AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT 84950 N O T E S ISSUE 9 FEBRUARY 2014 Mainstreaming Gender in the Irrigation Develop- ment Support Programme — Case Study Zambia BY PIRKKO POUTIAINEN AND ALISON MILLS This case study1 describes the integration of women 60 ha/company). The aim is to pave the way for future producers into agricultural investment programs in spontaneous private sector investment in self-financing, Zambia as well as how women’s right to land influences self-sustaining small-scale irrigation. The project will women as it relates to the Irrigation Development further engage a private operator (the Concessionaire), Support Programme (IDSP) in Zambia. It is comprised of contracted to construct and operate the bulk water supply two interlinked studies, the first funded by the Trust Fund and associated infrastructure with the bulk water assets for Economically and Socially Sustainable Development to be owned by an established public utility company (TFESSD) and the second through the Nordic Trust (UtilityCo) to act as an interface between MAL and the Fund (NTF) for Human Rights. The process, findings and Concessionaire. The approach taken by IDSP presents recommendations of the first study are described in the itself as a significant departure from previous agricultural internal paper “Integrating Women Producers and Their development programs in the country which have been Organizations into Agricultural Investment Programmes driven by funding institutions and the Government with in Zambia (and Mali).” Agricultural and Environmental hardly any involvement from the private sector. Services (AES) then commenced a follow-up study in close Projects sometimes have the tendency to benefit those collaboration with NIRAS Zambia Consultants entitled who are better off, such as the proposed Tier 2 and Tier 3. “Women’s Land Ownership and Compensation Study in As such, the risk of further marginalizing vulnerable groups, Zambia.” This study emerged as a necessity to know how and particularly poor women farmers, is substantial. the different land ownership practices and women’s right To mitigate this risk on the one hand and to apply the to land influence women’s position and achieving the IDSP skills and productivity of women farmers on the other, objectives.2 the IDSP has emphasized mainstreaming gender and affirmative action for women in the identification, design, 1. Project background and implementation of the project. To redress gender The Government of Zambia is implementing the IDSP gaps and ensure that the project will benefit women and to contribute to the country’s overall economic growth, men equally, IDSP received incremental support from the through increased and diversified agricultural production, TFESSD and the Gender Specialist from AES of the World enhanced delivery of extension services and improved Bank during the project preparation and early stages of investments to develop irrigation infrastructure. The implementation.2 Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) is in charge of implementing the IDSP 2. Project objective and approach with the assistance of the World Bank. The core concept The IDSP aims at promoting gender equality by of IDSP is the re-allocation of land and water resources mainstreaming gender and providing affirmative action for irrigated agriculture under a partnership arrangement for women in the different stages of the project cycle. between the government, private operators, and This includes mobilizing communities and building communities. To achieve this, the project has taken the capacity, investing especially in women producers to help Public Private Participation (PPP) model, whereby farmers them and their families respond to the food price crisis organized in different three-tier systems are expected and to ensure food security through diversifying their to benefit. Tier 1 consists of smallholder farmers (about production to high-value commodities and thereby also 0.375 ha/farmer), Tier 2 of small and medium commercial address (dietary) nutritional issues. The IDSP, with support farmers (about 1–5 ha/farmer) and Tier 3 of jointly owned of TFESSD, used the “Transparent Participatory Approach” private-community company or FarmCo (at least about (TPA) to make communities aware of the importance of participation of both women and men in the IDSP project. This 3. Innovative activities approach enables agricultural communities to make informed The project has introduced an innovative strategy to create decisions to support socially, economically, and environmentally partnerships between the Government, the private sector, and sustainable investments congruent with the country’s policy and host communities with an emphasis on gender inclusiveness. The institutional framework for irrigation development. It also enables main activities were undertaken in three missions: 1) the inception women to articulate their skills as well as their constraints and mission to prepare the gender-responsive Project Appraisal alert men and the project staff to those points. The TPA fosters the Document (PAD); 2) the follow-up mission to identify binding dialogue between project staff and local farmers, which facilitates constraints; and 3) the a deeper understanding of the importance of a two-way feedback mission for feedback and The identification of gender dif- mechanism between the project and beneficiaries. validation, which included ferentiated constraints and the a high-level meeting to The IDSP focused the gender mainstreaming activities in Tiers 1 gender-sensitive activities across report on the findings and 2. The project aims to develop 10,000 hectares of irrigated sites, during the early stage of the and recommendations agricultural land managed by smallholders, including emergent IDSP, were central for the prepara- from the TFESSD project farmers (those in Tier 2), and will make sufficient water available to tion