Garner feedback on the plan through consultation activities

Prior to adopting the gender equality action plan, provide opportunities for different groups in the institution to provide feedback on the proposed measures (i.e. leaders, MPs, parliamentary employees, and staff of MPs). To garner this feedback, carry out workshops or meetings dedicated to reviewing the measures proposed in the plan. Ensure that women and men with different backgrounds are equally represented when collecting feedback.

These consultation activities are particularly important for plans drafted by external experts because they improve the transparency of the development process. Consultation activities can help to:

  • identify opportunities to improve the plan and its roadmap for implementation, monitoring and evaluation before it is launched;
  • determine whether the plan properly reflects the main gender and intersecting inequalities that exist within your parliament;
  • confirm that the plan is relevant for all intended target audiences (leaders, MPs, parliamentary employees, staff of MPs, etc) and ensure that the measures of the plan are endorsed.

Example of a parliament garnering feedback on its gender equality action plan through consultation activities (fictional)

Prior to adopting a gender equality action plan, a high-level working group organised a series of consultation activities to garner feedback on the measures proposed in their plan.

As a first step, the high-level working group convened with the permanent gender equality office (in the administration) to request support for the design and facilitation of these consultation activities. Next, the high-level working group and the permanent gender equality office selected the groups in parliament to be consulted throughout the process, ensuring gender balanced representation and participation of women and men with different backgrounds.

Findings from consultations illustrated that the plan did not include sufficient measures to tackle cyber harassment against women politicians in the institution. Based on this feedback, the high-level working group revised the gender equality action plan, to propose a new measure to conduct research on measures that can be taken to support MPs that are subjected to cyber harassment and develop guidance materials for MPs to manage cyber harassment.

Garner feedback on the plan

  • Assess whether there are measures that are likely to receive pushback from different groups or political parties, and take steps to:

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    • strengthen the justification for these measures in the plan;
    • advocate with MPs that will potentially oppose the measure to limit the chances that they will object;
    • work towards a consensus by refining the measure in a manner that achieves cross-party support.

  • Carry out consultation activities (i.e. interviews, workshops, etc.) that include:

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    • representatives of different groups (i.e. leaders, MPs, parliamentary employees, and staff of MPs);
    • a gender-balanced number of women and men with different backgrounds (in terms of family composition, race, ethnicity, age, ability, etc.);
    • representatives of different political parties.

  • Based on the feedback from the consultations, assess whether the plan addresses the main gender and intersecting inequalities that exist within the institution (i.e. is the plan relevant?).

  • Based on the feedback from the consultations, consider how the proposed plan and its roadmap for implementation, monitoring and evaluation can be improved.

  • Based on the findings of the consultation activities, assess the changes that will be made to the plan before it is formally adopted.