Course Overview

This training integrates two crucial aspects: gender and disability—issues that have historically been addressed separately by advocates of either gender or disability mainstreaming. The course serves as a tool for capacity building, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills needed to advance gender and disability mainstreaming in development initiatives.

Over time, perspectives on disability and individuals with disabilities have significantly evolved worldwide. There is a growing awareness that barriers to the full participation of persons with disabilities in society and institutions arise from the interaction between individual impairments and attitudinal or environmental challenges. This shift has led to increased recognition of the rights, abilities, and contributions of persons with disabilities.

Gender mainstreaming is a global strategy aimed at achieving gender equality. It emphasizes the need to consider the impact of policies and programs on both women and men at every stage, from planning and implementation to evaluation. This advanced short course provides participants with in-depth knowledge of gender mainstreaming and gender analysis, drawing on global best practices and case studies. Additionally, the training allows participants to focus on specific sectors or policy areas—such as livelihoods, development projects, education, sexual exploitation and abuse, organizational development, or human resources—and apply this knowledge to their own work.

To foster inclusivity within organizations, it is essential to ensure that all program staff are fully committed to the process. Negative attitudes and stigma surrounding disability remain prevalent, making it crucial for staff to undergo gender and disability awareness training before implementing inclusive policies. A thorough understanding of disability issues and a human rights-based approach to inclusion are vital in creating an equitable and accessible environment for all.

 Main Modules.

Broad Training objectives.

  • To provide the trainer with targeted information enabling him/her to train representatives of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) as experts in mainstreaming gender and disability.
  • To increase the knowledge and capacities of the trained gender and disability representatives to become competent change agents within their organizations, government ministries and departments.
  • Generate thrust for a holistic, integrated and highly interactive training that builds a core set of knowledge, skills and attitudes among potential change agents, and in the process, fulfill the obligations of the projects and organizations of gender and disability mainstreaming.

Module, Topic & Importance

Module 1

Concepts of disability, gender and mainstreaming, and promoting awareness

This module increases disability and gender awareness, and equips participants for gender and disability mainstreaming. In the process, they will be able to identify barriers to gender and disability mainstreaming, and establish mitigation strategies. The ultimate goal is for communities to appreciate disability and gender issues.

Specific Objectives.

  • To define disability and its underlying concepts
  • To define the term gender and its underlying concepts
  • To describe the concepts of gender and disability mainstreaming
  • To identify barriers to gender and disability mainstreaming

Module 2

Gender and disability analysis and approaches

This module prepares participants to carry out a gender and disability analysis in policies and programmes in order to address existing inequalities.

Specific Objectives

  • To explain the terms ‘gender analysis’ and ‘disability analysis’ and their
  • To describe steps in gender and disability analysis
  • To identify and apply the gender and disability analysis tools
  • To discuss approaches to gender and disability
  • To explain the existing gender and disability policies

Module 3

The role of civil society and governments in gender and disability mainstreaming

This module enables participants to develop practical and effective strategies for developing linkages with various stakeholders to enhance gender and disability mainstreaming in development processes.

Specific objectives

  • To identify key stakeholders and their role in gender and disability
  • To guide participants to develop practical and effective strategies for developing linkages with key stakeholders to enhance gender and disability mainstreaming.

Module 4

Methods and strategies for gender and disability mainstreaming

This module introduces participants to different methods and strategies that can be used in gender and disability mainstreaming. It also assists them to identify levels of gender and disability mainstreaming and actions to be taken all levels. Essential aspects to consider in gender and disability mainstreaming are also considered. Participants are also exposed to excuses that are usually used to avoid gender and disability mainstreaming in community activities. This prepares them to challenge those excuses and promote gender and disability mainstreaming in development processes, and be able to draw up practical action plans.

Specific Objectives

  • To identify and discuss excuses of gender and disability mainstreaming
  • To discuss different methods and strategies in gender and disability mainstreaming
  • To identify levels of gender and disability mainstreaming and actions to be taken at all

Module 5

Documentation, monitoring and evaluation of mainstreaming processes

This module enables participants to understand various methods of documentation, monitoring and evaluation in gender and disability mainstreaming interventions. It also equips participants to develop and monitor a gender and disability responsive budget.

Specific objectives

  • To differentiate the terms documentation, monitoring and evaluation
  • To explain the role of documentation, monitoring and evaluation in gender and disability mainstreaming
  • To discuss methods for documentation, monitoring and evaluation of gender and disability mainstreaming interventions
  • To develop and monitor a gender and disability responsive budget