Gender as a Cross-Cutting Theme
At SPO, gender equality is not treated as a standalone component but as a fundamental principle embedded across all areas of work. Gender is embedded into both organisational systems and programmatic interventions, ensuring inclusive, equitable, and rights-based outcomes for all, leaving no one behind.
At the programmatic level, SPO mainstreams gender across all thematic areas by promoting equitable participation, strengthening protection mechanisms, supporting women’s leadership, and addressing harmful social norms, including gender-based violence and child, early, and forced marriage. These efforts are reflected across SPO’s work, where women’s economic participation is strengthened through skills development initiatives and participation in decision-making, ensuring that gender considerations are systematically integrated across all interventions in line with inclusive and rights-based approaches.
At the institutional level, SPO promotes gender equality through dedicated policies, gender-responsive human resource practices, zero tolerance towards harassment, and continuous staff capacity building. Supported by a Gender Specialist and an active Gender Core Group, the organisation ensures that these considerations are consistently applied across planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting processes.
Gender in Practice
SPO’s gender approach is grounded in a rights-based framework that prioritises inclusion, protection, and empowerment.
Across its work, SPO contributes to improving women’s access to Education by supporting increased enrolment and retention of girls, particularly in underserved areas, and strengthening coordination with schools and communities to sustain participation.
In the area of Governance and Leadership, SPO builds the capacity of women leaders through structured trainings in communication, analysis, resource mobilisation, and action planning, enabling them to actively participate in decision-making processes.
SPO plays a significant role in addressing gender-based violence by strengthening community-based protection mechanisms, establishing and linking women’s networks, and supporting the implementation of pro-women legislation, including laws related to child marriage and domestic violence. These efforts improve institutional responses and access to services for survivors.
In Health and Social Protection, SPO works to improve access to family planning and reproductive health services, while also analysing and advocating for more inclusive social safety schemes that address the specific needs of marginalized women, particularly in relation to maternal and reproductive health.
Additionally, SPO promotes women’s participation in peacebuilding and natural resource management by strengthening their roles in water governance, conflict resolution, and community-level decision-making, contributing to more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.
Through sustained engagement with communities, civil society networks, and public institutions, SPO contributes to creating enabling environments where individuals can equally participate in decision-making processes and access opportunities. By challenging harmful social norms and promoting positive behavioural change, SPO advances dignity, equality, and social justice at all levels.
Gender in Systems and Processes
This approach is reflected across organisational systems and processes, including planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. SPO ensures that all interventions are informed by gender-sensitive analysis and supported by the use of sex-disaggregated data to strengthen accountability and decision-making.
All programme designs, proposals, reports, and communication materials are reviewed through a gender lens to ensure inclusivity, relevance, and sensitivity, making gender integration a standard organisational practice.
Organisational Commitment to Gender
SPO’s gender action plan is based on an external gender audit conducted periodically. To translate this commitment into practice, SPO follows a structured and formal approach to address gender disparities at both organisational and programmatic levels.
SPO engages in advocacy for women-friendly laws at provincial and national levels through its participation in relevant networks and alliances working on ending violence against women and girls, human rights, and prevention of child marriage. All programmes and projects of SPO are guided by a comprehensive gender strategy covering aspects such as mainstreaming gender at the workplace, project implementation, media and communication, networking, and partnerships.
Gender is mainstreamed in all the policies of SPO, including equal opportunity employment, policy on inclusion of women in leadership and procurement processes, crèche policy for working mothers, and flexible leave policies for women, with specific policies in place to address gender issues at the workplace.
SPO is committed to zero tolerance against sexual harassment and has established inquiry committees at all its regional offices as well as the national centre in accordance with the Anti-Harassment Act 2010. In addition, SPO upholds strict safeguarding standards through the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), with measures in place to protect staff, communities, and beneficiaries from any form of misconduct or abuse of power.
The Complaint Redressal Department (CRD) ensures compliance with PSEA standards at all levels and promotes a safe and protected environment for staff and communities through regular orientation sessions. As per UNICEF’s assessment, SPO falls under a “Full Capacity” and “Low Risk” organisation, recognising its strong preventive measures and commitment to safeguarding standards.
A full-time Senior Specialist – Gender is appointed to observe the work environment, policies, and programmes, and to provide technical input where needed to mainstream gender policies. A Gender Core Group, with representation from all regional offices and the national centre, is mandated to observe gender disparities within the organisation, its programmes, and partners, and is authorised to submit recommendations to the management group, which is bound to respond within one week.
There is a specific gender training programme for staff working on different projects, with staff evaluation including indicators of gender sensitivity. The training includes experiential sessions on everyday gender issues encountered during work and sessions for conceptual clarity on international commitments and national laws. Staff are also encouraged to write on gender-related topics in SPO’s internal as well as external publications.