national Multi-annual Development Plan  Proposal to the DoH for 1 year project (pilot with “extended coalition”)

Thank you for your attention