of the gender-responsive technical assistance. Each support large-scale commercial operations. In Group One, three Project Appraisal Document mission was coordinated sites (inclusive of a number of villages) from various provinces (PAD). with project authorities, have been identified: Lusitu (Southern Province), Mwomboshi who also participated in (Central Province), and Musakashi (Copperbelt Province). These the field activities. The TFESSD project staff used the modules of sites are socio-economically and ethnically diverse. Lusitu and the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook3 as a guide to prepare the Mwomboshi are structured along customary land ownership different questions and other participatory methods to be used in systems. Leadership resides with the chief and the headmen. these missions. The chief is responsible for allocating land to his constituents. Polygamous marriage is practiced in both sites. In Musakashi, an 3.1. The inception mission — technical preparation urban influence is notable. People are organized according to The activities of TFESSD for community sensitization on gender Government structures rather than traditional chiefdoms and are during the identification stage strengthened the participation of women in the IDSP. It also built capacity among staff members, residing on Government land. In comparison to the other two most of whom had not previously received similar training. An sites, educational attainment in Musakashi is high, with some innovative aspect during the technical preparation was use of a residents having secondary and tertiary education. Polygamy is not participatory approach through informal women’s focus group practiced here, and land allocation is handled by the Government. discussions led by the TFESSD project team during the visits to the The program has built-in mechanisms to address gender concerns sites. Women were able to openly discuss their expectations of and make possible an equitable distribution of resources and the project, their concerns, and factors that would constrain their benefits that will accrue from the project. The IDSP is also in the participation. This allowed women to overcome their uneasiness process of establishing an Investment Support Fund (ISF) in the with speaking in public in larger village meetings which improved form of a “Matching Grant (MG) facility” that will be accessible to their readiness for entry and participation in the IDSP. A checklist with questions was prepared for the discussion and adapted for both women and men. Specifically, there are six subproject grant use in successive missions. The dialogues resulted in women windows that support on-farm irrigation equipment, agricultural gaining confidence as well as men and project staff becoming inputs, post-harvest, value-adding and marketing equipment sensitized to gender issues. At this stage mixed-study tour groups and assets; as well as seed working capital for small and micro visited other project sites with the objective of “learning by seeing” enterprises development. The most important component of ISF and exposure. is a “specialized window for women, youth and other vulnerable groups,” especially women-headed households, women farmers, 3.2. The mission to identify binding constraints to women’s and women micro enterprises within the irrigation schemes. participation This special window is intended to provide additional access Following the initial dialogues and the study tour, the TFESSD to funds for women and encourage access and participation of project further supported gender-focused community sensitization women who constitute a special subset of the target beneficiaries. and consultation by deepening the dialogue on gender issues. Objectives addressed through this component pertain to women’s Women and men started to openly express their concerns on economic empowerment and control over resources and benefits. how the IDSP may benefit them. Issues such as participatory 2 infrastructure development, resettlement, and access to common property resources (grazing land, firewood-collection places, Because the water user associations (WUA) were not yet etc.), access to irrigated and rain-fed land, land consolidation established when the TFESSD project started its activities, procedures, and land allocation in case of polygamous households efforts for capacity building were focused in the community emerged as concerns. Some women expressed fears of sensitization activities through separate focus group dis- intimidation by men. Women who participated in the study tour cussions for women and men. This innovative feature was group felt empowered and encouraged other women from their effective in giving women their own space and voice for open community to register as members of the Water Users Association discussions associated with the project implementation. (WUA) and join the cooperative. 3.4. The country strategy and analysis on women’s land Module 7 of the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook provided the ownership framework for preparing the checklist questions to identify the The women’s constraints and concerns documented by the binding constraints to women’s participation in the irrigation TFESSD project led to the implementation of the study: “Women’s project. The TFESSD also prepared a training module, using as Land Ownership and Compensation” supported by the NTF. a reference Module 7 on Capacity Building and Training of the The purpose of the study was to provide recommendations IDSP’s Project Implementation Manual. The TFESSD-supported for practical action, particularly related to resettlement, land consultant and the AES Gender Specialist participated in World consolidation, and allocation in polygamous households and Bank missions, that provided an opportunity to include gender- agro-business development of women farmers within the specific recommendations in the mission Aide Memoires