Gender integration support
GL Services has developed a Gender Institutional Scorecard to measure gender awareness and sensitivity in organisations.
This is used to conduct gender audits and, where appropriate, analyse programming for gender responsiveness.
The results of these audits are used to develop corrective policies, strategies and action plans.
Examples of agencies that GL Services has worked with include:
Gates Foundation: gender integration training (2023-2025)
This work focused on gender integration efforts by the Gates Foundation in Africa from June 2022 to March 2025, detailing collaborative initiatives with Gender Links to enhance gender-responsive programming in various investments.
The report highlights targets, methodologies, progress and key achievements within this timeframe, including the implementation of a gender marker tool, which aims for 100% application in programmatic investments by 2030, with a goal of achieving 70% gender-intentional or -transformative investments.
Key achievements include comprehensive training for staff and grantees, successful advisory support for various investments, and significant shifts in attitudes towards gender integration.
CRIDF: advice on integrating gender into water projects in the SADC region (2017)
In this project, GL provided expert recommendations on how the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF) could effectively incorporate gender considerations into water projects across the SADC region.
This included developing strategies to engage women in decision-making processes, ensuring equitable access to water resources, and addressing the unique challenges women face in relation to water supply and management.
Gender audit of business opportunities for women in Botswana (2016)
GL Services conducted a comprehensive gender audit to evaluate the current landscape for women in Botswana’s business sector. The audit identified several barriers to women’s full participation in the economy, including limited access to financing, inadequate mentorship programmes and societal stereotypes.
Recommended targeted strategies to enhance women’s participation and promote economic empowerment included establishing women-focused investment funds, creating mentorship initiatives linking emerging female leaders with experienced businesswomen and advocating for policy reforms that promote gender equality in the workplace.
Gender audit of SI programmes in three East African countries (2015)
Gender Links conducted a gender equality review for Sense International (SI) across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, funded by the Big Lottery Fund. The work included:
- A gender audit of SI’s programmes to assess inclusivity and identify gaps in gender integration
- Development of a gender equality manual and toolkit to mainstream gender in both new and existing projects
- Recommendations to strengthen safeguarding processes and enhance gender-responsive programming
This initiative aimed to ensure that SI’s initiatives promote equality and protection for all beneficiaries, particularly women and girls with disabilities.
Gender audit of Diakonia’s global operations (2014)
Gender Links conducted a comprehensive gender audit of Diakonia’s global operations, meticulously evaluating its existing policies and practices to assess their alignment with established gender equality goals.
We provided targeted recommendations aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of Diakonia’s gender mainstreaming efforts, with the goal of ensuring that all organisational activities adhere to and actively promote gender equality principles in their implementation and outcomes.