2019-2023 Gender Strategy Paper

The two-sided approach already was an important aspect in BTC’s 2010-2014 gender
strategy. After the DGD’s Final analysis was completed DGD approved a reviewed strategy
paper in 2016, ‘Gender in the Belgian Development Cooperation’. This paper lays down the
outline for future interventions. The paper reconfirms the importance of the two-sided
approach, which is maintained.
To achieve the empowerment of women and equality between men and women, it is advised
to work at two complementary levels.
First, there is a need for transversal gender mainstreaming to fundamentally change the
unequal structures in society. Gender mainstreaming must be applied from the onset of the
programming cycle, throughout the whole cycle and in all sectors. Such systematic and
transversal mainstreaming of the gender dimension generally requires more time, more
involvement and more coordination. The fact that the results and impact might be less direct but structural and sustainable must not be forgotten.
Second, the gender mainstreaming approach does not exclude specific actions. Specific
actions primarily target priorities and needs of women and girls, for instance, via legislation,
policy development, research and specific projects/programmes in the field. Such (positive)
actions target the promotion of gender equality and also implement equal rights and
opportunities for women. Specific actions targeting women contribute to supporting women
and are an important source of inspiration for strategies and initiatives that can be
transposed to the regular interventions. In general such actions are easier to undertake and
they generate tangible results even with rather limited budgets.
Both approaches are not to excluding one another but are complementing one another. That
is why it is important that development programmes that opt for transversal gender
mainstreaming systematically pay attention to assigning specific budget lines or a certain
percentage of the budget to gender.

Why it's a good practice: General principle: empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality
The empowerment of women concerns women gaining power and control over their own
lives. It involves awareness-raising, building self-confidence, expansion of choices, increased access to and control over resources and actions to transform the structures and institutions which reinforce and perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality. The process of empowerment is as important as the goal and means that women must not only have equal capacity (such as education and health) and equal access to means and opportunities (such as land and employment) but that they must also be given the opportunity to use these rights, capacities, means and opportunities to make strategic choices and to take decisions (by means of leadership opportunities and by participation in political institutions).

Read the full analysis: https://www.enabel.be/app/uploads/2022/10/gender_strategy_2019_2023_enabel_en.pdf