Gender and Social Policy Design for Inclusive Growth Training Course

Introduction

Inclusive growth has become a central priority for governments, development partners, and social sector institutions striving to reduce inequality and ensure that economic progress benefits all segments of society. However, gender disparities continue to limit the ability of women, men, girls, and marginalized groups to contribute to and benefit from development outcomes. This course provides an in-depth exploration of how social policies can be designed, implemented, and evaluated through a gender lens to accelerate equitable and sustainable development.

As countries face rising economic pressures, demographic shifts, and evolving social needs, the role of gender-responsive social policy becomes increasingly critical. Social protection systems, labor market interventions, health and education reforms, care economy strategies, and poverty reduction measures require strong gender integration to deliver meaningful results. Participants will gain the tools needed to identify gender gaps, analyze the social policy landscape, and craft evidence-based interventions that promote fairness and opportunity.

The rapid expansion of digital tools, new data sources, and innovative delivery models presents new possibilities for strengthening social policies. Yet without deliberate design, these advancements can reinforce rather than reduce gender inequalities. This course equips participants with analytical frameworks, case studies, and program design approaches that ensure emerging systems such as digital social protection, e-governance, and targeted service delivery to support inclusive outcomes.

Power dynamics, social norms, and structural inequalities influence how policies are formulated, who benefits, and who is left out. This training emphasizes the importance of understanding intersectionality how gender intersects with age, disability, geography, socio-economic status, refugee or minority identity, and other factors to ensure policies are genuinely inclusive. Participants will learn to map vulnerable populations, engage communities effectively, and design interventions tailored to real-world contexts.

To enhance implementation success, the course explores institutional mechanisms, governance structures, and stakeholder coordination necessary for gender-responsive social policy. Participants will engage with global best practices, legal frameworks, international standards, and transformative models from countries that have successfully advanced equitable social systems.

Ultimately, this course strengthens the leadership capacity of practitioners who shape policy environments. Participants will leave equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to champion gender-responsive social policy that drives inclusive growth, economic resilience, and long-term human development.

Who Should Attend

• Government policymakers, ministries of gender, planning, finance, labor, health, and social protection
• Social policy analysts, advisors, and program designers
• Development partners, donor agencies, and international organizations
• Gender specialists and gender focal points across sectors
• NGO and civil society leaders involved in advocacy or community-focused programming
• Researchers and academics in gender studies, public policy, and development
• Social protection, education, and public health program managers
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning professionals
• Humanitarian and displacement response practitioners
• Economic planners and inclusive growth strategists
• Digital transformation and social systems innovators
• Anyone involved in mainstreaming gender into national or sectoral policy processes

Duration

10 Days

Course Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Conduct gender-sensitive social policy analysis and identify structural barriers to inclusive growth.
• Integrate gender considerations into policy planning, formulation, budgeting, and implementation.
• Apply tools for gender-responsive social protection design, including targeting and benefit structures.
• Assess the gender implications of labor market, education, health, and care economy policies.
• Use intersectionality to design policies that address overlapping vulnerabilities.
• Strengthen institutional frameworks and governance systems for gender-responsive policymaking.
• Apply gender budgeting and financing tools to enhance equity in resource allocation.
• Utilize digital and data-driven approaches for gender-responsive policy monitoring.
• Mitigate risks associated with policy reforms, including exclusion, gender-based discrimination, and design biases.
• Develop advocacy strategies to influence political will and promote inclusive policy adoption.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and participatory policy development processes.
• Design action plans, frameworks, and tools for implementing gender-responsive social policy in their institutions.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Gender and Social Policy

• Key concepts: gender, equality, equity, and social inclusion
• Principles of social policy and welfare systems
• Gender implications of macroeconomic policies
• International standards guiding gender-responsive policy

Module 2: Gender Analysis for Inclusive Growth

• Tools for gender analysis in policy environments
• Mapping gender inequalities across sectors
• Use of sex-disaggregated and intersectional data
• Identifying structural and systemic barriers

Module 3: Designing Gender-Responsive Social Protection

• Gender-sensitive targeting and eligibility criteria
• Cash transfers, insurance, and social assistance programs
• Childcare, parental leave, and care economy policies
• Case studies of inclusive social protection systems

Module 4: Labor Market Policies and Gender Equality

• Gender disparities in employment, skills, and wages
• Active labor market interventions and inclusive job creation
• Addressing unpaid care and household responsibilities
• Women’s economic empowerment strategies

Module 5: Gender-Responsive Education and Skills Policies

• Gender gaps in education access and retention
• STEM inclusion and equitable skills development
• Lifelong learning and employability programs
• Policy reforms supporting girls and women in education

Module 6: Gender and Health Sector Social Policies

• Gender dimensions of healthcare access and outcomes
• Reproductive health and rights within social policy
• Addressing gender norms in health-seeking behaviors
• Inclusive service delivery and health financing

Module 7: Governance, Institutions, and Policy Reform

• Institutional roles in social policy implementation
• Reform processes and political economy considerations
• Strengthening policy coherence and coordination
• Accountability and governance structures for equity

Module 8: Financing and Gender-Responsive Budgeting

• Public finance systems and gender budgeting frameworks
• Resource allocation models supporting inclusive growth
• Assessing fiscal space and economic priorities
• Monitoring financial commitments to gender equality

Module 9: Digital Transformation and Social Policy

• Digital tools for inclusive service delivery
• E-governance and digital public infrastructure
• Risks: exclusion, bias, and data-driven inequalities
• Innovations supporting equitable access

Module 10: Gender and Social Protection in Crisis and Fragility

• Vulnerabilities during crises and humanitarian contexts
• Social policy responses to conflict, displacement, and shocks
• Integrating gender in early recovery policies
• Risk reduction and resilience strategies

Module 11: Community Engagement and Participatory Approaches

• Techniques for participatory policy development
• Engaging marginalized communities meaningfully
• Co-creation models for policy and program design
• Strengthening local governance and accountability

Module 12: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Designing gender-responsive M&E systems
• Indicators, tools, and evaluation methodologies
• Digital data collection and visualization
• Using evidence for adaptive social policy reform

Module 13: Intersectionality in Social Policy

• Gender and disability, age, refugee status, ethnicity
• Understanding overlapping vulnerabilities
• Policy tools to mitigate multiple forms of exclusion
• Inclusive targeting and prioritization models

Module 14: Advocacy and Leadership for Inclusive Growth

• Advocacy strategies for policy change
• Coalition building and political engagement
• Leadership and influence skills for practitioners
• Mobilizing public support for gender equality reforms

Module 15: Emerging Issues in Gender and Social Policy

• Climate change and gendered social vulnerability
• Care economy transitions and demographic shifts
• Gender and urbanization challenges
• Future-forward policy considerations

Module 16: Action Planning and Institutional Integration

• Developing institutional action plans
• Mainstreaming gender in policy cycles
• Tools for sustainability and long-term integration
• Participants’ final presentations and commitments

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.