“Gender equality” has been a top buzzword in modern discourse, paving the way in the fight for women’s rights. However, the recent spotlight on these issues can sometimes blind us to the realities faced by women and girls.
While these are issues on a global scale, women and girls in Asia tend to face bigger hurdles in development. In terms of literacy rates, there is a gender disparity of 44% and this gap is unfortunately wider in rural areas. This inequality extends as well to the workforce, where women in formal jobs grapple with a gender wage gap of up to 50%. For women in informal work, the wage insecurity is even greater.
There is an irony to this situation, as gender equality and women’s leadership play a highly critical role in Asia’s development. Over 35% and counting of social enterprises in Southeast Asia are owned and led by women, highlighting the virtue and growing importance of women’s leadership. In fact, just by advancing women’s participation in paid work, Asia’s collective annual GDP has the potential to grow by USD 4.5 trillion in 2025.
Yet, in spite of this, there is still a woefully inadequate focus on gender in financing for development. On a global scale, there is a financing gap of USD 300 billion for women-led small businesses — Asia alone accounts for 25% of this gap. Around 55% of OECD Official Development Assistance commitments in 2018 to 2019 did not account for gender.
If everyone is talking about gender equality, why is there still insufficient action being taken? The crux of the issue may be in the wider social and economic systems and therefore we need a systemic approach, which looks to shift entire organisations and doesn’t just treat gender equality as a standalone issue.
These are a set of guidelines designed to help givers incorporate a gender lens in their philanthropy. Launched at the B20 Summit in Indonesia, they were co-developed by AGN members and based on best practices by leaders in the philanthropic and gender mainstreaming fields. The Principles include frameworks to encourage the intentional and purposeful analysis of gender intersectionality in giving.
The Principles are not meant to discourage the funding of causes outside of gender. Instead, they are meant to help improve philanthropic portfolios by considering how gender intersects with other aspects of inequality such as race, class or disability, as well as how it is impacted by other funded themes. Ultimately, the aim is to improve outcomes for programme beneficiaries, women and girls, and funders.
According to the Principles, embedding a gender lens in your philanthropy involves four dimensions, each represented by a key question:
- Does your organisation have good gender practices?
Organisations are shaped by culture, and culture by its people. That is why diversity plays such a crucial role in defining your ethos — is there fair gender representation in your staff and your leadership team? What measures are in place to ensure women’s participation in your organisation’s decision-making processes? - What is the funding for?
Do a review of the projects and initiatives being funded — is your philanthropy helping to advance gender equality across a variety of causes? Examples of this are targeting women through financial inclusion schemes and addressing gendered challenges in school enrollment rates. - Who do you fund?
Research is key — take the time to find out who are most affected as key decision-makers and would make the most significant impact with your funding. These can be women-led social justice organisations that are well positioned to have the deepest insight into what solutions work best for their communities. - How do you fund?
Philanthropy is more than simply giving money to a cause you believe in. Do you also consider the needs and realities of women and girls throughout the grant-making cycle? What steps do you take to shift or build power at all levels through your giving?
Through the Principles for Giving with a Gender Lens, you can pledge your commitment to gender giving and join us in working towards true gender equality. Your participation will also help AGN in gathering data on gender-giving impact across Asia. Sign up today here.
