GAD CHECKLIST FOR EDUCATION PROJECTS

Education projects or projects for the education sector encompass construction of facilities
(infrastructure), technical assistance for a sectoral review or preparation of a sector plan,
development or revision of curricula or educational materials, scholarships, and training of
teachers and other education sector officials and personnel. The assistance may be for the
entire sector, formal or informal education, or a particular level of formal education
(elementary, secondary, or tertiary).

GENDER ISSUES AND GENDER EQUALITY RESULTS

Education projects in the Philippines have to contend with a number of interrelated

gender issues (NCRFW 2004), including the following:
• Deteriorating quality of education at all levels particularly in the rural areas, as better
quality schools are found in town centers or urban areas. In areas with high
indigenous people’s populations, the distance from school and indifference to girls’
education are unfavorable to females.
• Wide variations in literacy among regions. National female and male literacy rates are
about the same, but some areas have significantly lower figures. Literacy rates are
lowest in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and areas in
Mindanao under armed conflict, with female literacy rates significantly lower than
those of the males. Low male literacy rate is associated with the recruitment of men at
a very young age to join armed groups.
• Generally, higher school dropout among boys, as they leave school to work in the
farms, factories, markets, piers, or the streets. School participation of children is often
bound with their work responsibilities to their family.
• More women than men reach the tertiary education level, but women tend to flock
into business administration and other overcrowded stereotyped “feminine” fields
(teachers’ training, nursing, midwifery).
• Despite efforts to revise the curricula and instructional materials at various levels, these
materials continue to promote gender stereotypes, influencing young people’s career
choices.
• Gender-based harassment among students, of students by teachers, and of teachers by
their superiors.
• While there are more women than men among teachers, decision making in the sector
remains a male preserve.

Recognition by program or project designers of the various gender issues that persist
nationally and in specific areas of the country can help them develop interventions that will
ultimately improve the level and quality of education of women and men alike. Education
programs and projects may be designed to enable young children—boys especially—to attend
school at the same time that they help their families earn a living, make better school facilities
accessible to rural females and males, and improve the gender-responsiveness of the education
sector. In some areas, constraints to girls’ access to education may be addressed through the
physical design of schools, availability of woman teachers from the same cultural or religious
group, or campaign to integrate the girls in the public school system. Gender equality results
of education programs or projects may include:

 longer stay in school of boys, where male school dropout rate is particularly high;
 increased enrolment of girls, where there are barriers to female entry in the existing
school system;
 improved school performance of male and female students;
 greater access of rural females and males to good quality education;
 increased capacity of women to influence decisions in the education sector;
 improved capacity of public and private schools at all levels to address gender issues in
the classroom and in the campus; and
 improved capacity of agencies in the education sector to plan, design, implement, and
monitor programs and projects that address gender issues and the concerns of different
stakeholders.

GENDER ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

Gender analysis is required at two points of the project preparation stage: as part of
project identification, and after the project has been designed. Box 4 (page 9), Part 1, of this
manual suggests key questions for gender analysis as part of analysis of the development
problem, while box 12 offers a summary of the core gender analysis questions for assessing the
gender impact of the proposed education project, as designed. Other questions that may be
asked are:
Gender division of labor and gender needs
• Has an assessment been made of the education and training needs (curricula, teaching
methods, schedules) of women and men? Of girls and boys?
• Does the project address the different education and training needs of women and men?
For instance, are households in the project area dependent on the work of girls or boys for
income? If so, will flexible education schedules help females or males in their other tasks?
• Does the project recognize and accommodate the different roles of women and men? Of
their roles in the management of educational and training programs and institutions?
• Does the project (through curricula, instructional materials, role models, and skills
training) provide opportunities for expanding the roles and career options of young
women and men?
• Has consideration been given to how women may be supported in their role of providing
socialization and tutoring children to become good citizens, workers, and human beings?

GAD Checklist for Education 2

 Access to and control of educational services and benefits
• Does the project ensure that opportunities for training and scholarships are equally
accessible to women and men, girls and boys? To rural as well as urban females and males?
To different categories of females and males (rural/urban, ethnic groups)?
• Is information about educational opportunities readily available to females and males?
• Have all methods of education delivery been considered to ensure access to education by
girls and boys, young women and men, who may otherwise not be able to attend school?