discussed IDSP. The study focused on international, regional and national between the World Bank and the Government (MAL) at the end of policies and statutory and customary laws and practices related the mission. Aide Memoires include agreed upon actions, which to gender equity and access to and control over land. The have proven to be an effective tool in mainstreaming gender study methodology included a literature review, focus groups actions in the project plans. Successful collaboration with the discussions, and key informant interviews. The primary data World Bank’s task team leader and the IDSP coordinator facilitated generated was triangulated in informal and formal platforms (such the mainstreaming of TFESSD activities into the IDSP and enabled as group consultations). Written interviews were complemented the TFESSD project to influence the project’s design and aspects with oral interviews. The innovative aspect of the study, as in the of its implementation. A community mobilization team, with preceding one, was the participatory approach. In-depth dialogue experience in addressing gender issues, was organized to facilitate between the IDSP team, consultancy companies implementing participation. IDSP components, the World Bank and the study team increased acceptance and full inclusion of the final recommendations in the The PAD effectively integrated suggestions to facilitate women’s mission Aide Memoires and project plans. access to support for finance and farm equipment, to facilitate women’s participation in the Water User Association (WUA), The main finding of the study was that while the Government of to promote a gender-sensitive project planning process, and Zambia has signed most international and regional conventions to improve women’s access to services that would help them and protocols toward gender equity, the incorporation into evaluate irrigation and livelihood options and make informed national legislation to address the rural women’s land and water decisions. rights is pending. Even though the 1991 Constitution of Zambia guarantees gender equality before the law (Article no. 23), it 3.3. The mission for feedback and validation does not explicitly provide for gender equality with regard to The findings and practical suggestions of the two former missions property ownership. It seems that the Land Act of 1995 offers an were presented at the Multilateral and Bilateral Cooperating opportunity to both women and men to be entitled to land, but Partners’ Meeting in Lusaka. At the field level, women’s binding this is applicable only to state land, which represents 6 percent of constraints were presented and discussed in both female and the total land and is vested in the President. Most of the land (90 male focus group discussions, as well as in mixed groups. The percent) is governed under customary law that is recognized by participation of the World Bank, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock the Constitution. Customary norms prevent women from owning staff, and the authorities in these community meetings also land, leaving them in a disadvantaged position not only to secure contributed to establishing and improving the link between food, but also to participate as social actors in decision making the IDSP and the women at project sites. As the project gained and representation. Under this system, Chiefs and headmen act women’s trust, a foundation was created to fully integrate women as custodians of the land while women only have access to land as participants and decision makers in the IDSP. through their husbands, fathers, brothers, or eldest sons. In most 3 cases (single, widow, or divorced) women cannot inherit land opportunities. It also included activities to promote gender because women are themselves regarded as property. There are sensitive planning, and put into place a strong community few cases in which a Chief can consider allocating a plot to a single mobilization team with experience in addressing participatory woman if she has children. and gender issues. 3.5. Successful additional funding for women’s empowerment • The early community sensitization on gender issues helped to The TFESSD and the “Women’s Land Ownership and establish and improve the link between IDSP and the women Compensation” studies broached issues which had not been at project sites and the number of women participants in previously discussed. As a result, incremental resources have been subsequent site meetings increased. As the project gained successfully fund raised to address some of the critical IDSP related women’s trust a foundation was created to fully integrate gender issues raised in the studies. For example, an action-oriented women as participants and decision makers in the IDSP. study “Support for Women’s Agro-enterprises using ICT as a Tool” • Directly supporting women to help facilitate processes funded by the Agriculture and Environmental Services (AES) not only enabled them to voice their opinions but helped Department of the World Bank through the Bank–Netherlands to ensure that the project paid attention to those issues. Partnership Program Grant (BNPP), is ongoing. The study will Consequently women had realistic expectations about the identify and support potential economic and entrepreneurial outcomes. opportunities for women farmers including the employment of information and communication technology (ICT). In particular, • The findings of the TFESSD study triggered a subsequent study of the “Women’s Land Ownership and Compensation,” it assesses the impact of the use of ICT in agricultural extension which yielded important insights into land policies and and dissemination of market information and collective action, institutions. It also allowed gender affirmative actions for the specifically targeting women small holders. implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project. Another action-oriented study, “Incentivizing