gisw13_chapters

gender equality in the new constitution and theelimination of the country’s reservations on CEDAW.Undoubtedly, the value of these resources andplatforms in identifying changes in gender-relatedissues and collecting data and contributionsto evaluate change in this domain can be greatlyenhanced if Musawa adopts a structured methodologyfor gender evaluation such as GEM.Action steps• Gender activists in general, and Musawa’s communityin particular, should consider developingthe insights they acquire through their onlineand offline activities into policy briefs thatcan be used to influence decision makers andpolicy formulation processes. This is probablythe least developed area in the organisation’srepertoire.• Musawa’s activities can be greatly enhancedby adopting GEM as a guiding framework andmethodology for evaluating the status of genderequality in Syria. By joining the GEM communityof practice, Musawa can also learn fromother women’s organisations all over the worldand share best practices.• In line with Musawa’s goals in conducting socialcampaigns and activities using all availablemedia outlets to raise awareness of women’srights, the organisation should strengthen itsreach into the mass media (including radio andTV), and also explore using rich digital media(such as video and podcasts) to increase the impactof its communications. ■221 / Global Information Society Watch