Five Gender Domains: A Practical Framework For Promoting Equality

Whether you're working in international development, designing policies, managing community projects, or simply trying to be more inclusive in your work, the Five Gender Domains Framework is a fantastic tool. It helps you unpack the complexities of gender relations and identify practical steps to bridge the gap in equality.

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through each of the five domains, explain why they matter, and provide actionable tips and examples so you can start using this framework right away.

What Are the Five Gender Domains?

The five gender domains—access to resources, control over resources, roles and responsibilities, decision-making and participation, and cultural norms and beliefs—offer a structured way to analyse and address gender inequalities. Let’s break them down one by one.

1. Access to Resources

This domain looks at who has access to essential resources like land, education, healthcare, credit, and technology.

Imagine a rural community where men own all the farmland. Women may still work the fields but are excluded from decisions about crop sales or investments in new equipment. Without access to resources like agricultural training or financial credit, their potential to improve their livelihoods remains untapped.

For example, in Kenya, programmes that provide microloans specifically to women farmers have enabled them to purchase seeds and tools. With access to these resources, women have significantly boosted their agricultural output and incomes.

Tip - When designing programmes, ask, Who currently has access to this resource? Who is being left out? Then create specific measures to include marginalised groups, like scholarships for girls or technology hubs in underserved communities.

2. Control over Resources

Access doesn’t always mean control. This domain examines who has the power to make decisions about resource use and distribution.

A woman may be given access to a plot of land, but if her husband decides how it’s farmed or sells the harvest without consulting her, she lacks control. This limits her ability to prioritise her family’s needs.

You can advocate for land rights reforms to ensure that women’s names are included on property titles. This small shift gave women more bargaining power within households and communities, enabling them to make decisions about how land is used and shared.

Tip -Always ask, Who has the final say? Policies that explicitly address control—like joint bank accounts or co-ownership agreements—can empower marginalised groups.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

This domain focuses on the division of labor and the societal expectations of who does what—both in productive (paid) work and reproductive (unpaid) work.

In many societies, women are responsible for most unpaid care work (e.g., cooking, cleaning, and childcare), limiting their ability to engage in education or paid employment. Recognising and redistributing these responsibilities can unlock economic opportunities for women.

In Sweden, parental leave policies encourage both parents to take time off for childcare. This shift not only benefits women by allowing them to remain in the workforce but also fosters greater gender equality at home.

Tip - Conduct a time-use survey in your community or organisation. Find out how much time men and women spend on tasks and explore ways to redistribute workloads—for example, by offering childcare services at workplaces or events.

4. Decision-Making and Participation

This domain analyses who has a voice and influence in decision-making, whether in the home, community, or workplace.

From local councils to corporate boardrooms, decision-making spaces are often dominated by men. Without women’s voices, important perspectives are lost, leading to policies and programs that don’t address their needs.

In Rwanda, constitutional reforms require at least 30% of parliamentary seats to be held by women. This policy has resulted in better representation of women’s issues, including access to maternal healthcare and support for female entrepreneurs.

Tip - Create spaces where women can speak up safely and confidently. This might mean setting up all-women focus groups during community consultations or training women in public speaking and leadership skills.

5. Cultural Norms and Beliefs

This domain goes into the societal norms, values, and traditions that shape gender roles and expectations.

Cultural beliefs can be powerful barriers—or catalysts—for gender equality. For example, in some cultures, it’s seen as inappropriate for women to own property or work outside the home. Changing these norms takes time and requires sensitivity.

In India, media campaigns like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (“Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter”) have challenged cultural norms by promoting the value of educating girls. The campaign has inspired parents to invest in their daughters’ futures.

• Tip: Engage local leaders, elders, and influencers to challenge harmful norms. Storytelling, theater, and media campaigns can also be powerful tools for shifting cultural perceptions.

When and How to Use the Five Gender Domains Framework

This framework is a versatile tool that can be used:

1. During project design - Analyse the gender landscape in your target area before launching any initiative.
2. For monitoring and evaluation - Check whether your project is addressing inequalities effectively.
3. To foster inclusion in policies - Use the framework to assess existing policies and advocate for more inclusive alternatives.

Practical Tip - Don’t feel like you need to tackle all five domains at once. Focus on the one or two most relevant to your work, and build from there.

Why This Framework Works

The Five Gender Domains Framework helps us go beyond abstract discussions about equality. It gives us tangible ways to identify and address barriers to inclusion. By analyzing each domain, you’re better equipped to design programs and policies that create real, lasting change.