REPORT ON

GF Technical Partners Meeting on Gender

Equality and HIV/AIDS
AND
ICW Globals Engagement with the NFM.



Presented by: Maurine Murenga.

Meeting Objectives

To review the status of gender integration into the
Global Fund New Funding Model concept notes; and
to review lessons learned from experiences of
countries for revising various guidance and tools
To identify existing gaps and challenges in integrating
gender into national HIV responses and to the Global
Fund supported grants; and to strategically identify
key technical support needs and priorities
To identify future advocacy opportunities to further
accelerate integrating gender into HIV responses


MINIMUM CONDITIONS TO ENSURE GENDER
EQUALITY IS INTEGRATED INTO THE NFM
Capacity-Building of national stakeholders
Availability of tools and evidence, capacity to use,
knowledge of tools
Increased Gender Expertise within National & Global
bodies taking part in the NFM proposal development and
review process
Political commitment Watchdog/Oversight system to
ensure gender integration
Meaningful Participation of women and other
constituencies in national processes
Collaboration/Coordination of partners
Shared terminology, conceptual clarity (Balance of
transformative/Responsive/Sensitive)




TRP messages to date
TRP recommendations to applicants reflecting July windows (reviewed
5 HIV and 3 TB/HIV concept notes) included: 1. Focus on key pop.
-Better use of epi-data to identify key populations
-Addressing the rights of women and girls important
Sustainability is key
Getting the program split right
Improve the quality of CNs
Need more detail and consistency in budgeting, vis--vis identified
programmatic gaps
Prioritizing for greatest impact
Inclusion of specific community, human rights and gender
interventions that are adequately budgeted for and focus on KPs

Key gender issues noted by the
TRP for CNs recommended for
iteration
Country A (generalized epidemic)
Recommended for better programming for PMTCT, GBV and addressing young
womens vulnerabilities

Country B (concentrated epidemic)
Pointed out that young women and men are treated homogeneously
in the funding request. The revised CN is expected to specifically address the
needs of young women with elevated risk.

Country C (generalized epidemic)
Requested to systematically include gender and age-specific considerations in
the CN and subsequent programming. Requesting details of how prevention
efforts, including those for key and marginalized populations including young
women are addressed

First 20 CNs review: (Objectives)
The level of integration of the principles of gender equality,
The extent to which genderresponsive programs, either
gender-sensitive or gender-transformative, are advanced;
The approaches taken by countries to achieve gender
equality;
The scale of budget allocated to genderresponsive
programs;
Good practices and challenges in achieving the principles
of gender equality, and proposing genderresponsive
programs;
Possible gaps and areas of improvement where TA would be
appropriate before the end of the grant cycle.


20 CNs review: 5 key questions
asked

Process
Does the process leading to the proposal achieve principles of gender equality,
or address specific needs of women and girls in the disease responses?

Analysis
Does the proposal include a sound analysis of the gender dimensions of the
epidemic(s)?

Matching epi- and country context to programming
Does the proposed response address gender-sensitive or gender-transformative
programming that is appropriate to the epidemiological and country context?

Obstacles
Does the country face technical, political or cultural obstacles in addressing
gender-responsive programming in its proposal?

TA needs
Does the process, or content of the CN highlight TA needs related to gender
equality for the country or key partners?

Preliminary findings: Analysis

Participation of womens groups, inc key affected women,
in CN development process is patchy; little evidence of
strong impact from their participation
Sex-disaggregated data in gender analysis of many HIV
CNs (esp. in countries that had gender assessment), but
patchy throughout CN. Gender analysis in malaria CNs are
hardly available.
Very weak understanding often confusion - of
relationship between key populations and women, and sex-
disaggregated data of KPs often low quality or not included
Trans* often included but rarely clear if this is trans men or
trans women, and usually linked to MSM
CNs with solid gender analysis rarely linked to concrete,
related, evidence-based gender-responsive programming.

Preliminary findings:
Programming
Most CNs said requests are based on NSPs.
Programs targeting female key populations (i.e., FSW, trans
women) are increasing, but programs targeting female
partners of key populations are almost non-existent.
Few CNs with PMTCT programmes beyond prong 3. Many
indicated strengthening RMNCH linkages as priority
Many countries noted GBV as a key gender issue, but not
many included GBV interventions in proposal nor in
budget.
Some mentioned anticipated obstacles (cultural, technical
and political) in implementing gender-responsive
interventions.
Only a few included sex- disaggregated target for key
interventions such as BCC, testing and treatment. cf: age-
disaggregated target are better used.


Preliminary findings: Budget
Good analysis does not get translated into proposed
interventions nor adequately budgeted.
Many had gender-responsive programs in above
allocation (= incentive funding) budget. FSWs-
targeted prevention and PMTCT are often requested
within allocated budget.
Some countries budget CSS interventions as a part of
sustainability planning. Inclusion of womens groups
and WLHIV networks as beneficiaries of CSS is not
known.