the market—Linking During this study it appeared that men expressed their Women and the Private Sector: A Human Rights Approach” has willingness to change their attitude and behavior to begin also recently started and is financed by the Nordic Trust Fund considering their wives more as equal partners to household (NTF). This study will contribute to the on-going dialogue on the resources. overall framework for private sector participation in agriculture, 5. Limitations and Constraints and particularly on how to achieve mutually beneficial changes Though the implementation of irrigation projects such as IDSP for the private sector and the community. It specifically targets offers possibilities to change customary landownership to statutory women (contract) farmers and off-farm employees in the sector, landownership through land consolidation activities and, in some in areas such as processing. The study is human–rights based and cases, through resettlement and compensation, it still represents a is expected to have a positive impact on the rights of women significant challenge. The studies and dialogues developed during to decent work, increased social choice, voice, and improved the identification and design of the IDSP indicate that traditional livelihoods through in-depth analyses of selected private sector leaders across the sites are apprehensive to start the land incentives in Zambia. consolidation process. Concerns included the following: 4. Benefits and impact • Fear on the part of traditional leaders in losing their authority Though the mainstreaming and social dimension in the IDSP is in to control the land and related decisions; its early stage of implementation, the community participation and capacity building activities developed during the identification and • Uncertainties over how land will be allocated among farmers and fear of receiving a smaller area of land than what they design process are already generating change at different levels are currently cultivating (in the case of both men and women and with different actors involved: farmers); • IDSP and World Bank staffs, including MAL authorities, are • In cases of polygamous households, it is not clear whether the more open to approaching and listening to women. They land will be allocated to the head of the household or to each collaborated in bringing both women and men to the wife resulting in a fear that polygamous households will be community sensitization meetings, and helped as translators. fragmented after resettlement; and • The PAD effectively integrated suggestions to facilitate • Concern on the part of women about losing their actual support to women with access to finance and farm access to individual plots and collective customary land. equipment, to WUA, and to improve women’s access to services that will help them with irrigation and livelihood The issue of resettlement is one of the major concerns of people involved in part because of past negative experiences, 4 as happened in Lusitu after the construction of the Kariba Dam. as an important way of expressing their concerns, opinions and The communities of this site will confront a second process of suggestions while learning from new ideas of the project’s staff. resettlement through the IDSP. Women are concerned not only Capacity building activities during the early stage of project about the access to communal property resources, but also identification, before irrigation facilities are established, are helpful about housing conditions and access to livelihoods and public to involve women and men in the project design. Additionally, in services. They expect that the new resettlement will mean a this stage, a study tour group alone is not sufficient. Addressing disproportionate workload for women as it did in the previous local concerns entails actively involving women and men in project resettlement because they have to cultivate both the collective planning and activities. household plot, which is managed by the husband, and their individual plot. In this arrangement the men’s fields are prioritized In project design it is crucial to incorporate gender-responsive above women’s own fields in terms of labor, water, and inputs. actions, such as developing specific projects for women and Apart from working both plots, women also have to fulfill vulnerable groups. The gender-focused dialogues are more helpful additional responsibilities within the home. to this end than the community-wide meetings. The design must consider alternative methods not only to support women’s A concern shared by women and project staff is how to find ways group and cooperatives, but also to encourage their participation and mechanisms to foster women’s participation and voice not at community and WUA level. Since membership in the WUA only in their groups and clubs, but importantly, in larger level is heavily linked to land ownership, it is advisable to persuade organizations, such as the Water User Association (WUA). Some local people in such a way that they must consider (or revise) the binding concerns need to be confronted including women’s low membership criteria not only as linked to water for irrigation, but self-esteem, unequal access to information, workload, lack of especially to multi-use of water. This approach offers possibilities to facilities to market access, opposition of husbands, and complex women and landless men to become members of the WUA, and is intra-household relations in polygamous households. Organizing congruent with the expectations of women, who see the IDSP as a women in farmer’s associations is a challenge due to the small size project that will improve water for domestic use, for irrigation, for of women’s land and the dearth of associations that have taken up livestock, and for other socio-cultural necessities. women’s land rights as a specific advocacy agenda. Mainstreaming gender only as equal numbers of women The implementation