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Appendix A: Background Paper How Can You Use Gender-Based Analysis? You can use gender-based analysis as a tool to make effective changes that will benefit both women and men. For example, in the 1980's the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) was concerned about the fact the numbers of passengers were falling each year. They conducted a survey of their passengers and discovered that approximately 80% of them were female. They concluded that to increase the numbers of passengers they needed to find out what were the primary concerns of their female passengers. When consulted the women passengers indicated that safety was a serious issue for them. Another study showed that a significant number of rapists initially targeted their victims on the public transit system. Thus the women passengers had serious reasons to be concerned about their safety when using the public transit system. The Toronto Transit Commission used these two studies to change its operations and policies. First they conducted a safety audit of all of their subway stations. From the safety audits the TTC found out that they needed to improve the lighting in most subway stations. They also set up "designated waiting areas" on each subway platform that the ticket booth operators monitor through a video security system. These special waiting areas have an intercom system so that passengers can request help if they need it. The TTC also introduced a policy that allows women to ask the bus driver to let them off between stops after dark. This means that women have less distance to walk home alone in the dark and thus reduces their risk of sexual and physical assault. None of these changes would have taken place if the TTC had not taken gender issues into account. How Do You Do Gender-Based Analysis? The first step for any gender-based analysis is to collect information that is sex specific. The most basic gender-based analysis tool you can use is to count the number of women and men involved in any activity. If there is a significant difference, then you can ask why. The answers that the women and men give you will often also give you the basic information you need to figure out the changes you need to make. You may also want to ask in what ways and at what levels women and men participate in a particular program. For example, if most of the women are working as volunteers and most of the men are paid for their work, it means that that women and men are participating in the program in very different ways. If you did a slightly more in-depth analysis you could then find out the reasons for this difference and ways to change this situation. Other key questions that you will need to ask to assess the policies, programs and socio- economic trends to conduct a basic gender-based analysis include:
Once you have collected this basic data and analyzed the differences between women and men, you can adapt your original design or develop advocacy programs to promote change. You can also use gender-based analysis as a way to monitor or evaluate the impact of a policy, program or trend. There are many different types of gender analysis tools and many different ways you can use them. Thus gender-based analysis is a highly adaptable tool that you can use to work towards positive social and economic change. References: Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action - Fourth World Conference on Women, 15 September 1995 CIDA, June 1998, 1999 Policy on Gender Equality Draft for Consultation, June 1998, Hull, Quebec. Singh, Supriya, and Annette Ryan, Executive Summary: Gender Design and Electronic Commerce, Research Report No. 25 Statistics Canada, 1997, Canada's Survey of Consumer Finances, in The Earnings of Men and Women (1997) Catalogue number 13-217-XIB |
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