International IDEA Gender Policy

International IDEA Gender Policy 

The Secretary General’s Statement on IDEA Gender Policy 

The objective of achieving gender equality is indivisible from the International IDEA goal of sustainable 

democracy worldwide, hence International IDEA’s commitment to making gender equality a reality. 

International IDEA will leverage for the transformation of power relations between men and women in 

such a manner that gender equality is promoted in terms of inclusiveness, participation, 

representativeness and accountability of democratic processes to both women and men. 

As equality between women and men is a key feature of democracy, gender, as a cross-cutting issue 

must be addressed in all our internal systems and practices and areas of work, especially in 

programmes whose primary focus is not on gender. 

For International IDEA to move from rhetoric to reality, commitment is needed throughout the 

organisation in terms of the programme areas and internal management practices. Therefore, I urge 

all colleagues to dedicate full attention to this sought after objective and to translate the Gender Policy 

into substantive results. The commitments and efforts towards gender equality will also be enhanced 

by placing gender at the heart of the International IDEA Strategy, Programme of Operations and 

equally important within the internal management systems and practices. 

Experience has taught us that the objective of gender equality requires active leadership and 

advocacy by senior management backed by accountability mechanisms and allocation of sufficient 

resources. I take this opportunity to reiterate my unwavering commitment towards gender equality and 

to keeping gender at the top of International IDEA’s management/administrative systems and 

international democracy agenda. I also expect senior management and staff to be fully accountable to 

me on progress made in this area. 

As democracy building itself, the attainment of gender equality is a long process that requires 

commitment, participation and contribution of every staff member. We will also require the cooperation 

and support of our Member States and partners at national, regional and international levels. 

It is no longer the ‘why’ but the 'how' of gender work that needs to be addressed to make it a practical 

reality. Gender equality work will now be part of our day to day political and administrative work. 

Rather than an add-on, gender equality must be an integral part of all our efforts in order to ensure 

that our own internal practices and global work on democracy building does not perpetuate the already 

existing gender inequalities. 

Building a common understanding on gender in the organization through capacity and knowledge 

development on gender concerns and gender analysis will be one of the core areas for staff 

competencies strengthening. 

This Gender Policy provides an institutional framework for placing gender at the centre of all our work 

through an approach that ensures greater consistency and coherence on gender equality principles 

and practices across the organisation, in other words “walking the talk”. 

Vidar Helgesen 

Secretary-General, 2009 

International IDEA Gender Policy 1 

November 2009

Glossary of terms 

Gender refers to socially constructed rather than biologically determined roles of women and men, as 

well as the relationships between them in a given society at a specific time and place, while sex refers 

to the biologically determined difference and roles. The qualities, identities and behaviors expected 

from men and women are determined through the process of socialisation. 

Gender is an analytical category comparable to race, class, ethnicity, religious background etc. and it 

should be used in a similar way as analytical tool. Just as race, class, ethnicity, religion and culture, 

gender constituted and still constitutes a basis for oppression and discrimination among individuals; 

the term gender captures a frequently invoked reason for inequalities between women and men, boys 

and girls. 

Gender is often overlooked as an aspect of men’s social identity, yet the lives and activities of men as 

well as women are strongly influenced by gender. In most societies, men tend to have broader 

options, more opportunities and greater access to society’s resources than women. This is the result 

of a framework of legislation, policies, and institutions that incorporate attitudes and practices about 

what is appropriate to being male and female in a given society. 

Gender Analysis entails the examination and identification of processes of how, in a given context, 

relations between men and women are shaped and the various needs and experiences of each 

gender. The analysis is to be informed by how gender is also intertwined with and affected by other 

identities and realities such as ethnicity, class, race, religion, disability, culture. This makes gender a 

cross-cutting issue to be addressed through a mainstreaming strategy. 

Gender equality entails that women and men enjoy the same status, have equal conditions for 

realizing their full human rights and potential to contribute to national, political, social, cultural and 

economic development and to benefit from the results. It is therefore the equal valuing by society of 

both the similarities and differences men and women and the varying roles they perform. 

Gender equity is the process through which leads to equality by seeking to overcome historical and 

social disadvantages that prevent women and men from enjoying a level playing field in different 

spheres of life. 

