MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM , FEBRUARY 2018 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Mission Statements and Background Acknowledgements Cash-based interventions (CBIs) are a Based on a literature review and key The Women’s Refugee Commission rapidly growing form of humanitarian informant interviews (KIIs) with over 40 (WRC) works to improve the lives and assistance and it is imperative that, as experts from more than 20 humanitarian protect the rights of women, children, cash assistance is scaled, protection risks agencies, WRC developed guidance and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. are minimized and protection benefits and tools to help cash actors ensure the WRC researches their needs, identifies maximized for affected individuals, protection of beneficiaries from GBV risks solutions, and advocates for programs households, and communities. While through¬out the program cycle. WRC and policies to strengthen their resilience cash itself is not inherently risky, simply partnered with Adeso to pilot these field and drive change in humanitarian designing a CBI without assessing gender resources in Lower Juba, Somalia, within practice. dynamics and the potential gender- Adeso’s ongoing CBI. The pilot activities based violence (GBV) risks and protection profiled in this case study were led by African Development Solutions (Adeso) is benefits associated with the introduction Adeso with technical assistance from an African humanitarian and development of cash can lead to unintended WRC and focused on mainstreaming nongovernmental organization (NGO) consequences. In order to “get cash GBV in CBIs. Guidance and tools were that works at the roots of communities right” it is critical that cash actors conduct revised based on lessons learned during to create environments in which Africans comprehensive and partic¬ipatory field testing in Somalia with Adeso, as can thrive. Adeso works alongside assessments of protection risks. These well as on lessons learned from pilots in African communities to co-create a assessments should be disaggregated Jordan with Mercy Corps and in Niger new story for Africa—a future that is by sub-population and inform protective with Save the Children. shaped by their values, powered by their program design, including mitigation own resourcefulness, and built on their mechanisms. Programming needs to be This case study provides an overview of capabilities. tailored for different sub-populations. It the assessment and monitoring activities is critical to conduct robust protection conducted and key findings, as well Special thanks to Adeso staff, including monitoring and continually adapt CBIs as as learnings and recommendations to Noor Abdi Maalim, Hassan Dubat, Fatuma needed to ensure that risks are not being strengthen Adeso’s approach to service Ramadan, Kowthar Shaffat, Abdikareem transferred to recipients who are not delivery in Lower Juba. Ahmed Ali, Charles Maumo, and Deqa prepared to manage them, and that the Saleh. Special thanks to WRC staff Tenzin protection benefits of cash are delivered. To access the Toolkit for Optimizing Manell, Nadine El-Nabli, and Anna Myers. Cash-based Interventions for Protection Adeso and WRC are grateful to the crisis- From 2016-2018, WRC undertook from Gender-based Violence: affected communities who participated in a project funded by the U.S. State Mainstreaming GBV Considerations in this study. Department’s Bureau of Population, CBIs and Utilizing Cash in GBV Response Refugees, and Migration to build the visit: http://wrc.ms/cashandgbv. capacity of humanitarian actors to effectively mainstream GBV in CBIs and to utilize CBIs within GBV programming to meet the needs of displaced and marginalized groups, including women, adolescent girls, and persons with disabilities.

