Gender and diversity lens for health and human services

Page content: Overview | What is a gender and diversity lens? | When can the gender and diversity lens be used? | Workshops | Feedback | Download documents

Overview

The gender and diversity lens (the lens) is a quality improvement resource which has been developed with input from a range of funded organisations, departmental staff and consumers. It is a priority action for the second stage of the Victorian Women’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy and consistent with the State Government social policy framework, A Fairer Victoria.

The lens will assist Department of Human Services programs and funded specialist and mainstream services take into account the interaction between gender, diversity and disadvantage during the planning cycle and service delivery.

What is a gender and diversity lens?

The purpose of the lens is to ensure a systematic evaluation of:

• the promotion of gender analysis and principles of diversity in program, project and policy design
• the potential impact that a program, project and policy may have on the targeted area by taking into account the cultural and gender issues
• the needed adjustments in the program, project and policy components to make it culturally relevant and meet gender equity objectives for all targeted groups.

The lens is:

• A tool which can raise awareness. It ensures new ways of thinking, exposes potential flaws in programs, and opens the way to new solutions and activities.
• A resource which includes a check-list and questions that assist with evaluating whether programs, projects, policies and proposals promote and safeguard gender equity and diversity.
• A resource which assists policy officers and advisors to make informed decisions, in full knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the program, project and policy.

When can the gender and diversity lens be used?

The lens is a tool that can be used in all stages of a program, policy and project - planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

It is important to note that the use of the lens is NOT restricted to projects relating to gender and diversity activities. The lens can be used for all types of programs and activities.

Workshops

A workshop can be organised to help Units apply the gender and diversity lens and adopt them to their respective projects/policies. Please contact our office for more information.

Feedback

We are seeking your comments on this resource and on your experiences in implementing the Gender and Diversity Lens. Your feedback will be used to inform any updates and to assist Department of Human Services to plan sustainable responses that are sensitive to the interaction of gender, diversity and disadvantage.

Please complete the Gender and Diversity Lens Feedback Form.

Download documents

Gender and diversity lens for health and human services (829kb, pdf)

The gender and diversity lens checklist

Gender and diversity lens checklist (14kb, pdf)

Case studies

 Gathering evidence on older women and homelessness (23kb, pdf)
 Research on gender sensitivity and safety in adult acute mental health inpatient units (24kb, pdf)

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