GCRT staff at work

Since more than 10 years, the Gender Centre for Research and Training (GCRT) raises awareness on gender concepts, and seeks means and ways to ensure gender mainstreaming in development co-operation and in government policies which are believed to be vital towards attaining a gender balance.

The GCRT was and is a pioneer among the civil society organisations in Sudan with its focus on justice, equal rights and sexual violence against women. It plays a guiding role amongst other civil society organisations by founding and forming several supportive platforms of civil society.

As its name implies, research and training combined with networking and advocacy are the GCRT preferred strategies to raise awareness of gender imbalances and to address discrimination on various levels of society. Research is focused on gender and gender-related issues providing factual findings on women's situations and developing strategies to address ways forward. In this regard, research includes i.e.:

• Gender roles in agriculture and food security
• Women in the informal sector
• Violence against women
• A Sudanese gender profile

Many training concepts are based on this research, like Gender and Human Rights, Gender and Conflict, and Gender and Democracy. However, also capacity building in analysing and planning tools, women and elections plus training in various research methodologies have been carried out by the GCRT.

Networking and solidarity work in the end help to maximise the GCRT's impact and influence. This is done through joint advocacy on local, national and international levels.

Through this, the GCRT bridges the gender gap and enhances the empowerment of both, men and women, by equipping them with the needed skills to enjoy more equity in opportunities and choices and makes them foster better decision-making structures.

As part of the co-operation with the DED, the GCRT is supported by a seconded Development Advisor to enhance its management structure, to support the implementation of advanced strategic planning, which will include upgrading the monitoring and evaluation system, and overall to improve innovative approaches towards changing tides in Sudanese society and system.

For more information please refer to: www.gcrt.sd