Constraints to participation
• Has the project addressed any time and distance constraint so that girls and boys could
attend class?
• Are there societal attitudes or cultural factors that prevent girls or young women, or boys
or young men, from attending school or a training program? Has the project addressed
these constraints?
• Has the project considered financial costs for participation that may restrict attendance of
females or males?
 Will the project improve women’s representation in education boards?
 Has the project considered financial costs for participation that may increase women’s and
men’s access to the project’s training services or facilities?
 Will women’s participation in the project affect the attitudes of women and men toward
women?

GUIDE FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE CHECKLIST

Box 12 lists the ten elements or requirements for a gender-responsive education project.
Each requirement is generally accompanied by a set of guide questions. The scoring system is
the same as that in boxes 5 and 6, while the interpretation of the total score is the same as that
in box 7. The guide for accomplishing the checklist and the interpretation of the total GAD
rating are reproduced below for easy reference.

Guide for accomplishing Box 12

1. Put a check  in the appropriate column (2a to 2c) under “Response” to signify the degree to
which a project proponent has complied with the GAD element: under col. 2a if nothing has
been done; under col. 2b if an element, item, or question has been partly answered; and under
col. 2c if an element, item, or question has been fully complied with.
2. A partial and a full yes may be distinguished as follows.
a. For Element 1.0, a “partly yes” to Question 1.1 (or Q1.1) means meeting with male officials
and only a woman or a few women who also happen to be officials in the proponent or
partner agency or organization; or with male and female officials and some male
beneficiaries. In contrast, full compliance involves meeting with female and male officials
and consulting other stakeholders, including women and men that may be affected
positively or negatively by the proposed project. A “partly yes” to Q1.2 means inputs or
suggestions may have been sought from woman and man beneficiaries but are not
considered at all in designing project activities, choosing and locating facilities, and

GAD Checklist for Education 3

 selecting types of capacity development activities. A “partly yes” to Q1.3 means only
certain groups of women and men are viewed as stakeholders and agents of change.
b. For Element 2.0, “partly yes” means some information has been classified by sex but may
not help identify key gender issues that a planned project must address. In contrast, a full
“yes” implies that qualitative and quantitative data are cited in the analysis of the
development issue or project.
c. For Element 3.0, a “partly yes” means a superficial or partial analysis has been done by
focusing on only one or two of the concerns (gender roles, needs, perspectives, or access
to and control of resources).
d. For Element 4.0, “partly yes” means women are identified in the project objectives but
only in connection with traditional roles or economic activities (Q4.1); or the project has
token gender equality outputs or outcomes (Q4.2). A full “yes” to Q4.1 signifies that
women’s nontraditional roles are also recognized, while a full “yes” to Q4.2 denotes
that gender equality outcomes and outputs are consistently pursued in the logical
framework analysis.
e. For Element 5.0, “partly yes” means having gender equality strategies or activities but no
stated gender issues to match the activities, while a full “yes” means there is an identified
gender issue and there are activities seeking to address these issues.
f. For Element 6.0, a “partly yes” response to any of the items and questions is associated
with a superficial or partial effort to address a specific issue or question. In contrast, a
full “yes” involves a coherent, if not a comprehensive, response to the question.
g. For Element 7.0, “partly yes” means the project monitoring plan includes indicators that
are sex-disaggregated but no qualitative indicator of empowerment or status change.
h. For Element 8.0, “partly yes” means the project requires the collection of some sex-
disaggregated data or information but not all the information that will track the gender-
differentiated effects of the project. A full “yes” means all sex-disaggregated data and
qualitative information will be collected to help monitor GAD outcomes and outputs.
i. For Element 9.0, “partly yes” means there is a budget for GAD-related activities but this is
insufficient to ensure that the project will address relevant gender issues (Q9.1), or build
GAD capacities among project staff or the project agency, or tap external GAD expertise
(Q9.2).
j. For Element 10.0, a “partly yes” response to Q10.1 means there is a mention of the
agency’s GAD plan but no direct connection is made to incorporate the project’s GAD
efforts into the plan; to Q10.2 means there is a mention of other GAD initiatives in the
project coverage but no indication of how the project will build on these initiatives; and to
Q10.3 means the project has a sustainability plan for its GAD efforts but makes no
mention of how these may be institutionalized within the implementing agency or its
partners.
3. After ascertaining whether a GAD requirement has been fulfilled or not, enter the
appropriate score for an element or item under column 3.
a. To ascertain the score for a GAD element, a three-point rating scale is provided: “0” when
the proponent has not accomplished any of the activities or questions listed under an
element or requirement; a score that is less than the stated maximum when compliance is
only partial; and “2” (for the element or requirement), or the maximum score for an item
or question, when the proponent has done all the required activities.

