Gender Mandate

A gender mandate is the formal directive or requirement by donor/financing institutions to carry out gender-specific actions, in order to achieve gender equality-related goals. Institutional gender mandates must be public, in order for institutions to be held accountable to them.

What is included in institutional gender mandates?

  • Aspirational gender-focused goal, sometimes embedded in overall institution goal

  • Priority areas

  • Strategic objectives, including illustrative outcomes for each objective

  • Objectives include both operational/measurable (e.g., increase/decrease, reduce) and aspirational (e.g., strive to, advance, ensure, guarantee, promote, elevate, engage, strengthen) elements

  • Operational approaches (i.e., the high-level "how") included for some

  • Thematic focus (e.g., equities, access, institution, economic empowerment, decision-making and leadership, participation, gender norms, GBV, intersectionality)

  • Population group focus (e.g., adolescent girls, women, women and girls, all children)

  • Geographic reach

  • How institution works with partners

Where mandates are available

  • Public in policies

  • Public on websites

General Recommendations for your Gender Mandate

  • Institutions must have a public-facing, documented commitment to gender. This gender mandate might be in the form of a policy, an action plan, a strategy, or other. This is the baseline requirement for institutional accountability.

  • The gender mandate needs to be time-bound (short-, medium-, and long-term), measurable, and reported upon publicly.

  • The more concrete the gender mandate (e.g clear goals to be achieved over a specified period of time), the more likely it is to be operationalized. Concrete elements should align with the institution's development priorities in order to best facilitate integration.

  • Ensure the gender mandate articulates a dual goal of 1) promoting gender equality for itself, and 2) contributing to stronger and more rigorous sectoral outcomes; this dual purpose would enhance and strengthen the commitment to gender equality.

  • Gender mandates should be made public for transparency and accountability purposes.

  • The gender mandate should address institutional commitments to gender equality through internal (e.g., systems and staff) and external (e.g. programming, participants, etc.) efforts. Alignment between institutional gender mainstreaming (internal) and gender integration in programming (external) will result in a more streamlined and harmonious effort towards gender equality

  • Leadership commitment to the implementation of the gender mandate is at the heart of effective accountability. Strong mechanisms to engage leaders and measure their efforts toward gender mainstreaming can accelerate gender equality progress.