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy of ensuring that both women and men benefit from IDEA 

support and work, reflecting the understanding that equality is both a means and an end. Gender 

mainstreaming requires a focus on actual results in terms of gender equality in the areas of work at 

different levels. It is: 

“The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including 

legislation, policies or programmes . . . making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences 

an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and 

programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally 

and inequality is not perpetuated.” Economic and Social Council, 1997. 

Gender mainstreaming requires a shift in the understanding of how social structures and processes 

recreate and perpetuate inequalities between women and men in accessing resources, taking 

advantage of opportunities and participating in decision-making. 

Equality of Outcome: Because of their different positions in society, women and men may not be 

able to take advantage of equal opportunities to the same extent. In some cases equal opportunities 

can actually have a negative impact on women’s well-being, if women exert time and energy to take 

advantage of them with no result. In order to ensure that interventions result in equality of outcome for 

women and men, it is necessary to design them on the basis of gender analysis. “Equal” treatment 

therefore does not mean “the same” treatment. 

Practical Gender and Strategic Gender Interests/Needs: Women and men have different roles and 

responsibilities and therefore have different interests/needs. These are called gender interests/needs, 

practical and strategic. Practical and strategic gender interests/needs should not be seen as separate, 

but rather as a continuum. Responsiveness to women on their practical gender interests/needs an 

entry point to address gender inequalities in the longer term (strategic gender interests/needs) can be 

created. 


November 2009

1. Introduction 

International IDEA has defined gender 1 equality as an important strategic objective within its 

management practices and work to support sustainable democratic change through the 

provision of comparative knowledge, assisting in democratic reforms and influencing policy 

and politics. 

International IDEA recognises that the intersection between democracy and gender is of 

profound importance to sustainable democracy as gender equality is not only an important 

goal in its own right, but is vital to democracy and a strong gender perspective is therefore 

critical in IDEA’s work aimed at democracy building. 

International IDEA has increasingly made efforts to work with a gender perspective over the 

years. The experience gained and lessons learnt through the efforts to implement the 2002- 

2005 Gender Equality Policy has strengthened our resolve and taught us that gender 

equality objectives are not self implementing. 

Of particular importance are the findings and recommendations of the Evaluation 2 of the 

Women in Politics Project (2000–2005) and Gender Mainstreaming (2002–2005) which was 

concluded in September 2006. The evaluation highlights the following; 

• The Action Plan, which would have guided the implementation of the Gender 

Equality Policy was never developed; 

• No human or financial resources were allocated to develop or implement a 

Gender Action Plan 

• A lack of systematised processes that require gender to be integrated into 

programmes and ensure that management practices are implemented with 

gender equity; 

• A lack of tools or support mechanisms that would serve as “reminders” to 

mainstream gender; 

• Other competing priorities 

• In some cases, a lack of understanding or expertise amongst staff of how to 

mainstream gender. 

Hence, this Gender Policy is a product of insights gained through International IDEA’s work 

experience in democracy building, internal management and administrative practices 

assessment/evaluation. The need to retain and strengthen the work to integrate gender 

equality considerations in International IDEA’s internal management systems and in the 

regional and global programmes cannot be over emphasised. 

International IDEA’s thinking has evolved, and this policy is grounded in the premise that, the 

democracy objective for inclusiveness and representativeness requires policies and practices 

which deconstruct and transform unequal gender relations. The Gender Policy is one tool to 

make this a reality by ensuring that gender objectives, indicators 3 , outcomes and 

performance targets are set within the organisation’s Results Based Management system. 

This policy presents International IDEA’s approach to place gender equality at the centre of 

its management and communications systems and programmes on democracy building. To 

have an impact, gender mainstreaming must be everyone’s responsibility and this policy 

provides the guidelines on the responsibility of the different parts of the organization. 

1 See the glossary of terms 

2 Evaluation of the International IDEA’s Women in Politics Project (2000-2005) and Gender Mainstreaming (2002-2005), 

September 27, 2006, page 2. 

3 What gets measured gets done 


November 2009

For International IDEA this means that formulating policies and programmes that promote 

women is not enough; the aim is to strive for the equal distribution of power and influence 

between women and men as a pillar for democracy. 