Cover photo: Focus group discussion with women in Lower Juba, Somalia. © Adeso

2 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Operational Context Adeso’s Cash-based This case study focuses on the first Intervention component, safety net cash transfers, an Somalia has been in a state of complex entry point for the pilot with WRC, from which learning and recommendations humanitarian crisis for over two In partnership with the Agency for are devised to benefit Adeso’s project as decades, with socioeconomic, political, Technical Cooperation and Development a whole. and environmental factors leading (ACTED) and Social-life and Agriculture to widespread conflict, drought, and Development Organization (SADO), numerous other recurrent human and Adeso is implementing a three-year WRC-Adeso Partnership natural disasters. The humanitarian social safety net project in the Lower situation has been made worse recently Juba region. This project is funded WRC and Adeso partnered to pilot by increased insecurity and volatile by the European Union and is being assessment and monitoring tools in population movements as a result of implemented in three districts, , Lower Juba to assess and monitor drought conditions and the forced and Dhobley, with the aim of GBV risks and protection benefits return of Somali refugees from . building household- and community-level associated with the introduction of Lower Juba has an estimated population resilience to drought and other hazards. cash assistance for targeted households of 489,307 people, of which 224,000 and communities to inform safer, are currently acutely food insecure The project includes the following cash- gender-sensitive interventions. As (Food Security and Nutrition Analysis related components: Adeso had already designed and begun Unit–Somalia 2017). Lower Juba is implementation of its CBI, this pilot predominantly a pastoralist region and 1. A safety net comprising 16 predictable, provided an opportunity for course is regularly impacted by harmful events. unconditional cash transfers over correction as needed and to ensure a During and after drought, flood, and a two-year period to 5,000 IDPs, gender-sensitive and inclusive approach conflict, levels of food insecurity rise and pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and urban to forthcoming service provision. While the most vulnerable households struggle poor households, with each household piloting the tools with Adeso, WRC to access basic needs. In the aftermath, receiving USD $40 per disbursement assessed the tools for usability and utility households do not have the financial (totaling USD $640) with the objective with the Adeso team. Lessons learned means to fix or replace damaged goods of covering basic needs. Transfers are have informed revisions to the toolkit. and assets, and their levels of vulnerability disbursed via Mobile Money Transfers spike, further shrinking their resilience (MMT); to future disasters. Lower Juba is also host to many Somali internally displaced 2. Livelihood grants averaging USD $1,500 persons (IDPs), who have come to the disbursed to 50 livelihood groups to region to flee conflict, evictions, and the start or strengthen businesses and lack of financial means for survival as well income-generation activities. Cash is as livelihoods assets to generate income. paired with the provision of business training and support to establish Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to improve access to savings and credit; and

3. A disaster mitigation fund totaling USD $5,000 for community projects and cash-for-work for 560 households; transfers are made via MMT.

3 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Assessing GBV Risks Juba. The FGDs study population Data analysis was led by Adeso using an in each village was divided into four inductive approach and RQDA software The tool for Assessing and Mitigating sub-populations: (i) men including for coding and analysis. FGD responses Risks of Gender-based Violence in Cash- the elderly (defined as 55+ years); (ii) across sub-populations were combined based Interventions through Story: A women including the elderly; (iii) men and analyzed first by district, then by 1 Focus Group Discussion and Interview with disabilities; and (iv) women with village, and lastly by livelihood group. Guide uses depersonalized stories disabilities. The interview study population Interview responses were then analyzed and qualitative questions to consult included: (i) unmarried adolescent boys using the same approach. FGD and KII communities on GBV considerations in school; (ii) unmarried adolescent boys responses were then triangulated. in CBIs, without putting respondents at out of school; (iii) married adolescent risk of disclosing personal experiences boys; (iv) adolescent boys with disabilities; of violence. Each story in the menu (v) unmarried adolescent girls in school; of stories is unique and intended for (vi) unmarried adolescent girls out of use with a specific sub-population school; (vii) married adolescent girls; (e.g., women, women with disabilities, and (viii) adolescent girls with disabilities. adolescent girls who are married, etc.). Female staff consulted women and girls and male staff consulted men and boys. Verbal consent was secured from all Methodology participants (for minors, consent was first obtained from their parents). A total of Due to security issues in Lower Juba at 319 community members participated in the time of the assessment, WRC staff the FGDs and interviews across the two trained key Adeso staff in Nairobi on districts. gender, protection, GBV, focus group discussion (FGD) and interview facilitation, and use of the assessment tool. WRC and Adeso staff worked together to adapt the tool for use in Lower Juba, including the phrasing of the questions and prompts, as well as language used to describe GBV. Adeso staff trained by WRC replicated the training in Somalia with additional staff prior to undertaking the assessment.

