Women are still subordinated to men. Women and femininity are seen as less valuable and inferior to men and the masculine. This leads to discrimination and oppression. Subordination of women and inequality between the sexes is a structural phenomenon as it is recurrent at all levels in society: politics, economy, work, family, sexuality, culture etcetera. Diakonia also include other groups who are oppressed, discriminated or stigmatized due to their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age and disability.

Men’s violence against women and sexual abuse of women is the most drastic mechanism to uphold the gender order. A group that has been particularly exposed to gender based discrimination and violence are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, as well as people living with HIV and/or AIDS.
Read more about Diakonia's work with gender equality

Gender manual

Diakonia has developed a Gender Manual. This is directed to our partner organizations and others, who wish to evaluate how the gender perspective has been incorporated into the structures and everyday work of the organization.

The manual is divided into three parts, free for download and should be adapted to local environment:

Concepts and methods (1,4 MB) 

Workshop leaders's guide (1,5 MB)

Participants' guide (1,4 MB)

Mens' contribution to the work for equality are important in order to make society more just. With increased equality the level of poverty decreases. On the photo you see Zongo Zalif from Burkina Faso. Photo: Robban Andersson.