Overall, the approach entails involving and engaging both men and women in the democracy 

and gender discourse in order to facilitate conditions and opportunities for women and men 

to participate fully in social, political and economic processes. The focus is on gender 

equality as an objective, which means going beyond the question, “How many women 

participated?” to a quest for substantive transformation and outcomes; “How International 

IDEA interventions/work can reduce disparities between women and men?” 

2. The Mandate 

Internationally, advances in the pursuit of gender equality are evident through the 

development and adoption of landmark inter-governmental agreements and comprehensive 

frameworks. From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Convention on the 

Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Declaration 

and Platform for Action (BPFA) and the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 

commitments and obligations to achieve address gender inequalities are articulated: 

“. . . the achievement of equality between women and men are a matter of human rights and 

a condition for social justice and should not be seen in isolation as a women's issue. They 

are the only way to build a sustainable, just and developed society. Empowerment of women 

and equality between women and men are prerequisites for achieving political, social, 

economic, cultural and environmental security among all peoples.” 

Beijing Platform of Action, Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women, Beijing, 

1995. 

Although important milestones have been reached and some progress has been achieved 

towards gender equality, much remains to be done. International IDEA must contribute 

towards translating these commitments into realities through its operational programmes 

focusing on comparative knowledge, assisting in reform and influencing policies and politics. 

Over the years the growing knowledge on the status of women and men, raising of women’s 

political awareness, empowerment and collective action, have contributed to promoting 

gender equality. 

As International IDEA continues to confront these challenges, it must uphold the principle 

and encourage the understanding that there is no sound and sustainable democracy without 

equal power relations between men and women. Equally important, is the conviction that 

building democracy requires the active involvement and ownership of processes by both 

women and men, who are not homogenous groups but their gender is intertwined with other 

identities and realities such as ethnicity, class, race, religion, disability, culture. 

Commitment to achieving gender equality will be an important criterion for partnerships and 

collaboration and International IDEA will work to encourage member states and democracy 

community partners with which we work to contribute towards the achievement of gender 

equality. International IDEA will be in the forefront and continue to participate actively in 

partnerships and networks on advocacy and support for gender equality and women’s 

empowerment. 

3. Policy Commitment 

3.1 Goal 

The goal of the Gender Policy is to promote gender equality and ensure that International 

IDEA’s internal management systems and practices and work on supporting sustainable 


November 2009

democracy through the provision of comparative knowledge, assistance in reform and 

influencing policies and politics help to overcome inequalities between men and women. 

3.2 Objectives 

The objectives are to: 

• ensure that the International IDEA Strategy, policies, management systems/practices 

and programmes are gender sensitive and responsive; 

• promote the adoption of policies and practices that address the equal distribution of 

power and influence between men and women in shaping sustainable democratic 

processes, institutions and outcomes; 

• ensure that gender equality objectives and indicators are reflected in staff objectives 

and results, performance assessments, management and administration systems. 

4. Operational Strategy 

4.1 Gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment 

As a cross cutting dimension of democracy, gender must underpin all International IDEA 

management practices and programme areas of work. Gender will be addressed through two 

complementary and critical approaches; gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment. 

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for enhancing gender responsive management practices 

and programming which benefits both women and men through International IDEA’s work. It 

is intended to be transformative and a consistent part of all that International IDEA does by 

targeting both sexes. 

It requires increased accountability for gender equality results in management practices and 

programming areas in terms of showing the benefits to both men and women. It is: 

“The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, 

including legislation, policies or programmes . . . making women’s as well as men’s concerns 

and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and 

evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that 

women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated” Economic and Social 

Council, 1997. 

Women’s empowerment is a strategy of targeted actions aimed at empowering women and 

righting gender inequalities in the social, political and economic spheres. This is a concept 

and approach that IDEA has long believed in. Focus on women’s political empowerment and 

mobilization will be undertaken alongside efforts to mainstream gender within the institutional 

mechanisms and work on democracy. 

4.2 Institutional Arrangements 

The Secretary General’s Action Plan on Gender will be developed to provide the overall 

institutional arrangements, accountability mechanisms, results and appropriate resources. 

Senior management (Secretary General and Directors) are responsible for the active 

leadership and advocacy on gender equality and this is to be backed by meaningful gender 

responsive practices and communication. 

