Indicator Area Interview outcomes Challenges identified • Political, legal and cultural contexts that do not recognise or protect equal rights for women and that define gender as binary. • Developing indicators to measure whether gender is taken into account. • Gender-based budgeting is difficult. 3. Human resource management, policies and procedures Good practice identified • • • Policies included in an administration or code of conduct manual that is signed by all staff and commissioners. NHRIs generally have gender-related human resource management policies such as sexual harassment, discrimination, Flexible work arrangements • Family-related leave – extended lunch hours particularly for new and/or breastfeeding mothers. Child-related leave allocations also covering fathers and other care-givers. • Childcare support and centre for parents, and flexibility around childcare arrangements. Assessing understanding of, and commitment to, gender as part of the recruitment of staff. • • Tribunal for commissioner misconduct. Gaps identified • Gender is not consistently, in policy or practice, factored into recruitment processes, job descriptions, induction programmes, performance assessments, professional development, staff support systems, complaints processes, remuneration levels, promotion and retention, and staff travel. Challenges identified • To mainstream gender throughout all aspects of the NHRI’s performance management system. 4. Internal gender expertise, capacity Good practice identified • Application of a gender lens over all work, no matter function or focus. • Internal focused capacity-building for all staff and commissioners – provided by internal and/or external experts. Regular in-service training includes a gender component • Provision of mentors for new staff who have expertise in applying a gender perspective to their work. Gaps identified • While NHRIs have formal or informal gender specialists, not all personnel understanding gender mainstreaming or specialisation. Challenges identified • To change the mindset and build a culture of being deliberate about factoring gender into all aspects of an NHRI’s activity – and articulating this. Gender Baseline Assessment of NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region – July 2024 37