Committee on Gender Equity

Terms of Reference

The 18th General Assembly mandated the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs to seriously take the Gender Equity agenda to advance in a more effective and life-changing thrust not only among marginalized sectors in our societies, but more so, with the staff, leaders and members within YMCA movements in the next quadrennial. It is therefore necessary to identify and define a more appropriate and empowering strategies that will involve leaders in all levels. While it recognize the many initiatives and accomplishments in the last quadrennial, we also acknowledge the limitations that it has provided to raise the profile of an increased awareness and impact of our responses to our movements and communities we work with to reflect a culture gender sensitive organization that promotes gender equity and justice. The gaps remains not only in the programmatic responses that the YMCAs do including the policies each movements has, but as it is reflected in our daily lives, relationships and orientation in many, if not in almost all of the things we do.

It was asserted therefore, that there is a need to look beyond gender equity/equality analysis and to understand the dominant system that helps perpetuate gender injustices in our societies. It is on this basis that a new approach in advancing this thrust is recommended to provide a common platform to help understand the evolution and development of human existence and how the change in power relations in women and men begun that it has become the dominant culture in the world today. It is on this learning and understanding the root causes of this concern can we truly create/organize a more relevant and meaningful leadership structure and programs on gender equity in the sub-regions of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs.

The Committee will therefore focus on:

1. Providing a common learning platform in understanding root causes and impact of gender injustices in societies today;
2. Develop and hold trainings of trainers that will:
   1. Re-examine and reflect on different factors that influences and conditions the minds of people that contributes to the perpetuation of gender role stereotyping, to include education, history, religion, media, culture, politics, family, business, etc., and to identify the YMCA with a common perspective in realizing the goal of gender equity and equality;
   2. Enable YMCAs to develop educational materials, train trainers to help in capacitating its leaders and staff to become committed advocates in helping establish a culture gender sensitive organization and community;
3. Develop a Program Framework for a comprehensive Regional Training of trainers on Gender Equity and Development among staff and leaders who can serve as trainers in capacity building /training events among and within YMCAs;
4. Development of Training Modules/Manual for use within YMCAs capacity building and training events;
5. Pilot implementation of training modules in national/local GCE, Leadership and other training opportunities.