FINAL Niger Gender Marker Report

Report Outline – Gender Marker Implementation From Niger

1. Country Context The country was once again confronted with a severe food and nutrition crisis, because of the 2009 failed harvest due to lack of rain. The results of the food vulnerability assessment conducted in April 2010 revealed that 7.1 million people, nearly half of the population, were facing moderate or severe food insecurity. In addition, the overall pasture deficit was equivalent to 67 percent of livestock needs. In response, the humanitarian country team launched, in April 2010, an Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan (EHAP) of US$190 million. However, later assessments revealed a further deterioration of the food and nutrition situation. A significant increase in the number of severely food insecure people and new critical malnutrition rates were identified. This triggered an upward revision of the EHAP from $190 million to $371 million in July. On 22 September 2010, Système d’Alerte Précoce (SAP), the government’s early warning department, presented to the food security cluster the new results of the food security assessment. The results reveal that several areas remain vulnerable to food insecurity, including areas in difficult and critical conditions. However, the context in Niger, which according to the 2010 UNDP Human Development Index remains the world’s poorest country, is not limited to the food crisis. Niger is also confronted with various other mega trends, including climate change, high rate of population growth, weak political governance, health epidemics, high youth unemployment and trans-national criminal activities. Limited progress in addressing these challenges is heightening the vulnerability of millions of people and undermining economic and social progress in the country. Therefore, a more effective response to the recurrent crises in Niger requires sustained commitment by all stakeholders to tackle their root causes. This includes investing more in agriculture and rural infrastructure and putting more emphasis on disaster risk reduction. On the political front, the Government seems committed to a transition to democracy. Presidential elections, the first since the coup d’etat of last February, are scheduled for 31 January 2011. In brief 1-2 paragraphs explain the ‘character’ or special country-specific context that shapes this CAP.

GA started from scratch with CAP process as the cluster approach was recently established, in March 2010, with the aims at strengthening the coordination of humanitarian actions and the pre-existing major working groups on food security and nutrition. No gender expert has been involved in the formulation of the flash appeal EHAP 2010. This results in the absence of any gender analysis of the crisis in the EHAP 2010. The 2011 CAP is for the first time elaborated at national level since Humanitarian Appeals for Niger were embedded in Regional West Africa CAP GA closely worked with OCHA team and the CAP Focal Point throughout the CAP process. In line with 2011 CAP guidelines, which introduce the IASC gender marker, the GA recommended to OCHA to add a full session on gender issues and Gender Markers on the agenda of the CAP workshop. Upon approval, the GA facilitated a gender session at the CAP 2011 workshop including gender mainstreaming, programming and Gender Marker with a stress on the vetting process and related form for IASC Gender Marker Coding. It is worth mentioning that based on her past experience as CAP focal point while working for OCHA few years ago, the GA entirely revised the CHAP as (i) to follow the strategic objectives/strategic monitoring plan/cluster response plans/ criteria for selection and prioritization of projects structure defined in the guidelines, (ii) to enable gender integration in these entry points and in particular in clusters’ response plans and (iii) to strengthen gender analysis with integration of gender data & indicators in socioeconomic, education and labor sectors.

2. Gender Marker Implementation Approach and Entry Points  GA focused her work with food security and nutrition clusters and to some extent with the early recovery working group as the Government, HCT and clusters were putting the emphasis on the dual vulnerability of agricultural households and pastoralist households related to malnutrition and food insecurity, precarious livelihoods and natural disaster. However, no information is given 1 specifying sex ratio and impact on men and women for each category. The part addressing nutrition targets children and lactating women according to their vulnerable severe or acute nutritional status. However, it does not disaggregate by age nor seek to produce any gender related impact.  GA also worked closely with the protection cluster on GBV and SEA issues. GBV and SEA are only addressed by the Protection cluster, which focus its intervention in this area subsequent to a Rapid assessment on female IDPs and children in urban areas conducted in June 2010 by UNICEF in 4 cities (Niamey, Zinder, Maradi and Agadez). The assessment revealed that 70% of displaced persons in urban areas are women and children, who left the most arid zones. The majority of women are head of household as men migrated across the borders. Women and children IDPs live in precarious self made shelters (with cartons or straw) and are extremely vulnerable and poor, suffering from food insecurity and floods. This population’s group is of particular concern as women and children are not registered and as a consequence were not targeted by the international aid and humanitarian response to food insecurity. Moreover, female and children IDPs are at risk, stating that they face GBV and SEA.

