Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment of the Public Assistance Programme in Dominica

Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment - Dominica

Author(s)/editor(s)

(Author): Dr. Kimberly-Ann Gittens-Baynes, (Editor): Dr. Robin Haarr, PhD UN Women, Senior Consultant

In Dominica, a Public Assistance Programme (PAP) serves a vital purpose of offering a safety net for those facing hardship; however, without a strong focus on gender awareness, PAP may struggle to reach its full potential. As highlighted earlier, this is
due to the distinct challenges faced by women and men when it comes to poverty and vulnerability. By failing to consider these differences, PAP risks leaving some people behind, hindering the overall effectiveness of the programme and perpetuating cycles of vulnerability. Gender-aware approaches empower both women and men by addressing the specific barriers they face; barriers they face, such as economic dependence, unequal resource distribution, and potential exposure to GBV.

UN Women MCO – Caribbean initiated a project supporting a gender-responsive analysis and research on institutional, policy and service delivery frameworks for social protection in Dominica. A cornerstone of this analysis is the Gender Aware Beneficiary Assessment (GABA), which is a tool that scrutinizes the effectiveness of development programmes by focusing on accessibility of and benefits received by intended beneficiaries.