Gender Equality and Sexual Exploitation
Full Review

Reviewed by: Sarah Gray, Economic and Rural Development Consultant, Oxford. UK
Review posted 3 August 2006
Review No. 84

CD-ROM Information

Content: This training pack is a manual and a CD-ROM. It presents four training modules aimed at providing comprehensive training to humanitarian and development agencies working in diverse country settings. The focus is on developing an enhanced understanding of gender issues among staff at all levels. This includes understanding the risks of staff sexually exploiting their colleagues and/or program beneficiaries, and how this can and must be avoided.
Publication Date: 30 January 2005
Audience: The primary focus is in-house staff at Oxfam’s offices worldwide. However, the material is also made available to any purchaser of the manual, provided that permission to reproduce it is obtained from Oxfam in advance.
Producer: Oxfam International
Size: 18MB
Price: £19.95
Manual needed: A manual is provided, but the CD-ROM contains all the information printed in the manual.
How to order:

Order online.*

*This link takes you outside the ADBI website. Please use the back button to return to ADBI.org.

Back to Top

Full Review

Content

This training pack is a comprehensive set of training resources. The material is presented in slides, flipcharts, and handouts, including case studies and supplementary information. Full instructions about how the material is to be presented during each session, including any equipment that may be required, are provided. The short preface sets out its purpose and emphasizes that the material is designed for use by non-specialist trainers.

The training pack provides a printed copy of all the material on the CD-ROM. Therefore it would be feasible to use just the printed material without the CD-ROM. However, the CD-ROM's added value is that the slide presentations that can be loaded onto a computer for immediate use. All the material on the CD-ROM can be edited to better suit the needs of a particular organization’s training event. (Unfortunately the file names listed on the CD-ROM are not helpful in identifying the content of each file.)

Module 1: Introduction to Gender Equality. This module is "intended for all staff who need to understand the importance of working on gender equality". It sets out a four-hour program of interactive training beginning with a discussion and then a brainstorming session about the basic concepts of gender. This leads to an exercise in which participants are asked to describe their own feelings about gender inequality. Then participants, in pairs, discuss their reactions to a variety of statements about major gender inequalities. Following a break, the session continues with a case study showing how gender inequality is linked to poverty, and therefore why Oxfam emphasizes gender balancing within all its work. A case study is used to provide participants with the opportunity to undertake a gender analysis. Finally, Oxfam's own policy on gender equality is provided as a handout for discussion. Supplementary information is provided to assist trainers in answering participants' questions on gender equality.

Module 2: Mainstreaming Gender Equality in NGOs. This eight-hour module introduces participants to the meaning of gender equality and demonstrates how transforming the balance of power between women and men can be incorporated into all aspects of an NGO’s work through the program management cycle. Again, the approach is highly interactive with two case studies provided for group work and discussion. Participants are invited to contribute their own ideas for improving their organization’s culture.

Module 3: Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for Staff. This is a two-hour course designed for all staff, particularly those in non-management positions, who have contact with beneficiaries. The facilitator needs to be highly conversant with Oxfam's code of conduct and sexual conduct, although these could be substituted for those of another organization as required. Case studies are presented to highlight particular problems that might arise. Participants are encouraged to ask questions. The training is designed to ensure that staff are fully aware of their responsibilities and the consequences of breaking the rules.

Module 4: Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for Managers. This module is intended for all managers, particularly those supervising staff in emergency-relief situations. It is a full-day module, though can be shortened if necessary. As above, facilitators are required to have a detailed understanding of their organization's code of conduct. Case studies are used and facilitators are provided with supplementary information to address issues that may be raised in the case studies.

Although designed primarily as an in-house training resource for Oxfam, this pack would be a useful asset for any similar organization wishing to provide its own training in these areas. The modules on gender equality may well have relevance for projects and programs on a wider basis, although some imagination would be required to adapt the material to best meet individual needs.

The supplementary material provided to the facilitators is explained in plain English, which assists those using English as a second language. Web links are provided, mainly to international development organizations. These links are not essential and the material in some of them is less well presented.

Back to Top

User-friendliness and Navigability

The CD-ROM is easy to install and navigate. It is recommended that the files from the CD-ROM be copied onto the hard disk to facilitate ease of access. It contains the entire English-language text, plus translations into French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Standard softwares are required to read the CD-ROM files. These are not included.

Back to Top

Interactivity

Although there are many interactive exercises as part of this training program, the CD-ROM itself does not contain any interactive features.

Back to Top

Distribution

The manual and CD-ROM can be ordered online through Oxfam International. Details are noted above in the "How to Order" section.

Back to Top

Sustainability

The material presented in this training pack is up-to-date and is likely to stand the test of time. Users may wish to update case studies that are relevant to their particular organization’s need.

Post a Comment

We welcome your feedback on either this CD-ROM or the review. Post a comment. ADBI is not obliged to acknowledge or publish comments and may abridge or edit them before web posting.

Comment(s)

There are [0] comment(s) for this entry. Post a comment.