This module aims to ensure that participants share their understandings of basic economic and gender-equality concepts, how they interact with each other and what happens to basic economic ideas when approached through a gender lens. The module does not aim to ensure that everyone operates at the same level of sophistication of analysis, though a subsidiary aim is to encourage those with more sophisticated understandings of analysis, of either economics or gender issues, to express themselves to others simply and in jargon-free terms, especially when communicating with others less immersed in their knowledge areas. A further subsidiary aim is to encourage all participants to speak and engage with each other.

The Global Gender and Economic Policy Management Initiative (GEPMI) is a comprehensive capacity development and policy advisory services programme that aims to help economic policies and poverty reduction strategies deliver results equitably to women and men, girls and boys. In Asia and the Pacific, three-week courses on Gender-Responsive Economic Policy Management, which provided hands-on skills to middle-level government planning officials, parliamentary staff and civil society organization, were held in 2012-2013. The course consisted of twelve modules addressing the most critical gender issues in all aspects of economic development in Asia and the Pacific. The modules can be used as a complete set to run a full-scale course. They can also be used individually, tailored for immediate and specific capacity development and policy advisory support to meet a country’s particular needs.

Governments interested in a specific capacity building or policy advisory service can contact UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (registry.th@undp.org) for immediate support.