Gender Toolkit
This Gender Toolkit (PDF) of IDH was developed to address concerns of the limited possibilities for women to engage in supply chains. The toolkit aims to raise awareness, encourage, and inspire to integrate gender aspects into supply chain approaches. The toolkit illuminates the problem of gender inequality through case studies in different commodities. The first commodity is changing business practices to address unequal working conditions disadvantaging women, resulting in increased market share and reduced costs. The second is to improve sector governance. By accounting for gender in standards, policies, and public commitments, new markets, increased resilience of value chains, improved livelihoods and working conditions are achieved. The last commodity is increasing field level sustainability. By addressing women’s unequal access to knowledge, resources and decision-making through targeted activities and services, farmers and workers achieve increased incomes and better working and living conditions. Case studies are presented for each commodity to outline how improving gender equality has a positive impact on business outcomes. The Gender Guide (PDF) goes into more practical detail by outlining key steps to critically reflect on the role of gender in existing interventions or interventions under development. This process can be initiated by considering key questions throughout program implementation (Who does what in the value chain? Female/male farmers, workers, managers). Furthermore, there are 6 programming stages that have opportunities to address gender and the guidance provided: strategy development, stakeholder engagement, governance structure, proposal development, implementation and learning and innovation. The Gender Guide outlines these stages and sheds light on how and why gender should be factored into developing programs and interventions in all sectors and impact themes.