Questions

If you have a quick question about a specific area of gender mainstreaming that you need answered, this is the page for you. Whether you’re a program manager, HR professional, marketing specialist, or people manager, gender mainstreaming is a cross-cutting issue that can potentially impact workers throughout an organization. We’ve put together a list of questions identified by our gender research team here to quickly connect you with the right solution set:

Policy

  1. How do I get buy-in from my leadership on gender-based violence initiatives who think that having an inclusive culture is enough?
    1. Read about how to prevent and end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
    2. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.

  2. How do I get buy-in from my coworkers on gender-based violence initiatives who think it's not an issue for us?
    1. Read about how to prevent and end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.

  3. Members of my organization do not agree on an organizational approach to gender based violence in the workplace. How do I get everyone on the same page?
    1. Read about how to prevent and end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
    2. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.

  4. We have a robust reporting system for gender based violence, but employees don't feel comfortable using it. What can I do?
    1. Read about how to prevent and end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
    2. Learn from other organizations about formal reporting channels for harassment and discrimination.

  5. My leadership does not follow through on reports of gender based violence. What can I do?
    1. Read about how to prevent and end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
    2. Read about how to conduct institutional assessments.
    3. Learn from other organizations about assessing and targeting gender equality.

  6. Is there a way to know how effective our workplace GBV trainings are?
    1. Read about how to prevent and end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
    2. Read about how to conduct institutional assessments.

  7. Attitudes towards gender differences at work are so pervasive, how do we begin to change this in the workplace?
    1. Read more about how to support women in management.
    2. Read more about how to change staff attitudes and behaviors.
    3. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.
    4. Learn from other organizations about the value of mandatory training.

  8. How can male leaders support gender equality at the leadership level?
    1. Read more about how to support women in management.
    2. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.

  9. We don't have enough women applying to our management roles. How do we find skilled female applicants and encourage them to apply?
    1. Read more about how to support women in management.

  10. We know that women are more likely to negotiate for flexible working opportunities in lieu of pay raises and promotions. How can we reduce this issue in our own organization?
    1. Read more about Equal Pay for Equal Work.
    2. Learn from other organizations about pay transparency.

  11. We know that women are often more likely to put in extra unpaid hours to complete tasks. How can we reduce this issue in our organization when we don't have the resources to increase our staff?
    1. Read more about Equal Pay for Equal Work.

  12. How can we support individuals returning from career breaks and parental leave to mitigate gendered issues in career progression?
    1. Read more about Equal Pay for Equal Work.

  13. How can we increase transparency around our pay structures?
    1. Read more about Equal Pay for Equal Work.
    2. Learn from other organizations about pay transparency.

  14. How can we tell if we have a pay gap?
    1. Read more about Equal Pay for Equal Work.

  15. How can our organization help individuals who need access to childcare?
    1. Read more about how to promote a work-life balance.
    2. Read more about how to empower men as parents.
    3. Learn from other organizations about managing remote workers.

  16. How do we ensure equitable access to equality and diversity policies in our different country offices?
    1. Read more about how to promote a work-life balance.
    2. Learn from other organizations about promoting gender networks.

  17. How can we reduce feelings of an 'old boys network' in our organizational culture?
    1. Read more about how to promote a work-life balance.

  18. How can we prevent virtual instances of harassment and/or bullying for employees?
    1. Read more about building a technical future of work that works for women.

  19. How do we support employees who are working from home and balancing care work at the same time?
    1. Read more about building a technical future of work that works for women.
    2. Learn from other organizations about managing remote workers.

  20. How do we engage projects and departments who feel gender mainstreaming doesn't apply to them?
    1. Read more about building a technical future of work that works for women.
    2. Read more about conducting internal assessments.
    3. Read more about the use of program assessments.

  21. We know that women are less likely than men to apply for jobs if their experiences don't meet the requirements of a job description. How can we mitigate this in our recruitment process?
    1. Read more about bolstering the recruitment of women.

  22. How can we address implicit biases for our recruitment teams?
    1. Read more about bolstering the recruitment of women.
    2. Read more about changing staff attitudes and behaviors.

  23. How can we target women in our recruitment efforts?
    1. Read more about bolstering the recruitment of women
    2. Learn more about how other organizations are working to achieve equality at the top of their organizations

Assessment

  1. How do we source the necessary time and employee resources needed to adequately implement our gender mainstreaming efforts?
    1. Read more about conducting institutional assessments.

  2. How do we have a unified approach as an organization to gender mainstreaming while respecting and contextualizing our approaches to the cultures and countries that we work in?
    1. Read more about conducting institutional assessments.
    2. Learn from other organizations about gender transformative approaches.

  3. How do we get buy-in across multiple country offices into our gender mainstreaming efforts and assessments?
    1. Read more about conducting institutional assessments.
    2. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.

  4. How do we make sure everyone in our organization is on the same page about the state of gender mainstreaming within the organization and create a unified vision for where we want it to be?
    1. Read more about the value of internal assessments.

  5. How do you measure improvements in gender mainstreaming?
    1. Read more about conducting program assessments.
    2. Learn from other organizations about assessing and targeting gender equality.

Training

  1. How can we ensure that our gender mainstreaming trainings are using accessible language, especially if we are engaging with external trainers?
    1. Read more about training for awareness raising.
    2. Read more about changing staff attitudes and behaviors.

  2. If we don't make training mandatory, the employees who most need the content are the least likely to attend. How do we engage the right employee base?
    1. Read more about training for awareness raising.
    2. Read more about changing staff attitudes and behaviors.

  3. Trainings are often seen as an additional burden. How can we mitigate this feeling?
    1. Read more about training for awareness raising.
    2. Learn from other organizations about how leadership can support gender mainstreaming efforts.

  4. Gender stereotypes are deeply ingrained in all levels of society- how can we counteract these at the org. level and actually make a difference?
    1. Read more about training for awareness raising.
    2. Learn how other organizations create and support gender networks.

  5. How do we fund training opportunities for our staff when our organization relies on grant funding?
    1. Read more about supporting women in management.
    2. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.

  6. How do we ensure that the level of knowledge provided by a training course is achieving the intended outcomes?
    1. Read more about knowledge enhancement for gender specialists.

  7. How do we prevent training from become a box ticking exercise?
    1. Read more about knowledge enhancement for gender specialists.

  8. Institutional change takes time and a sustained level of commitment; how can I ensure we will have the resources needed long-term to achieve our gender mainstreaming goals?
    1. Read more about changing staff attitudes and behaviors.
    2. Learn from other organizations about the importance of leadership buy-in.

  9. How do we ensure that language barriers don't inhibit meaningful engagement with gender mainstreaming trainings for those who have english as a second language?
    1. Read more about changing staff attitudes and behaviors.
    2. Learn how other organizations are widening access.

  10. How can we contextualize trainings for the countries where we operate?
    1. Read more about changing staff attitudes and behaviors.