S t r a t e g i c approches

S t r a t e g i c
approches
This assessment will have provided you with a sense
of where the major gaps lie. Here are some of the
ways in which you can try to address these gaps.
Establish alliances – look for other agencies that
have gender and SRHR high on their agenda and
discuss with them ways to move these issues forward.
Consider pooling expertise and resources.
Identify organizations that have experience working
on issues of gender equality and SRHR and bring
these into the education dialogue, for example, by
commissioning a study, or by providing opportunities
for these organizations to present their work at
major education meetings (e.g. in a donor coordination
group or at a thematic event). Examples of such
organizations include universities, research institutes,
NGOs and human rights groups. Do not shy
away from establishing somewhat unconventional
alliances, as long as you do so in a manner that is
respectful of the local context.
Work with people who have expertise in the
fi eld. You do not have to be the expert on these matters.
Instead, use the knowledge and skills of specialists
and ensure they are involved in key events.
The last tool in this toolkit – Tool 12 – provides some
suggestions of where you can obtain support.
Identify thematic groups that function in the
education sector – for example, on education
quality or on curriculum reform – and volunteer
to participate (either personally or by recruiting
someone for this purpose). This will provide you
with the opportunity to mainstream issues of
gender, SRHR and HIV & AIDS in the broader
education agenda. If you decide to recruit someone,
it may be useful to do this jointly with other
development cooperation partners so you can
use this as an opportunity to develop joint thinking/
strategies in this area.
Critically review the initiatives, programmes
and projects your agency is supporting and
identify opportunities for integrating gender
equality, HIV & AIDS and SRHR.
Find out about successful experiences and
examples from other countries and ensure that
these become known in the country where you
work, for example, by inviting key people to
present on these experiences, by encouraging
publication and dissemination of short research/
case study papers, or by organizing well-structured
and targeted study tours.24
For more ideas, you may want to look at Tool 6,
which provides an overview of opportunities for HIV
and AIDS mainstreaming. Many of the opportunities
identifi ed in this tool also apply to introducing and
reinforcing issues of gender equality and SRHR.