Step-by-Step Actions Taken to Support Country Roll Out

Action Reason / Comment Value of Action (if not self evident) Essential Useful Minimal Conducted a gender As to first get a sense of Essential as the analysis of Niger’s gender dimension in outcome EHAP 2010 humanitarian context with revealed a gender the aim to guide the next blindness process for the Niger 2011 through the CAP document Conducted a desktop As to get a global view to Essential as the review in all sectors what extent gender is GA discovered integrated in programming several gender analysis and workshops reports produced by different agencies and NGOs In addition to the formal To gain trust, to see how Essential, no GA’s introduction by the well the cluster is attended, collaboration HC, the GA visited all to see the inclusiveness of without a clusters for a personal all stakeholders, to explain physical introduction and the role of the GA and the introduction presented her rational of gender assignment and the integration in clusters’ collaboration with the programming clusters Dissemination of All To enable first hand Essential, gender and GM related information before the CAP though strategy and workshop documents and information in English material too and when available in comprehensive French versions to all for a first cluster’s members. induction. Language issue for some GM documents

Presentation and GM as integral part of CAP Essential as 2 Working session on 2011 guidelines. CAP workshop gender integration and Broad dissemination and launches the GM at CAP workshop large audience as geginning of Step by step explanation Workshop gathered CAP process. of the GM with examples national authorities, Gender for each code. national and international integration and NGOs, clusters, UN GM at the agencies and donors. inception of the process. Advocacy for Essential for a systematic sex and age gender analysis disaggregated data based response along with gender of clusters integration in response plans and projects.

Upon request of The request came after the Very useful, International NGO gender presentation of the proactively Veterinaries without GA at the CAP workshop, commitment borders, the GA which raised great interest of facilitated a workshop among the international stakeholders on Gender in NGO Veterinaries without in taking into emergency situation borders and its account agriculture/health/sanitation gender partners. The GA was dimension in pleased to facilitate a agricultural comprehensive workshop, and pastoral while highlighting gender activities integration and analysis of vulnerable agricultural and pastoralist households. Workshop session on GA proposed a gender Useful as all Gender integration in session at the Cluster clusters are emergency at the Nutrition’s workshop and still in the global workshop received positive response. process of ‘Nutrition in GA facilitated with OCHA understanding emergencies’ organized colleague the session on the roll out of by the Cluster Nutrition humanitarian reform based clusters setting, and gender including integration within the global cross cutting cluster approach. issues such as gender Coding of all CAP 2011 Feedback is a necessity Essential projects and shared with and will enable focus and all clusters prioritization of GM roll out Coding of all CAP 2011 HC should be aware of Essential as to projects and shared with actions undertaken by GA get the buy at the HC and promote workshops on the highest level gender integration and GM for clusters Call for the organization of Essential as to working session on improve gender analysis of the GM coding integration and of the CAP 2011 appropriation of GM code

3 What would you repeat and why?  Presenting GM code at CAP workshops as the event gathers all together clusters, the government, National and International NGOs and some donors, which actively participated in the gender session the GA organized.  Provide more training to clusters on GM and simulation exercise with the Gender Marker Insert – Vetting forms.

What would you change and how? Focus only on agencies, which timely submit projects to review and use vetting forms before closure of OPS as 99% of agencies provided their projects to clusters at the very last minute or even on the day of OPS closure. Hence the vetting process pertaining to the area of intervention (not to mention the gender vetting as last focus) was not done properly within the clusters but the last day in an ad hoc meeting with OCHA on the day of OPS closing.  Encouraging OCHA to be more strict vis a vis clusters on deadlines as to enable timely submission of projects to clusters and to provide clusters with the Vetting form for IASC Gender Marker Coding as part of the global vetting process (that was not used at all)  Encouraging clusters to designate GM focal points

External Constraints specific to the context/country  No Gender Advisor within agencies, only designated gender focal points  No interaction and link between GTG and clusters, gender focal points of the GTG not involved in CAP formulation and projects design  Key sector/cluster like Education not in place, which results in lack of data, lack of gender analysis, humanitarian impact of low literacy rate among men and women with a ratio of 40% to less than 15%  Clusters under time constraint while formulating their response plans and projects, which were extremely late submitted  Food crisis considered as a chronic issue rather than a humanitarian one, hence discussion on phasing out the humanitarian setting/cluster approach versus focusing more on medium to long term interventions would undermine GM roll out. 

