Gender & Power Analysis Guidance - GAP Analysis: A Child-Centred & Intersectional Approach

"To attain equality, including the transformation of unequal gender and social norms, we need to examine and work at multiple levels of society at the same time. By tackling unequal power hierarchies at multiple levels, projects can create space for sustainable and positive changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, and norms."

Gender and power (GAP) analysis is a type of action research that identifies, examines, and addresses discrimination and inequality in order to drive transformative, systemic change. It explores gender inequalities and intersecting systems of oppression that impact the individual and collective ability of people to fully exercise their rights. Save the Children (SC) uses GAP analysis to identify and analyse inequalities, break down barriers to equitable and meaningful participation, and advance gender equality and social justice. The organisation has developed this GAP analysis guidance document to support - through GAP analysis - the design and adaptation of programming that positively transforms unequal power relations and ensures all stakeholders can equitably access, participate in, be decision makers for, and benefit from SC activities.

GAP analysis explores six interconnected areas or domains of analysis to build an understanding of how inequality and discrimination impact different stakeholders across various arenas of life:

1. Patterns of decision-making
2. Laws, policies, regulations, and institutional practices
3. Roles, responsibilities, and time use
4. Social norms, beliefs, and practices
5. Access to and control over resources
6. Safely, dignity, and well-being

A GAP analysis can be carried out for a single or multi-country project and embedded within research at any stage of an initiative. For a GAP analysis, a diverse, trained team:

• Conducts a literature review to examine relevant gender and power inequalities;
• Designs a research protocol, develops referral and reporting protocols, and complete an ethics review;
• Collects, analyses, and validates data using feminist, inclusive, and child-centred methodologies;
• Generates recommendations based on research findings; and
• Translates recommendations into action through a GAP strategy and new/adapted activities that are designed to transform the discriminatory norms, systems, and structures that drive inequality.

Across all research stages, GAP analysis seeks to shift power to children and communities and prioritises their knowledge and experiences through the use of participatory methodologies, including youth-led, child-led, and girl-friendly approaches. A thorough analysis is fostered by collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders, employing qualitative or mixed methods, and disaggregating data by gender, age, and other power differentials. SC stresses that GAP analysis should be tailored to investigate the forms of inequality that are socially significant to the project site(s), thematic areas, and/or the priority community or population.

SC's GAP analysis is designed to:

• Enable evidence-based and context-specific programmatic and advocacy work that addresses the root causes of gender and social inequality;
• Support staff to operationalise SC's 2017 Gender Equality Policy, including the standard that all programming will be gender sensitive or gender transformative;
• Generate evidence to measure impact;
• Ensure SC and partners collaborate with, value the knowledge and experience of, and are accountable to children, their families, and communities; and
• Foster the equitable and meaningful participation of a diverse group of stakeholders in projects/initiatives and advocacy.

Ultimately, GAP analysis aims to produce both new knowledge and social change. The findings and recommendations from a GAP analysis will inform SC's programming and advocacy.

The GAP analysis guidance document consists of six sections:

• The Overview - defines a GAP analysis, explains why it is important, explores what makes the SC GAP analysis unique, and describes who should use the guidance and when to conduct a GAP analysis.
• The Why - introduces the objectives, frameworks, guiding principles, and concepts used in a GAP analysis.
• The How - outlines, in 10 steps, the stages and methodological considerations for conducting a GAP analysis.
• Annex One: The Who - offers in-depth explanations of power differentials, which are social categorisations or markers that identify varying degrees of power and status between individuals and groups.
• Annex Two: The What - provides sample thematic research questions, which should be tailoreds to the project or initiative themes, sectors, contexts, and participants. This part includes the thematic areas/sectors in which SC works: Child Poverty, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health, and Nutrition.
• Annex Three: The Resources - includes tools and templates to use throughout the research process.