How to Incorporate a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Lens in Your Reports

Incorporating a gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) lens into your project or technical reports is crucial for ensuring that your work genuinely reflects the diverse realities of the communities you aim to serve. It’s not just about ticking boxes or adding a section on women or marginalised groups—it’s about embedding these considerations into the heart of your analysis and recommendations.

1. Start by Seeing Your Project Through a "Diversity Filter"

Imagine your project is a photograph. At first glance, it might show a beautiful landscape, but what happens when you add a special filter? Suddenly, you see hidden colors, textures, and layers you missed before. This is what a GESI lens does for your project— it reveals who benefits, who might be excluded, and whose needs are being overlooked.

Here is a practical tip, during data collection, ask yourself, "Who is included in this picture, and who is missing?" Use disaggregated data—by gender, age, disability, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, etc.—to spot gaps and opportunities for more inclusive programming. For example, in a health intervention report, don't just count how many people accessed services; break it down by gender and other factors to see if certain groups faced barriers.

2. Go Beyond the Numbers

Data tells one side of the story, but lived experiences give you the human context behind those numbers. While numbers might show that a higher percentage of women accessed a program, their experiences might reveal barriers such as time poverty, safety concerns, or lack of decision-making power in their households.

Use quotes, anecdotes, or case studies to bring voices from the field into your report. For example, if you're writing about agricultural programmes, include the perspective of a female farmer who explains how access to land remains a challenge, despite policy efforts.

3. Avoid the “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach

Think of your project like tailoring a suit. A standard size might fit some people, but not everyone. If your recommendations or analysis treat all community members as having the same needs, you risk excluding people.

Highlight specific, tailored interventions for different groups. For instance, when suggesting capacity-building activities, note how you can adapt the timing, location, or delivery methods to ensure they work for women with childcare responsibilities or persons with disabilities who might need different accessibility measures.

4. Bring in Intersectionality: No One Is Just One Thing

We all wear multiple hats—people aren’t just defined by their gender, but also by factors like age, race, disability, and socio-economic background. Imagine an overlapping set of circles, each representing one aspect of identity. Where these circles meet is where intersecting forms of discrimination or advantage play out.

Make sure your analysis acknowledges that a woman in a rural area might experience different challenges from a woman in an urban setting, or that a person with a disability faces different barriers than someone without. In a livelihoods project report, for example, don't just focus on "women"; instead, consider how different factors (e.g., education level, geographic location) compound their experiences.

5. Embed GESI Into Recommendations, Not as an Afterthought

Think of GESI like seasoning in a dish. It’s not something you sprinkle on at the end to make it look nice—it should be part of the core ingredients that shape the entire flavour. The same goes for your report’s recommendations: GESI should be reflected in the way you frame solutions, not just in a separate “gender” section.

When providing recommendations, include specific, actionable steps that address identified gaps for marginalised groups. For example, if your report discusses increasing access to education, suggest strategies to address the specific barriers girls and boys, or children with disabilities, might face.

6. Use Clear, Inclusive Language

Language matters. It shapes how your readers understand the issues and solutions. Avoid jargon or technical terms that could alienate readers unfamiliar with GESI concepts, and be mindful of language that could reinforce stereotypes or marginalize groups.

When you describe groups in your reports, use respectful, inclusive terms. For example, instead of saying “the disabled,” write “persons with disabilities.” Instead of “mothers and fathers,” consider “parents or caregivers” to account for diverse family structures.

7. Set Up a Feedback Loop

Finally, consider your report a living document. Once it’s in the hands of stakeholders, their feedback will help ensure your GESI analysis stays relevant and impactful.

Encourage stakeholders from different groups to provide feedback on your report. Did your recommendations resonate with the women, youth, or persons with disabilities involved in the project? Adjust your analysis in future reporting based on this feedback to ensure continuous improvement.

Incorporating a GESI lens is not just about adding sections or meeting donor requirements. It’s about making your report a true reflection of the complexities and inequalities that exist within the communities you serve. Just like putting on a pair of glasses helps bring a blurry picture into focus, a GESI lens ensures that your analysis is sharper, more inclusive, and ultimately more effective.

Join the upcoming webinar to lear how to make your Theories of Change more gender-responsive. https://www.annmurraybrown.com/single-post/webinarongenderresponsivetheoriesofchange?