Improving gender inclusion in SEI’s capacity building work

The document argues that active participation by under-represented groups, particularly women, is essential for creating just and sustainable climate adaptation policies. It emphasizes that positive change requires conscientious action rather than mere intention, as 'gender blind' processes often reinforce existing inequities. To achieve this, the brief provides a 'toolbox' of guidelines for SEI-US trainers divided into three phases: starting the conversation (e.g., ensuring diversity among trainers), creating an inclusive learning environment (e.g., selecting accessible locations and prioritizing sanitation), and monitoring and evaluation (e.g., measuring the quality, not just the quantity, of participation).

• There is a critical distinction between nominal participation, where individuals are simply counted, and active participation, where marginalized groups have a voice in decision-making that leads to empowerment. In many parts of the world, women's participation is typically nominal rather than active.
• Intentions to be inclusive do not automatically lead to positive impacts. 'Gender blind' approaches, which ignore gender norms under the assumption that the playing field is level, can inadvertently entrench existing inequities.
• To foster inclusion before training begins, SEI-US trainers are encouraged to ensure a diversity of trainers to make female participants more comfortable, discuss diversity goals with project partners, and align with the partners' existing diversity initiatives.
• Creating an inclusive learning environment requires addressing practical and social barriers. This includes selecting neutral and accessible venues to accommodate women's household responsibilities, ensuring private and clean sanitation facilities, and scheduling social events during work hours.
• Trainers can use their scientific credibility to amplify the voices of women and must actively manage the tenor of conversations to prevent dominant participants from overshadowing those socialized to avoid interrupting.
• Effective monitoring and evaluation must move beyond counting the number of women present to measuring the quality of their participation, with continuous data collection used to identify trends and patterns.

APA

Galaitsi, S., Forni, L., & Ghosh, E. (2017). Improving gender inclusion in SEI’s capacity building work. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-DB-improving-gender-inclusion.pdf

Chicago

Galaitsi, Stephanie, Laura Forni, and Emily Ghosh. Improving gender inclusion in SEI’s capacity building work. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2017. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-DB-improving-gender-inclusion.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Galaitsi |first1=Stephanie |last2=Forni |first2=Laura |last3=Ghosh |first3=Emily |title=Improving gender inclusion in SEI’s capacity building work |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2017 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-DB-improving-gender-inclusion.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{galaitsi2017improving, author = {Galaitsi, Stephanie and Forni, Laura and Ghosh, Emily}, title = {{Improving gender inclusion in SEI’s capacity building work}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2017}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-DB-improving-gender-inclusion.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }