Gender Equity and Female Empowerment Sustainability Mechanisms Environmental Compliance

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3. INTEGRATION OF CROSSCUTTING ISSUES AND USAID FORWARD PRIORITIES

3.1 Gender Equity and Female Empowerment

USAID’s gender policies comprising the Womens Empowerment in Agriculture Index WEAI, the Gender Parity Index GPI and the Gender Integration Framework is essential for project growth to SFMP partners. Thus Project Managers and Gender Focal persons of these partner organizations, including SNV were trained on the Index and Framework. Participants increased their knowledge of the WEAI and the Gender Parity Index; understood how to develop the Gender Integration Framework, including the need to ensure equity in gender needs assessment, decisions and planning; and implemented interventions for both women and men. See Section 2 IR 5 for additional detail on SFMP progress, including an analysis of the shift made by SFMP from involving a larger proportion of men in the first year, to attaining a total of 58.8 of individual stakeholders who are women by the end of Year 2.

3.2 Sustainability Mechanisms

In order to assure sustainability of project activities, emphasis is placed on involvement of relevant government officials in procurement processes undertaken has been highly participatory with government staff involved in developing specifications for procurement. In some cases this has resulted in a longer timeframe for procurement but more buy-in and assurance that it meets the needs of the intended beneficiaries. Capacity building and development of local stakeholders is described throughout the report and a key strategy to enhance sustainability of project outcomes.

3.3 Environmental Compliance

SNV ensured adherence to mitigation measures presented to Mikadu Constructions Ltd., the Construction firm engaged in building the DAA Center through visits by the project Environmental Officer. All staff were acquainted with relevant regulations on health and safety issues. There were no signs of direct degradation to the environment around the site and sources of the materials being used for the construction were acquired from certified suppliers.

3.4 Global Climate Change