of the ISF is already starting. Currently it is and men is not enough to reach gender equity and women’s still unclear how women and vulnerable groups can be eligible empowerment. The establishment of quotas, for example (50:50) to W5 because only legally registered entities can apply ISF funds. participation in community meetings or in WUA membership Official registration requires information, assessment and money. does not necessarily result in equal project benefits and voice Presently there is already pressure to distribute the ISF budget and or control over resources. Additional measures need to be taken the tendency is that proposals submitted by formally established to ensure that decision-making functions are divided equally. In farmer’s organizations of the Tier 3–4 will have preferences. This this sense, building capacity to integrate women as producers, outcome is possible, in part, because the Training Guidelines food processors or as small entrepreneurs must not be seen (eligibility criteria) related to W5 in Tier 1–2 are largely absent. as an end, but also a means to empower women and sensitize men to change gender relations. Although it is strategic to work The Gender Focal Person (GFP) nominated within the MAL has with women’s group to empower women, it is also necessary not been integrally involved in the gender work, because of heavy to build actions that encourage both men and women to cross work load and unclear role in the IDSP. Since several activities gender boundaries and overcome barriers which prevent their are on-going in the field, there is a need for a full time GFP for participation in decision making at community or WUA level. It is coordinating day-to-day operationalization of the W5, as well as to essential to gain the support of traditional and young male leaders, develop guides for monitoring and evaluation. who must participate in developing mechanisms to recognize the rights of women to productive resources, as well as to participate 6. Lessons learned in decision making. During the first assessment—preparation and implementation of the first surveys—it is important to adapt the modules of ‘gender 7. Guidelines and recommendations for monitoring and mainstreaming in agriculture’ to the local context. It is essential wider applicability that the staff must be aware and open to incorporate new 7.1. Policy Recommendations emerging issues to understand the gendered social, cultural and • Government: economic local reality. A starting point, for instance, is demystifying ŦŦ Domesticate all international and regional treaties to households as a farming unit. At this stage it is essential to develop which Zambia is a signatory. Additionally, it is crucial participatory dialogue with people. Women used the dialogue 5 that all provisions’ context is relevant especially to rural ŦŦ Ensure that women’s land rights are promoted at all women. stages of implementation. The number and size of plots ŦŦ Prioritize and incorporate clear provisions for “owned” and cultivated by women should not decrease as a results of land delineation and consolidation. Steps guaranteeing women’s land rights in the on-going review of the National Gender Policy. This should include the include a) establish baseline of women’s current land harmonization of the customary and statutory systems of ownership/access rights (size of plots they are cultivating) land tenure; concrete mechanisms for strengthening land (cadastral survey), b) ensuring women’s representation in administration; and enforcement of gender-sensitive land land surveying and allocation of land, and c) considering laws through provision of financial and other resources in allocation of land for female-headed households on equal the national budget and from donors basis with men. ŦŦ Sensitize and train officials at national, provincial and ŦŦ Adopt joint titling regarding land ownership for both district level on gender-sensitive land administration. It monogamous and polygamous households. Land is essential that sensitization trainings include officials of will be changed from customary to state land which the traditional land courts who arbitrate land matters and gives an opportunity to address women’s land rights. interpret inheritance laws as part of the target audience. Monogamous households should also have an option for Avoid assigning this task to only the gender expert or individual titles for husband and wife. Both joint titling and female staff. However having a gender expert involved is individual titles guarantee legally recognized ownership an effective means toward helping mainstream gender of land. meaningfully throughout the project cycle. ŦŦ Ensure that women’s land rights are well incorporated in ŦŦ Articulate women’s land rights within the traditional land the Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) and compensation tenure system. The re-aligned House of Chiefs should fund and include the following: a) special provisions for provide robust guidelines on land administration and women’s land rights such as allocating land to women conflict resolution that clearly address women’s land before men, b) clear guidelines outlining who qualifies for rights. land; e.g. the landless, c) engagement of social scientists to aid in assisting older female-headed households • World Bank: and ensuring household members are present during ŦŦ Integrate women’s land rights in the planned analytical property valuation. work (ESW/CPS). This should address land issues as a ŦŦ Enforce statutory legal target of 30 percent of land separate thematic rights issue, including enforcement, allocation to women (IDSP). inheritance issues and operating under customary land ŦŦ Develop by-laws that guarantee women’s land ownership/ tenure (WB/GRZ). access rights. The project site committees should facilitate ŦŦ Promote women’s land rights through National Gender the registration of not only the co-ownership of land Policy