Senior management is to ensure that management and administrative systems are changed 

and that programme implementation work plans define gender equality objectives and 

indicators for performance, which are to be monitored through the institutional Results Based 

Management (RBM) framework. 


November 2009

All staff are the bearers of the organisational culture, hence it is an imperative that all staff 

are sufficiently aware and self-critical in order to step out of a counter-productive culture and 

embrace gender values, attitudes and practices. The organisational collaboration and 

change processes in the context of the Organisational Change training facilitates an 

appropriate environment in view of the required attitudinal changes and consequences 

implied by the policy. 

4.3 Programming (Global and Regional) 

Programming in line with the principles of results based management will entail the 

integration of explicit gender objectives, outcomes/results to prevent and reduce inequalities 

between men and women in the non gender specific programme areas of work. The 

Programme of Operations is to inform the definition of gender specific objectives in the 

designing, planning and implementation of programme activities with clear gender indicators 

for monitoring and performance accountability. 

Senior management and senior staff (strategy and policy, programming and administrative) 

will be required to report on their documented responsibilities and accountabilities for gender 

equality results in programme activities, strategy and policy and institutional arrangements 

within their respective mandates. 

Attention will be paid to the responsibilities on the following; 

• Management and administrative systems on accountability for gender targets in 

institutional practices; 

• Inclusion of gender equality aspects/dimensions in the development of substantive 

themes/ agendas of programme activities; 

• Equal opportunities for women and men to participate and benefit from the 

programmes’ seminars, meetings, workshops and knowledge resources; 

• Tracking programming progress towards the set gender equality results/outcomes. 

To underpin the International IDEA approach the Democracy and Gender Programme was 

established to spearhead gender integration and women’s empowerment in democracy 

building. The programme focus on Democracy and Gender will enable International IDEA to: 

• Programme its work in a way that addresses gender inequalities in democracy 

including targeted measures to support the political empowerment of women; 

• Ensure that gender equality considerations are integrated and reflected in non-gender 

specific areas of work where gender is relevant; 

• Ensure the tracking on gender in the implementation of policy and 

management/administrative systems. 

An external Gender Advisory Group will be established to enhance the expertise and 

technical backstopping for International IDEA’s work on democracy building from a gender 

perspective. 

The group will serve as an advisory “think tank” on gender to the Secretary General and 

provide timely or relevant gender specific research in the field of democracy in order to 

strengthen the institutional capacity in gender analysis and mainstreaming. 

4.4 Human Resources and Administration 

With the backing and support services of the Human Resources office, International IDEA 

will pursue to achieve gender parity and diversity in human resources management and 

administrative practices. The challenge is deeper than numbers and therefore long term 

parity will require profound cultural, policy and technical capacities improvements in 

International IDEA. 

i. Staff Policies: International IDEA staff policies and practices, rules and regulations to 

be comprehensive in stipulating the gender equality commitments of the organisation. 


November 2009

Decision making processes in International IDEA are to reflect equal opportunities for 

men and women at the different levels. 

ii. 

iii. 

Gender Parity: International IDEA will pursue the achievement of 50/50 gender ratio 

of staff at all levels by 2012. Tracking of the gender profile of International IDEA’s 

workforce will be undertaken continuously to ensure that men or women are not more 

than 60percent at the different levels of the organisation including at senior 

management level. 

Employment and Recruitment: With the backing and support services of the Human 

Resources office, International IDEA will work towards gender balance in staffing at 

all levels and positions including staff at senior management and consultants. 

A far reaching gender sensitive recruitment policy where preference will be given to 

equally qualified and competent men and women in appointments to positions where 

there are gender and diversity imbalances. 

Senior management and senior staff (strategy and policy, programming and 

administrative) are responsible and accountable for progress towards gender parity in 

their respective units/departments by ensuring that; 

• Job descriptions and job advertisements incorporate responsibilities/functions 

on gender and highlight the knowledge and experience on gender as an asset 

for applicants; 

• Terms of Reference for external consultants will specify the responsibility to 

incorporate gender aspects in assignments undertaken for International IDEA. 

All interviews for staff recruitment will have women and men on the interview panels 

and gender related questions are to be integrated into interviews for all positions. 

Human Resources is responsible for ensuring that all new staff joining International 

IDEA are oriented to the Gender Policy and their responsibilities on gender 

mainstreaming within the organization. 

iv. 

