Call for proposals: Experiences that make a difference: Mainstreaming gender equality in the public policies of Latin American and Caribbean countries

Within the framework of the project “Overcoming Obstacles for Gender Mainstreaming in Latin America and the Caribbean”, the Gender Practice Area of the UNDP Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of the Agència Catalana de Cooperació al Desenvolupament, is promoting the call for submission of proposals entitled “Experiences that make a difference: Mainstreaming gender equality in the public policies of Latin American and Caribbean countries”

What experiences are we seeking?

Experiences that have been successful in reducing gender inequalities and transforming existing gender relations within a given context, giving rise to lessons learnt which can be inspiring for other initiatives with similar features and purposes.

We wish to identify experiences in the region which clearly show the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in both national and local public policies.

All the experiences shall be reviewed but only some will be selected.  We are seeking those experiences that can prove having made a difference in gender mainstreaming.  All submissions must:

1. Identify their territorial level of application: national, local, regional.

2. Identify the scope of the experience as regards:

a. Drafting and implementing equality policies[1]

b. Outlining strategies for mainstreaming gender equality in sector-based policies[2]

3. Show results and evidence in at least two of the following areas:

• Coordination, partnerships and linkage with other actors.
• Promotion of inter-sectional agendas concerning inequalities (gender, class, ethnic group, sexual orientation, age, etc.)
• Specialized capacity-building to mainstream the gender perspective in policies, plans and programmes.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of public policies and programmes contributing to gender equality.
• Accountability to citizens and transparency.

Who can submit an experience?

Representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, communities, and cooperation agencies at the local, national, sub-regional or regional levels can submit experiences as long as they meet the criteria for their selection.  In the event of non-state institutions, the experience must actively involve government-run institutions and the submission of proposals must be endorsed by the latter.

Submission of experiences

Experiences must be entered via the América Latina Genera portal by answering a series of questions. Register your experience by clicking here.

Other documents, audiovisual material or links to web pages or social networks can also be provided should you consider them of special interest to document the experience.

Selection process

Experiences will be selected on the basis of a set of criteria as well as of geographical and sectoral considerations to guarantee a broader level of representation.  A maximum of  12 (twelve) experiences will be selected, although the remaining experiences that meet the minimum quality standards will be disseminated in different formats and material at the national, regional and global levels.

a. Pre-selection

Out of the total number of proposals received, the team of the Gender Practice Area at the UNDP Regional Centre will carry out a pre-selection based on the purpose of the call for proposals and the fulfillment of the requirements.

b. Selection

The Advisory Committee comprising a diverse group of renowned experts in these topics will then review the experiences and appraise them according to the following criteria:

ü  Legitimacy

ü  Applicability

ü  Proven impact

ü  Sustainability

ü  Compliance with gender-equality international commitments.

ü  Completeness

ü  Innovation and lessons learnt

ü  Transfer or replicability possibilities

Virtual forums will be organized to exchange ideas with the pre-selected experiences so as to delve deeper into certain aspects.  Some of the advisory committee members will send their questions to those representing the different experiences.

c. Awards

The selected experiences will be supported for the systematization of the experience and its dissemination at the national, regional and global levels, and will be provided technical assistance in an area, topic or methodology in which UNDP works at the regional level, thus leading to further reinforce the outcomes of their work.

Technical assistance contents will be defined bilaterally, pursuant to the needs of each experience and the appraisal of the Committee.

These experiences, as well as others that meet the selection criteria, will be disseminated via the América Latina Genera portal and its social networks, and will moreover be invited to participate in regional exchanges of information, resources, instruments and methodologies.

Deadline for submission of proposals and notification of selected experiences

The deadline to submit proposals is 7 July 2014, at midnight (Panama time).  Only those proposals received by that date will participate in the selection process.

The Gender Practice Area, UNDP Regional Centre, will inform applicants by 11 August 2014, at the latest.

[1] Gender equality policies such as the set of principles, standards and objectives explicitly formulated (through legal, technical and administrative formulae) and enacted by the State (government authorities), aimed at achieving de facto and de jure equality between women and men (UNDP, 2011: Equality, equity and gender mainstreaming policies, what are we talking about?

[2] We refer to the strategic processes in policies related to, for instance, labour, social protection, the environment, security, risks.