Preparation. The new policy preparation presents but also other productive assets (livestock, ploughs/ an opportunity to promote women’s land rights (GRZ; WB machinery, houses, income) owned by husbands and ESW). wives. As a safeguard, agreements/by-laws should be ŦŦ Involve women’s land specialists (NGOs) in the planned formulated where in the event of death or divorce; claim analytical work (WB) and irrigation policy development to land will include the transfer rights of parent’s land to (WB; IDSP). children (especially female children). ŦŦ Involve the House of Chiefs in planning and ŦŦ Sensitize and raise awareness on gender legislation, implementation. House of Chiefs involvement should be policies and gender provisions in The Land Act. It must used as an opportunity for influencing change under the be targeted to a) the community members including customary land tenure (WB ESW). women, men and traditional leaders (Chiefs) in the three community sites; and b) Traditional and formal courts ŦŦ Integrate women’s land rights in the on-going irrigation responsible for the site areas on women’s rights. policy development from the outset (within IDSP mandate). • Investment Support Fund-Women’s Economic Empowerment ŦŦ Use ISF/matching grant window for women to promote 7.2. Project specific Recommendations • Land Ownership Delineation, Consolidation and Resettlement on- and off-farm enterprise development for women 6 in a holistic manner. Agro-business development • Monitoring and Evaluation increases potential for women farmers and entrepreneurs ŦŦ The emphasis on what to monitor should be determined in production, processing, and marketing. Some in the design phase, making explicit the gender-sensitive recommended approaches include the following: performance indicators in the log frame. When these a) consider simple labor saving devices for women as a indicators have been identified with the participation of business start-up; b) introduce simple food processing local people. it will enable the community to measure technologies (sun-drying etc.) based on value chain their own progress against indicators that they have analysis (even short ones) and business principles, with identified themselves, unlike predetermined indicators linkages to markets; and c) engage a consultancy to that are imposed upon them. develop a holistic mini agri-business-program for women within the IDSP. ŦŦ The Monitoring and Evaluation system should be modified to further integrate gender indicators and ŦŦ Monitor a number of female beneficiaries of the window additional gender aspects. The six National Development for women as well as other windows. No quota will Plan mandates reporting on gender issues and provides be applied in advance for other windows for female an opportunity to the IDSP to contribute to its set targets. beneficiaries in the application forms (despite the 20 Of particular note are the following: percent target) but in the full proposal the number of female beneficiaries will be asked, and will be used as one a. Establish baseline indicators for women’s access to selection criteria. If it seems that the number of female and ownership of land (using cadastral survey) to beneficiaries is alarmingly low, the quota can be applied allow for monitoring of the changes of areas cultivated at later stages. by men and women, productions patterns, etc. as a result of joint titling. ŦŦ Templates particularly for full proposals should reflect and adequately address how women will benefit (solicitor, b. Incorporate an additional stand-alone chapter partners, and beneficiaries). in reports, in addition to mainstreaming gender throughout, to adequately report on progress. ŦŦ Clarify ISF budget allocations, particularly for small enterprise development for women and clearly indicate c. Carry out specific studies on two important built-in the budget for it. IDSP aspects: Women’s land rights and ISF/special window for women’s economic empowerment. ŦŦ Clearly establish eligibility of groups who can apply for ISF funds with special consideration for women’s groups and d. Ensure budget allocation specifically for gender vulnerable populations. monitoring and evaluation (M&E). ŦŦ Incorporate sensitization awareness for women on how • Gender capacity development, gender focal person and to access financial and other resources. Information quotas for women: on the ISF/window for women needs to be widely ŦŦ Capacity building must focus on activities which can build accessible to women in the project sites. The screening the confidence of both women and men to dialogue, procedures and eligibility criteria should be mutually interchange concerns and expectations, and importantly, agreed upon in a participatory and transparent manner. encourage them to fully participate in project planning, Application procedures for accessing the funds should implementation and monitoring. These activities must be simple, clear, and translated into local languages (e.g., consider the socio-cultural context of each site. flyer). Learning from successful women farmers and ŦŦ Ensure that a Gender Focal Person (GFP) is playing a entrepreneurs and study tours/experience exchange central role in the project. It is of utmost importance to should be applied in capacity development. develop gender guidelines to direct the work of different ŦŦ Resettlement should be avoided as much as possible. teams, monitor gender aspects of their work, and assist Where it is not feasible to avoid resettlement, this must be in incorporating the recommendations of the previous conceived and executed in a sustainable way, providing gender work carried out in all aspects of the project. the necessary investment to enable the displaced people ŦŦ Build-in gender-related capacity development as part to share in the benefits of the project. They should be of all the other sensitization and capacity development meaningfully consulted and participate in planning