U.S. Agency for International U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentDevelopment

Women in DevelopmentWomen in Development

Kristin MeyerKristin Meyer

Mayra D. AvilesMayra D. Aviles

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

Team Introduction USAID Background Introduction to WID Gender Initiatives

– Case Studies: Europe, Central America, South America

Open Discussion

Team IntroductionTeam Introduction

Kristin Meyer– Gender & Health Intervention Specialist– Europe & Eurasia – Senior USAID WID Consultant

Mayra Daniela– Gender Analysis Expert– South American Focus– Senior USAID WID Consultant

USAID BackgroundUSAID Background

1950 Act for International Development Created in 1961 U.S. Foreign Assistance Act

USAID Program FocusUSAID Program Focus

Early Programs: – Fight Communism & Poverty– Capital-Intensive– Centralized Programming

1980s-90s:– New Democracies & Market Economies– Sustainable Development– Capacity for Quality of Life

USAID Program FocusUSAID Program Focus

2000s: – Joint Strategy with Department of State– Millennium Challenge Account– Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

USAID OrganizationUSAID Organization

Administrator Randall Tobias– Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Deputy Administrator James Kunder– Save the Children Federation

USAID OrganizationUSAID Organization

HQ in Washington, DC Four Global Regions

– Country-level Activities Three Functional Bureaus

– Worldwide Programs Three HQ Bureaus

– Management, Legislative, Coordination

USAID OrganizationUSAID Organization

Missions in ~100 Countries Collaborates

– +3500 U.S. Companies– +300 Private Voluntary Organizations

USAID OrganizationUSAID Organization

2,227 Direct Hire – 1132 in DC– 1095 Foreign Service Officers

4,966 Foreign Nationals 624 Service Contractors (80% Overseas) 300 Other Agency, Univ, Nonprofit

Employee Geographic ScopeEmployee Geographic Scope

3%

23%15%

15%

18%

26%

DCAfricaAsiaEuropeL.AmerOther

Development MissionDevelopment Mission

Revised in 2004 Five Goals

– Transformational Development– Fragile States– Geostrategic Interests– Transnational Problems– Humanitarian Relief

Development Assistance: $19.7b in 2004

Development CommitmentDevelopment Commitment

7.49.9

13.3

19.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

billions1995200020022004

Women in Development

Establishment of USAID’s WID Office :1974 for ensuring women participation and benefit equally from development assistance programs.

WID Office initiative → Percy Amendment WID approach: integrating gender by designing

programs that take into account the participation of both women and men to guarantee effectiveness.

WID Organization and Budget

WID Office Position within USAID Organization:

USAID→ three headquarter bureaus.

Bureau for Program and Policy Coordination →WID Administrator: Douglas Menarchick

WID Office budget: FY2007 = $7.8million out of a total program assistance of $139m

WID Office Technical Assistance

WID Office → base of technical leadership and expertise on gender issues and development providing:

-Technical leadership on gender-related issues within the agency and beyond

-Support to field missions

-Identification of new and emerging gender issues and development of multi-disciplinary approaches

-Proactive actions creating a greater responsibility for and the institutionalization of gender considerations throughout the Agency.

WID Office Activities

WID Office supports activities in:

1- Gender integration

2- Women and economic growth

3- Gender equality in education

4- Women’s legal rights

5- Trafficking persons

1- Gender Integration: Women in Development Indefinite Quantity Contract WID IQC support services 5 year IQC mechanism→ Task Order (TO) mechanism

All USAID units eligible

Current WID IQC activities: Short-Term Technical Assistance and Training (STTA) and Investing in Women in Development (IWID) Fellows Program

2- Women and Economic Growth

The WID Office key economic growth activities: -promoting full participation of women and men in

economic development -greater understanding gender-based constraints to

women’s participation in economic activities -trade, IT (information technology), agriculture, and

labor.

Current Activities: Promoting Gender Issues in USAID Trade-related Economic Growth Activities

3- Gender Equality in Education

Objective: - To strengthen capacity of Agency to set up

gender-equitable practices and policies in USAID-funded basic education activities improving children's (*girls) basic education

- To address impact that gender has on educational quality

Current Activities: Safe Schools Program and EQUATE: Achieving Equality in Education

4- Women’s Legal Rights WID Office approach to women’s legal rights

includes: - educating on women’s legal, economic, and

political rights - strengthening organizations and capacitating

institutions→ gender-equitable legislation and practice

Current Activities: Women’s Legal Rights Initiative.

- Guatemala, Albania and Southern Africa, Benin, and Madagascar

USAID’s Successes in WID

Over 40 requests for gender assessments, strategies review and trainings. 14 country gender assessments completed.

15 country strategies reviewed and gender training provided to all missions in Africa.

Ukraine Anti-Trafficking ProjectUkraine Anti-Trafficking Project

Economic & Age Discrimination Empowerment Strategy Entrepreneurial & Computer Training Trafficking Awareness & Support Services

– Hotlines, Crisis Intervention

Project AnalysisProject Analysis

Over 26,000 Women Trained Participants:

– 13-20% employed– 10% pursuing education– 29% created businesses– 151 business loans

Improvement:– Prioritize High-risk Regions– Target Resources

Central America Economic Central America Economic OpportunitiesOpportunities

Small Grants Program Support Activities

– Work Opportunities, Conditions & Rights Strengthen Organizations & Visibility Legal Action Training & Empowerment

Project AnalysisProject Analysis

11 Projects Funded Documentation Leadership Training Awareness Workshops:

– Guatemala: 700 Union Women Legal Assistance

– Guatemala: 122 cases, 38 amendments

WIDTECH and Commodity Chain Analysis of Forest Products in

Nicaragua WIDTECH Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve (LANR) Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Gender and NTFP in LANR Focus: gender roles household and NTFP market

-roles influence on conservation -NTFP significance household income and forest

conservation -NTFP potential of environmental sustainability

Findings

Both men and women active in chain of production

Men and women separate but equal stakeholders

Considering women’s concerns → approach to conservation and development + equitable and efficient.

Economic Opportunities and Labor Conditions for Women: Perspectives From

Latin America 2000- 16 month small grants programs

NGO Small Grants Program: Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru

Purpose: support income generating activities that expand on products or markets to existing effective project.

Results

Access resources and knowledge→ women’s economic opportunities expanded

women and men participation changes in different productive activities of project

Facilitating access to technical knowledge→ Participating women’s self-esteem ↑

Women in DevelopmentWomen in Development

USAID: Progressive Strategies Commitment to Equality Growing Investment in Development Advocate for Global Change