Gender Analysis Theories/Models/frameworks

Gender analysis theories or models are tools which can be used to identify the different roles and
needs of men and women in the development process (development programmes and projects).
These models can also be used to implement concrete measures to promote equality or the equal
treatment of men and women.
These tools help users to raise questions, analyze information and develop strategies to increase
women’s and men’s participation and also increase opportunities to benefit from various
programmes or organizations. There are different types of tools which can be used to analyze
gender and the choice of a tool depends on the task at hand, the adequacy of resources such as
funds, time and skills. However, each tool has its advantages and disadvantages.
The focus of this discussion will be on three types of models/analysis frameworks, and these
include:
1. Havard Analysis Framework
2. Gender Matrix Analysis
3. Women Empowerment Framework
1. Harvard Analysis Model/Framework
The Harvard Analysis Framework is one of the first gender analysis models to be developed. It was
developed by a team at the Harvard Development Institute. This model is useful for gathering data
about a project or community. It helps users to understand the roles of both men and women in
society. The Harvard Analysis Model has been used by several agencies and governments as basis
for gender mainstreaming (integrating a gender equality perspective at all stages and levels of
policies, programmes and projects). This framework consists of four major components:
(i) Activity Profile
(ii) Access to and control over resources and benefits
(iii) Influencing Factors
(iv) The project Cycle
A more detailed explanation of these components is as follows:
(i) Activity Profile
This examines the gender roles as well as those rules, norms and practices that institutions follow
when allocating tasks to women and men, boys and girls. This profile focuses on Who is doing what.
The who in this case refers to – gender, age, ethnic group religion, etc.
The activity profile also takes into consideration what is being done. What in this case refers to
productive type of work (i.e. building a community school, sinking a borehole, etc), or community
related service (i.e. caring for the sick or aged, etc) or reproductive (i.e. looking after and educating
children), etc.
This profile also looks at when work is being done. The when in this case looks at how much time is
spent on each activity, how often is work done (daily, weekly, etc).
The activity profile also looks at where the activities are taking place. The where in this case may
include the home or elsewhere (i.e. village, market place, or urban centers) and this distance of these
places from the household. This information givens insights into male and female mobility or
movements to and from project site, method of travel and also time spent travelling.
(ii) Access to and Control over Resources and Benefits
This component examines who controls and makes decisions in the household over resource
allocation, e.g. how is labour used – what do the women and girls do, what do the men and boys do,
etc another important resource is finances and how this is distributed in the household. This
component also looks at who benefits from the projects and how these benefits will be used.
(iii) Influencing Factors
Gender roles, division of labour, access and control of resources are determined by society. This third
component tries to examine those social and political factors which influence inequalities. How can
planners ensure sustainable human centered development.
(iv) Project Cycle
After gender has been analyzed using this model, the analysis is applied to the project proposal, or
other similar documents like an evaluation or needs assessment, etc.
Advantages of Harvard Analysis Model
• Can help to facilitate discussions on inequalities pertaining to gender roles, resource allocation
and division of labour, etc.
• Takes into account external factors which can affect development planning.
• Flexible tool which can be used at many levels of planning

Disadvantages of the Harvard Analysis Model

• Focuses on projects as opposed to programmes (which are a collection of projects)
• Focuses on efficiency rather than effectiveness
• Does not place emphasis on social relationships between different groups and how this can
impact the project.
2. Gender Matrix Analysis Model
This model looks at the different impacts of development interventions on women and men, it also
provides a community based technique of identifying and analyzing gender differences. It helps
communities to identify and challenge assumptions about gender roles (e.g. for a long time, it was
always assumed that it is just the man’s role to contribute economically to the running of the home,
but the job market has since been opened up to women as well, in some homes the woman may
earn more than the man).
This analysis is made at four levels of society: women, men, household and community. The focus
areas when conducating analysis are:
Labour: This refers to changes in tasks (for example, fetching water from the river), the level of
skill required (skilled or unskilled, formal education, training), and labour capacity (How many people
carry out a task, and how much can they do? Is it necessary to hire labour, or can members of the
household do the work?).
Time: This refers to changes in the amount of time (three hours, four days, and so on) it takes to
carry out the task associated with the project or activity.
Resources: This category refers to the changes in access to resources (income, land, and credit) as a
consequence of the project, and the extent of control over changes in resources (more or less) for
each group analysed.
Socio-cultural factors: This refers to changes in social aspects of the participants' lives (including
changes in gender roles or status) as a result of the project.
Example of the Gender Matrix Analysis Model (At level of analysis of women)
Community Project: Building of 3 Community Primary School Classrooms
Societal level Labour Time Resources Culture
of Analysis
Women 1. Productive roles: 1. Productive roles Human labour, a Women engage in
Help to mix cement and water 2-3 hours in the morning of few shovels and blockmaking which is
(making of concrete blocks) each day until targeted buckets usually done by men.
Labour is semi-skilled, no need number is achieved
to hire extra labour. 2. Reproductive
2. Reproductive: 2-3 hours from mid-day Cooking utensils, Every member who
Cooks lunch for all people every day until completion charcoal/firewood can assist is involved
involved in community work in meal preparation.

Men
Community
Household

Students should creatively fill in the slots for men, community and household on their own and
apply notes in the previous slide.
Women Empowerment Framework
The Women Empowerment Framework (WEF), also referred to as the Sara Longwe Framework, aims
to assist planners question what women’s equality and empowerment means in practice and to what
extent a development intervention is support empowerment. Women’s empowerment is defined as
‘enabling women to take an equal place with men, and to participate equally with men in the
development process in order to achieve control over the factors of production on an equal basis
with men’.
WEF focuses on five levels of equality by which to assess the level of women’s empowerment in any
area of economic and social development. The levels of equality from the higher to lower levels
include: Control, participation, conscientization, access and welfare.
These levels of equality are hierarchical, suggesting that a development intervention that focuses on
the higher levels (i.e. equal control of access to land) is likely to increase women’s empowerment,
that one that focuses on lower levels (i.e. welfare). This framework emphasizes that empowerment
is a necessary part of the development process. It is important that women move from one level to
the next towards achieving equal status with men.
Understanding the five levels of equality (beginning with the lowest level)
Welfare: This is the most basic level, the material welfare/wellbeing, in terms of income, food
supply, health care in relation to men is considered.
Access: This refers to women’s equality of access with men to the factors of production such as land,
credit, labour, training, marketing facilities, and all public services. Equality of access is linked to
equality of opportunity, which in some cases may need reform of the las to remove all forms of
discrimination (e.g. some lending institutions need the approval of husband before they can give a
married woman a loan).
Conscientization: This level helps to create awareness of the fact that gender roles are cultural and
can change. Also the division of labour between men and women should be fair and both parties
should agree with their different roles. Neither women nor men should dominate the other,
economically or politically.
Participation: This is defined as women’s equal participation with men at all levels of decision
making, policy development, planning administration.
Control: Refers to equality of control by both men and women over resources/factors of production
(i.e. land, finances, equipment/machinery, etc).
Advantages of the WEF
• The WEF can be used for planning, monitoring and evaluation.
• Can be used to establish whether or not a development intervention has the potential to
transform communities, etc.

Limitations of the WEF

• It does not track how situations change over time
• The framework examines the relationship between men and women on an equality basis but fails
to consider other factors like responsibilities, claims, etc.
• By not taking into account other forms of inequality women as seen as a group with similar
challenges (homogenous)
• Using a hierarchy of levels may give the impression that empowerment is a linear process (a
straight line) and that this process is not likely to be disturbed by other factors/challenges that
women may experience is they strive to attain the highest level of equality.