Internal Constraints (related to GMs, the material, the remote support available)  No French translation of key documents such as clusters Gender Marker Kits  GA had to provide in addition to English clusters tool kits IASC Gender Handbook’s guidelines per sectors in French to all clusters

Enablers  Remote support for Niger provided by GA colleague in gender analysis of the 2010 EHAP, in reviewing and applying the GM to the projects of tremendous help.  OCHA involvement at country and HQ level

Gender Marker Toolkit French versions of following documents FAQ, vetting form for IASC GM code, Cluster Guidance for the Gender Marker, one pager GM code were extremely useful according to cluster’s feedback

Specific comments: The one pager GM code and the vetting forms are appropriate and user friendly for power point presentation at workshops

Suggestions: To further provide coding examples for all clusters and most common projects such as the coding example available for WASH: Well rehabilitation project, which is self explanatory and easy to understand.

4 Cluster Participation Comment on cluster activities:

Cluster Commitment to Acceptance of the Needs (training, General comments gender GM support, etc.) Nutrition High High acceptance Requested for Great interest training Health Moderate No particular The weakest reaction cluster in terms of applying gender integration Food security High High acceptance Requested for GA will couple training food security and early recovery in forthcoming workshop on GM WASH Low No particular No contact yet Dysfunction of the reaction cluster Protection High High acceptance Requested for Great interest training Early recovery High No particular GA informed the No reaction yet reaction ER of a forthcoming integrated workshop with Food security

HC/HCT Leadership & Engagement (Who were the champions/allies/facilitators of the gender marker process? Identify gaps in championing and/or facilitating.)

Interlocutor Commitment to Acceptance of the Needs (training, General comments gender GM support, etc.) HCT High High OCHA HoO and High High Training support OCHA was a great CAP Focal Point facilitator in supporting GA’s intervention among clusters Cluster leads High High Respectively GA attended all Relay all ICCM (inter cluster information to coordination clusters’ members meetings) with participation of cluster leads Gender Adviser High No interaction with Not relevant at this GA regrettably and/or GTG clusters and CAP stage as members noted that there is gender focal process are not no gender adviser points participating to or gender focal CAP process point within clusters

5 Donor Outreach

Donor Commitment to Base funding Needs (training, General comments gender decisions on the support, etc.) GM ECHO High, explicitly No decision yet as expressed by the ECHO is ECHO gender reconsidering the Officer whole humanitarian issue versus early recovery transition. AECID Bureau High and Lead of GA closely worked Technique de gender issues with Gender Coopération Officer of AECID International and advocated at Ambassade d the CADRE DE ´Espagne au Niger CONCERTATION, (Office for which is co- International chaired by the Technical Ministry of Cooperation, Population, Spain Ambassy) promotion of women and child protection and the Ambassador of Spain France High No contact in this GA’s Step by step regard approach as France is more focused on gender issues within the elections framework. GA addressed gender issues to French Ambassador within an executive committee on elections. EU High No contact in this Same as above regard

3. Results – The Gender Analysis of the 2011 CAP Document & Project Sheets

Where a gender analysis was done of the 2010, please insert comparative comments.

CAP – CHAP Section Yes No Strategic Priorities include gender equality x Selection Criteria include gender equality x CHAP narrative features gender analysis/issues x

The EHAP 2010 Niger was totally gender blind.

6 By using the basic approach of searching for words, the word women appears 19 times in the document including 15 times as part of the expression “lactating women” in the part on nutrition. “Gender” is not mentioned a single time, which is a strong signal of gender blindness throughout the document. The step by step analysis that was carried out for the EHAP 2010 Niger is summarized below: Executive Summary - The Executive Summary provides a set of global indicators related to food insecurity and malnutrition in Niger without any sex nor age disaggregated data, using broaden terminologies such as households, population and cases. However, a table at the bottom of the executive summary breaks down number and sex (men, women and children) of beneficiaries. There is no reference to this table in the narrative. The age of beneficiaries is not mentioned. Needs Analysis - The analysis refers to the December 2009 National Rapid Household Survey with a differentiation of agro and pastoralist areas and separation of adult and children populations. There is no sex-disaggregation of the aforementioned population. Outlook and Scenarios - The impact of the deteriorating food security situation and recurrent natural disasters on a large part of the population in agricultural and pastoral areas is not addressed. Its various gender dimensions are not mentioned either. Strategic response plan– N/A as EHAP 2010 does not contain this part, which is regrettable since the correlation between gender issues and food insecurity and malnutrition is missing as well as a gender analysis of the vulnerabilities of the agricultural and pastoralist populations and households.

Gender Dimensions in Cluster Response Plans of CAP 2011

Cluster Gender in Gender in Gender in Gender in Needs Analysis Objectives-Results- Response Monitoring Indicators Strategy Agriculture    Embedded in Food Security CCCM Not in place Early Recovery    Education Not in place Food Security    Health    Nutrition    Protection     Shelter Not in place WASH    

As for the CAP 2011, the table highlights that the Niger Team followed the standard CAP structure in order to include in their cluster response plan the key “entry points” Needs/ objectives/strategy/ monitoring, which allow relevant gender integration. Upon GA’s guidance and technical support, clusters integrated gender in most of entry points with the exception for health, Early recovery and Agriculture/Food security clusters, which omitted to specify gender in monitoring.

As for the EHAP 2010, the cluster response plans did not include needs analysis, objectives and activities. This crucial part contained only outcomes and indicators. The lack of strategy and monitoring in the EHAP 2010 did not allow a quick gender scan and link with the project sheets. In addition, it was observed that clusters did not make their gender equality commitments visible in their cluster response plan. 7 The GA alerted the HQ CAP section and the country office regarding the structure of the appeal document and highly recommended that the Niger Team follows the standard CAP structure in order to include in their cluster response plan the key “entry points” Needs/ objectives/strategy/ monitoring.

The following chart synthesizes the information gathered through a gender scan of the EHAP 2010:

NO. OF GE GE IN NEEDS GE IN RESPONSE GE CLUSTER RESPONSE PLAN PROJECTS OBJECTIVE(S) ANALYSIS STRATEGY MONITORING Food security 6 Nutrition 8  Health 1  WASH 1  Coordination / Information 1 Management and Support Services

Gender Code Results CAP 2011

Cluster Total # projects Code 0 Code 1 Code 2a Code 2b Agriculture Embedded in # (%) # (%) # (%) # (%) Food Security CCCM Not in place Early Recovery 8 3 (37,5%) 4 (50%) 1 (12,5%) 0 % Education Not in place Food Security 13 8 61,5% 3 23,1% 2 (15,4%) 0% Health 9 6 (66,7%) 2 (22,2%) 1 (11,1%) 0% Nutrition 13 6 (46,15%) 6 (46,15%) 1 (7,7%) 0% Protection 9 1 (11,1%) 2 (22,2%) 0% 6 (66,7%) Shelter Not in place WASH 6 3 (50%) 2 (33,3%) 1 (16,7%) 0%

Gender Code Results EHAP 2010 Cluster Total # projects Code 0 Code 1 Code 2a Code 2b Food Security 6 4 (66,7%) 0% 2 (33,3%) 0% Health 1 1 (100%) 0% 0% 0% Nutrition 8 1 (12,5%) 6 (75%) 1 (12,5%) 0% WASH 1 1 (100%) 0% 0% 0%

Template: NIGER EHAP 2010 & CAP 2011 Code 0 Code 1 Code 2a Code 2b Total Projects Clusters 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 Early recovery N/A 3 4 1 0 8 Food security 4 8 0 3 2 2 0 0 6 13 Health 1 6 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 9 Nutrition 1 6 6 6 1 1 0 0 8 13 Protection N/A 1 2 0 6 9 WASH 1 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 6 Grand Total 7 27 6 19 3 6 0 6 16 58

