Training course on Gender-Transformative Social Protection Program Design

Training Course on Gender-Transformative Social Protection Program Design

Introduction

Gender-Transformative Social Protection Program Design moves beyond simply being "gender-sensitive" to actively challenging and changing the root causes of gender inequality. In a world where gender norms and power imbalances often dictate access to resources, opportunities, and protection, social protection programs have the unique potential to either reinforce existing inequalities or become powerful drivers of transformative change. This specialized field focuses on systematically integrating a gender-transformative lens into every stage of social protection program design, implementation, and evaluation, ensuring that interventions not only address immediate needs but also empower women and girls, challenge harmful gender norms, and promote more equitable relations between women and men. It recognizes that true resilience and sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing systemic gender disparities.

Training Course on Gender-Transformative Social Protection Program Design is meticulously designed to equip with the advanced theoretical insights and intensive practical tools necessary to excel in Gender-Transformative Social Protection Program Design. We will delve into the foundational concepts of gender analysis, master the intricacies of designing social protection interventions that actively promote gender equality, and explore cutting-edge approaches to data collection, policy advocacy, and multi-stakeholder partnerships. A significant focus will be placed on understanding how to challenge harmful norms, promote women's economic empowerment and agency, engage men and boys as allies, and ensure protection from gender-based violence. By integrating interdisciplinary perspectives, analyzing real-world complex case studies, and engaging in hands-on design and simulation exercises, attendees will develop the strategic acumen to confidently champion and implement gender-transformative social protection, fostering unparalleled equity, empowerment, and sustainable change.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the fundamental concepts of gender, gender equality, and gender-transformative approaches in social protection.
2. Comprehend how gender inequalities intersect with poverty, vulnerability, and crisis impacts.
3. Master methodologies for conducting comprehensive gender analysis to inform social protection program design.
4. Develop expertise in designing gender-transformative cash transfer programs that empower women and girls.
5. Formulate strategies for creating gender-equitable public works and livelihood support programs.
6. Understand how social protection can effectively address gendered protection risks, including GBV.
7. Implement robust approaches to gender-responsive data collection, monitoring, and evaluation.
8. Explore key policy, legal, and institutional frameworks that enable gender-transformative social protection.
9. Apply methodologies for fostering multi-stakeholder coordination and partnerships for gender equality.
10. Develop strategies for actively engaging men and boys in gender-transformative social protection initiatives.
11. Analyze the challenges and opportunities of implementing gender-transformative social protection in diverse contexts.
12. Design a preliminary gender-transformative social protection program for a specific context.
13. Examine global best practices and lessons learned from successful gender-transformative social protection initiatives.

Target Audience

This course is essential for professionals committed to advancing gender equality through social protection 

1. Social Protection Policymakers & Program Managers: Designing and implementing social safety nets.
2. Gender Equality Advocates & Specialists: Working to integrate gender into development and humanitarian work.
3. Humanitarian Aid Workers: Delivering assistance in emergencies with a gender lens.
4. Development Practitioners: From NGOs and international organizations focused on poverty and equity.
5. Government Officials: From ministries of social welfare, gender, and planning.
6. M&E Specialists: Designing and implementing gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation.
7. Researchers & Policy Analysts: Studying gender dynamics in social protection.
8. Civil Society Organizations: Advocating for and implementing gender-just programs.

Course Duration: 10 Days

Course Modules

Module 1: Understanding Gender, Social Protection, and the Nexus

• Define gender, gender equality, gender equity, and gender-transformative approaches.
• Introduce core concepts of social protection and its various instruments.
• Analyze how existing gender inequalities intersect with poverty, vulnerability, and access to social protection.
• Discuss the limitations of gender-neutral or gender-sensitive approaches in achieving true gender equality.
• Explore the strategic rationale and imperative for gender-transformative social protection.

Module 2: Principles of Gender-Transformative Social Protection

• Deep dive into the core principles that underpin gender-transformative social protection programming.
• Focus on actively challenging and changing harmful gender norms, roles, and power imbalances.
• Promoting women's economic empowerment, leadership, and decision-making agency.
• Addressing the unequal burden of unpaid care work and advocating for shared responsibilities.
• Ensuring meaningful engagement of men and boys as allies in achieving gender equality.

Module 3: Gender Analysis for Program Design

• Master methodologies for conducting comprehensive and participatory gender analysis in social protection contexts.
• Collecting sex-disaggregated data and qualitative gender-specific information (e.g., through FGDs, KIIs).
• Identifying specific gender-based barriers, constraints, and opportunities for different groups of women, men, girls, and boys.
• Analyzing power dynamics, decision-making processes, and resource control within households and communities.
• Using gender analysis findings to explicitly inform program objectives, targeting, benefits, and delivery mechanisms.

Module 4: Designing Gender-Transformative Cash Transfers

• Explore how cash transfer programs can be designed to actively promote gender equality and women's empowerment.
• Discuss targeting mechanisms that explicitly consider gendered vulnerabilities (e.g., women-headed households, pregnant and lactating women).
• Strategies for empowering women as primary recipients and decision-makers regarding the use of cash.
• Linking cash transfers with complementary services (e.g., childcare, health, nutrition, financial literacy, GBV services).
• Addressing intra-household dynamics and promoting joint decision-making over resources between partners.