Over a three-day period, the Adeso team conducted 36 focus groups and 48 interviews in Dhobley and Afmadhow districts. FGDs were used to consult adults, while interviews were used to consult adolescents (age 14–18). The age of adolescents to be consulted was determined by Adeso based on the average age of marriage in Lower

Interview with an adolescent girl who is out of school. © Adeso

1 The same livelihood groups identified in Adeso’s project proposal were used: pastoral; IDP; and urban.

4 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Findings regarding decision-making on how Protection Benefits of CBIs to spend the cash, especially if the FGD and interview participants reported cash recipient was not the head of the Women and girls reported that cash a range of sub-population-specific household. These findings illustrate that assistance could potentially reduce protection risks and benefits associated ad hoc targeting of women as cash their risks of GBV, including rape, with the introduction of cash assistance. recipients will not guarantee that women physical assault, and sexual harassment, Respondents also identified community have control over or benefit from cash by reducing their care work and the mitigation strategies as well as mitigation transfers; consultation is needed at the associated risky distances they travel to mechanisms Adeso can employ to household level on who should be the collect water and firewood, or to perform enhance the safety and inclusion of cash recipient. In addition, it is important to domestic work for wealthy families. Cash recipients. pair cash with activities that promote transfers to date had enabled women to joint decision-making and equitable purchase food and water, as well as invest Decision-making, Household use of resources for the well-being of in income-generating activities closer to the household as a whole to reach the home. These findings demonstrate the Relations, and Cash project’s aims. importance of a sustainable exit strategy across the cash components of Adeso’s Respondents shared that decisions Perceived GBV Risks project. on how to spend the cash lie with the breadwinner, who is typically the male Associated with CBIs head-of-household; however, decision- making varies between households. Potential risks of GBV associated with In some families, the husband makes cash transfers were reported during decisions alone, while in other consultations. Respondents were households decisions are jointly made concerned about an increase in physical, by husbands and wives. Some women verbal, and/or psychological violence consulted felt that women heads-of- between spouses and between parents household who would automatically be and children around how transfers targeted as the recipient would benefit should be spent. Another risk reported more from cash assistance that other was that tension and violence within women because they do not need to the household around expenditure negotiate with a man on how to spend could lead to separation of spouses the transfer. Other women felt that and perhaps divorce. While divorce in being targeted as cash recipients would a case of domestic violence could be increase their bargaining power, freedom a favorable outcome, the risks of GBV of movement, and credit-worthiness. that a divorced woman might face when Some participants shared that disputes separated from the household were of were likely to arise within households concern.

5 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Reporting GBV GBV Risk-mitigation Mechanisms Attitudes about GBV and concerns about reporting incidents of GBV associated The following self-protection strategies The following self-protection strategies with cash assistance varied between within the household were shared as were shared as ways to mitigate risks Afmadow and Dhobley districts. Dhobley ways to mitigate risks of GBV associated of GBV associated with cash assistance respondents were more inclined to with cash assistance: within the community: report GBV. Respondents from Afmadow, however, were more conservative and • Making joint decisions with spouse(s) • Waiting at least one week after the voiced that it was unacceptable to report on expenditures; and disbursement to use the cash so as GBV due to cultural stigma. All subgroups to not be targeted for GBV or theft by reported that women and girls often • Spending the cash transfer to improve non-recipients; choose not to report or to underreport the welfare of all family members. cases of GBV. Some respondents felt • Building and maintaining a good comfortable reporting GBV incidents reputation by contributing to social to their household head (but expressed welfare (e.g., financially supporting concerns that they may or may not neighbors or vulnerable community respond), while some felt comfortable members who were not targeted) reporting GBV to community leaders. and community development (e.g., The pervasive notion was that “GBV is financially supporting hospitals and part of the culture and discussing it is schools); and taboo.” Adolescent girls currently enrolled in school reported that they were afraid • Paying debts on time. to report GBV because they feel they are “too young to be victims.” There is a clear need for GBV awareness and de- stigmatization.

