This report documents the process, tools and key findings of a Gender Gap Analysis (GGA) carried out by CARE
Rwanda in late 2011 to explore how gender dynamics influence the process and outcomes of the VSL methodology
as a programming platform for women’s empowerment. The findings of the CARE Rwanda Gender Gap Analysis indicate that normative gender roles and inequitable power relations between men and women significantly constrain women’s ability to fully participate in and benefit from the VSL methodology. The specific objectives of the CARE Rwanda GGA were:

 To learn how gender norms shape women’s participation in and benefits from VSL groups;
 To understand the different experiences of men and women participating in VSL groups; and
 To formulate recommendations for strengthening the VSL methodology to address issues relating to gender
dynamics.