Programmes supported by the Global Fund should ensure that they contain an analysis of needs from a gender perspective and that they include initiatives to address these needs. This is a core message of the Gender Equality Strategy Plan of Action 2009-1012, adopted by the Global Fund in July 2009.

The Global Fund Board adopted the Gender Equality Strategy in November 2008. (See GFO Issue 100, available at www.aidspan.org/gfo.) The Plan of Action is designed to implement this strategy.

The overall objective of the Plan of Action is "to ensure that the Global Fund is financing grants that address gender inequalities as an integral part of the fight against the three diseases." The Global Fund will do this by ensuring that its policies, procedures and structures effectively support programmes that address gender inequalities. The Plan of Action also commits the Global Fund to strengthen partnerships with other organisations and to implement a communications strategy to support the development of gender-responsive programming.

The Plan of Action identifies a number of "core components" that will be implemented in support of the Plan's objectives. These include the following:

• Ensure that proposals include data disaggregated by sex and age, and a sound, evidence-based gender analysis in relation to the specific disease.
• Strengthen the gender expertise of CCMs and the Technical Review Panel (TRP).
• Strengthen reporting that is disaggregated by sex and age, and strengthen reporting of gender-sensitive or transformative activities.
• Strengthen the technical capacity of the Global Fund Secretariat to address gender inequalities.

The Plan of Action contains a Monitoring & Evaluation component which includes indicators for each of the core components.

The Secretariat is developing a separate implementation strategy on the needs of sexual minorities.

The Gender Inequality Strategy Plan of Action 2009-2012 is available at www.theglobalfund.org/documents/strategy/TheGenderEqualityStrategy_en.pdf.

The Global Fund's strategies on (a) gender inequality and (b) sexual orientation and gender identities are available at www.theglobalfund.org/en/publications/other/.