U.S. Agency for International Development Women in Development Kristin Meyer Mayra D. Aviles

Presentation Overview l Team Introduction l USAID Background l Introduction to WID l Gender Initiatives – Case Studies: Europe, Central America, South America l Open Discussion

Team Introduction l Kristin Meyer – Gender & Health Intervention Specialist – Europe & Eurasia – Senior USAID WID Consultant l Mayra Daniela –Gender Analysis Expert – South American Focus – Senior USAID WID Consultant

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

USAID Program Focus l Early Programs: –Fight Communism & Poverty –Capital-Intensive –Centralized Programming l 1980s-90s: –New Democracies & Market Economies –Sustainable Development –Capacity for Quality of Life

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

USAID Organization l Administrator Randall Tobias – Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief l Deputy Administrator James Kunder –Save the Children Federation

USAID Organization l HQ in Washington, DC l Four Global Regions –Country-level Activities l Three Functional Bureaus –Worldwide Programs l Three HQ Bureaus –Management, Legislative, Coordination

USAID Organization l Missions in ~100 Countries l Collaborates –+3500 U.S. Companies –+300 Private Voluntary Organizations

USAID Organization l 2,227 Direct Hire –1132 in DC –1095 Foreign Service Officers l 4,966 Foreign Nationals l 624 Service Contractors (80% Overseas) l 300 Other Agency, Univ, Nonprofit

Employee Geographic Scope

Development Mission l Revised in 2004 l Five Goals – Transformational Development – Fragile States – Geostrategic Interests – Transnational Problems – Humanitarian Relief l Development Assistance: $19.7b in 2004

Development Commitment

Women in Development l Establishment of USAID’s WID Office :1974 for ensuring women participation and benefit equally from development assistance programs. l WID Office initiative → Percy Amendment l 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 l WID Office Position within USAID Organization: USAID→ three headquarter bureaus. Bureau for Program and Policy Coordination →WID Administrator: Douglas Menarchick l WID Office budget: FY2007 = $7.8million out of a total program assistance of $139m

WID Office Technical Assistance l 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 l 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: l Women in Development Indefinite Quantity Contract l WID IQC support services l 5 year IQC mechanism→ Task Order (TO) mechanism l All USAID units eligible l 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 l 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. l Current Activities: Promoting Gender Issues in USAID Trade-related Economic Growth Activities

3- Gender Equality in Education l 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 l Current Activities: Safe Schools Program and EQUATE: Achieving Equality in Education

4- Women’s Legal Rights l 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 l Current Activities: Women’s Legal Rights Initiative. - Guatemala, Albania and Southern Africa, Benin, and Madagascar

USAID’s Successes in WID l Over 40 requests for gender assessments, strategies review and trainings. 14 country gender assessments completed. l 15 country strategies reviewed and gender training provided to all missions in Africa.

Ukraine Anti-Trafficking Project l Economic & Age Discrimination l Empowerment Strategy l Entrepreneurial & Computer Training l Trafficking Awareness & Support Services –Hotlines, Crisis Intervention

Project Analysis Over 26,000 Women Trained l Participants: –13-20% employed –10% pursuing education –29% created businesses –151 business loans l Improvement: –Prioritize High-risk Regions –Target Resources

Central America Economic Opportunities l Small Grants Program l Support Activities –Work Opportunities, Conditions & Rights l Strengthen Organizations & Visibility l Legal Action l Training & Empowerment

Project Analysis 11 Projects Funded l Documentation l Leadership Training l Awareness Workshops: –Guatemala: 700 Union Women l Legal Assistance –Guatemala: 122 cases, 38 amendments

WIDTECH and Commodity Chain Analysis of Forest Products in Nicaragua l WIDTECH l Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve (LANR) l Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) l Gender and NTFP in LANR l Focus: gender roles household and NTFP market -roles influence on conservation -NTFP significance household income and forest conservation -NTFP potential of environmental sustainability

Findings l Both men and women active in chain of production l Men and women separate but equal stakeholders l Considering women’s concerns → approach to conservation and development + equitable and efficient.

Economic Opportunities and Labor Conditions for Women: Perspectives From Latin America l month small grants programs l NGO Small Grants Program: Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru l Purpose: support income generating activities that expand on products or markets to existing effective project.

Results l Access resources and knowledge→ women’s economic opportunities expanded l women and men participation changes in different productive activities of project l Facilitating access to technical knowledge→ Participating women’s self- esteem ↑

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