Remuneration: International IDEA will uphold the policy on equal pay for equal work 

and objective valuing of posts regardless of gender or otherwise. The 

salary/compensation system and contract modalities must be standardized and 

administered transparently to ensure and support equitable application (gender or 

otherwise). 

A transparent classification system and salary/compensation matrix that shows the 

grades/levels, job titles, minimum experience, expertise and skills, compensation, 

benefits/allowances between women and men at the different levels is to be 

developed and in place by 2010. 

v. Capacity and knowledge development: the support and facilitation of learning and 

knowledge based sharing on gender equality will be prioritized to ensure that staff 

capacity in gender awareness and gender mainstreaming is actively developed to 

enhance the understanding of its intersection with democracy and increase staff’s 

understanding of their own responsibility to mainstream gender. 

vi. 

Performance Reviews and Appraisals: Human Resources is responsible for 

ensuring that the performance appraisal system is changed to enable yearly 

appraisals on gender equality performance, including monitoring senior management 

performance. 


November 2009

Senior management and line managers are to ensure that results and competency 

assessments of each staff member take into account performance on gender 

equality. 

This requires that gender indicators developed and elaborated in programme work 

plans and systematically inform the staff objectives and ensure that the yearly 

assessments of performance are done in line with the gender equality objectives. 

vii. 

Workplace environment: The working conditions will facilitate the combination of 

gainful employment and parental responsibilities of men and women. 

IDEA will strive for a zero tolerance for sexual harassment and maintain a workplace 

free from sexual harassment. IDEA condemns sexual exploitation, abuse and 

discrimination in all its forms and will take preventive measures against sexual 

harassment. The staff rules and regulations must include effective and transparent 

processes in cases of physical or verbal assault or abuse of or by staff members. 

4.5 Communication 

The IDEA Communication Strategy will play a central role by amplifying the corporate 

advocacy on gender equality. The Communications Strategy is to support knowledge 

management and communication that contributes to the transformation of International 

IDEA’s institutional culture by communicating gender sensitive attitudes and practices that 

promote building consensus internally and externally. 

General communication (sharing of information) and knowledge management to reflect 

International IDEA’s commitment towards gender equality through the appropriate actions 

undertaken and accomplishments. Communication processes should involve men and 

women at all levels as gender-sensitive information flows are essential for mainstreaming 

gender. 

Key messages and knowledge products tailor made for outreach and communication will be 

key outputs. Gender sensitive language and images will be used in all internal and external 

communications and staff must have the capacity to communicate in a gender sensitive 

language and way. 

It is therefore essential that the Publications policy ensures that gender relevant content is 

adequately and consistently addressed in all IDEA publications. 

5. Monitoring 

The Secretary General will report on the implementation of the Gender Policy to the statutory 

organs of International IDEA and in the public annual report. Reporting on International 

IDEA’s ability to implement the policy, the institutional framework for implementation and 

demonstration of its effectiveness and real results will be in line with the organisation’s 

Results Based Management framework, the International IDEA Secretariat Action Plan and 

Action Plan on Gender. 

Gender Committee: The Gender Committee will be established for internal monitoring in 

collaboration with the Democracy and Gender Programme. The Committee will constitute of 

senior staff that are designated as the Gender Focal points for the different teams. The 

Committee will meet twice a year. The Terms of Reference for the Gender Committee will be 

approved by the Secretary General. 


November 2009

Gender Indicators: The Secretary General will be expected to report on measures and clear 

targets to support the short term and long term attainment of gender equality. Attention will 

be paid to the following qualitative and quantitative indicators on the implementation of the 

Gender Policy: 

i. Clearly defined goal and objectives on gender within International IDEA Policies, Strategy 

and Programme of Operations by 2010 

ii. Staff performance reviews and appraisals system that takes into account performance on 

gender equality by 2010 

iii. Programming and management planning, implementation and reporting on gender 

objectives in work plans in line with the RBM principles by 2010 

iv. Allocation of sufficient core resources for capacity and knowledge development and 

gender specific programming 

v. A transparent classification system and salary/compensation matrix developed and in 

place for equitable application by 2010 

vi. Progress towards the target of achieving gender balance at all levels by 2012 


November 2009

International IDEA Gender Policy

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