Real-time evaluation of gender integration in the UNICEF COVID-19 response in South Asia

This Real-time #evaluation of #gender integration in the UNICEF #covid19response in #southasia was among the top ones with honourable mention in the AWARD CATEGORY: "Evaluation as Transformation". See here: https://ideas-global.org/award-2022/award-results-2022/

This evaluation generates evaluation evidence and learning on the gender integration of COVID-19 response in all the 8 South Asian countries. The findings aim to guide future investments both in gender in emergencies and in gender mainstreaming at the nexus of development programming. 

Abstract

This evaluation focuses on assessing the effectiveness of integrating gender with reference to those above-mentioned policy and programmatic responses. The overall rationale for the evaluation was to document and strengthen the gender integration of the response, generate evaluation evidence and learning on integrating gender in a humanitarian response and guide future investments both in gender in emergencies and in gender mainstreaming at the nexus of development programming.

In this context, the four objectives of the evaluation were:

• to establish the operational preparedness of integrating gender and measuring gender effectiveness of the COVID-19 response in SAR by reviewing the enablers, normative (various guidance provided by HQ and RO) and accountability frameworks set up at the onset of the response period;
• to assess the extent to which gender has been integrated in the response measures;
• to evaluate the gender effectiveness of the response measures by using the gender scale/diagnostic tool against organizational/regional priority actions, for further improving UNICEF and host government’s policy and programmatic responses; and d) to document lessons, good practices and successful initiatives and partnerships for improving UNICEF and host governments’ gender integration and outcomes.

The evaluation period covers March 2020 to August 2021. The geographic scope covered all the eight South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) including the regional office-led programming.

Description

COVID-19 has revealed underlying equity challenges on a colossal scale. With respect to gender equity, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not and will not be gender neutral. It is therefore imperative that the policy and programmatic responses to the pandemic are at minimum gender sensitive and ideally gender transformative – to prevent backsliding on achieved gender equality gains and to continue efforts to advance gender equality in South Asia.

In this context, ROSA has initiated a Real Time Evaluation of Gender Integration in the UNICEF COVID-19 Response in South Asia, with the following three objectives:

1. To evaluate the gender elements and gender effectiveness of the response measures by using the gender scale and against organizational/regional priority actions, for further improving UNICEF and host government’s policy and programmatic responses;
2. To assess the implementation of the accountability frameworks for gender effectiveness and to strengthen UNICEF SA and key partners’ capacity to apply a gender lens to programming;
3. To document lessons, good practices and successful initiatives and partnerships for improving UNICEF and host government’s gender integration and outcomes in policy and programmatic responses, with particular focus on gender in emergency programming.

Access the Annexes here.