Gender Impact Assessment

Policies, projects, and organizational interventions are not gender-neutral—they shape and reflect the gendered structures of our societies. Gender inequality stems from unequal power relations, often rooted in how labor, care, participation, and access to resources are organized. These inequalities are reinforced by material and discursive systems that limit the autonomy and opportunities of marginalized groups, including women, girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and older adults.

Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) is a tool used to evaluate how proposed or existing policies, programs, and projects may affect people of different genders—and how those impacts intersect with other factors such as race, age, ability, and class. Its goal is to ensure that interventions promote gender equality and do not reinforce existing inequalities. GIA can be broadened into diversity or intersectional assessments, which consider multiple, overlapping forms of discrimination and exclusion.

Gender is also a critical component in many types of Social and Health Impact Assessments, and integrating gender considerations should occur as early as possible in the planning and design stages. All impact assessments benefit from applying a gender-sensitive lens to ensure equitable and inclusive outcomes.

For scientific guidance on when and how gender matters in impact assessment, refer to the IAIA Gender and Gender Impact Assessment Key Citations, compiled by Prof. Frank Vanclay and Arn Sauer, M.A. This living resource includes recommended literature and tools to support practitioners in applying gender-responsive approaches.