On 5 June 2025, experts from India, South Africa, and multilateral agencies convened for the virtual roundtable “Learning from Each Other: South–South Conversations on Mainstreaming Gender-Transformative Evaluation”, hosted by the Institute of Social Studies Trust, in partnership with the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association and the South African Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation. The roundtable was part of the
gLocal Evaluation Week 2025.
The event explored methods of mainstreaming gender-responsive and gender-transformative evaluation within national evaluation systems. Speakers highlighted the tangible progress made – and persistent challenges – in embedding inclusive measurement, evaluation, and learning practices across diverse regions and sectors, particularly within government and South-South cooperation frameworks.
Moderated by Jennifer Norins, Chairperson, South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association, the roundtable featured:
- Jahnvi Andharia, Director & Research Fellow, Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST), India;
- Anuradha Rajan, Executive Director, South Asia Women Foundation, India
- Kgaugelo Moshia‑Molebatsi, Senior Evaluation Specialist, South African Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation
- Dineo Mmako, Chief Director – M&E, South African Department of Women, Youth & Persons with Disabilities
- Bhushan Shrestha, Results-Based Management Specialist, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation
Dr. Andharia introduced ISST’s self-paced course on gender-transformative evaluation, highlighting its impact on reshaping gender dialogues in India. Ms. Rajan spoke about SAWF’s commitment to feminist MEL principles in partnership work. From South Africa, Ms. Moshia‑Molebatsi and Ms. Mmako detailed government strategies for integrating gender into evaluation processes, while also touching on barriers faced by evaluators and commissioners. Mr. Shrestha rounded out the discussion by sharing UNOSSC initiatives aimed at enhancing gender and inclusivity within South-South cooperation initiatives.
“When South-South cooperation is coupled with gender-responsive evaluation, it has the power to reshape development trajectories – creating inclusive, equitable, and people-centered outcomes,” said Bhushan Shrestha, UNOSSC Results-Based Management Specialist. “For example, the evaluation of the UNOSSC-managed IBSA Fund project ‘Eliminating Child Marriages in Malawi and Zambia and Offering Scholarships to Child Marriage Survivors’ – implemented by UN Women – informed national policy dialogues and strategies.”
The session also offered several practical lessons. Participants emphasized the importance of building gender expertise within evaluation teams, fostering political buy-in for inclusive approaches, and embedding participatory methods from the outset of evaluation design. Institutionalizing gender-transformative evaluation requires both formal mechanisms – such as national evaluation policies – and informal shifts in mindsets and power dynamics. Peer learning between countries of the Global South emerged as a powerful catalyst for locally grounded and culturally relevant evaluation practice.
“Gender-transformative evaluation within South-South cooperation is not merely a technical exercise. It is a reflection of our shared commitment – to equity, to dignity, and to a development process that truly leaves no one behind,” Mr. Shrestha said.
The session fostered a lively South-South exchange, encouraging participant interaction and reflection on how gender-transformative evaluation can drive structural and cultural shifts in development practice.
