12. CONSTRUCTION OF THE GENDER BALANCE TREE

This is a tool that helps household members to analyze and understand the gender relations within the household in terms of division of labour, utilization of benefits, ownership of assets and decision making processes. The tool is a simulation where a household is likened to a tree. The trunk represents male and female household members, roots represent activities performed by household members while branches and fruits represent benefits and their utilization by household members. The tree needs to have strong roots that are evenly distributed to prevent from falling over in times of storm. Similarly, the fruits need to be evenly distributed in the branches to avoid the tree tipping over and falling.

Objectives of the gender balance tree

• The objective of the tool is to assist household members to:
• Identify who contributes most work to the household
• Identify who spends most income for the household
• Identify who benefits most from household income
• Identify who uses most of the household produce
• Identify inequalities in ownership of assets and decision-making

• Decide priority areas for improving the gender relations and inequalities

Facilitation of the Gender Balance Tree

Divide the household members into women and female youth, men and male youth (where possible. In cases where the household cannot be divided, each gender category should be given chance to contribute). The diagram below shows the steps that are followed when facilitating the gender balance tree to participants

Step 1: Drawing of Tree Trunk

The tree trunk represents composition of the household. Inside the trunk, wife is drawn on one side of the trunk and, husband on the other side. Female youths and dependents are drawn beneath the wife drawing and the male youths and dependents are drawn beneath the husband drawing. The drawings shows the household structure including type of household that is male headed, female headed, child headed, monogamous or polygamous.

Step 2: Drawing Tree Roots

The participants draws two roots to represent activities for women and female youths, two roots to represent activities for men and male youths on the respective sides of the trunk in different colors and central root to represent joint activities for all gender categories. Then the participants Indicate activities by the different gender categories in their respective roots corresponding to the questions assigned to the root as indicated in the diagram above. They also indicate the activities that take most time by drawing a black circle around the activities. The household members indicate the activities that bring more income by drawing a square on the relevant activities. The central root is filled with activities performed together by all household members.

Step 3:  Drawing of branches and fruits

The participants draws five branches corresponding to the questions assigned to the branches as indicated in the diagram above; two branches for women and female members of the household, two branches for men and male members of the household and the central branch for joint expenditure by women, men female and male dependents of the household. The participants draws symbols for personal expenditure that each gender category (men and male dependents, women and female dependents) in the household makes for themselves alone on the outside branch on each side. Then they draw a black circle on largest personal expenditure as something the household may want to change. They draw household expenditure made by each gender category for the family on the inside branch on either side. A black circle on largest joint expenditure as something the household may want to change is the drawn. Symbols for joint expenditures in the middle top branch are indicated i.e., putting the expenditure to the side of the gender category who contributes the most. A triangle is drawn around necessary expenditure the household may want to maintain.

Step 4: What is pushing the tree? (Control over assets and decision-making)

Participants put symbols on each gender category respective side of the trunk the property/assets which each gender category owns, e.g. land, livestock, house. The participants put symbols on each gender category respective side of the trunk the types of decisions made by each gender category that is women only, men only, male youth only, female youth only. In addition, the participants indicate decisions which are made jointly.

Step 5: Facilitate plenary discussion to consolidate

Each gender category presents their gender balance tree and allow other household members to comment. Then the household members draw a consolidated gender balance tree. The consolidated tree is processed in order to isolate and document key outcomes and lessons using the following processing questions.

Processing questions

1. Who is doing most of the work? Who controls most of the income? Who owns most of the property? Who controls most of the property? Who does more of marketing activities? Who spends most of the income on personal issues? Who spends most for the income on household needs?
2. Is the consolidated tree balancing? What should be done to make the tree balance? Which tasks should be done jointly to make the tree balance? Which expenditures could be cut to make the tree balance? What property should be jointly owned to make the tree balance? What property should be jointly controlled to make the tree balance?
3. How can you generate more income from the income earning activities? How can you improve implementation of the income earning activities in terms of time spent and workload of the different gender groups?
4. What is the impact of the gender balance tree situation on the livelihood of the different gender categories in the household?
5.  What interventions is the household currently implementing to address the gender issues? What interventions can the household implement to address the root causes of the problem(s)?

Step 6: Action: what do we want to change? (Household change commitments)

The participants draw a ring around the things that the household like (that do not need to change) which will help the tree to balance. The participants indicate the commitments that will make the tree to balance and these should be marked in green.

1. Does the tree balance? Who is doing most of the work?           Who owns most of the property? Who controls the income and get most expenditure?

The participants put a symbol representing the degree of gender balance at the top of the trunk. The participants are asked to identify and discuss on how they can make the tree balance better? which tasks should be done jointly, which expenditures could be cut and what property should be shared? On income earning activities, can they increase income or decrease time?

The participants identifies 5 action commitments i.e. things they want more of or less of to make the tree balance. These are marked in green or cross the original symbol with a black cross and draw a new green symbol in the appropriate place.

Step 7: Documentation of Commitments from the gender balance tree for tracking

Each household tracks progress on the implementation of the commitments on a monthly basis. At the end of the facilitation of the gender balance tree, each household documents commitments and related activities for tracking using the table below:

Household Commitments Tracking Sheet Sample

Household Name:­­­­_______ Year:_______ Household Vision______ Date updated:_______