Gender Mainstreaming and Assessment

The project aimed to expand and enhance the capacity of the Jordanian government to monitor and evaluate gender-related indicators effectively. Edmaaj provided comprehensive support, including the creation of KPIs in collaboration with government entities, facilitating the systematic collection and tracking of gender-specific data in political, economic, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) fields. The support also involved compiling baseline data for these KPIs and coordinating with an IT company to develop an interactive dashboard. Edmaaj conducted capacity-building workshops to empower government entities, ensuring they had the necessary skills for effective tracking, data management, and utilisation of the established monitoring systems.

The aim of the PGA was to highlight and share good practices regarding the promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming, identify critical gaps and challenges relating to gender mainstreaming, and develop recommendations to enhance the gender mainstreaming capacity and outcomes of the audited entity.Edmaaj's role involved conducting a comprehensive desk review, designing and administering an employee survey, conducting KIIs, facilitating participatory workshops, analysing data, preparing draft and final reports, and developing a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Action Plan.

The project successfully institutionalised the WEU within the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD). Through a participatory approach, it provided a well-defined organisational structure and job descriptions, a comprehensive WEU Work Plan, an M&E Framework, and a strategic Capacity Development Plan. The WEU's mandate included developing gender mainstreaming policies in gender-sensitive social protection and care, enhancing institutional capacities in gender-sensitive services, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, promoting economic and social opportunities for women, and empowering women within the Ministry of Social Development and beyond. Edmaaj’s role involved conducting a comprehensive desk review, facilitating KIIs and FGDs, developing organisational structures and job descriptions, and engaging in rigorous data analysis.

From 2022-2023, Edmaaj conducted a Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) for the Ministry of Local Administration (MoLA) for FCM. This project aimed to enhance gender equality within the ministry by evaluating its policies, programmes, and organisational structures. The audit focused on four main areas: political will, technical capacity, accountability, and organisational culture. It sought to identify both good practices and areas for improvement in gender mainstreaming. The PGA involved a comprehensive analysis of the MoLA's HR management, including their policies and procedures. This initiative was crucial for understanding the ministry's compliance with national and international commitments to gender equality, and for recommending actionable steps to enhance gender mainstreaming within the organisation. Edmaaj's role involved conducting surveys, KIIs, SAQs with MoLA staff, Municipalities' staff, and CSOs.

In 2022, Edmaaj conducted a Gender Equality and Inclusion Self-Assessment for Plan International: The GEISA enabled organisational learning through a highly participatory and self-reflective process for PIJO and its staff to reflect and learn about gender equality and inclusion both internally and externally in their work. The GEISA focused on three main areas: offices and staff, programmes and influencing, and marketing and influencing. This project is essential for understanding and building the organisation's capacity to address gender issues as part of its mission by reviewing and reflecting on the quality and relevance of the current work done through a highly participatory methodology. Edmaaj's role involved conducting a comprehensive desk review, facilitating training sessions, designing and administering self-assessment questionnaires, conducting KIIs and FGDs, analysing data, and preparing and submitting detailed reports with findings and recommendations. Training sessions were held to enhance the skills and knowledge of Plan International staff on GEISA tools and strategies.

In 2020, Edmaaj Developed a Gender-sensitive Communication Strategy for the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs for the USAID Takamol Gender Program & Al-Hayat Center: The consultancy included using qualitative methods to evaluate the current situation and produce the strategy. This involved conducting KIIs and FGDs with CSOs, youth, media, charities, political parties, government employees, and political activists to gather comprehensive insights and ensure the strategy was inclusive and addressed gender issues effectively.

 Edmaaj Provided Strategic and Operational Support to the Resource and Support Hub (RSH) MENA Hub on Safeguarding for SDD. This project, funded by UKAid, aimed to enhance safeguarding efforts in the MENA region, particularly in Yemen, Syria, and Jordan. The collaboration involved developing and implementing safeguarding policies, capacity building for local partners, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with safeguarding standards. Extensive training sessions were conducted for staff and partners to strengthen safeguarding practices.

This project provided support for the Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) at the Ministry of Local Administration (MoLA) to conduct a participatory two-phased gender audit. The gender audit focused on promoting organisational learning on how to implement gender mainstreaming effectively in policies, programmes, and structures. The project aimed to expand the ministry's capacity to institutionalise gender-sensitive practices and assess the extent to which these policies have been embedded within the ministry. Edmaaj's role involved developing a comprehensive gender policy, conducting thorough reviews of existing documents and policies, and ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into all aspects of the unit's work. The audit was essential for ensuring that MoLA's operations and strategies are aligned with national and international gender equality commitments. Additionally, Edmaaj facilitated training and refresher sessions for the SWMU team on PGA tools and strategies.

The audit aimed to identify good practices and areas for improvement within CVDB, building a sustainable mechanism for gender sensitivity in policy and procedures compliance. The gender audit focused on four main areas: political will, technical capacity, accountability, and organisational culture. The process included training the EOU team to carry out gender audits for their projects and programmes, institutionalising the process within CVDB. Edmaaj utilised various data collection methods, including document analysis, FGDs, SAQs, and KIIs. The insights gained from the audit were used to produce a comprehensive policy and procedures compliance report, guiding CVDB in creating more gender-sensitive projects and improving overall gender equity in their operations.

The analysis aimed to assess the amount of unpaid work women put into running their households daily and recognise their value, both among women who take on these tasks and the men and dependents who benefit from them in Ma’an Governorate. The target group included men and women from Ma’an and Syrian refugees settled in Ma’an. The analysis results fed into the project “WEE.CAN! Women’s Economic Empowerment: Host communities and Syrian refugees working together to create new livelihood opportunities in Ma’an” research and advocacy work. The programme addresses the root causes of inequality in women’s economic participation, particularly the disproportionate share of unpaid care work that women shoulder. The rapid care analysis provided valuable insights into the gender dynamics of unpaid care work, highlighting the time and effort women invest in household tasks and their impact on economic opportunities. The findings were used to inform policy recommendations and advocacy strategies to support women's economic empowerment and gender equality in Jordan.