“DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” is the theme of 2023’s International Women’s Day on March 8, as set by UN Women.
In the face of gender inequality and a digital gender gap, evaluation provides a toolkit of evidence that can be used to drive change towards equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Following the launch of the Generating Evidence and New Directions for Equitable Results (GENDER) Impact Platform’s Evaluation: Inception Report in February 2023, CGIAR’s Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES) is running an online survey from 2nd March to 16th March 2023 to find out more about key stakeholders’ experiences of the Platform.
Launched in 2020, the GENDER Impact Platform synthesizes and amplifies research, fills gaps, builds capacity, and sets directions to enable CGIAR to have maximum impact on gender equality, opportunities for youth, and social inclusion in agriculture and food systems. “By using appropriate data collection tools to gather and listen to vulnerable voices, such as women and other underrepresented genders, evaluations can contribute to bridging the digital gender gap for a more inclusive, safe, and equitable digital world,” said Donna Podems, the team leader of the Platform’s evaluation process.
The evaluation employs theory-based, utilisation-focused, participatory, and feminist approaches to assess progress, document lessons and operational practices, and provide forward-looking recommendations for the Platform. As part of the evaluation, this structured survey is being rolled out to targeted stakeholders, including the CGIAR Gender listserv, CGIAR Initiative leads and non-gender specialists, CGIAR staff, and external partners (e.g., NARSs, NGOs, CSOs, multilateral development agencies, and funders) who can speak to their own interactions – or lack thereof – with the Platform.
The importance of this body of work is highlighted on International Women’s Day, which is dedicated to centering, celebrating, and uplifting women everywhere. It offers an occasion to reflect on progress made on the fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5): to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. It also provides an opportunity to mobilize political will and call for change, and to celebrate women and girls’ leadership across the globe in communities, workplaces, and countries. “To meet the global development goals and support transformational change, it is critical to actively engage with and support the world’s most vulnerable people – who are overrepresented by women, young people, and other marginalised groups,” said Podems.
On International Women's Day – as on every day of the year – your voice matters, and we value your opinion: please play your part and respond to the survey.
If you would like to take part in the survey, please click here. For more information, please contact IAES at iaes-evaluation@cgiar.org.