THE UNAIDS GENDER ASSESMENT
TOOL
Applies a modular approach, building on already available
information, to allow flexibility as per local context

Uses questions to identify remaining gaps in information

It allows to learn about the extent to which the national response
recognises and acts on gender inequality as a critical enabler of
the HIV response.

The tool supports countries in leveraging and mobilising
resources for gender equality in the context of HIV

COUNTRIES THAT ARE
UNDERTAKING GENDER
ASSESSMENT.
Completed

Bangladesh
Bolivia
Cambodia
Cameroon
Djibouti
Domican Republic
DRC
Gabon
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Laos
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nigeria
Paraguay
Rwanda
Senegal
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Zimbabwe
Undertaking
Algeria
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Chile
Colombia
Egypt
Eritrea
Guinea
Iran
Kazakhstan
Liberia
Malawi
Morocco
Mozambique
Nicaragua
Peru
South Africa
Tanzania
Tunisia
Uruguay
Yemen
Zambia
Zanzibar
PARTICIPATION.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
% of participation by type of institution /
population
Government
People living with HIV
UN Agencies
Women's network
Women living with HIV
Young people
LGB
Bi/Multilaterals
IDUs
Transgender
Men and boys
Legal service providers
Religious leaders
CONTRIBUTIONS
Created a space for peer-to-peer capacity increase process for staff and
partners on issues regarding gender equality, gender-based violence,
HIV and harmful gender norms.

Provided a thorough country analysis on gender and HIV that was not
available previously.

Provided inputs for the elaboration of National Strategic Plans, GFATM
concept notes, Investment Cases and Post 2015 consultations.

Provided the opportunity to network, strengthen pre-existing
partnerships and foster new collaborations, including with partners that
were not involved in gender or HIV before the gender assessment took
place.

Information compilation, sharing and analysis empowered key
populations who participated in the gender assessment.

IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
1. Lack of sex disaggregated strategic data at county level.

2. While UNAIDS Gender Assessment Tool was found by
countries to be helpful in strengthening partnerships, as well
as analysing the HIV epidemic, context and response from a
gender perspective, it was noted that further guidance was
needed to prioritize and unpack interventions, as well as to
cost them.

3. Challenges in translating the findings of the gender
assessments into GF concept notes, particularly at the
budgeting stage.


GTC - SHORT TERM ACTIONS.
Menu of interventions (Claudia to coordinate smaller
working group - named) by end September
Over next 3-6 months weekly email (from GFS) of which
CNs are coming in/being reviewed, and those with requests
for concrete support.
Learning from 20 concept notes (Motoko presentation)
will be turned into communications pieces for 4 audiences.
Develop a set of advocacy messages around age and sex
disaggregation of data, and what data we should be
requesting.
CRG person being 50% dedicated to this work.
Share gender tools with gender expertise within the
countries as well as concept note writing teams




OPPORTUNITIES FOR ICW
Technical Assistance on Community Systems Strengthening.,
Gender, Human Rights and Key Population Engagement..
RFP is to solicit proposals from suppliers who have technical
expertise
and experience in one (or more) of the following areas:
Gender equality across HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and/or HSS
Addressing gender based violence (GBV) and sexual and
reproductive health, with linkages to HIV
Community systems strengthening
Human rights barriers to women and girls accessing health
services
Meaningful engagement of key affected populations (for
example: women living with diseases, adolescent girls, trans*
communities, women who use drugs, sex workers, female
prisoners, female migrants)
Deadline for submission is 20
th
October.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ICW

Regional Civil Society and Community Support, Coordination and
Communication Platform
The Offerors will host Regional Civil Society and Community
Support, Coordination and Communication Platform for a period
of up to 25 months (1 December 2014- 31 December 2016).
Should provide best value to the Global Fund, when both technical and
cost factors are combined.
The commencement of services is likely to start in December 2014.
The proposal needs to state clearly what, if any, start-up support and
costs (if any), would be needed to commence services.
Platforms will be established in 6 regions:Asia and the Pacific;
Anglophone Africa ;Francophone Africa;Middle East and North
Africa;Eastern Europe and Central Asia;Latin America and the
Caribbean
Where there are potential synergies, value-added and cost-saving,
offerors may bid to host in more than one region.

Way Forward
Support to ICW Kenya
Kelin are prequalified TA providers.
The secretariat will write a memo to KELIN to work
with ICW who will bring on additional support to
ensure WLHIV are meaningfully engaged in concept
note development and country dialogues.
The mode of partnership will be discussed between
KELIN and ICW Kenya.
Do the same with other countries that have need for
TA.
Way Forward
Regional Entity CfP will be out in couple of weeks.
Involves supporting communities more broadly and
legitimizing communities as TA.
We should read the TA over and Over and answer
questions carefully emphasizing on our technical expertise
and parameters with which we have strength in.
We can apply for both proposals as assessments will be
done separately.
If selected for both then a measure will be taken to merge
the projects and address any conflict of interests.