Other GLAC participants translate the choice for a gender policy to how they relate to their partners. One argued that in order to realise the organisations’ gender objectives, which are explicated through close consultation with partners, it is necessary that their partner and intermediary organisations either have explicit ideas and take a position on gender issues, or are open and willing to further develop those in collaboration. Moreover, considering how norms and gender bias can make women’s concerns less visible and can weaken women’s representation, they find it appropriate to introduce gender aspects in discussions on projects and to actively recruit women participants for training courses.
BRIDGING, CONNECTING AND DIALOGUE It is one thing to pose the right questions; the other is to pose them to the right people. Different GLAC participants explicitly seek to bring together different voices. On account of not wanting to define the gender agenda unilaterally, they choose to create space for dialogue, learning and reflection among different types of stakeholders on how gender is perceived. So they do see a role for themselves in initiating a gender dialogue and in stimulating a gender analysis. They also see a role in deliberately bringing together more conservative and more feminist voices. Through a careful selection of stakeholders and proper facilitation of the process, such a dialogue can create space and build bridges required for gender equality.
THE INTERNAL ORGANISATION Translating gender objectives into meaningful practice is a twolevel game. Most organisations first direct their energies on their work with partners and at the programme level. But when GLAC participants started working on gender with their partners, they also started asking questions about their own organisation. Or, were asked by partners about the gender dynamics in their own organisation. A key challenge is how to inspire and engage colleagues to work on gender equality. GLAC participants created space in existing meetings and platforms to discuss organisational gender aspects, or organised new moments for staff to get together and reflect on the internal organisational dynamics.
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INEKE JANSEN (TIE-NETHERLANDS) ‘In this learning trajectory, we had extensive discussions with partners from five different countries, some maybe more conservative and others with a more explicitly feminist agenda. We did not impose a specific understanding of gender concerns, nor a predefined feminist agenda on our partners; that is not the kind of relationship we have with the organisations we work with. Nevertheless, we did take the initiative to put women and gender issues on the table, and we did explicitly choose to bring together different stakeholders in a dialogue. This is exactly the kind of role we can play as a Dutch organisation: making connections between mainstream and feminist actors and creating a safe environment in which dialogue and shared learning on gender equality concerns can take place. This creates a strong basis for a shared gender agenda and clear strategising towards our gender goals. Our discussions and work with the unions in different countries also inspires and pushes us to think about the role that gender plays in our own organisation. We increasingly realise that we also need to look at ourselves; that we need to reflect on and review our own practice.’