Gender and Development

Nepal

Loan 2071-NEP: Community Livestock Development Project - 2003¹

Background:

Subsistence agriculture and livestock rearing support the livelihoods of 84% of Nepal's economically active population. The livestock subsector contributes 31% of the current agricultural production and is expected to increase to 45% by 2015. The Tenth Development Plan of Nepal (2002-07) gives special emphasis to the livestock subsector as a strategic means to reach poor communities and meet poverty reduction targets.

The Community Livestock Development Project (CLDP) is based on the lessons learned from three earlier ADB initiatives and focuses on (i) more effective social enhancement; (ii) institutional strengthening; (iii) increased commercialization involving market chain development, value addition, import substitution and greater participation of the private sector; and iv) improved coordination among government, the private sector and donor agencies. The executing agencies for CLDP are the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) and the Rural Microfinance Development Center.

CLDP is a core poverty intervention with gender and development and economic growth thematic priorities targeted to small farmers and the landless poor.

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Objectives and Scope:

The goal of CLDP is to reduce poverty in rural communities. The purpose is to improve food security, nutrition, incomes, and employment for 164,000 families through increased productivity in the livestock subsector in an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable manner. CLDP aims to cover 52 districts spanning all five regions of Nepal focusing on the following five components:

1. Community Development and Capacity Building: Capacity of all stakeholders will be assessed and strengthened including nongovernmental and community-based organizations (NGOs and CBOs), district level staff of the DLS and district development committees and private sector entities involved in livestock processing
2. Livestock Productivity Improvement: Fifteen livestock improvement models have been identified as suitable investments including forage development, goats, calf rearing, pigs, and poultry to enable the participation of the poor including women and disadvantaged groups such as landless farmers. Microfinance along with training in feed formulation, forage seed production technologies, and animal health services will be provided to project participants to improve livestock productivity
3. Livestock Processing and Development: Small scale processing and marketing of livestock and livestock products will be supported to create employment and to improve the quality of livestock products. Enterprises will range from live animal markets to milk chilling centers, milk processing facilities, slaughter slabs, meat shops and para-veterinary practices. Awareness raising training and media programs, market supply and demand appraisals, market linkage analyses and stakeholder participatory planning exercises will precede market development activities
4. A Higher Altitude Livelihoods Program: To strengthen DLS's outreach to communities in high altitudes, surveys and participatory rural appraisals will be conducted to identify the overall development needs of the people in pilot areas. Particular needs to improve livestock rearing in these communities will be explored
5. Project Management Services: Support will be provided to DLS to ensure effective implementation, management, and coordination of project activities

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Framework for GAD Activities:

Women play a major role in the management and care of farm animals by contributing about 70% of the work in livestock rearing. Their role is particularly important in day-to-day decisions on grazing, collection of fodder and forest leaf-litter, collection and consumption of water, application of compost, and the use and home-based processing of livestock products. The framework for GAD activities under CLDP is as follows

• providing access to training, credit and extension services to poor men and women farmers
• building poor men's and women's capacities to use technical and financial services effectively in livestock production or processing enterprises
• paying greater attention to the gender balance of farmer groups, umbrella organizations, and cooperatives to increase women's participation in community decision making

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Gender Inclusive Design:

As part of the project preparation team, the Nepal gender specialist participated in all aspects of CLDP design providing inputs on gender, poverty and NGO partnerships and preparing the initial poverty and social assessment (IPSA) for the PPTA. She subsequently participated in the fact-finding and loan appraisal missions and reviewed the PPTA final report. A gender action plan was developed for CLDP including the following features:

1. Community Development and Capacity Building: A gender consultant will assist the DLS to develop a medium term gender policy framework with the objective of increasing the role for women in the livestock subsector by:
   • establishing a recruitment policy for female staff
   • involving female staff in planning and implementation at the district level
   • developing a field service that is sensitive to gender issues
   • encouraging women in livestock production and marketing activities
   • developing a means of measuring progress through monitoring and evaluation

   Training on gender and organizational change is planned for all project staff with particular attention to females. In addition, all capacity building activities will mainstream gender issues. Gender focal points comprising men and women will be formed at all levels. The project manager will be the central gender focal point and will call periodic meetings of the field gender focal points. S/he will monitor progress through collection of data disaggregated by gender and will provide feedback during implementation. Selection criteria for NGOs to undertake social mobilization will include previous experience in gender and development activities. NGOs and CBOs will be required to have at least 50% female field staff

2. Livestock Productivity Improvement: The socioeconomic survey during project preparation analyzed the needs, resource endowments, livestock production patterns, human resource capacities, and the potential for economic opportunities. The assessment underscored that while only a small proportion of poor women and men had access to training in improved livestock care, women were particularly difficult to reach and hard to organize into groups as they faced higher opportunity costs resulting from delayed investment payoffs. As a result, CLDP mandated:
• 35% women's participation in mixed farmer groups and in beneficiary training and capacity building activities
• discontinuation of male-only groups
• organization of farmer group discussions, meetings, and training at times and locations convenient for women
• 35% females among the 390 Livestock Development Assistants (LDA)
• 35-50% female participants in technology training
• at least 35% female representation in umbrella organizations, ward level farmer groups, cooperatives, and other similar executive committees
3. Livestock Processing and Development: The project will (i) promote one model woman entrepreneur per project district to increase women's participation in enterprise development and (ii) develop the concept of male and female farm leaders who will be provided with appropriate training to disseminate information on project activities including marketing and credit related to the 15 livestock investment models. Literacy training will be provided to women in those locations where a low level of literacy is likely to be a constraint to livestock enterprise development
4. Higher Altitude Livelihood Pilot Program: All surveys and participatory rural appraisals conducted to improve information on livelihoods and in particular livestock production and processing activities at high altitudes will address gender issues. Consultations will be conducted by both male and female technicians to ensure that gender-differentiated needs will be appropriately identified in these communities
5. Project Management Services: Resources have been allocated in the design of CLDP to ensure the implementation of the gender action plan. A gender consultant will be hired for the 6-year duration of the project to provide continuous guidance and monitoring of gender and development initiatives. Monitoring indicators for the goal, purpose, and components specified in the project framework are disaggregated by gender and ethnicity/caste. Gender and social development progress reports are required to track women's participation in specific components and activities. The Project will also monitor compliance with the international core labor standards including child labor restrictions and equal pay for equal work for men and women
6. Assurances: The Gender Action Plan is covenanted

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Guidance on GAD Activities:

As a result of capacity building efforts and the guidance of a gender consultant over the duration of CLDP, the DLS, district development committee members, CBOs, and NGOs are expected to have a positive perception of women's capacities, roles, and potential contributions to community development as farmers and entrepreneurs. As a result of leadership positions in mixed farmer groups and access to technical and financial services under the livestock productivity improvement and livestock processing development components, women's social and economic networks are expected to expand to provide them with bargaining power, increased mobility and improved technical knowledge. Women's earning capacities will be enhanced leading to higher incomes that will contribute to improved livelihoods. The Nepal gender specialist will work in close collaboration with the CLDP gender consultant and participate actively in all project review missions to ensure that these expected impacts are achieved throughout project implementation.