Gender Impact Assessment Toolkit
About this toolkit
This toolkit is designed to help you identify and consider the different impacts a project, policy, program or service may have on people of different genders.
Whether you are developing a statewide strategy, delivering a service, upgrading infrastructure or planning a community project, the toolkit provides a practical way to apply a gender lens to your work. It can be used at any stage, from early planning and design through to implementation, evaluation and review.
The toolkit guides you through three simple steps, with prompts and questions to help you explore potential gendered impacts, identify gaps and opportunities, and consider actions that may improve outcomes. You do not need specialist knowledge to get started. The process is designed to support learning, reflection and informed decision-making.
By considering gender from the outset, you can better understand who may benefit, who may face barriers, and how your work can contribute to more equitable and inclusive outcomes.
Ready to begin?
Work through the three steps to explore the potential gender impacts of your work and identify practical actions to support gender equality.
This toolkit discusses violence against women and suicide that may be distressing for some people. Support services are available at the Safe from Violence website and the Department of Health website.
Follow the toolkit steps
Further resources
Glossary
Anti-Discrimination Act 1998
The primary legislation in Tasmania that prohibits discrimination on various grounds, including gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and intersex variations of sex characteristics. It outlines unlawful conduct and provides mechanisms for addressing grievances.
Equal means Equal: Tasmanian Women's Strategy 2022-2027
A Tasmanian Government strategic framework aiming to achieve gender equality. It focuses on providing women and girls with equal access to opportunities and resources across economic, social, political and community life.
Gender
Part of how you understand who you are and how you interact with other people. Many people understand their gender as being female or male. Some people understand their gender as a combination of these or neither. Gender can be expressed in different ways, such as through behaviour or physical appearance.
Gender equality
Gender equality means women, men and gender diverse people enjoy the same rights: they have equal opportunities for economic participation and decision-making, and their aspirations and needs are equally recognised, supported and valued.
Gender identity
A person's internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. This includes personal feelings and the outward expression of gender.
Gender Impact Assessment Toolkit (GIAT)
A systematic process to evaluate the potential effects of policies, programs, or services on individuals of different genders. It aims to identify and mitigate any negative impacts on gender equality.
Intersectionality
A framework for understanding how various aspects of a person's identity (such as race, gender, sexuality and class) intersect and contribute to unique experiences of discrimination or privilege.
Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage and Gender Amendments) Act 2019
Tasmanian legislation that amended several acts to enhance the rights of transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Notably, it removed the requirement for individuals to undergo surgery before amending their birth certificate's gender marker.
LGBTIQA+
This term is short for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning, asexual, aromantic and agender. It is important to recognise this initialism does not cover all forms of sex, gender, gender identity and sexual sexuality orientation and is not intended to be limiting. The "+" after the initialism is in recognition of this and points to the fact there are other terms and language people might want to use to describe these experiences and concepts.
LGBTIQA+ inclusive practice
Approaches and actions that ensure services and environments are welcoming, respectful, and responsive to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or questioning, asexual, and other diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
Tasmanian Women's Council
A body that advises the Tasmanian Government on issues affecting women. It plays a role in guiding the implementation of strategies aimed at promoting gender equality.
Sex
A person's sex is based upon their sex characteristics, such as their chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs. While typically based upon the sex characteristics observed and recorded at birth or infancy, a person's reported sex can change over the course of their lifetime and may differ from their sex recorded at birth.
Sexual orientation
An umbrella concept that encapsulates:
- sexual identity (how a person thinks of their sexuality and the terms they identify with)
- attraction (romantic or sexual interest in another person)
- behaviour (sexual behaviour).
Sexual orientation is a subjective view of oneself and can change over the course of a person's lifetime and in different contexts. There are a number of ways in which someone might define their sexual orientation. Common examples include heterosexual, gay, lesbian, and bisexual.
Stereotyping
Presuming a range of things about people based on their personal characteristics such as their appearance, apparent intelligence, personality or character, or their gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, cultural background, age, location, level of education, socioeconomic status or disability. Stereotypes are usually used in a negative way and are often evidence of prejudice against others. Even when a remark or action based on a stereotype is not based on a conscious prejudice, it can still be hurtful and cause harm or damage to the person. Positive stereotyping can contribute to and perpetuate systematic differences in power and privilege.
Tasmanian-specific resources
These resources provide local policy context relevant to gender impact assessments.
Resources from other governments
Inclusive practices and disability engagement frameworks (Australia)
Australia’s Disability Strategy
Good Practice Guidelines for Engaging with People with Disability
Workplace and economic gender
Primary prevention and social change frameworks
Acknowledgement
Thank you to the Tasmanians who shared their personal stories with us to develop this toolkit. We appreciate your generosity and we are inspired by your resilience, creativity, empowerment and persistence.