Gender Action Plan

A Gender Action Plan (GAP) is a project-level instrument that translates a gender analysis of a development project into concrete, time-bound activities, budget allocations, and measurable indicators that ensure the project addresses gender inequalities and delivers benefits equitably to women, men, and other groups.

What is a Gender Action Plan?

Major development banks including the World Bank, ADB, AfDB, and IsDB have gender mainstreaming policies that require borrowers to analyse gender dimensions during project preparation and to prepare a GAP when significant gender gaps are identified. The GAP identifies the specific barriers preventing women or other groups from accessing project benefits or participating as stakeholders, specifies the activities the project will undertake to address those barriers, assigns responsibilities and resources, and establishes indicators to track progress during implementation.

In an infrastructure project, a GAP might specify women's involvement in design consultations, safe transport and lighting standards, or targeted employment quotas in construction. In a health or education project, it might address access barriers, service delivery standards, and community health worker roles. The GAP's commitments are reflected in the escp and the sep, and progress is reported in supervision missions. The sia typically provides the baseline gender data that informs GAP design.

Why a Gender Action Plan matters for bidders

Contracts on projects with a GAP may include gender-specific obligations, such as a minimum percentage of women in the contractor's workforce, gender-sensitive workplace facilities, or requirements to consult women's groups during community engagement. Bidders who review the project's GAP before submitting proposals can price these obligations, demonstrate relevant experience, and avoid underestimating the cost of compliance. Consulting firms delivering technical assistance are increasingly asked to have gender specialists on their teams and to report against gender indicators as a deliverable.

FAQ

Is a GAP required on every development bank project?

Not universally, but most major development banks require a gender analysis as part of project preparation, and a full GAP is required when that analysis identifies significant gender gaps or when the project's sector has known gender dimensions, such as agriculture, health, education, water, and transport.

Who prepares the GAP?

The borrower prepares the GAP, often with support from a social development or gender specialist engaged during project preparation. The financing institution reviews the GAP as part of project appraisal.

How are GAP commitments monitored?

The development bank's supervision missions review GAP implementation, and borrowers report progress against GAP indicators in their periodic project reports. Non-compliance with GAP commitments can trigger corrective action plans or affect disbursement conditions.