Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) for Inclusive Development Training Course

Introduction
Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) is a globally recognized participatory methodology designed to promote gender equality, social inclusion, and empowerment through collective learning and action. This course introduces participants to GALS as a transformative approach that enables women, men, and marginalized groups to analyze power relations, challenge inequalities, and co-create inclusive development pathways.
The training emphasizes how GALS tools support inclusive development by strengthening agency, voice, and decision-making at household, community, and institutional levels. Participants learn how visual, learner-led methodologies foster ownership, accountability, and behavioral change, making GALS especially effective in complex development, humanitarian, and livelihood programs.
Participants will explore the theoretical foundations of GALS alongside its practical application in gender mainstreaming, economic empowerment, climate resilience, governance, and social protection programs. The course integrates experiential learning, reflective practice, and peer exchange to ensure that participants internalize both the mindset and the methodology of inclusive gender transformation.
A strong focus is placed on facilitation skills, ethical engagement, and safeguarding when applying GALS in diverse cultural and socio-economic contexts. Learners gain competencies in managing power dynamics, addressing resistance, and ensuring meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other excluded groups in development processes.
The course also examines emerging issues such as intersectionality, digital inclusion, gender-responsive climate action, and the integration of GALS into monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) systems. Participants will learn how GALS contributes to sustainable outcomes by embedding gender equality into planning, implementation, and evaluation frameworks.
By the end of the training, participants will be equipped to design, facilitate, and institutionalize GALS processes that drive inclusive development outcomes. The course empowers practitioners to move beyond compliance-based gender approaches and adopt transformative practices that promote equity, resilience, and shared prosperity.

 

Who Should Attend

 

• Gender and social inclusion (GESI) specialists
• Development practitioners and project officers
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning professionals
• NGO, INGO, UN agency, and donor program staff
• Community development facilitators and trainers
• Livelihoods, agriculture, and economic empowerment practitioners
• Youth, disability, and inclusion advocates
• Policy implementers and local government officers
• Researchers and consultants in gender and development
• Organizations seeking participatory gender transformation approaches

 

Duration

 

5 days

 

Course Objectives

 

• Build a strong understanding of Gender Action Learning Systems as a participatory methodology for advancing gender equality and inclusive development outcomes.
• Equip participants with practical skills to facilitate GALS tools that promote empowerment, dialogue, and collective action among diverse community groups.
• Strengthen participant capacity to analyze gender norms, power relations, and structural inequalities using visual and learner-centered approaches.
• Enable participants to integrate GALS into program design, implementation, and monitoring frameworks across multiple development sectors.
• Enhance facilitation skills for managing sensitive gender discussions, resistance, and ethical challenges in community-based interventions.
• Build competencies in applying GALS to support women’s economic empowerment, leadership, and decision-making at household and community levels.
• Support participants in mainstreaming intersectionality and inclusion of youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized populations through GALS.
• Strengthen the use of GALS in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems to capture behavioral and social change outcomes.
• Equip participants to adapt GALS methodologies to humanitarian, climate resilience, and fragile-context programming.
• Enable participants to design sustainable, scalable GALS processes that can be institutionalized within organizational policies and programs.

 

Comprehensive Course Outline

 

Module 1: Foundations of Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS)

 

• Principles, history, and evolution of GALS as a gender-transformative methodology.
• Understanding empowerment, agency, and social inclusion in development contexts.
• Core values of participation, ownership, and collective action.
• Evidence of GALS impact across sectors and regions.

 

Module 2: Gender, Power, and Social Norms Analysis

 

• Understanding gender norms, roles, and relations in diverse contexts.
• Power mapping and analysis using participatory GALS tools.
• Identifying structural barriers to inclusion and equality.
• Strategies for engaging men and boys as allies.

 

Module 3: Core GALS Tools and Visual Methodologies

 

• Vision journeys and personal empowerment pathways.
• Gender balance trees and livelihood analysis tools.
• Action planning and pathway mapping techniques.
• Using visuals to support literacy-inclusive participation.

 

Module 4: Facilitation Skills and Ethical Practice

 

• Participatory facilitation techniques for inclusive dialogue.
• Managing sensitive conversations and power imbalances.
• Safeguarding, do-no-harm principles, and ethical engagement.
• Building trust and ownership in community processes.

 

Module 5: GALS for Economic Empowerment and Livelihoods

 

• Applying GALS in agriculture, value chains, and entrepreneurship programs.
• Strengthening women’s control over resources and income.
• Household decision-making and workload redistribution.
• Linking GALS to market-based and financial inclusion initiatives.

 

Module 6: GALS and Intersectional Inclusion

 

• Integrating disability, youth, and minority inclusion in GALS processes.
• Addressing intersecting forms of discrimination and exclusion.
• Adapting tools for diverse cultural and social contexts.
• Inclusive facilitation strategies for marginalized voices.

 

Module 7: GALS in Governance, Leadership, and Social Change

 

• Supporting women’s leadership and civic participation through GALS.
• Community accountability and collective action mechanisms.
• Applying GALS in local governance and policy implementation.
• Linking grassroots action to institutional change.

 

Module 8: Integrating GALS into MEAL Systems

 

• Measuring behavioral and social change outcomes using GALS.
• Participatory indicators and qualitative data collection tools.
• Using GALS for reflection, learning, and adaptive management.
• Reporting gender-transformative outcomes to donors and stakeholders.

 

Module 9: Emerging Issues and Innovations in GALS

 

• Digital and remote facilitation of GALS tools.
• GALS for climate resilience and gender-responsive adaptation.
• Application in humanitarian and fragile contexts.
• Innovations and hybrid approaches combining GALS with other methodologies.

 

Module 10: Institutionalizing and Scaling GALS

 

• Developing organizational strategies for GALS integration.
• Capacity building, training of trainers, and sustainability planning.
• Scaling GALS across programs and geographic areas.
• Action planning for post-training implementation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training Approach

 

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

 

Tailor-Made Course

 

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

 

Training Venue

 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

 

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

 

Certification

 

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

 

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

 

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

 

Terms of Payment

 

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.