4. Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) for GiE

Gender in MEAL provides the opportunity to understand, learn from, and respond to the changing realities and experiences of individuals of all genders in an emergency response.

Gender Meal systems should be designed to ensure that systems and activities:

• are participatory
• are not gender-neutral
• are designed to understand and challenge unequal power relations

MEAL should contribute to social change by raising the voices of marginalized groups to influence decision-making that affects them.[1]

CARE’s global indicators provide guidance on monitoring changes related to Gender Equality.

Tools and guidance below can support Gender in MEAL:

Analyse sex- and age-disaggregated data

In emergencies the collection, analysis and use of sex, gender and age disaggregated data is crucial. This allows an understanding of the needs, priorities and capacities of people of all genders. Data on other diversity factors, based on the context, is also important. This can include information on ethnicity, caste, religion and disability.

The Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Disability can be used for collecting data related to disability. These questions focus on identifying persons who have difficulty performing identified universal activities. These activities include walking, seeing, hearing, cognition, self-care and communication. Questions can be used in settings with limited time and resources.

Identify, monitor, and respond to gendered issues

Integrating gender into MEAL requires building gender reflection into monitoring. This involves:

• analysing and understanding sex, gender, age and other data on diversity
• understanding how this data influences programming
• reflecting on how current programming will, or is, having an impact on different groups.

It is necessary to review how the situation is changing for different sex, gender, age and diversity groups. Based on this, ensuring a response tailored to these changes such as: protection risks and needs, unintended consequences, and changing gender roles and relations.

Gender Equality Women’s Voice (GEWV) indicators

These indicators aim to capture, measure, and track the changes occurring as a result of dedicated gender approaches. They can be used across development and humanitarian programming. The data aims to build a picture of changes in agency, structures, and relations in a specific context.

CARE’s Gender Marker

**The CARE Gender Marker was updated in 2021**

The CARE Gender Marker is a tool that supports CARE’s Gender Equality and Women’s Voice Approach. CARE’s Gender Marker is a self-assessment program quality and learning tool. The aim is to monitor and learn, to what extent gender equality is integrated in humanitarian projects. The Gender Marker uses the CARE Gender Continuum; a five-point scale from gender unaware to gender transformative.

The Gender Marker is designed for non-gender specialists and can be used at multiple stages throughout programming, enabling CARE to track, improve on, and support more effective, gender integrated programming, allowing teams to continuously improve programming to better meet the needs of women, girls, boys and men.

Links to resources and guidance are below:

• CARE Gender Marker Resources can be found in Section 8: Key tools and Resources of this Emergency Toolkit.
• Internal Gender Marker Resources for CARE staff can be found on Sharepoint
• External Resources can also be found on CARE Insights.
• For Quick Tips on the CARE Gender Marker visit the Gender Marker video series

Accountability to affected populations

Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA) is essential to CARE’s organisational commitments. These commitments are critical to uphold the dignity and human rights of people CARE works with.

CARE’s International Policy on Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse and Child Abuse (2020) outlines zero tolerance toward sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse and child abuse.

• Further information, tools, training and guidance on CARE’s approach to PSEA is in Section 6 of the CARE Emergency Toolkit.
• Internal guidance to CARE’s approach to PSEA is on the CARE Global Safeguarding Sharepoint Site.
• CARE’s policy is in English, French and Spanish.

External references include:

• The Core Humanitarian Standards on Quality and Accountability (CHS), specifically commitments 3 and 5 relate to PSHEA and creating safer organisations
• The UN Secretary General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13). CARE has adapted the six core principles within its CI PSEA-CA Policy, and the CI Safeguarding Code of Conduct.
• IASC Six Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, 2019

CARE’s Strategic Impact Inquiry (SII)

CARE’s SII is rights-based action research. It uses processes of critical inquiry to build new knowledge and accountability among staff, partners, allies and the communities affected by CARE’s work. It aims to understand the impact our humanitarian response work is having. It focuses on the short- and long-term dynamics of gender inequality in the communities we serve. Guidance and examples of the SII can be found here.

[1] Applying Feminist Principles to MEAL at CARE Canada Guidance Note