Across both districts, communities were knowledgeable about local organizations where GBV could be reported, and where prevention and response services could be sought; these organizations include Wamo Relief and Rehabilitation Services, American Refugee Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Finland- Somalia Association. At the time of the assessment, Adeso had yet to engage in partnerships with these organizations to facilitate GBV referral pathways.

Focus group discussion with elderly women. © Adeso

6 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

The following GBV risk-mitigation • Establishing community groups and Methodology mechanisms were shared as support groups to enhance social recommendations for Adeso to networks; The PDM module was integrated within implement that could reduce associated Adeso’s quarterly PDM tool and rolled • Ensuring beneficiary confidentiality and risks for cash recipients: out two weeks after cash disbursements data protection; using mobile phones with Open Data Kit • Consulting women on family dynamics • Establishing community resource Collect (ODK) data collection software. and targeting the woman in the centers where women and youth can The first PDM was conducted after the household or the man, depending on safely access education and vocational sixth transfer and the second after the her request; training; ninth transfer. Forty-one cash recipients were sampled during two weeks of • Ensuring targeting of the most • Supporting income generation and data collection across Dhobley and vulnerable to reduce animosity from livelihoods activities and providing Afmadow districts for the first PDM, non-beneficiary households; training on financial literacy and while 44 cash recipients were sampled • Adapting communication approaches business management. for the second PDM. The sample size, and tools to reach different sub- determined at 95 percent confidence These findings illustrate the importance populations and ensure that everyone level (CL) and 5 percent confidence of strengthening community-based has access to information (e.g., interval (CI), consisted of women, protection strategies and ensuring the most appropriate channels for men, and adolescent boys and girls, agency-led risk-mitigation mechanisms 2 communicating program eligibility including persons with disabilities. The for safe program design and may differ from the most accessible data collected were analyzed using the implementation. channels for communicating Statistical Package for the Social Sciences information on referral pathways, and (SPSS) and an inductive approach. these may differ by sub-population); Monitoring GBV Risks

• Providing training on GBV, including The Post Distribution-Monitoring (PDM) resourcing peer-to-peer education; Module: Adapting CBIs to Mitigate GBV Risks, comprising qualitative and • Providing a strong and safe referral quantitative questions, was used to system to access GBV prevention and bridge gaps in Adeso’s standard quarterly response services; post-distribution monitoring (QPDM) tool and improve data collection for ongoing • Offering conflict resolution training analysis of cash recipients’ safety. to community arbiters to address Questions address risks and protection household tensions regarding decision- benefits associated with cash transfers, making on how to spend the transfers; decision-making, coping strategies, and sustainability. Only findings from the module are included in this case study.

2 Adeso added the collection of demographic data on disabilities to its usual demographic sheet and as a result recorded a higher number of women with disabilities than was previously known in the targeted communities.

7 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Key Findings from the 1st • Recipients were satisfied with receiving • Twenty-five percent of IDPs shared and 2nd Quarterly Post transfers via MMT. When offered the that cash improved relations among choice to switch to an alternative displaced persons; some IDPs reported 3 Distribution Monitoring transfer mechanism (e.g., to Hawala) that cash negatively impacted their all respondents preferred to continue relationships with the host community, • No respondents reported having with disbursements via MMT, which while others reported reduced tension received training on gender-based was deemed the quickest, safest, most with host community members violence; discrete, and most easily accessible regarding household expenses; mechanism; • No safety issues were reported • Thirty-six percent of participants regarding the collection or use of cash • Seventy-three percent of respondents reported no change in their level transfers; 99 percent of respondents reported they did not exchange of safety due to the cash transfer, reported that they have safe access to favors or forfeit cash in the process whereas 18 percent reported the market; of registration or targeting; 2 percent considerably improved safety; 20 reported that they had given favors, percent of respondents reported that • Most cash recipients, including IDPs, such as performing work without pay, there was no change in their child’s reported that they felt safe accessing to community leaders, MMT agents, or safety because of the transfer, while cash transfers. However, households NGO staff; 15 percent reported that their child’s reported taking different precautions to safety was considerably better stay safe, including:

»» Paying debts on time to reduce community-level conflict;

»» Putting the money in a safe place to reduce risk of theft (in some cases between women and their husbands or by community members);

»» Not sharing information, such as beneficiary status or personal identification numbers (in some cases between women and their husbands);

»» Sharing decision-making with spouse and spending the transfer to cover everyone’s basic needs to reduce household conflict and risk of domestic violence;

»» Investing in a business to reduce household conflict and risk of domestic violence.

