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Program Highlight   
To date, CEDPA has provided technical assistance in gender mainstreaming and integration to a wide variety of implementing partners and large-scale development initiatives in a range of technical areas such as high-impact health services, local governance and agriculture. As part of its growing portfolio in gender mainstreaming, CEDPA is now partnering with DAI to integrate gender into this large, USAIDLiberia Food and Enterprise project (FED). FED is a five-year USAID/Feed the Future -funded project operating in six counties in Liberia; Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Montserrado. The project concentrates on four value chains selected as having the greatest potential to alleviate poverty and end under-nutrition: rice, cassava, peri-urban vegetables and goats. The FED project works with the Liberian public and private sector and other donors to increase agricultural productivity and profitability; improve human nutrition; stimulate private enterprise growth and investment; and build local technical and managerial human resources. In February, CEDPA traveled to Liberia to work with the FED team to identify ways the project can expand its activities to constructively address key gender-based constraints that inhibit women’s expanded role in agricultural production within these four value chains. CEDPA conducted a workshop with project staff to familiarize them with USAID’s best practice approaches in gender and agriculture such as promoting “farming as a family business,” gender equitable value chain and gender equitable market facilitation approaches. The workshop and subsequent one-on-one meetings with team members provided an opportunity for FED staff to identify specific obstacles confronting female input suppliers, farmers and enterprise owners, and brainstorm ways FED activities can address these obstacles within its existing programming. The trip also included drafting the FED Gender Strategy which will be implemented with CEDPA’s technical assistance throughout the five-year project cycle. |
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