and activities. implementing resettlement. Furthermore, they must be assisted in their effort to improve their livelihood; or at ŦŦ Community Participation & Capacity Building Consultant least to restore them to pre-displacement levels. should consider sensitizing site communities and 7 traditional leaders including both female and male policies. The incorporation and operationalization of legal youths on the advantages of monogamous marriage concerns about women’s access to land and water is arrangements. particularly important in countries such as Zambia, where 90 percent of land is governed under customary law, it ŦŦ Sustainability of land consolidation is warranted when cannot be assumed that the conversion of customary law participating farming communities and disadvantaged in a statutory system will guarantee women’s access to people, define the boundaries of the schemes and and control over individual land ownership. Women still identify different landholder categories4 that will be need the consent and collaboration of the husband or affected and entitled to compensation and other male relatives, who need to recognize women with the resettlement assistance. This must be preceded by a same rights as men. Sometimes collectively owned land series of comprehensive consultations with households offer better possibilities for women to access this and other on the consolidation, delineation, resettlement and related resources such as water, forest, and pasture. compensation procedures. It should be ensured that women participate in the land demarcation process • Finally, the exercise of the WB for documenting best and that they are represented in all decision-making practices on gender mainstreaming in irrigation structures (e.g., WUA, FarmCo). development intervention is in itself an affirmative action ŦŦ Establish a 30 percent target for women’s representation toward gender equity in water management. This kind of in the site and other committees. initiative must be available to the wider public to inform them in their attempts to contribute to sustainable ŦŦ Female farmer extension agents should be utilized development with equity and social justice. to have meaningful dialogue with women farmers. Assessing whether and to what extent farm associations • Women farmers in Zambia produce the major share of food, that address women’s issues currently exist can which are efforts, especially in times of food crises, which also strengthen the existing local associations and/ need to be recognized. For women to be able to produce or facilitate the formation of new socially inclusive the food crops needed in the country their need for land women’s land association. and irrigation is obvious but not fulfilled. The project discussed in this case study shows how increased effort for 7.3. Other recommendations mainstreaming gender will ultimately end in increased food • To achieve the sustainability of IDSP, it is central that security. both women and men, landless and young people fully participate in the design, construction and maintenance of Endnotes 1. The Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) contributed to the development of the irrigation system. This participation is a transformative this case study. action, because it develops people’s sense of ownership 2. Internal Paper: “Integrating Women Producers and their Organizations into over the project. It constitutes the base to create or claim Agricultural Investment Programs in Zambia and Mali,” World Bank and ARD (2012). Final Draft Report: “Women’s Land Ownership and Compensation rights to water and communal land (grazing land and areas Study in Zambia,” Niras and IDSP. World Bank and AES (2013). for firewood collection). It is also central to work with local 3. Additional incremental support during identification and early preparation leaders to institutionalize the approach of multiple use to ensure gender mainstreaming was also provided by Gender Trust Fund (GENTF) project [Sustainable Intensification of Agricultural Production and of water, which opens possibilities for women, youth and Marketing: The Role of Gender in Irrigation Development-TF096931] and landless people to participate in the WUA. This also can Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) Technical assistance and capacity building for the identification of public-private partnerships assure that the bylaws of the WUA are inclusive, pro-women options and establishment of an action plan for the irrigation infrastructure and pro-poor. development and management in Zambia project. • Locally initiated actions toward gender equity and women 4. The overall Development Objective of the BNPP Grant support is to develop best practices, effective and evidence-based strategies and empowerment, such as those developed by IDSP, run the modalities for mainstreaming women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship in large scale agricultural projects, using ICT as a tool. It risk of being trapped on the process stage when there will pilot test a set of ICT-based interventions to strengthen participation are no national legal mechanisms that can support them. of women in agricultural growth initiatives, focusing on women’s effective engagement in agro-enterprises (on- and off-farm) through private sector For instance, women’s expectations to get secure access partnership. to land and water will not materialize in the absence of a 5. In general, a) those who have formal rights to land (both customary and legal recourse. Politicians need to take affirmative actions statutory), b) those who do not have formal rights to land at the time that the census begun, but have a claim to such land or assets under customary to enforce legal provisions in the legislation and sectorial tenure arrangement, and, c) those who have no recognizable legal rights to the land they are occupying. 1818 H Street. NW Washington, DC 20433 www.worldbank.org/rural