Gender Policy and Action Plan

COL's Gender Policy states that gender equality is a cross-cutting corporate goal that requires that both women's and men's views, interests and needs shape its programmes, policies and processes. Advancing the goals of gender equality and women's empowerment are central to COL's agenda of learning for development.

The Policy describes how mainstreaming applies to COL. For example, COL has adopted gender mainstreaming as an organisational strategy to ensure that gender equality is considered an integral part of its internal policies and processes. It also explains how gender mainstreaming is integrated into COL's programmes. A staff Gender Committee provides direction for COL's work related to gender.

A new Gender Action Plan outlines how COL will implement the policy and promote a perspective with its partners. It focuses on three areas:

• strengthening internal gender mainstreaming capacity, 
• identifying a number of specific gender initiatives, and 
• promoting gender with partners.

Integrating Best Practices in Gender Mainstreaming

COL hosted a workshop in July 2007 that reviewed the latest best practices in gender mainstreaming. Led by Dr. Tony Beck, an independent consultant who works with the United Nations and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) on gender issues, the session focussed on developing gender-sensitive and gender specific performance indicators and how to incorporate them into COL's work and monitoring and evaluation framework.

A second gender workshop in October 2007 explored how to increase awareness of gender issues within each programme sector and how to encourage positive action among partners. Some of the key issues discussed were how to mainstream gender within COL programmes; how to integrate gender at the initiative level and the challenges of working with partner agencies that may have different cultural beliefs and practices. This workshop was led by Dr. Jyotsna Jha from the Social Transformation Programmes Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Monitoring Trends in Gender and ODL

COL is mapping trends in gender and ODL. This includes identifying the key issues and defining a role for COL. Results of this research will be presented at the Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF5) in London from 13-17 July 2008.

Supporting Gender Mainstreaming in the Public Service

www.col.org/gender

Members of Rupantar put on a performance about good governance in December 2007

"Good governance" is one of the core values of the Commonwealth. It is an integral element in sustainable development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. At the core of good governance is strong, informed decision making, based on participatory, democratic processes. COL is using open and distance learning (ODL) methods to expand the number of people reached in efforts to achieve good governance in several areas of the commonwealth.

PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AT A GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP IN DECEMBER 2007

• Training for civil servants in Papua New Guinea - More efficient and effective ways of training its 80,000 civil servants is an important part of Papua New Guinea's Public Sector Reform Initiative. In partnership with the University of Papua New Guinea, COL is working closely with all levels of government and education partners to address the training needs for officials at the district, local government and village levels as well as civil society. By working with local stakeholders, COL is helping to develop solutions for challenges such as a widespread lack of formal education while finding ways to build on the strong clan system to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
  
• ODL policy for the Solomon Islands - COL has worked with government representatives in the Solomon Islands to develop a Distance Flexible Learning policy. It focuses on strengthening school boards and school committees, which is expected to result in greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities, inclusive approaches in developing strategic education plans and better performing schools.
  
  
• Conflict resolution training in Vanuatu - Wan Smolbag is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works with youth through drama about issues such as witchcraft and conflict resolution. COL is working with Wan Smolbag to create DVDs based on a drama dealing with witchcraft, resolving conflict and women's role in society. The four-part series will be broadcast to a larger audience in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu on television, at village cinema events and at secondary schools.
  
• Teaching governance, strategic planning for schools in Bangladesh - Working with Action Aid, COL is developing training to improve strategic planning including financial literacy for civil society related to the operation of primary schools. The existing training resources will be converted to ODL formats to reach the many remote areas of Bangladesh. The aim is to encourage involvement of parents and community members, which will lead to better schools and better education.
  
  COL is working with another local group, Rupantar, an NGO that believes development work is most effective when based in culture using folk songs and drama. In this way, they are able to move forward more quickly in changing attitudes and facilitating dialogue on governance issues with local-level government and with civil society. COL is helping to develop new ODL materials to train the most local-level of government representatives about their newly legislated roles and responsibilities.

COL recently signed the Cape Town Declaration on Open Education, showing support for the concept of creating and sharing educational resources. The document arose from a meeting in Cape Town in September 2007 that focussed on accelerating efforts to promote open resources, technology and teaching practices in education. The declaration represents a compromise view, taking into account a spectrum of perspectives. While applauding the ideals of the freedom culture, it reflects the real situations that institutions and governments face in the day-to-day business of conducting education and training.