GAD Checklist for Education 4

 b. The scores for “partly yes” differ by element. For instance, the score for “partly yes” for
Elements 2.0, 3.0, 5.0, 7.0, and 8.0 is “1.” For elements that have two or more items or
questions (such as Element 1.0), the rating for a “partial yes” is the sum of the scores of the
items or questions that fall short of the maximum “2.”
c. For Elements 4.0 and 9.0, which has two items each, the maximum score for each item is
pegged at “1.0” and for “partly yes” is “0.5.” Hence, if a project scores a full “1.0” in one
question but “0” in the other, or if a project scores “partly yes” (or “0.5”) in each of the two
items, the total rating will be “partly yes” with a score of “1.0.” If a project scores “partly
yes” for one item but “no” for the other, then the total rating for the element will be “0.5.”
d. For Elements 1.0, 6.0 and 10.0, which have three items each, the maximum score for each
item is pegged at “0.67” and for “partly yes” is “0.33.” The rating for the element will be
“partly yes” if the total score of the three items is positive but less than “2.0,” the maximum
for the element.
4. For an element (col. 1) that has more than one item or question, add the scores of the items or
questions and enter the sum in the thickly bordered cell for the element.
5. Add the scores in the thickly bordered cells under column 3 to come up with the GAD score for
the project identification and design stages.
6. Under the last column, indicate the key gender issues identified (for proponents) or comments on
the proponent’s compliance with the requirement (for evaluators).

Box 12. GAD checklist for designing and evaluating education projects
Response
Score for
(col. 2) Result or
the item/
Element and item/question (col. 1 ) Partly comment
No Yes element
yes (col. 4)
(2a) (2c) (col. 3)
(2b)
Project identification and planning
1.0 Participation of women and men in project identification
(max score: 2; for each item or question, 0.67)

1.1 Has the project consulted women on the problem or

issue that the intervention must solve and on the
development of the solution?
(possible scores: 0, 0.33, 0.67)
1.2 Have women’s inputs been considered in the design of
the project? (possible scores: 0, 0.33, 0.67)
1.2 Are both women and men seen as stakeholders,
partners, or agents of change?
(possible scores: 0, 0.33, 0.67)

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 Response
Score for
(col. 2) Result or
the item/
Element and item/question (col. 1 ) Partly comment
No Yes element
yes (col. 4)
(2a) (2c) (col. 3)
(2b)
2.0 Collection of sex-disaggregated data and gender-related
information prior to project design (possible scores: 0, 1.0, 2.0)
Has the project tapped sex-disaggregated data and gender-
related information from secondary and primary sources at
the project identification stage? OR, does the project
document include sex-disaggregated and gender information
in the analysis of the development issue or problem?

3.0 Conduct of gender analysis and identification of gender issues

(see box 3) (possible scores: 0, 1.0, 2.0)
Has a gender analysis been done to identify gender issues
prior to project design? OR, does the discussion of
development issues in the project document include gender
gaps that the project must address?

Project design
4.0 Gender equality goals, outcomes, and outputs
(max score: 2; for each item or question, 1)
4.1 Do project objectives explicitly refer to women and men as
students, parents, teachers, or administrators?
(possible scores: 0, 0.5, 1.0)
4.2 Does the project have gender equality outputs or outcomes?
(See text for examples.) (possible scores: 0, 0.5, 1.0)
5.0 Matching of strategies with gender issues
(possible scores: 0, 1.0, 2.0)
Do the strategies match the identified gender issues and gender
equality goals? That is, will the activities or interventions
reduce gender gaps and inequalities?

6.0 Gender analysis of the designed project (max score: 2)

6.1 Gender division of labor

(max score: 0.67; for each item or question, 0.22)
6.1.1 Are families in the target community reliant on the work
of girls or boys for income? IF SO: Will flexible education
schedules help females or males fit in their other tasks?
(possible scores: 0, 0.11, 0.22)
6.1.2 Does the project offer opportunities (through curricula,
instructional materials, role models) for expanding roles of
women and men, girls and boys, at home and in the
community, economy, and society?
(possible scores: 0, 0.11, 0.22)
6.1.3 Has an assessment been made of the education and
training needs of both females and males?
(possible scores: 0, 0.11, 0.22)

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 Response
Score for
(col. 2) Result or
Element and item/question the item/
Partly comment
(col. 1 ) No Yes element
yes (col. 4)
(2a) (2c) (col. 3)
(2b)
6.2 Access to and control of resources
(max score: 0.67; for each item or question, 0.22)
6.2.1 Does the project ensure that opportunities for training
and scholarships that may be provided are equally
accessible to women and men, girls and boys? To different
categories of females and males (rural/urban, ethnic
groups)? (possible scores: 0, 0.11 0.22)
6.2.2 Is information about educational opportunities readily
available to females and males?
(possible scores: 0, 0.11, 0.22)
6.2.3 Have all methods of education delivery been
considered? (possible scores: 0, 0.11, 0.22)
6.3 Constraints (max score: 0.67; for each item or question, 0.33)
6.3.1 Has the project addressed any time and distance
constraint so that girls and boys could attend class?
(possible scores: 0, 0.17, 0.33)
6.3.2 Has the project considered the financial costs of
participation that may restrict attendance of females or
males? (possible scores: 0, 0.17, 0.33)
7.0 Monitoring targets and indicators
(possible scores: 0, 1.0, 2.0)
Does the project include gender equality targets and
indicators for welfare, access, consciousness raising,
participation, and control? Examples of gender differences
that may be monitored:
- Net enrolment or school participation rate
- Passing rate for female and male students (NEAT, NSAT, HSRT)
- Participation in training and similar project activities, by type of training or
activity
- Employment generated by the project
8.0 Sex-disaggregated database (possible scores: 0, 1.0, 2.0)
Does the proposed project monitoring framework or plan
include the collection of sex-disaggregated data?
9.0 Resources (max score: 2; for each item or question, 1)
9.1 Is the budget allotted by the project sufficient for gender
equality promotion or integration? (possible scores: 0, 0.5, 1.0)
9.2 Does the project have the expertise to integrate GAD or to
promote gender equality and women’s empowerment? OR, is
the project committed to investing project staff in building
capacity for integrating GAD or promoting gender equality?
(possible scores: 0, 0.5, 1.0)

GAD Checklist for Education 7

 Response Score
(col. 2) for the Result or
Element and item/question
Partly item/ comment
(col. 1 ) No Yes
yes element (col. 4)
(2a) (2c)
(2b) (col. 3)
10.0 Relationship with the agency’s GAD efforts
(max score: 2; for each item or question, 0.67)
10.1 Will the project build on or strengthen the agency/ PCW/
government’s commitment to the advancement of women?
(possible scores: 0, 0.33, 0.67)
10.2 Does the project have an exit plan that will ensure the
sustainability of GAD efforts and benefits?
(possible scores: 0, 0.33, 0.67)
10.3 Will the project build on the initiatives or actions of other
organizations in the area? (possible scores: 0, 0.33, 0.67)
TOTAL GAD SCORE— PROJECT IDENTIFICATION AND DESIGN STAGES
(Add the score for each of the 10 elements, or the figures in thickly bordered cells.)

Interpretation of the GAD score

0-3.9 GAD is invisible in the project (proposal is returned).

4.0-7.9 Proposed project has promising GAD prospects (proposal earns a
“conditional pass,” pending identification of gender issues and
strategies and activities to address these, and inclusion of the
collection of sex-disaggregated data in the monitoring and evaluation
plan).
8.0-14.9 Proposed project is gender-sensitive (proposal passes the GAD test).
15.0-20.0 Proposed project is gender-responsive (proponent is commended).

GAD Checklist for Education 8