GRB and the Millennium Development Goals
Because the MDGs are now central to policy making discussions in many countries, they can be a good focus around which to build a GRB initiative. The GRB initiative can help to ensure that gender is not forgotten in all the MDGs. It can do this by using the standard five steps of GRB as follows: What is the situation in the country in respect of achievement of a particular goal for women and
men, girls and boys? This is an important first question because for some countries particular goals are already more or less achieved. For example, some countries already have universal primary education. The GRB initiative – and the country – must obviously focus their attention on the goals which the country has not yet achieved. What government policies and programmes are in place to help achieve the goal? Will these poli-
cies and programmes increase, reduce, or leave the same any gender gaps in respect of the situation? How much money has been allocated to fund the policies and programmes? Is the allocated money spent as planned? How many male and female, rural and urban, rich and
poor people does it reach? Has the expenditure helped to move the country nearer to reaching the goal, and has it done so
in a way that reduces any gender gaps? In the workshop you can help participants to get started on this analysis, although the full analysis will need a lot of further work after the workshop. The aim in the workshop is to set the framework for the later analysis and develop areas for follow-up. Start by giving a short presentation which explains the background to the MDGs. Then divide participant into groups, and give each group two or three of the goals to focus on. Ask them, within their group, to come up with the following for each of the goals: What are the gender issues in terms of the situation? Are there any data to describe the situation? Which current policies and programmes either promote or retard achievement of the goal?
Which ministries or other agencies are responsible for these policies and programmes? What indicators can one use to measure delivery of the policies and programmes (as for pro-
gramme performance budgeting)?
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