Gender at USAID
USAID's effectiveness is directly linked to its ability to recognize and address the gender-related issues that are holding back progress in developing countries.
Societies that discriminate on the basis of gender pay a hefty price-in greater poverty, lower levels of economic growth, weaker governance, and an overall lower quality of life.
—The World Bank |
When gender-based constraints are considered as a part of programming, development programs are more likely to achieve their desired outcomes, result in greater social equity and lead to lasting transformational development.
As a cross-cutting theme throughout Agency programming, it is the responsibility of each operating unit to address gender considerations when setting overall priority goals.
As the central point of technical leadership and expertise on gender issues within the Agency, the role of the Office of Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment is to maintain and increase USAID's institutional capacity to address gender-related issues and to find new approaches and solutions for gender-related obstacles to development.
The Office of Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment
Photo Credit: Richard Nyberg, USAID Senegal
USAID's commitment to the full inclusion of women dates back to the Percy Amendment of 1973
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USAID's commitment to the full inclusion of women dates back to 1973, when the United States Congress passed the "Percy Amendment", requiring that particular attention be given to integrating women into national economies to improve their status and to assist the overall development effort.
Vision Statement
The Office of Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment (GenDev) leads USAID efforts to empower women and achieve gender equality through international development policies and programs.
Mission Statement
The Office of Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment (GenDev) is USAID's central point of leadership and expertise on gender issues in social, economic, and political development policies and programs. The GenDev office:
- identifies and analyzes emerging and unaddressed issues of strategic importance to gender equality
- raises awareness within USAID and the interagency of critical policy and technical issues related to gender
- designs and manages selected innovative pilot projects
- advances gender integration throughout USAID programs through programmatic coordination, technical assistance, capacity building, and information dissemination
- coordinates with bilateral and multilateral donors and non-government organizations on gender issues.
GenDev Staff
Misrak Brhane
Christopher Burns
Christopher Colbow
Natalie Elwell
Stephanie Harvey
Mehlika Hoodbhoy (Acting Director)
Edward Lijewski
Focus Areas
The GenDev office focuses on a number of broad substantive issues:
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