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Key moments and insights from an interactive online workshop

The 3rd episode of the “Reflections at the Intersections” webinar series, hosted on the 27th of November, “How Equal is Equal” looked at why we need to integrate gender equality, inclusivity and intersectionality (GEII) into research funding. According to research, overwhelmingly women receive much less research funding and grant money than men. However, it’s not just about the economics, there’s a snowball effect where women are underrepresented in research outcomes and research spaces.

As a result, there’s a move to adopt a gender equality, inclusivity, and intersectionality (GEII) lens in research funding. This is a big step towards social transformation in science, technology, and innovation in Africa.

A crucial mechanism for ensuring GEII is integrated into research funding is through monitoring and evaluation (M&E). M&E ensures that gender disparities can be identified, tracked, and addressed throughout the research funding cycle.

The webinar series is part of the Gender Equality and Inclusivity Project of the Science Granting Councils Initiative, which is currently being implemented by the HSRC, Portia, and media partner Jive Media Africa. The session, chaired by Dr. Lorenza Fluks, was an interactive online workshop (translated into French and Portuguese) facilitated by M&E expert and facilitator Ann-Murray Brown. The interactive online workshop gave a fascinating overview of gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation approaches and principles for designing indicators and capturing impact through a GEII lens.

Key insights from the session included:

• What is a gender equity and inclusion and intersectional lens?
• The Wheel of Power
• Why do we need a GEII lens?
• The value of participation
• Addressing tokenism
• What is a gender analysis and how to approach it
  

Brown is an expert with over two decades of experience giving technical support to individuals and teams in the process of designing M&E frameworks and systems. She has also developed and disseminated theories of change, learning agendas, and evaluation using mixed methodologies. Brown has worked with several international development organisations on programs related to gender diversity and social inclusion.

What is a gender equity and inclusion and intersectional lens?
According to Brown gender equity is about “the fair and just treatment of individuals based on their gender identities. It’s not about putting one gender above the other.” This is crucial because many people think that when we discuss gender equity it is about favouring one group at the cost of another. However, it is simply about fairness in how we analyse systemic disadvantages while simultaneously promoting equal opportunities.

Brown also explains inclusion as, “Everybody, regardless of their background, identity, or characteristics, has access to opportunities, resources, and participation in decision-making.” And in terms of intersectionality Brown says that it’s recognising that “persons have multiple forms of privileges, identities, and oppressions based on their different identities” which influence their lived realities.

The Wheel of Power

One of the standout elements of Brown’s presentation was her use of Sylvia Duckworth’s “Wheel of Power” which visualises what power and privilege look like. She used the diagram to show that the closer you are to the centre of the wheel, the more privilege you have, and the closer to power you are. Individuals who are further away from the centre are more marginalised and have less power.
However, the wheel is nuanced as Brown explains, “Persons can have power and can be marginalised, not just on their wealth status, but also age, their education level, their mental health, their skin colour, their body size… So, you can have power, and you can be oppressed across different dimensions, and where the privilege or your identity intersect is what we call intersectionality.”

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Ann-Murray Brown lives in the Netherlands and is a seasoned (M&E) expert and facilitator with more than two decades of professional experience. As a facilitator, Brown believes in a utilisation-focused, collaborative, and participatory approach that focuses on real-world application. Brown holds multiple advanced degrees from the University of the West Indies and Ewha Womans University. She has also been involved in consultancies funded and implemented by international organisations such as the United Nations and the European Commission. She is also a Board member of the Caribbean Evaluators International, a member of the Rotary Club and the International Association of Facilitators.

​The “Reflections at the Intersections” series is brought to you by the Gender Equality and Inclusivity (GEI) Project of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), currently being implemented by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Portia, and Jive Media Africa. The series offers fresh and challenging perspectives that aim to generate knowledge on gender, equality, inclusivity, and intersectionality (GEII) approaches. The focus is on cross-regional and cross-continental conversations on GEI in research and grantee support practices, with a strong focus on intersectionality. The series draws on the premise that research that is informed by a gender equality and inclusion lens offers the best chance we have at meeting sustainable development targets.

Watch the webinar BELOW