Focus group discussion with men. © Adeso

3 Many respondents preferred not to answer monitoring questions or did not have children in the household and thus some questions were not applicable. Percentages have been rounded up.

8 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

• See Figure 1 for findings related to • Girls’ and boys’ school attendance • Fourteen percent of respondents decision-making on expenditure within was reportedly improved as a result of reported that early marriage among households;4 the cash transfer, with 27 percent of boys was less frequent after the cash respondents reporting that girls were transfer, while 16 percent reported • Fifty-three percent of cash recipients attending school more frequently early marriage was less frequent for reported that cash transfers had after the transfers and 29 percent girls; 5 percent of participants reported positively impacted relationships reporting that boys were attending no change in frequency for boys, while within their household; joint decision- more frequently. Participants attributed 4 percent reported no change for girls; making on expenditures resulted this to: households being able to meet 2 percent reported early marriage was in fewer physical fights between their basic needs as well as tuition; the more frequent among boys and 3 spouses (including within polygamous timeliness of the cash transfers to pay percent reported it was more frequent households) as well as less financial tuition and uniforms; and the financial among girls. A decline in early marriage stress regarding income generation flexibility to choose for a girl to remain among girls and boys was attributed and access to health services. in school instead of getting married. by respondents to households’ ability However, 3 percent responded that Three percent of respondents reported to pay for girls’ tuition and invest in there had been more verbal fights that girls were attending school income-generating activities (e.g., about how to spend the cash and less frequently, while only 1 percent animal rearing) for boys instead of tension about who receives the cash; reported that boys were attending relying on marriage for financial school less frequently. Four percent security; of participants reported no change in school attendance for girls, and 2 percent reported no change for boys.

4 Adeso’s program design does not have an explicit activity around joint decision-making and shifting control over and access to resources within the household. 9 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

• See Figure 2 for findings regarding the • Adeso has limited resources to provide • Adeso has struggled to establish frequency of adolescents engaging GBV prevention and response services. partnerships with protection actors, in unpaid work following the cash To date, resources have not been specifically GBV service providers, transfer. Change was attributed to included in business development to strengthen referral pathways. The households’ ability to meet basic efforts; protection cluster has been dormant needs, thus minimizing the need for for a period of four months and the adolescents’ engagement in unpaid • Adeso’s staff have varied levels of coordination with GBV actors who are work. knowledge of gender, protection, and operational in Lower Juba has been GBV mainstreaming; these themes are challenging; Limitation and Challenges often not viewed or operationalized as cross-cutting issues across the CBI • Cultural and social stigma is a barrier • This was the first pilot of both the program cycle; to collecting data on and effecting assessment and the monitoring tools behavioral change around GBV; and • A high turnover of Adeso staff results to test their utility and usability. These in a loss of institutional knowledge and • Tracking cash recipients for monitoring tools, which have since been revised experience on cash and protection, is difficult because targeted based on lessons learned from pilots including GBV; communities are highly mobile; in three humanitarian settings, showed relocation is common in the face of room for improvement, particularly in • Adeso’s staff lack experience with and drought, and pastoralist groups migrate terms of how questions were phrased knowledge on consulting and targeting from one region to another. to Adeso staff and respondents from harder-to-reach sub-populations (e.g., the affected communities; persons with disabilities);

• It was challenging for data collectors with limited experience in FGD and Figure 2: Table of changes in adolescents engaging in unpaid work interview facilitation to conduct consultations on sensitive topics such as GBV. Data that were unclear or Undertake unpaid work Girls % Boys % unrecorded were omitted during data analysis, thereby limiting the analysis; Less frequent 15 10

No change 11 12

Prefer not to answer 11.44 15.25

No response 62.56 62.75

10 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

Key Learnings and Recommendations

While gender mainstreaming is a component of Adeso’s programmatic strategy, this pilot highlighted the importance of and need for mainstreaming GBV considerations throughout the CBI program cycle.

