Gender Integration

MODULE 5: INTEGRATING
GENDER INTO LOCAL
GOVERNANCE AND
DEVOLUTION 1 PROGRAMMING
Devolution brings local government structures
to the fore and increases the amount of power
and responsibility that local entities have in
governance, budgeting, and service provision.
Local governance is also the point at which
connections between DRG and other sectors
are most salient.
Such a redistribution of power has the potential to empower
citizens by stimulating greater participation in the political
process, more effective provision of public services, and more
responsive government. However, persistent gender inequality
and discrimination against women and traditionally marginalized
groups, including youth, people with disabilities, lesbian
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTI) people, indigenous
persons, and members of ethnic or religious minorities, may
have the effect of reinforcing inequitable power structures
and further marginalizing certain groups within the context of
devolution. Barriers to equality within local governance and
devolution processes include pervasive gender discrimination,
unequal distribution of labor, low literacy levels, closed
political parties, corruption, and lack of transparency within
local governance. Integrating gender into devolution and local
governance programming to address these barriers creates
powerful opportunities to help further inclusive democracy
and equitable service delivery in support of our objectives
under USAID’s DRG Strategy.
SECTION I. Guiding Questions for
Gender Analysis in Local Governance
and Devolution Programming
Access, Participation, and Representation
• What formal or informal barriers exist that prevent women
and traditionally marginalized groups from participating in
decision-making at the local level?
• To what extent are women and members of traditionally
marginalized communities represented in decision-making
and local governing bodies? At what levels are they
represented?
• What gender discrepancies exist in access to and use of
public services like water, sanitation, health centers, land
management, and education? What discrepancies exist in
access to and use of services among traditionally marginalized
groups such as LGBTI, indigenous persons, and persons
with disabilities, and what gender-based differences exist
within those groups?
• What mechanisms and legislation, if any, are in place for
citizen consultation and input in local planning and budgeting
processes, and around the provision and delivery of public
services? Are these mechanisms gender equitable and accessible
to all members of the community?
• What processes, if any, are in place to ensure transparency
and efficiency in service delivery?
• What grievance and complaint processes exist? To what
extent are they accessible to all community members?
• What civil society organizations (CSOs) advocate for
greater accountability and transparency, gender equality,
and civic participation in local governance?
• Within traditional justice or governance systems, are
women equitably represented in leadership positions?
Are these systems fair and equitable in their treatment of
women, LGBTI individuals, and other marginalized groups?
Legal Framework and Governance Structures
• What is the legal framework that exists around local
governance and devolution? What responsibilities do local
governments have? In what ways does the legal framework
promote or discourage the participation of women, youth,
persons with disabilities, members of ethnic or religious
minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex
(LGBTI) or indigenous people?
42 USAID | Gender Integration in Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) Programming Toolkit