What is a gender transformative approach?

Gender transformative approaches challenge the social norms and structures of power and privilege that disadvantage people on the basis of their gender. They are designed to address underlying beliefs of what makes a ‘real man’ and a ‘real woman’ and the power and privilege that give some people an advantage and other people a disadvantage, just because they are women or men.

Gender transformative work aligns with human rights-based approaches. They both seek to effect individual, community and institutional change in line with universal human rights principles.

Why are gender transformative approaches important?

Gender transformative approaches are important because after decades of international efforts to improve gender inequality it is clear that more needs to be done to address the underlying causes of inequality: these go beyond individual practice and beliefs and involve social and collective practices as well as institutional and structural reasons why the status of women is not yet equal to that of men.

In Papua New Guinea, some cultural norms provide protection and support for women; for example, the social protection aspects of the wantok system (kinship network), and the extensive networks of the churches. However, many prevalent cultural gender norms impede the development of women and girls.

Pacific Women partners identified ten norms and practices as priorities for change in Papua New Guinea. This is because they contribute to high rates of violence against women and children; reinforce women’s unequal access to resources, services and opportunities; and have negative effects on women’s development, voice, agency and power, and on the whole family and community.