Gender Equality and Empowerment Measurement Tool
Launched in November 2022, the Gender Equality and Empowerment Measurement (GEM) Tool takes a feminist approach to data collection and information gathering on the gender impacts of development projects around the world. Created by researchers and gender experts from the Middle East and Canada, the methodology centres the voices and experiences of women on the ground.
→ the challenge
Going beyond the numbers to consider the firsthand impact of gender empowerment projects.
The GEM Tool thoughtfully brings together data measurement approaches which go beyond quantitative analysis to foreground the impact of development programs on women and gender-diverse people around the world. The tool is both comprehensive and flexible, offering various approaches for in-person and remote approaches to data collection in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. What began as an entirely text-based document needed to be designed with accessbility and engagement in mind, while also taking into consideration its global audience.
→ our insight
Anti-Heroine Media was brought on to translate the text-based tool into creative, engaging, and highly visual interactive documents.
Accessibility is never an afterthought in our design projects. The GEM Tool foregrounds this concept through the use of bookmarks, reading order, tagging, readability best practices and alternative text. Interactivity was also incorporated throughout with clickable buttons and user-friendly navigation, making it easy to find what you’re looking for without having to scroll through the entire document. Our intersectional perspective ensured that the communities being portrayed within the tool are as diverse as the folks who will be using it.
→ the solution
Inspired by global renditions of comic book styles, we used this medium to take end-users on a research journey.
This includes the incorporation of comic strips throughout to depict the various formats in which the GEM Tool can be used—whether in an in-person or digital context. Building on Global Affairs Canada’s existing branding, we utilized bright and punchy colours to illustrate diverse characters and scenarios, incorporating storytelling best practices in line with the Tool’s qualitative approach.
Building on the visual style, we developed a short animation to promote the release of the GEM Tool globally. This involved crafting a succinct narrative to highlight the key messages and demonstrate its capabilities.