1. Mainstreaming the IFAD Gender Plan of Action in Western and Central Africa Progress, lessons learned and the way forward Cristiana Sparacino, CPM, PA

2. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Outline of the Presentation What is the IFAD Gender Plan of Action (PoA)? What has the Western and Central Africa Division (PA) done to fulfil this action plan? What lessons have we learned? What are the steps for the future?

3. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets I. The IFAD Gender PoA: 2003-2006 Improve design –Participatory, gender sensitive analysis –Gender-disaggregated data –Provision of a project/programme gender strategy including the appointment of a responsible officer and a specific budget for strategy implementation Improve implementation –AWPBs, M&E and RIMS are gender-sensitive Increase advocacy for rural women –Advocacy at national, regional and global level increased through strategic partnerships

4. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets II. Implementing the IFAD Gender PoA in Western and Central Africa: a three-pronged approach Improved design The percentage of projects undertaking gender- sensitive design has increased from 40% in 2002 to almost 70% in 2004.

5. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Improved implementation

6. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Increased advocacy for rural women IFAD is joining hands with UNIFEM through the Dakar platform for: –Facilitating the emergence of rural women leaders and their adequate representation in rural organizations/movements –Facilitate the creation of autonomous rural women’s movements and networks at national and sub-regional levels –Support the implementation of initiatives that will provide rural women, especially the poorest, with knowledge, income and security.

7. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets III. Lessons Learned Design Matters (from review of evaluations) –Projects which were designed on the basis of participatory needs assessments by gender were more successful in responding to the specific needs of women, men, the youth –Training packages which were tailored to the different and specific needs of men, women, youth had better results –Gender-tailored capacity-building is often a pre- requisite for accessing project benefits (i.e. rural financial services) and/or participating in decision- making at group-community level

8. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Implementation matters (from the PA gender-training workshops) –Sénégal (Sénégal, Cape Verde & Guinée-Conakri), Ghana, Mali (Mali, Mauritania, Niger & Tchad), Bénin (Bénin & Burkina Faso), Nigeria –All participating projects have developed gender action plans which should be included in AWPBs and which we are monitoring with our CIs –You are telling us that: the training workshops were useful and important it is necessary to develop local training capacities for refresher courses and training of local service providers It is essential to increase networking and information sharing amongst all projects

9. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Partnership between HQ & the field matters –CPMs are, and will continue, focusing on improved gender-sensitive design –CPMs will include gender mainstreaming as an issue during start-up workshops and assure that gender- training for project staff is undertaken at pre- implementation stage –CPMs will ask you to promote partnerships with gender-sensitive organizations for implementation –CPMs will ask you to include TA requirements on gender, if deemed necessary, in your AWPBs –CPMs will ask CIs to follow-up on gender concerns during supervision missions

10. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Increased networking in the region for gender mainstreaming also matters –Exchange visits for project staff and project beneficiaries will be encouraged –Collaboration between FIDAFRIQUE and the HUB on gender issues will be encouraged –A list of gender experts in the Region to provide technical backstopping will be created

11. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets IV. The way ahead The last gender-sensitization & training workshop will be organized in 2005 CPMs will include gender mainstreaming as a topic of all future start-up workshops All ongoing projects will include gender action plans/activities in their AWPBs-CIs will monitor (supervision reports to include a section on gender) and PA staff will monitor (PSRs) A collaborative agreement between the HUB and FIDAFRIQUE on the dissemination of gender best practices/lessons learned will be established

12. Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets Projects will be encouraged to organize exchange visits for beneficiaries to those projects/communities/etc. where innovative practices in the gender sphere are being undertaken (i.e. Aguié)