APF course to drive organisational change on gender
A world-first training program will examine what gender mainstreaming is and how it can improve the operations and effectiveness of NHRIs.
Senior officials from the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Palestine, the Philippines, Samoa and Timor Leste will shortly begin a world-first training program on gender mainstreaming for NHRIs.
The blended learning course will introduce participants to the concept of gender mainstreaming and how it can improve the operations and effectiveness of NHRIs.
Through discussions and practical activities, the course will:
- Explore how gender mainstreaming can strengthen internal NHRI operations and culture
- Identify ways that gender can support an NHRI's core work, such as advising on laws and policies, investigating complaints and conducting human rights education
- Provide a step-by-step approach to develop and implement a gender mainstreaming strategy for NHRIs.
Discrimination against women and girls is still pervasive everywhere and in every country. Unless gender is mainstreamed in the work of NHRIs, we won't be able to tackle effectively the human rights issues we are supposed to be addressing."
Rosslyn Noonan, APF Expert NHRI Consultant
The pilot course will include four weeks of online learning and interaction (2-29 February 2020), followed by a week-long workshop in Kuala Lumpur (31 March-4 April 2020), hosted by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.
Discussions and activities will draw on the Guidelines for Mainstreaming the Human Rights of Women and Girls into Our Everyday Work, published by the APF in July 2019.
"NHRIs can be genuine leaders by promoting gender equality in the work they do and how they do it," APF Human Rights Project Manager Aishath Fasoha said.
"This course aims to equip NHRI leaders so they can develop a gender mainstreaming strategy for their institutions and drive organisational change."
As part of APF's commitment to promoting gender equality, NHRIs participating in the blended learning course will be invited to nominate a representative to the newly- established APF Gender Network, which will share and champion good practice across the Asia Pacific region.