LEARNING RECOMMENDATIONS

Gaps exist in staff knowledge of gender, protection, and GBV • Train all staff in gender, protection, and GBV and mainstreaming across the program cycle

Enhancing community mobilization approaches by emphasizing • Strengthen community mobilization approaches to beneficiary confidentiality can help capture hard-to-gather data counter cultural and social stigma regarding GBV, facilitate communication, and leverage opportunities to improve cash recipients’ safety

Targeted outreach and staff training are needed to consult harder- • Institutionalize inclusive community outreach and data collection to-reach populations, including adolescents, persons with disabilities approaches and the elderly. • Sensitize and train staff on consulting marginalized sub- populations

There is a need to shift targeting approaches to minimize risks and • Consult households regarding who should be targeted within the maximize the protection benefits of cash assistance for recipient household (only target women where their risks of GBV would households. not be increased as a result of their beneficiary status)

Communities utilize protection strategies to mitigate risks and have • Consult communities on and strengthen community-based recommendations for agency-led risk mitigation mechanisms; these protection strategies within program design, specifically the can be strengthened and leveraged for safer programming and for a implementation of Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction sustainable exit. (CMDRR) activities

• Implement organization-led risk mitigation mechanisms and monitor their effectiveness throughout the project cycle

11 MAINSTREAMING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONSIDERATIONS IN CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM LOWER JUBA, SOMALIA

LEARNING RECOMMENDATIONS

Comprehensive protection monitoring has yet to be integrated into • Institutionalize protection monitoring and ensure that CBIs are Adeso’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) approach, necessitating adapted throughout the program cycle to ensure protection from stronger monitoring tools. GBV

• Enhance current tools, drawing on the Toolkit

A lack of in-house GBV expertise, or partnerships with GBV service • Prioritize business development efforts to fund in-house expertise providers who can facilitate a referral for implementation of GBV to implement GBV prevention and response prevention and response programming, is a critical issue that may jeopardize accountability to beneficiaries and opportunities for • Establish standing partnerships with agencies working in Lower gender-transformative programming Juba that have experience in implementing GBV referral pathways and delivering GBV prevention and response services

Among stakeholders in Somalia, there is a lack of coordination on • Improve coordination among stakeholders and elevate GBV and GBV and CBIs, both in terms of mainstreaming GBV considerations CBIs to improve humanitarian response and strengthen advocacy in CBIs and integrating CBIs within GBV case management services. efforts

Adeso needs to strengthen the design and implementation of the • Apply learnings from this pilot to conduct follow-up assessments other cash-based components within the social safety net project to strengthen the design of cash-based components (livelihood grants and cash-for-work activities) to ensure safe and gender-sensitive interventions. • Strengthen protection monitoring to continually inform adaptations in program design and implementation as needed

Conclusion

The pilot provided insights into potential risks of GBV associated with the introduction of cash assistance, the potential protective benefits of cash assistance for protection outcomes, as well as opportunities to mitigate risks of GBV in the context of Lower Juba. In addition, this pilot highlights the kinds of tools that Adeso can use to ensure GBV considerations are mainstreamed across the program cycle in order to strengthen community consultations and protection monitoring.

Findings from piloting the assessment and monitoring tools can inform the additional cash components of Adeso’s safety net project: livelihoods grants and cash-for-work activities. The cumulative research currently underway by Adeso in partnership with a variety of partners on social safety nets in fragile contexts, including this pilot, will help model social safety net programming in fragile settings. Social safety net programming that mainstreams gender and protection, including GBV, can strengthen communities’ resilience and begin to break generational cycles of economic insecurity and violence.

12 Gift of the United States Government