UNAIDS Gender Assessment Tool: Towards a gender-transformative HIV response

UNAIDS

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https://www.genderhealthhub.org/articles/unaids-gender-assessment-tool/

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60 mins

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Who it's for

What you'll learn

Key Takeaways

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Who it's for

Supporting a gendered lens in HIV response efforts

Developers and reviewers of national strategic plans
Grant writers
National authorities
Civil society organisations
Key stakeholders

What you'll learn

What's in the toolkit?

In response to a need for more gender-transformative HIV responses, UNAIDS developed this Gender Assessment Tool (GAT) with a series of steps guiding users on how to address this gap. This includes a four-step process with guiding questions so that a gender lens is incorporated into efforts aiming to combat HIV.

The four stages of the gender assessment process

A plan should be established including a gender assessment team, framework, and plan, with committed and multidisciplinary stakeholders. Then, the HIV epidemic context should be investigated with gender disaggregated data over time, and an insight to how gender inequality links with other inequalities in the region. Next, the national HIV response should be analysed to see whether gender equality is addressed in relevant policies, programmes, and budget allocations across all stages of the HIV response. Finally, these gender assessment results should be compiled to formulate gender-transformative HIV response-based plans.

A man walks a bike up a street in Uganda.

The GAT enables users to learn the extent to which the national response recognises gender inequality as a key determinant of the trajectory of the HIV epidemic and then acts based on that recognition. This will help to ensure that the national HIV response has gender equality as a goal.

Key Takeaways

Efforts to combat HIV must be gender-transformative to address inequalities faced by women and girls in HIV responses and outcomes

The four-step process includes: 1) establishing a strong, knowledgeable, and multidisciplinary team attuned to the need for a gender assessment, 2) gaining a contextual knowledge of the HIV epidemic, 3) understanding the current response, and 4) assessing this information through a gender-transformative lens in order to drive equitable responses.

Gender transformative approaches must be multi-level

Gender transformative approaches should affect the following levels: basic programme activities, critical enablers, and development synergy.

Gender transformative approaches should be guided by UNAIDS Strategy 2016-2021

The eight areas of results of the UNAIDS Strategy 2016-2021 should also guide the formation of gender-transformative transformations.