Summary of Dialogue Results

Quantitative Results

Approximately 17% of the organizations and individuals contacted registered to take part in the dialogue. Of the 60 people who registered, 11 (18%) took an active part in the discussion, while the majority preferred to participate by viewing the discussion only. Kartini International received direct email requests for copies of the resource materials and other follow-up issues from another 15 participants. Two people responded to the formal GBA Evaluation, which Kartini International posted on both the dialogue site and emailed to all participants. (Appendix F: Summary of GBA Evaluations]

Qualitative Results

Accessibility

Given that most participants registered as individuals, it was difficult to gauge participation of specific groups. Kartini International did not observe an obvious presence from visible minority women, aboriginal women or Metis women. In particular we did not notice a proportionately representative number of clearly non-English surnames or organizations supporting these groups in the list of registrants. The process did succeed in reaching a limited number of women with special needs.

Kartini International, the CCLOW GBA Committee members, and some participants noted that the initial registration process on Alphacom was somewhat complex and that their general system was relatively slow. This may have discouraged the participation of some. While a few individuals mentioned software compatibility difficulties, overall participants indicated that they were able to participate without much difficulty.

Content

The topics that generated the most interest and discussion were the following:

• Is gender-based analysis based on a feminist approach, and is this approach necessary for it to be effective?
• Is "doing without naming" an effective strategy for applying GBA?
• What are the assumptions behind gender-based analysis?
• How objective a tool is gender-based analysis?
• Is it possible to adapt gender-based analysis tools to ensure that they are inclusive of all groups?
• Actual applications of gender-based analysis

Participants indicated considerable interest in the resource materials that Kartini International provided to support the dialogue. The women's organizations and individuals who participated in the dialogue were clearly quite interested in learning more about gender-based analysis. Several participants indicated the need for more time to absorb the concepts presented, as they were new to them. A few participants stated that as a result of their participation in the dialogue they became aware that they had been advocates for and users of gender-based analysis without having realized it previously.

The primary consensus of participants during the three week dialogue was that GBA could be used in a wide variety of settings and sectors; that it was not always feminist in its approach; and that qualitative indicators were as critical as quantitative ones in the GBA process.

There did not seem to be any strong feelings or opinions about Canada's Federal GBA Policy. Instead participants were more focused on finding ways to apply GBA tools within their own contexts and at a community level. Background research by Kartini International indicated that the National Action Committee on the Status of Women was generally supportive of GBA as a tool, but felt that a strong effort had to be made to ensure that it was inclusive of all women's groups and organizations, including aboriginal and Metis women, visible minority women and women with special needs. This observation is fairly critical because GBA tools are not automatically inclusive of all sub-groups of women.

There was a lively discussion about the "doing without naming" strategy which one participant described as applying GBA tools and practice without explicitly labeling it "gender-based analysis". A number of participants indicated considerable success using this strategy in contexts where the mention of gender issues was highly sensitive and often misunderstood.

Overall, participants indicated an interest in learning more about GBA and in participating in hands-on training in its application (s). Several participants indicated a need for both an ongoing and an annual dialogue on related issues, and were particularly interested in opportunities to share their experiences and learn more from each other.