The HIV/TB Gender Assessment Tool developed not only supports countries with the submissions of gender sensitive concept notes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) but is intended to assist countries to assess their HIV and TB epidemic context and response from a gender perspective, helping them to make their responses gender sensitive and reduce the dual burden of HIV and TB infection. This tool does not replace the HIV Gender Assessment Tool instead it is intended to work in areas of HIV and TB co-infection as one assessment or can also be conducted for each disease.
A gender assessment process, led by national stakeholders and partners, helps to identify genderrelated barriers to services as well as specific needs of women, men, transgender people and key and vulnerable populations, in the context of HIV, TB or HIV/TB co-infection, in the process reinforcing political commitment and increasing civil society capacity, to better respond to these barriers and needs.
While different constituencies like country governments/ national TB programmes/CCMs/ Civil Society can take the lead in advocating for a gender assessment, it is recommended that the actual assessment is undertaken through country leadership such as the Ministry of Health or Gender and Development. This will ensure that outcomes are incorporated into relevant national strategic frameworks.