{"id":6339,"date":"2023-10-04T12:42:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T12:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cordaid.org\/en\/?page_id=6339"},"modified":"2025-10-07T08:47:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T08:47:19","slug":"gender-equity","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cordaid.org\/en\/gender-equity\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender Equity"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\"\"\/\n\t<\/picture>\n\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Gender Equity<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHistorically, and by design, power structures have favoured men; there is not a single country which is not a patriarchy, resulting in a worldwide gender gap which needs closing urgently. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This gender gap takes on many forms. Financially, it means that globally, on average, women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, leaving women more financially vulnerable. A lot has been done over the past decades to reduce the global gender gap and improve opportunities for women, girls, and non-binary people. Yet significant gender gaps remain across sectors in all countries across the world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to UN Women, achieving full gender equality is still centuries away<\/a>. Indeed, according to the progress of SDG5’s<\/a> targets and indicators, the world is not even remotely on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Key figures illustrating gender inequality worldwide. Source: Oxfam International, Gender justice and women’s rights (2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These numbers might be depressing, but they also show how much room for progress there is, especially in the work of development and humanitarian organisations. We are not giving up because there can be no social, climate, or economic justice without gender justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender Equality vs. Gender Equity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gender equity is necessary to achieve gender equality. Simply put, gender equity acknowledges that there is no \u2018one-size-fits-all’ path to equality because a shared ‘starting point\u2019 does not exist. Therefore, the diverse needs of men, women, and non-binary people call for different responses to achieve gender equality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cordaid\u2019s approach <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cordaid concentrates on fragile and conflict-affected settings <\/strong>where poverty is linked to a lack of stability and governance. The health and well-being, opportunities, and rights of women, girls, and groups that are vulnerable (such as non-binary people and LGBTQA+) suffer disproportionally from the insecurity and violence that define daily life in their communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violence against women and girls affects their economic and political opportunities, their mobility, their health, and their ability to get an education. Gender inequality is also a fundamental cause of fragility, as it intersects with other power imbalances in economic, political, and religious domains.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our mission is to reduce vulnerability and build resilience in fragile and conflict-affected societies by promoting economic empowerment, political participation, improved food security<\/a> and access to health care<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within these areas, a gender transformative approach is taken in all programmes, specific gender standalone programmes are designed, and an enabling environment for Cordaid employees, partners, and project participants is fostered.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Aid\n\t\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Advancing Locally-Led Development and Shifting Power Dynamics<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRead more\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n
\n

Definitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Words are important. Here’s how Cordaid defines, understands, and applies gender-related terminology:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender equality<\/strong>: refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women, men, and gender-diverse people.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender equity: <\/strong>the process\u202fto achieve equality,\u202fwhich can mean different treatments to achieve equal outcomes\u202fin terms of rights,\u202fopportunities,\u202fand benefits\u202faccording to\u202fthe\u202frespective needs\u202fof\u202fwomen, men, and gender-diverse people.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intersectionality<\/strong>: coined by African American scholar, Kimberl\u00e9 Williams Crenshaw, intersectionality is a way of thinking of inequality or disadvantage consisting of multiple, compounded obstacles. Issues of gender inequality are interconnected with other injustices and systems of oppression, such as colonisation, race, and class discrimination.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender transformative approach:<\/strong> the attempt to redefine gender roles and relations, also known as ‘gender positive\u2019.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender mainstreaming: <\/strong>a process that systematically integrates gender perspectives into legislation, public policies, programmes, and projects.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender sensitive<\/strong>: an approach in project, programme and policy design which attempts to redress existing gender inequalities.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender neutral: <\/strong>an approach that<\/em> ensures that projects, programmes, and policies do not reinforce existing gender inequalities.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV): <\/strong>violence targeted at individuals or groups based on their gender.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cordaid\u2019s Gender Policy <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A sound gender policy can transform power relations and level the power balance at the level of households, communities, services, and society at large. It is key to achieving Cordaid’s goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our gender policy outlines our commitment to gender equity and achieving a gender-transformative approach for all projects by 2030. The objective of our gender policy is to ensure that all genders participate in peace processes and can access appropriate sexual and reproductive health and that women are free, capable, and enabled to exercise their human and economic rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To that end, we follow these operational principles: <\/p>\n\n\n\n