Gender policy

Frame for Gender policy

Over the time, it was realized that LCT should have its Gender policy formally written. Approved and publicized so that it not only gives direction for the organization in practice. But also holds the organization accountable. It also comes from the understanding that, inequality between men and women is deep rooted and its is manifested in discrimination against women in different forms. To whatever extent, one might be sensitive. It needs conscious and continuous efforts to achieve a balanced environment both at organizational level and also in work with the partners at field level. Framing a Gender policy is commitment towards those efforts. The overall effort is to provide an enabling environment for women. The overall effort is to provide an enabling environment for women within the organization, various partners and the communities with whom we are working and strengthen the gender sensitivity among all.

Objectives of Gender policy:

• To explicitly state the organizational commitment towards
• To provide a direction towards building gender related agenda
• To provide a framework for effectively integrating gender concerns into the organizational agenda and policy domain
• To create equal opportunities and a conducive environment for women and men at work place
• To promote equal representation and participation of women in decision making at the professional/programmatic and administrative

Element of Gender Policy:
What we mean by Gender

LCT understands that gender refers to the attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female and the socio-cultural relationships between women and men. These attributes, opportunities and relationships are socially constructed and are learned through socialization processes. They are context specific and changeable. In most societies there are differences and inequalities between women and men in activities undertaken, access to and control over resources as we as decision-making opportunities. Gender is part of the broader socio- cultural context, which also takes into consideration factors such as class. race, economic status, ethnic groups and age.LCT adopts gender perspective. which means focusing on both women and men and their relationships with each other and resources. In addition, it means working with a global perspective that allows for and appreciates regional diversity. The organization aims at mainstreaming gender by creating an enabling working environment that in turn attracts and helps to retain gender sensitive staff. Only with a gender perspective can a complete picture of human relationships and ecosystems be built up. The gender policy is an integral part of all its organizational policies, programmers and projects and involves building a culture that understands the issues and policies. Which respect diversity and gender? Related concerns. A mere statement of policy and objectives does not ensure the concerns relating to addressing the gender. Towards achieving the above objectives, clear indicators need to be defined to evaluate and assess the organizations commitment towards gender  equity on a periodic basis.

For this following system would be put in place necessary strategies would be tried out internally and externally: at organizational level and at partner’s level.

At organizational level:

1. Staff composition/representation
   • Recruiting adequate women staff and ensuring the balance also at senior levels: with an objective of achieving a numerical gender balance in all posts at all levels
   • Ensuring equal opportunities among male and female staff for personal growth, in promotion benefits, training and working conditions
   • Ensuring equitable representation and participation of men and women in the core group, board of trustees and in various functional committees of the organization

B)    Workplace

• Providing a safe and secure workplace for women staff, free form sexual harassment with a Gender complaints committee to look into specific
• Providing an enabling and friendly work environment where both men and women enjoy and actively participate in work. This includes providing flexible working hours and allowing working from home wherever
• Extending work related concessions and relaxations for women staff depending upon the situations and requirements ,e.g. providing secure transport facilities when they work late hours; giving relaxation over travel time for the next day for those in the field; ensuring security measures along with minimum basic facilities for women staff traveling in the

• Reviewing the organizational structure, functioning, problems in relation to gender imbalances among staff and the work environment time to time and taking definite steps to address the same.
• Strategic orientation to staff in the field based programs and advocacy initiatives towards increasing women’s access, control and ownership over the natural
• Placing Gender in existing committees: A Women employee who has put in 3 months of service after confirmation shall be entitled for 4 months of maternity leave on full pay and under probation, she will be eligible for leave without pay for the same length of period.
• Men employees when their spouses have children shall be entitled for 30 days of leave either immediately after child birth of fifteen days before child birth and fifteen days after child birth for primary parenting and child nurturing. In case of miscarriage /abortion, women staff cans avall 2 weeks of Maternity leave with full pay and spouses are entitled for one week’s
• Making efforts to develop infrastructure for childcare facilities in the office premises in order to ensure that the parents can bring their children in circumstances in which the build cannot be

In the field

• Furthering deliberate and intense efforts to promote participation of women and their collectives in various aspects of natural resource
• Facilitating participation and even representation of women in various institutional structures created for the Management of natural resources likes committees. User groups

• Analysis of gender disaggregated roles and work patterns. and make special efforts to reduce the work load of women
• Extending constant orientation of field level partners on gender perspectives in NRM as part of long-term gender goals like formal recognition of women’s rights over resources like land, assets
• Ensuring equal wages to equal work for both men and women in the works as part of the programs, where LCT is directly or indirectly involved either as an anchor of the program or as a facilitating support service provider .
• Making special efforts to constantly identify vulnerable women and provide them the necessary support and guidance
• Sensitizing the men and mobilizing their support towards gender balance.
• Building awareness and sensitivity by processing information and publishing communication material in diverse media to appeal different strata of people in our functional

C)    Staff capacity building

• Facilitating staff capacity building processes and trainings to enhance perspectives and conceptual clarity on Gender issues (for all the staff members).It will be an important component of the induction
• Ensuring that all trainings(internal and external) facilitated by the organization are gender                sensitive)training content/methodology/mode of facilitation b) logistics part- time/location of venue/crèche facilities/other logistics/first-aid kit
• Conducing Gender trainings for both men and women and ensuring participation of women in all the field level meetings and trainings

D)    Organizational policies and systems

• Making all HR systems and polices gender-sensitive and responsive, and integrating gender indicators into staff performance appraisal
• Incorporating and explicitly mentioning gender sensitivity as an essential element in the tasks/Job profiles in all terms of reference, including TORs for external
• Ensuring that the conceptual clarity and sensitivity on gender issues will be one of the important selection criteria in recruitment processes and capacity building efforts of staff
• Initiating and building the advocacy around gender balance and making efforts to integrate gender concerns into the scaling up and mainstream development

E)    Staff benefits

• Following all statutory requirements related to maternity and paternity
• Ensuring that staff access to and use of information technology is gender equitable

Arrangements should be made for recording all information and open access for reviewing the performance of tasks mentioned at organizational level regularly in different forums from staff meetings to Annual meetings.