 As for CAP 2011, there is an improvement related to the identification of both men and women in community based activities as opposed to EHAP 2010, in which the language used to identify beneficiaries, targeted groups or actors involved in delivering the services proposed was exclusively gender neutral. There was not one single project mentioning the need to ensure that both sexes participate in community groups or decision making. 8  As for CAP 2011, several projects in Protection, WASH, Early recovery and food security clearly specify women and men roles and needs. While in EHAP 2010, “Vulnerable households” is extensively used hiding the difference and needs linked to nutrition vulnerability, income vulnerability, personal safety, single male or female headed households, youth...  As for CAP 2011, clusters avoided sexual stereotypes and several wash, health and food security projects target men and women in training and education. While in EHAP 2010, sexual stereotypes were maintained with sexual - HIV AIDS education, information on household hygiene and on children nutrition only offered to women.  As for CAP 2011, additional measures such as cash transfers for income generating activities are provided specially to women along blanket feeding, food and seed distribution to the household. While in EHAP 2010, delivery of food was planned without any measure to ensure that women, girls, boys and men access the resources equally, safely, according to their needs.  Both CAP 2011 and EHAP 2010 lack of gender analysis in the response to malnutrition and health. Overall, men’s role and responsibilities with relation to identifying issues, finding solutions and delivering them is completely disregarded with relation to infant and children malnutrition. Both documents referred to women as lactating women or only consider them as feeders for the children, while trainings on nutrition including breastfeeding solely target women for their essential role in preventing infant malnutrition; it is not for considering their own needs and realities. While age disaggregated data are commonly used as key indicators in the nutrition and health sectors, there is not one single project disaggregating the statistic related to children or infant malnutrition and health issues by sex. Disaggregating the data could reveal discrepancies in the weight gain patters of baby girls and baby boys that could justify specific and targeted action (medical, social, cultural).  GBV/SEA issues are addressed in CAP 2011 due to the activation of the Protection Cluster, which was not part of the humanitarian response in EHAP 2010.

4. Use of the Marker to Track GBV Results

Type of Project Cluster Focus: Needs Activitie Outcome Target GBV # Protection s s M-W-G-B & , response gender or other code Child NIG- PROTECTIO Support to Principal   5000G and exploitation 11/P- N child purpose of 8000B and abuse HR- victims of the project RL/3731 abuse, is to 0 violence, advance and gender exploitation equality. Needs analysis clearly establishing specific intervention s to assist girls or boys who have special needs or who suffer from discriminati on / disadvantag e Sexual NIG- PROTECTIO Promote The entire   4,000 9 harassment 11/P- N the project men/women and gender HR- protection assists and 4,000 based RL/3841 and the women or boys and violence, 7 rights of men, girls girls among sexual children or boys who the IDP exploitation and have population , violence women special 1,000 girls and abuse affected by needs or and boys head of of children the who suffer household, and girls humanitari from separated an crisis discriminati and street on / children disadvantag e being urban IDPs Sexual NIG- PROTECTIO Provide    Exploitation 11/P- N direct and Abuse HR- assistance (SEA) and RL/3843 for the Gender 5 protection Based and Violence promotion (GBV), of durable including solutions violence, for exploitation displaced and people begging of composed children on of 70% of the street, women prostitution and of girls children as the result of the food crisis and floods through their secured return and reintegratio n in their locality of origin. Abuse and NIG- PROTECTIO Minimize    W, G,B violence 11/P- N problems HR- affecting RL/3843 the 6 protection of the child in situation of crisis Social and NIG- PROTECTIO Prévention The entire  M,W,G,B religion 11/P- N de la project based HR- violence address violence on RL/3859 religieuse child Children 9 et protection and youth interethniq and assists ue chez les in

10 enfants et preventing les religious adolescent related s du nord- GBV ouest du against Niger. girls and boys Disability NIG- PROTECTIO Réduction The entire   M,W,childr and HIV 11/P- N de la project en based HR- précarité assists discriminati RL/3954 des women , in on 8 ménages particular vulnérables female (femmes headed chef de households, ménages girls or boys et/ ou who have personnes special vivant avec needs or handicap/ who suffer VIH/ SIDA) from discriminati on / disadvantag e such as HIV/AIDS.

5. Next Steps – How will the Gender Marker be Followed-up After the Cap

At the level of the clusters: GA notified all clusters on the organization of workshops aiming at reviewing all projects and the GM code and identifying weakness and best practices among clusters and considering the approach for project implementation.

At HC/HCT level: The HC received all information related to both gender analysis of EHAP 2010 and CAP 2011 as well as the GM notation of all projects. The HC is also aware of all email exchanges between GenCap secretariat/HQ CAP Section and GA on the process of GM coding for Niger and the gender integration into the appeal document. GA informed the HC of forthcoming workshops for all clusters on the analysis of gender integration into the CAP 2011 and the review of the GM code of projects.

At the level of the donors: There is a debate at country level among donors on the necessity to address root causes of the recurrent food crisis and health consequences. This includes investing more in early recovery (agriculture and rural infrastructure) and putting more emphasis on transition issues. Moreover, In line with the donors’ orientations, there are some discussions at the HCT on the relevance of keeping or phasing out the humanitarian setting/cluster approach versus focusing more on medium to long term interventions. GA is closely monitoring discussions as to see timely opportunity to further address GM roll out to receptive donors.