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Gender Responsive Governance

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Gender Responsive Governance

Introduction

Gender equality is fundamentally linked to people-centered sustainable development. In the context of local government, gender equality is critical as women, men, and people with diverse gender identities face different challenges for full participation, representation and equal (work) opportunities. Measures that ensure equitable access to resources and services are necessary to achieve inclusive and gender responsive governance.

This course discusses gender dynamics and focuses on the different needs and priorities of women, men, young girls and boys. We discuss gender-sensitive strategies and tools for gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting in policies and programmes at the local level. Special attention is given to the involvement of marginalised groups in development initiatives. The course also discusses how to effectively engage men and how to address cross-cutting issues when applying a diverse gender perspective (intersectionality), particularly in complex cultural, religious, or fragile settings.

What sets this programme apart is the Back Home Action Plan methodology, which was crucial in encouraging participants to think beyond the course itself. Back home, I organized training sessions on gender equality concepts and gender mainstreaming tools for my colleagues. Later, in collaboration with The Hague Academy, we conducted a training for the embassy’s project partners on practical tools for gender-sensitive budgeting in their projects.

Odilia Massangaie Marques Programme Officer of Civil Society, Gender and Youth Netherlands Embassy in Mozambique

Key Information

This course is aimed at professionals working on gender policy and gender mainstreaming in government policies or development programmes at from national, regional and local government, NGOs, and donor and development organisations.

Particularly relevant for professionals working in gender equality units in ministries or local government, social affairs and community development departments, civil society organisations promoting women’s rights, human rights commissions or policy advisory bodies.

This training will take place from 22 March 2027 to 26 March 2027.

The course fee is € 2,995 *. This includes all training related costs as well as drinks and warm lunches during the training days. Group discounts are available if organisations participate with three or more colleagues.

This training takes place in The Hague, Netherlands.

After this course, participants will receive a professional certificate of completion from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.

*Professionals employed by a local government or by a local NGOs on the DAC list of ODA-recipient countries (OECD) may qualify for a reduced course fee. Contact us for details.

Learning objectives

Guided by high-level, international experts, participants will:

Increase their knowledge about gender concepts and relate to the latest insights in gender-responsive governance;

Analyse and discuss how gender power dynamics and norms shape decision making, project development and policy formulation;

Apply tools for conducting gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting in project and policy development;

Design strategies for equitable service delivery and socio-economic inclusion of marginalised groups;

Apply measures to empower women, increase their participation in policy and decision making, and engage men in promoting gender equality;

Discuss strategies and review tools to promote gender responsive governance through lobbying and advocacy;

Experts

Experts (previously) involved in this course:

Ghada Zeidan

Ghada is an all-around expert and trainer on the topics of local governance, gender and development and women’s rights. She has worked extensively in fragile settings and on the UN Resolution 1325.

Visnja Bacanovic (to be confirmed)

Visnja is an experienced gender expert, with more than 15 years of experience in the women’s movement and organisations such as UN Women, UNDP, OSCE, GIZ, and EBRD. She is specialized in gender mainstreaming at the local level, including gender analysis, gender impact assessment, and gender-responsive budgeting.

Kirsten van den Hul

Kirsten van den Hul is a Dutch columnist, former politician, and an independent change manager with expertise expertise in the fields of advocacy, stakeholder management, strategy development, gender equality/gender based violence, diversity and inclusion.

Experience

During the course, participants bring their personal experience, engage in exercises and have lively debates with experts and fellow participants. They are exposed to different perspectives, expectations and learn how to argue their beliefs. Participants test new tools, and are challenged to re-think the way they approach their work through a gender and inclusion lens.

Participants will meet experts from national government, visit local government offices and different international NGOs: each providing their unique perspective on gender mainstreaming and the work they do to advance gender equality. This includes how to promote SDG 5; how to influence national and international policies or how to promote laws and regulations for gender equality

Practical information

Find the practical information for the course here.

Payment
After submitting your completed application, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. Once we have assessed your application and admitted you to the course, we will send you an invoice with payment details.

Payments can be made by bank transfer or by PayPal request. We offer the option of paying in one or two instalments. An advance payment of 50% secures the reservation of a seat at the training until the payment deadline, one week prior to the course start date. Your participation in the course is guaranteed only after receipt of full payment.

Please note that The Hague Academy accepts registrations on a first-paid, first-served policy.
Visa Applications
Some countries require a visa to enter the Netherlands. Please check with The Netherlands or the embassy for the visa requirements related to your country. Because of the length of time needed for the visa procedure, we advise you to start this process as soon as possible. Once we have received your payment for the course, The Hague Academy will send you an acceptance letter which will assist you in arranging your visa to The Netherlands.
Cancellation
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise, necessitating the cancellation of your attendance. In such cases, please be aware of our cancellation policy:
- For cancellations due to circumstances beyond your control, a reimbursement can be arranged, subject to an administration fee of €350.
- Cancellations made between four and two weeks before the training commences will incur a charge equivalent to 50% of the course fee.
- Cancellations made within two weeks of the training start date, will result in an 80% charge of the fee.
- In the event of a no-show, there will be a 100% charge of the fee.
- Alternatively, you may nominate a qualified substitute to attend the course in your place at no additional cost.
The Hague Academy for Local Governance reserves the right to cancel a course if the number of participants is insufficient or due to any other unforeseen circumstances. In this case, your payment will be 100% reimbursed. Other costs such as transportation or hotel cannot be reimbursed.