Evaluation of DFID Development Assistance: Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. Phase II Thematic Evaluation: Maternal Mortality

Every year over half a million women die as a result of complications in pregnancy and childbirth, and unsafe abortions. This evaluation report reviews the extent to which key objectives of DFID's gender policy commitments are incorporated in the design, implementation and monitoring of DFID's maternal health investments. The key findings include that DFID's expenditure on maternal health interventions has increased substantially since 1995, as has the level of expenditure on gender within maternal health programmes. DFID is unique among bilateral donors in having produced a clearly articulated strategy paper. It has given significant intellectual time and energy to think through how to scale-up maternal health programming using a rights-based approach that includes gender and diversity dimensions. The longer preparation processes and in-depth engagement with national governments and other partners inherent in new aid mechanisms (such as sectoral and general budget support) is providing an opportunity for early engagement on sensitive issues such as gender discrimination. Recommendations include the need to maximise the potential to influence external development partners. This is all the more important since gender mainstreaming strategies are currently being marginalised as DFID country programmes harmonise with the policies and procedures of other partners.