Module 5: Gender-Transformative Public Works and Livelihood Support

• Designing public works programs that actively promote women's equal participation, fair wages, and safe working conditions.
• Creating gender-equitable employment opportunities and skills development programs that challenge occupational segregation.
• Promoting women's access to non-traditional roles and sectors within public works.
• Linking public works to assets that reduce women's drudgery and enhance their well-being (e.g., water points, community infrastructure).
• Supporting women's economic empowerment through livelihood diversification, entrepreneurship, and access to markets.

Module 6: Addressing Gendered Protection Risks through Social Protection

• Identify prevalent gender-based violence (GBV) risks in crisis and non-crisis contexts and their links to social and economic vulnerability.
• Discuss how social protection programs can be designed to mitigate GBV risks and provide safe and confidential support to survivors.
• Integrating GBV risk mitigation measures into all stages of program design, delivery, and monitoring.
• Establishing clear referral pathways and linking social protection beneficiaries to specialized protection services.
• Ensuring child protection and addressing the specific gendered vulnerabilities of girls and boys (e.g., child marriage, child labor).

Module 7: Gender-Responsive Social Protection in Crisis and Fragile Settings

• Analyze the disproportionate and specific gendered impacts of shocks (climate, conflict, economic) and protracted crises.
• Designing shock-responsive social protection (SRSP) that is inherently gender-transformative in its design and implementation.
• Addressing the unique needs and protection risks of women, girls, and other marginalized gender groups in displacement and post-disaster recovery.
• Ensuring equitable access to social protection for women and girls in highly fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
• Case studies of gender-transformative SRSP in diverse crisis settings, highlighting successes and challenges.

Module 8: Data, Monitoring, and Evaluation for Gender Transformation

• Developing gender-sensitive and gender-transformative indicators for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks.
• Strategies for collecting robust sex-disaggregated data and qualitative data on changes in gender norms, power relations, and agency.
• Using participatory M&E approaches to ensure women's and men's voices and experiences are central to assessment.
• Analyzing data to assess the extent to which programs are achieving gender-transformative outcomes.
• Establishing feedback loops and learning platforms for continuous adaptation based on gender-transformative M&E findings.

Module 9: Policy and Legal Frameworks for Gender-Transformative SP

• Identifying and analyzing national and international policy commitments to gender equality and social protection.
• Reviewing existing legal frameworks and their implications for promoting gender equality in social protection.
• Advocating for policy reforms that remove discriminatory barriers and actively promote gender equality i social protection access and benefits.
• Strengthening institutional capacity for gender mainstreaming and gender-transformative programming within government and implementing agencies.
• Developing and implementing gender-responsive budgeting for social protection programs and policies.

Module 10: Multi-Stakeholder Coordination and Partnerships

• Fostering effective coordination mechanisms between social protection actors, gender equality advocates, and women's rights organizations.
• Building strong partnerships with feminist movements, civil society organizations, and community-based groups.
• Discussing the critical role of local women's organizations in designing and delivering gender-transformative social protection.
• Strategies for engaging diverse stakeholders, including religious leaders and traditional authorities, to challenge harmful norms.
• Promoting a whole-of-society approach to achieving gender-transformative social protection outcomes.

Module 11: Engaging Men and Boys in Gender-Transformative SP

• Understanding the importance and strategic necessity of engaging men and boys as partners and allies in gender transformation.
• Challenging harmful masculinities and promoting positive, equitable gender roles and behaviors.
• Designing social protection interventions that encourage men's participation in care work, household responsibilities, and non-violent communication.
• Addressing men's specific vulnerabilities and needs within social protection programs in a gender-sensitive way.
• Case studies of successful approaches and lessons learned in engaging men and boys for gender equality through social protection.

Module 12: Future Directions and Transformative Change

• Exploring emerging trends and innovations in gender-transformative social protection (e.g., use of technology, climate-gender linkages).
• Discussing the role of social protection in achieving broader systemic change towards gender equality.
• Analyzing the intersection of gender, climate change, migration, and conflict in social protection programming.
• Advocating for sustained political will, financial commitment, and long-term investment in gender transformation.
• Developing a personal or organizational action plan for integrating and championing gender-transformative approaches in social protection.

 

Training Methodology

• Interactive Workshops: Facilitated discussions, group exercises, and problem-solving activities.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples to illustrate successful community-based surveillance practices.
• Role-Playing and Simulations: Practice engaging communities in surveillance activities.
• Expert Presentations: Insights from experienced public health professionals and community leaders.
• Group Projects: Collaborative development of community surveillance plans.
• Action Planning: Development of personalized action plans for implementing community-based surveillance.
• Digital Tools and Resources: Utilization of online platforms for collaboration and learning.
• Peer-to-Peer Learning: Sharing experiences and insights on community engagement.
• Post-Training Support: Access to online forums, mentorship, and continued learning resources.

 

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount