Fostering Gender-Transformative Change in SustainableForest  Management A CASE STUDY OF DGM SAWETO PERU Ezgi Canpolat, Meerim Shakirova, Vince McElhinny, Kame Westerman, Alli Cruz, and Theresa Buppert CLIMATE INVESTMENT FUNDS Investing in the future © 2022 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. 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Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Cover photo: DGM Peru/ Lesly Aldana Graphic design: Andrea Carega and Karlien Truyens 3 The DGM Saweto Peru country project such as assets, information, skills, and capacity focuses on supporting Indigenous peoples building. This assessment looks at what type in selected communities in the Peruvian of inputs were are provided, to whom, and Amazon to improve their sustainable forest how. We assess how those inputs influenced management practices. The project started its women’s income and assets, and building implementation in November 2015 and closed on that, how women are gaining voice and in June 2021, it has had 133 subprojects which agency. We assess whether and how those were all completed. This case study focuses changes in voice and agency are influencing on one of those subprojects to offer insight gender norms, attitudes, and perceptions of into whether and in what way it influenced women and men at multiple levels—from women’s participation and leadership on individual to household to community. Finally, the ground. It could also indicate the extent we look at whether those shifts have the to which the subproject may be influencing potential to be sustained beyond the lifetime broader social and gender norms in Peru. It of the project and could influence more formal also informs the wider line of inquiry of the practices, rules, policies, and laws that are DGM Gender Study, which seeks to analyze the unequal to women. contribution of the DGM project to women’s economic achievement, access to and control In this case study, which focuses on improving over productive assets, voice, and agency fish farming in the native Awajún community that supported positive changes in women’s of Nazareth in Amazonas, female and male leadership and meaningful participation. community members report some benefits and positive shifts for women at the individual Our conceptual framework for this study— level, but only limited benefits at the both the broader DGM Gender Study and this household and community level. The results more focused case study—follows a stepwise, suggest that the DGM Saweto Peru fish farming yet flexible and dynamic, progression subproject brought some tangible positive toward gender transformative change. The changes for women, but leave in doubt the framework begins by assessing the inputs that extent to which those changes have extended the DGM project provided to beneficiaries, beyond the direct subproject participants. 4 Photo: DGM Peru/ Gladys Garcia Osorio Country context One of the most biologically megadiverse natural goods and services such as carbon countries in the world, Peru ranks second storage, water filtration, timber and non-timber in South America and ninth in the world in products, and medicines that communities rely terms of natural forests, which are threatened on for their subsistence and wellbeing. Forests by deforestation. These forests are found also support the cultural and spiritual traditions primarily in Peru’s Amazon region to the east fundamental to their communities. of the Andes, an area that contains 94% of the country’s forested land. Current trends show an However, social indicators for Indigenous increasing rate of deforestation, particularly in communities in the Amazon region are the areas without legally assigned land rights. The lowest in the country. They face high rates main drivers of deforestation include migration of malnutrition, limited access to essential and agricultural expansion, and infrastructure services like education and health care, such as road construction and unregulated disproportionate levels of maternal and infant timber extraction. Areas with strong community mortality, and lower life expectancy. rights and Indigenous lands consistently have the lowest deforestation rates. These indicators are especially low for the region’s Indigenous women. For example, Approximately 2,250 different Indigenous the illiteracy rate is 15.9% among Indigenous communities live in Peru’s Amazon region, peoples—five times higher than that among own or manage 20% of its forests, and non-Indigenous Peruvians. The illiteracy depend on its natural resources. Land rights rate is 5.5% for non-Indigenous women, and are typically held collectively. Forests provide that rate climbs to 21.2% among Indigenous 5 females (United States Agency for International around illegal mining and logging operations Development, 2019). in Peru, many of which are centered in the resource-rich Amazon region (Castañeda These inequalities impacting Indigenous Camey et al., 2020). women extend to natural resource management. In 2017, the Indigenous The Peruvian legal framework provides Communities Census indicated that 95.9% of protections for Indigenous peoples, gender Indigenous community leaders in Peru were equality, and equity and inclusion; but it men. Indigenous women made up only 4.1% lacks strong protections addressing gender of community leaders that year (USAID, 2019). within land tenure legislation. The country Without access to leadership positions, board has adopted and ratified key international memberships, or the representative bodies instruments, including the UN Declaration of their communities, Indigenous women on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the are effectively locked out of natural resource International Labour Organization’s Indigenous decision making. and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO 169), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Gender-based violence (GBV) in Peru Forms of Discrimination against Women. At the is another factor disproportionately national level, Peru’s constitution guarantees impacting women— particularly Indigenous equal protection for all. The National Gender women. Overall, 48% of women in Peru Equality Policy was adopted in 2019, and the have experienced some form of domestic Forestry and Wild- life Law and the Organic violence in their lifetime. Women who were Law of Regional Governments have equity and raised speaking an Indigenous language and social inclusion principles. Several national learned Spanish later are 9.4% more likely to laws recognize Indigenous ownership of experience violence than women who have property and support land titling procedures, spoken Spanish since childhood (Agüero, but land tenure legislation does not include 2018). Reports indicate that these risks have specific provisions regarding gender (Larsen only increased with the spread of COVID-19, et al., 2019). An analysis of legal frameworks spurring a shadow pandemic that has grown regulating community forest tenure in Peru with lock-downs and closures that limit found that while most addressed community women’s mobility and access to resources governance and dispute resolution, women’s (Godoy, 2020). rights to vote in community leadership bodies and access dispute resolution mechanisms Forest management initiatives in Peru are not were not guaranteed. Peru’s Law on Prior immune to gender-based violence. Brigades Consultation requires consultation with that assist with the logistics of land titling, for Indigenous peoples in good faith prior to instance, are usually all male, with females the adoption of measures that could affect relegated to roles as cooks. They travel to them. But the principles of free, prior and remote areas and carry out demarcation informed consent (FPIC) will not be effective or work for months at a time. When women properly applied if women are excluded from challenged the inequitable structure of the community-level governance bodies (Rights brigades, the risk for GBV notably increased and Resources Initiative, 2017). given the potential of sexual violence in the field, especially in cases in which they were not This context is the backdrop for the Nazareth joined by their spouse (as noted in interviews fish farm project. As research shows, with the NEA). GBV is also very present in and “inequalities are multifaceted, intersectional 6 and combine in a perverse circle comprising into account impacts on women, especially such dimensions as being female, Indigenous Indigenous women and girls, foster women’s and poor” (Economic Commission for Latin leadership and participation in decision America and the Caribbean, 2021). To break making, and aim to be gender transformative. that cycle, forestry initiatives in Peru must take Case Study Methodology The subproject selected for study is entitled: conducted 11 interviews (8 women/3 men) “Improvement of the capacities in the with beneficiaries of the fish farm subproject production of Amazonian fish breeding in the (Table 1) and those related to it. The interviews native Awajún community Nazareth of the were conducted by telephone or virtually District of Imaza - Bagua – Amazonas.” It was via Zoom, in Peru, and in Spanish, with one chosen as a case study for several reasons: requiring interpretation between Spanish 1) the Awajún Indigenous community of and Awajún. In the same month, study team Nazareth faces environmental challenges that members based outside of Peru interviewed uniquely impact women’s ability to sustainably four World Bank staff with DGM Saweto Peru manage their resources; 2) the subproject and thematic expertise. These interviews were was designed by community authorities, conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams, in the who were men, though it was ultimately United States, and in English. implemented by women; and 3) the subproject was recommended by WWF, the DGM Saweto The case study methodology was limited by Peru’s National Executing Agency (NEA), as an several factors: example of a production project prioritized by Indigenous Peoples. Positive bias From selecting which subproject to In early 2021, the study team conducted a desk examine in the case study to collecting review of the overall DGM project, as well as data from project beneficiaries, some interviews with World Bank staff to establish degree of positive bias may have impacted context and understand DGM Saweto Peru’s the methodological approach. Limited by design, objectives and gender considerations. COVID-19, the study team relied heavily on Interviews with DGM Saweto Peru NEA staff the NEA to help identify a target subproject. in March 2021 provided further insight into This association may have skewed the DGM Peru project design, including subproject subproject selection toward a positive selection and gender-specific outcomes. With portrayal of DGM Saweto Peru outcomes these insights, the study team determined that and gender impacts. During interviews to the DGM Saweto Peru fish farm subproject collect data, subproject beneficiaries focused would be analyzed in a case study. on sharing positive project results with the expectation that the interview could help From May 17-28, 2021, a Peru-based secure more financial support for their fish consultant with gender expertise and farms. This may have skewed the findings familiarity with the DGM Saweto Peru toward more positive gender impacts. 7 Technology Language Telephone and virtual platforms facilitated Many interviewees spoke Spanish as the ability to conduct the research from a second language, but not as well afar. But without face-to-face engagement as anticipated. This may have limited in the same physical space, the ability to their ability to fully express themselves. establish a high degree of trust between Interpretation between Awajún and Spanish interviewers and interviewees decreased. was provided for interviewees who did not The use of technology may have speak any Spanish. constrained how freely interviewees shared experiences and opinions. Design of the DGM Saweto Peru Project The DGM-Saweto Peru is an initiative of the in managing the fiduciary aspects of externally Indigenous organizations of the Amazon, funded projects, established administrative with financing from the World Bank and structures and systems, and experience support from a NEA. Approved by the World working with Multilateral Development Banks. Bank in September 2015, it was implemented from November 2015-May 2021. The Project Intermediaries (PIs) are responsible for implementing all subprojects. Only regional Indigenous federations or Project Governance organizations with legal standing can act as PIs. Furthermore, they must only do so at the The National Steering Committee (NSC) request of the community. Eighteen entities serves as the governing body of the DGM are eligible to be PIs in Peru. Saweto Peru and is responsible for subproject selection and oversight. It was established by consensus between the country’s two national Subproject Design and Amazonian Indigenous organizations: the Granting Procedures Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP) and the Confederación de Nacionalidades Amazónicas del Peru One of the first DGM countries to begin (CONAP) (PAD). The NSC has 10 members—5 project implementation in 2015, the DGM representatives from AIDESEP and 5 from Saweto Peru aims to support Indigenous CONAP. Two of the NSC members are women, peoples in the Peruvian Amazon to improve as agreed by both organizations. their sustainable forest management practices through a focus on three The NEA provides administrative and financial components: 1) native land titling and native management of DGM Saweto Peru, oversees community recognition, 2) Indigenous safeguard compliance, shares technical forest management, and 3) governance and assistance during implementation, and serves sustainability. Gender is a transversal theme as the NSC secretariat. The NSC selected WWF underlying the first two components. All Peru for this role because of its past experience subprojects were designed to be consistent 8 with this framework and follow guidance Overall Results of DGM outlined in DGM Saweto Peru’s Operating Saweto Peru Manual and Environmental and Social Management Framework. As of the 11th Semiannual DGM Program One of the four criteria by which the NSC was Report approved in March 2021, the DGM directed to evaluate subproject proposals Saweto Peru funding allocation of US$5.5 was the proposed project’s contribution million supported 98 subprojects with to the DGM Saweto Peru’s gender targets. US$40,258 per subproject on average (see The DGM Saweto Peru stipulated in the Table 1). The project originally set a target origional project results indicator that women for native land to receive title of 780,000 ha, be 50 percent of the targeted beneficiaries, but after a 2020 project restructuring this designated US$550,000 for support to target was lowered to 256,000 ha. Similarly, women-led subprojects, and aimed to fund the DGM Saweto Peru originally proposed women-led subprojects. These requirements the recognition and registration of 311 native were established after the first call for communities, but this target was lowered to proposals returned only one submission for a 250 (World Bank, 2020). These adjustments women-led project. were attributed to delays in expected collaboration from regional government land titling and registration authorities and COVID-19. TABLE 1. SUBPROJECTS (DGM PROGRAM 11TH SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT)* First Call Second Call Third Call Total Quantity 21 43 34 98 Total (USD) 773,812 1,432,819.20 1,738,637.92 3,945,268.12 Average (USD) 36,848.18 33,321.38 51,136.41 40,257.85 Maximum (USD) 161,530.06 205,614.01 225,860.71 225,860.71 Minimum (USD) 3,082.49 2,980.18 2,949.06 2,949.06 * Include both project Components 1 and 2 9 The DGM Saweto Peru nearly met or exceeded gender-inclusion strategy in 2016 that identified its gender-related targets. Of the total number and assessed challenges (such as the limited of subprojects supported, 19 were women-led, number of women-led subproject proposals which nearly met the target of 25 subprojects. in the first call for proposals and gender- The DGM Saweto Peru made an approximate differentiated access to fundamental rights), investment of US$480,000 in women-led supported training on gender, incorporated initiatives, nearly hitting the US$500,000 gender objectives, and enabled capacity target. To make these achievements possible, building for women on territorial management DGM Peru proactively began implementing a (DGM, 2020). Subproject Case Study Context indicated that fish, a mainstay of the local diet, contained high levels of heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury, though the source Rivers play an essential role in the lives of contamination in fish was not definitively of Awajún Indigenous peoples from the proven (Floerke & Wolfe, 2016). community of Nazareth in Imaza District, Bagua Province in Peru’s Amazon region. The impacts of the oil spill on human health Living at the confluence of the Chiriaco were almost immediate. Petroperú workers and Marañon Rivers in northern Peru, the reportedly offered young children and others native villagers traditionally rely on the local in Nazareth payment to assist with the oil spill waterways for fish, drinking water, and bathing, cleanup without protective equipment (Davies, among other needs. 2016). Eager for the money, multiple children and adults participated by immersing their bare The native community of Nazareth has title hands, arms, and legs directly into the spilled to its lands—a recognized step for protecting oil while attempting to scoop it from the water valuable forests. It and other nearby Awajún surface. Headaches, stomach pain, diarrhea, villages in the Amazon region form part of and rashes resulted, and some still felt the Peru’s second largest Indigenous group. impacts more than five years later. Another oil spill on the Macusari River in February 2018 In 2016, an oil spill directly impacted impacted more homes and compounded Nazareth and other communities in northern matters. Peru. Peru’s state-sponsored oil company— Petroperú—manages the 40-year-old Northern Nazareth began registering COVID-19 cases Peruvian Pipeline that runs nearby the village. A in June 2020, adding to the health impacts breach in the pipeline released approximately caused by the oil spills. Years after the spills, 3000 barrels of crude oil into the Chiriaco residents still awaited blood tests for heavy River, resulting in the biggest of three oil metals as well as additional environmental spills on the pipeline in that year alone. All cleanup. The local health post was ill-equipped told, experts estimate nearly 4000 people to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients, and in approximately 22 communities including local residents resorted to using veterinary Nazareth were impacted. The oil slick covered remedies despite strong warnings from health the waterway and farm fields alike, severely officials against such practices (Cárdenas et al., impacting food security in Nazareth. Tests 2020). 10 Overview of the Subproject NSC evaluation of fish farm subproject proposals considered pre-defined quality The Nazareth subproject supported by DGM criteria, including (MDE Saweto Perú, 2017): Saweto Peru sought to improve fish breeding within the Awajún native community located • The project will contribute to improving in Imaza district. The subproject responded the food security of the participating to the long history of oil spills in the region, communities. their impact on health and food security, • The subproject will promote income and the community’s need for a clean food generation for families. source. Total funding for the Nazareth fish • It proposes waste control practices farm project was US$19,110, which was one • It proposes the installation of fish farms in of 12 similar projects throughout the Peruvian areas without forest cover. Amazon supported by DGM Saweto Peru. Its • It proposes the construction of at least implementation period was from December three ponds for the management of fry, 2017-December 2019. juveniles and breeding adults, totaling no less than 200m2. Based on consultation, fish farms were a • The ponds have a natural water supply popular rural production option prioritized channel and a drainage channel. by DGM Saweto Peru. For various reasons • At least 80% of the fish feed comes from (pollution, overfishing and others), there is local fruits and other natural products. less and less availability of fish for Indigenous • It does not propose processed and populations in rivers, streams and oxbow lakes. balanced protein fish feed brought in from Fish farming is an activity to which families are outside. enthusiastically dedicated. The main native • It proposes measures to avoid Amazonian species cultivated are paco, gamitana eutrophication and water pollution. and boquichico. The typical subproject activities • At least 50% of the fish production is include establishing the ponds, raising the used to improve the protein nutrition of fry (receiving, seeding and feeding), growing children under 5 years of age. and fattening the fish, maintaining the ponds, • It proposes the management and control harvesting, and monitoring. Women are mostly of mosquitoes in the pools to avoid involved in fry and fish feeding, monitoring, dengue, malaria and other associated and maintaining the ponds, while men are diseases. responsible for pond establishment and fish • It proposes measures for the control of harvesting (Mateo et al., 2015). predatory birds and mammals on the fish farm. • It proposes the production of its own fry in the medium term. • It proposes the preponderant participation of women in the process of environmental management and production of the fish farm. • It proposes alternatives for the use of replacement water for the fish farm. 11 Interviews suggest that not only were women of how the subproject’s objectives and community members not engaged in the activities were designed or why they were design, but the subproject may have been designed in a particular way. developed without specific consideration for gender. The project was originally designed by community authorities, who were men, Individual Level Impacts of with the goal of being implemented by the the Subproject entire community. An unpublished study of the DGM Saweto Peru indicated that some male NSC members may not have supported Despite the possible lack of consideration distinguishing women’s issues from those of for gender or women’s perspectives during the community overall, contending that “to the design phase, the subproject under the specifically talk about benefits to women is not women’s leadership yielded several important consistent with [indigenous] cultural values” impacts at the individual level. (World Bank). Further research is needed to understand how well (or not) the subproject 1. Training: Enhanced capacity among considered gender and impacts on women at women fish farmers has the potential to the design stage. build women’s leadership, increase their access to productive assets, and benefit The subproject design and development were their income over time. Through the supported by the PI—the regional Indigenous subproject, 120 fish farmers (115 women organization Organización Regional de and 5 men) were trained, according to Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía Norte DGM Peru Saweto reports. Of the eight del Perú (ORPIAN), which is also a member women community interviewees, five organization of AIDESEP. confirmed that they had received training about fish farm management and other DGM Saweto Peru approved the subproject topics such as women’s self-defense. in 2015, but implementation was slow They pointed to trainings conducted by to get under way. Food security was not the subproject PI, ORPIAN, which were as big an issue prior to the oil spill, which presumably funded by the subproject. may have contributed to early delays in They also mentioned four other training project implementation. According to some entities, one of which was clearly not interviewees, the men involved were reluctant associated with the subproject. It is to engage in the project because they did not not clear if the other three had any consider it to be lucrative enough. connection to the subproject. Two of the community interviewees indicated that Sensing the men’s lack of interest, the women they did not receive any training, and one of Nazareth saw an opportunity. They sought did not answer the question. One of the and secured technical support from ORPIAN interviewees suggested that women in and requested authority from the community leadership positions within the subproject to take over leadership of the subproject. were targeted for training with the idea The community granted them this authority that they would cascade the information and the women began developing the fish down to other women fish farmers. farm activities to address the increased food However, in practice, the cascade of insecurity facing their families. However, the information may not have occurred. women interviewed indicated little knowledge 12 While the training supported some While women have decision-making women and men, this gap in access authority over the fish ponds, it was indicates the need for additional and noted that husbands and the community more widespread learning opportunities, assisted with the fishpond construction. including on the basics of fish farming. This indicates support from men and The community interviewees also cited the broader community for women’s this need. leadership in this arena. 2. Food security: Food security creates The women interviewees viewed stability, and stability allows women to the subproject positively because it focus on new and different opportunities helped them generate benefits for that can benefit them and their their families—more income in some leadership in the community. After the cases or better food supply in others. oil spills, women struggled daily to feed The subproject’s fish production led to their families. Those interviewed viewed economic income from the sale of fish, the project positively because it increased reaching a total of 123,000 Peruvian soles the food supply. The fish farms generated (about US$30,000). It was estimated by valuable protein, allowing women to project implementers that about 30% better feed their families despite the of female fish farmers increased their river pollution. This was especially true income by selling their harvest. Meanwhile during the confinement spurred by the the other 70% harvested their fish to COVID-19 pandemic. However, further directly improve their own food supply. In examination of the farm-produced fish is other words, for the majority of women, needed to assess whether contaminants the subproject did not achieve intended found in the region are also impacting the result of increased income generation. fishponds through ground water or soil The study team was not able to determine contamination. While those interviewed exactly why this occurred, but it seems perceive improved food security, only likely that food security was the most with this analysis can the impacts be fully pressing concern for the majority and understood. that access to markets may have been a limitation. To yield more income 3. Assets/Income: The women interviewed benefits to more fish farmers, the women considered the subproject’s provision interviewed indicated their desire and of materials, such as the fishpond the need to reach markets beyond their infrastructure and fish seeds, to be community. important assets for the development of the enterprise. Through the subproject, Those women who earned extra income 118 aquaculture producers established from fish sales used the funds to cover ponds to produce Prochilodus nigricans children’s expenses, such as education (common name, boquichico), a or health needs. The study team was not well-known fish in the Peruvian Amazon. able to determine whether the decision These inputs also have the potential on how to use these resources rested with to support production and income the women or their husbands, or whether generation beyond the life of the project. it was a collective decision. In general, the women pointed to this extra income as an overall benefit to their families. 13 4. Agency: Although the fish farms are The evidence suggests that the fish farm managed jointly, with the family aiding subproject provided the inputs needed in their construction and ongoing for women to play a greater role in and maintenance, community members benefit from fish farming, even though their recognize that the women lead them participation and specific benefits for them and are responsible for related decision were not expressly contemplated in the making. The women highly value this initiative’s design. At the individual level, the recognition of their work and capabilities, greatest benefits to women’s leadership and noting that it brings them personal effective participation in decision-making satisfaction, joy, and greater self-worth, arose from access to training, improved food creating an important foundation for security, increased assets and income, and improving women’s agency at the greater (though still nascent) agency in the fish individual level. farming arena. But some ambiguity remains— these benefits are not resounding, in some With support from the DGM Peru, the cases they need further study, and in certain women created their own association areas they are limited to sub-groups—those called Asociación Acuícola de Mujeres in leadership positions or those with greater Awajun de Nazareth (ASMAAAN) with access to markets—among the women fish 120 female fish farmers who aim to farmers. produce for local markets. The group also achieved legal recognition in public records, a step that supports the women’s agency over their productive activities and economic futures, even beyond the life of the project. Male community members expressed encouragement for the association, indicating their support for women’s leadership in this arena. The women aim to consolidate the association and continue improving the fish farms to earn more income, although they recognize the need for more support and inputs to make this happen. These goals demonstrate their nascent collective agency in matters related to fish farming. However, it should also be noted that the community interviewees seemed unaware of the fact that the subproject implementation period had ended and additional support and inputs from it might not be available. This may be an impact of COVID-19 and the limited engagement that it caused. 14 Photo: DGM Peru/ Lesly Aldana did not assign a positive or negative value to that reality. This suggests that household gender norms related to domestic responsibilities and workload have not shifted to promote greater gender equality. 2. Leadership: On the whole, the women interviewed noted that machismo limits their leadership opportunities within the community. The opportunity for the 118 women beneficiaries of Nazareth to lead the fish farm subproject seemed to be more an exception than the general rule, and it was limited to this particular initiative. Female leadership of the subproject resulted from the confluence of several factors: a) the willingness of ORPIAN staff to promote work with the women, b) financial and technical Subproject Impacts assistance supported by the subproject, c) at the Household and the emerging leadership of local women motivated by the urgent need to address Community Level food security, and d) the men’s approval of women taking over the subproject. This The study team identified no profound last point is directly linked to machismo changes in gender norms at the household and the men’s perception that the and community levels as a result of the subproject was a minor and unprofitable subproject, though some nascent changes activity. The men were not threatened by that occurred warrant further evaluation. female leadership in this case because of their narrow view of the subproject. 1. Increased responsibilities: At Over time, the women interviewed noted the household level, the women that male community members began interviewees indicated that their actively supporting their leadership of workload had increased as a result of the this particular subproject by helping to fish farm subproject. They assumed new construct the fish ponds and deferring tasks related to the fish farm, while also to the women’s decision-making still managing the childcare and domestic authority in all matters related to fish farm chores (cooking, cleaning, etc.). Husbands management. and other household members do not yet assist with domestic activities. In some Despite the men’s support for the cases, the women curtailed agricultural women’s leadership in this particular activities in favor of pursuing aquaculture, situation, it has not led to greater but their domestic duties remained the leadership opportunities in other same. The women interviewees generally community matters, with one exception. feel that they have more tasks, but they In the last election of the Nazareth 15 community board of directors, a woman care issues. Even the activities of the fish was elected as vice Apu (vice leader) for farm are framed within these issues (i.e. the first time. Some interviewees from the food security). community indicated that her election may be due to women’s leadership of Both men and women recognize the the fish farm subproject. If correct, the important role ASMAAAN plays in election result would suggest that women building women’s leadership, but further are beginning to occupy decision- evaluation is needed to understand if it making positions in the community. will impact community decision making. However, further evaluation is required Several female beneficiaries recognized to determine whether or not a woman the creation of the association as an occupying the vice Apu position actually achievement that will allow them to implies influence in decision making, and consolidate themselves. But they also whether these decisions promote greater noted that it is currently perceived more equality. In neighboring communities, the as a platform to improve their livelihoods interviewees recognized that women very than as a platform for collective action in rarely hold positions of authority. the promotion of women’s rights. 3. Voice in decision making: Interviewees More than two years have passed since shared diverse opinions on the influence the Nazareth fish farm project began of women’s voice in the community implementation, and it is too early to assembly, which is Nazareth’s main determine whether the changes identified decision-making body. Some claimed in this case study, such as the support for that men and women have equal women’s leadership, will be sustained long opportunity to express themselves, while term. Some of the interviewees indicated others mentioned that this does not that the formalization of ASMAAAN could necessarily occur. bring about systemic and sustained women’s empowerment over time, and they called Women who hold positions within for additional support to make that possible. ASMAAAN noted the time it had taken Others emphasized the need for more training them to overcome their fear of public to generate soft skills, improve knowledge of speaking. They also feared the possible women’s and children’s rights, and scale up the criticism and machismo that such public intervention. At the end of the day, a systemic engagement might elicit. An older change depends on the success of the fish interviewee mentioned that although farms, continued recognition of women’s women were given the opportunity to leadership, and more achievements beyond express their opinions, at the end of the the end of DGM Peru’s investment. day this was not done because of the women’s fear of being reprimanded at home by their husbands. Thus, although an opening in the community to recognize and incorporate women’s leadership and participation exists, this process is still incipient. Women’s involvement in decision making is still primarily focused on childcare and home 16 Conclusion A close examination of the subproject, its To achieve greater success moving forward, unique context, and its impacts shows that several steps are recommended as part of a the DGM Saweto Peru fish farming subproject coherent gender strategy: has advanced clear tangible positive changes for women, but it leaves in doubt the extent Raise awareness of gender: It is important to which those changes have extended to raise awareness of the gender- beyond the direct subproject participants. transformative approach among project There was clear evidence of progress building implementers, steering councils, agencies, women’s leadership and agency at the and participants to enable opportunities for individual level through training, improved greater female participation and shifts in income and greater voice. There was even gender norms. nascent progress in these areas at the broader community and household levels through Promote women: Promote project activities the legally recognized women’s association, that were designed by, involve, and benefit ASMAAAN. Its creation and management by women in line with their needs and desires. women indicates clear potential for women’s DGM Saweto Peru already improved its leadership. But the case study suggests that a subproject granting procedures to this end. gender strategy may have been missing from The importance of promoting women in all the outset. Progress on women’s leadership projects, not just those that are women-led, and gender seem to have been unintentional, also merits attention. and that may have limited the potential for transformative change. As an NSC member Train women: Empowering women leaders noted, all subprojects of the DGM Saweto Peru at the local or community level builds need to improve women’s participation, not leadership paths. More training opportunities only in spaces they already occupy but “to be that reach more women are needed. Training part of the decisions, in the decision making, topics could cover soft skills, women’s rights, in the processes, in the elaboration, in the machismo, GBV, and project management, designs and in the economic integration that to name a few. they are carrying out.” Participatory planning and consideration of gender impacts are two Focus on sustainability: Strategize a plan ways to help ensure a subproject addresses that will ensure continuity of the enterprise women’s specific challenges and goals. In and support for women beyond the life of addition to possible gaps in planning and the subproject. design, training challenges, food security ambiguities, and unequal distribution of The Nazareth fish farm subproject lit a spark benefits limited to some extent the positive of momentum at the right moment among impacts of the subject on women’s leadership women community members. The most and overall gender norms. immediate challenge on the horizon is to keep the fire lit with new financial investment that continues cultivation of native women’s leadership and participation in decision making. Only then will gender-transformative change be possible. 17 References Agüero, J. M. (2018). Prevalence of Violence Floerke, K., & Wolfe, R. (2016, July 25). Against Women Among Different Ethnic Health Concerns, Food Insecurity Linger Groups in Peru. Inter-American Development Months After Peruvian Oil Spills. Mongabay. 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