Gender equality in national evaluation systems

Moderator

• Shantal Aragon, CLEAR Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico, Senior Use of Evaluation Manager

Panelists

• Chuanhong Zhang, China Agricultural University, China
• Claudia Olavarria, GEI, Consultant
• Silvia Grandi, Evaluation Division, Global Affairs Canada, Canada, Deputy Director 
• Sohini Mookerjee, CLEAR South Asia, India, Lead

Discussion Themes

• While it’s important to acknowledge the progress towards gender equality already made in recent years, gender equality needs to be prioritized at both subnational and national levels, to keep moving towards reaching SDGs 5 and 10.
• Feminist and gender transformative evaluations aim to go beyond just observing gender dynamics. They put gender equality at the core of the evaluation’s interpretive lens, recognizing it as a systemic issue and promoting ownership of the evaluation process, with a focus on social justice.
• Gender should be a critical consideration in national evaluation systems. This involves asking the right questions, using appropriate methods and creating standards for gender-responsive evaluation systems. The success of this approach hinges on having a critical mass of evaluators who can implement gender-responsive evaluations and an environment that supports evidence use.
• Challenges in developing gender-responsive systems include inadequate data and indicators, resistance to change, and ethical considerations. To overcome these, governments need to institutionalize gender-responsive frameworks, evaluate gender-relevant policies and programmes, and view state interventions through a gender lens. Capacity-building, data systems and sharing experiences can also aid in this process.