Disability Mainstreaming in Projects and Organizations Training

This training brings together two key issues; these are gender and disability – aspects that have, for a long time, treated independent of each other by advocates of either gender or disability mainstreaming. Accordingly, this discourse is an instrument for capacity development, so that participants use the gained knowledge to promote gender and disability mainstreaming in development processes

Understanding about disability and persons with disabilities has evolved dramatically in many parts of the world. There is a growing realization that limitation on the participation of persons with disabilities in society and institutions stem from interactions between the individual’s impairment and attitudinal and environmental barriers. This trend has fostered increasing recognition of the rights and abilities of persons with disabilities, and their potential to contribute to society.

Gender mainstreaming is an (international) strategy to achieve gender equality. It is shorthand for saying that the impact of all policies and program on women and men should be considered at every stage of the policy or program cycle from planning to implementation and evaluation. This advanced short course aims to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge of gender mainstreaming and gender analysis. It draws on best practice and case studies from around the world. The course also provides the opportunity to focus on a specific sectors or policy areas (such as, Livelihood, development projects, education, sexual exploitation and abuse, organizational development, or human resources) and for participants to employ this knowledge in their own work plan.

It is important at the outset to ensure that all of your program staff are fully committed to making your organization inclusive. Prevailing attitudes and stigmatization of disability can be very negative and very widespread. Be sure, therefore, that staffs have attended gender & disability awareness training before they work together to make the organization inclusive. It is important that all staff know a lot about disability issues and understands the human rights approach to disability and inclusion.

Broad Training objectives.

  • To provide the trainer with targeted information enabling him/her to train representatives of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) as experts in mainstreaming gender and disability.
  • To increase the knowledge and capacities of the trained gender and disability representatives to become competent change agents within their organizations, government ministries and departments.
  • Generate thrust for a holistic, integrated and highly interactive training that builds a core set of knowledge, skills and attitudes among potential change agents, and in the process, fulfill the obligations of the projects and organizations of gender and disability mainstreaming.

Module, Topic & Importance     

Module 1

Concepts of disability, gender and mainstreaming, and promoting awareness

This module increases disability and gender awareness, and equips participants for gender and disability mainstreaming. In the process, they will be able to identify barriers to gender and disability mainstreaming, and establish mitigation strategies. The ultimate goal is for communities to appreciate disability and gender issues.

Specific Objectives.

  • To define disability and its underlying concepts
  • To define the term gender and its underlying concepts
  • 
To describe the concepts of gender and disability mainstreaming
  • To identify barriers to gender and disability mainstreaming              

Module 2

Gender and disability analysis and approaches

This module prepares participants to carry out a gender and disability analysis in policies and program in order to address existing inequalities.

Specific Objectives

  • To explain the terms ‘gender analysis’ and ‘disability analysis’ and their purposes.
  • To describe steps in gender and disability analysis
  • To identify and apply the gender and disability analysis tools
  • To discuss approaches to gender and disability
  • To explain the existing gender and disability policies

Module 3

The role of civil society and governments in gender and disability mainstreaming

This module enables participants to develop practical and effective strategies for developing linkages with various stakeholders to enhance gender and disability mainstreaming in development processes.

Specific objectives

  • To identify key stakeholders and their role in gender and disability mainstreaming.
  • To guide participants to develop practical and effective strategies for developing linkages with key stakeholders to enhance gender and disability mainstreaming. 
  

Module 4

Methods and strategies for gender and disability mainstreaming

This module introduces participants to different methods and strategies that can be used in gender and disability mainstreaming. It also assists them to identify levels of gender and disability mainstreaming and actions to be taken all levels. Essential aspects to consider in gender and disability mainstreaming are also considered. Participants are also exposed to excuses that are usually used to avoid gender and disability mainstreaming in community activities. This prepares them to challenge those excuses and promote gender and disability mainstreaming in development processes, and be able to draw up practical action plans.

Specific Objectives

  • To identify and discuss excuses of gender and disability mainstreaming
  • To discuss different methods and strategies in gender and disability 
mainstreaming
  • To identify levels of gender and disability mainstreaming and actions to 
be taken at all levels.

Module 5

Documentation, monitoring and evaluation of mainstreaming processes

This module enables participants to understand various methods of documentation, monitoring and evaluation in gender and disability mainstreaming interventions. It also equips participants to develop and monitor a gender and disability responsive budget.

Specific objectives

  • To differentiate the terms documentation, monitoring and evaluation
  • To explain the role of documentation, monitoring and evaluation in gender and disability mainstreaming.
  • To discuss methods for documentation, monitoring and evaluation of gender and disability mainstreaming interventions
  • To develop and monitor a gender and disability responsive budget

Way forward After the Training

Participants will develop a work plan through the help of facilitators that stipulates application of skills acquired in improving their organizations. ASPM will continuously monitor implementation progress after the training.

Training Evaluation:

Participants will undertake a simple assessment before the training to gauge records, archives management & records digitization knowledge, another assessment will be done after the training in-order to monitor knowledge gained through the training.

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