Development of Gender Strategies and Action Plans for African Regional Economic Communities

Sub-Saharan Africa - Africa Regional

2019-2020 | World Bank | USD 420 000

The incidence of extreme weather events and disasters in Africa has increased significantly over the last four decades. Women and girls are among the most vulnerable groups to disasters, partly due to the gendered division of labour, higher rates of poverty, and lower levels of literacy. Cowater worked with four African regional economic communities (ECCAS, ECOWAS, SADC, IGAD) to develop ‘Gender Strategies and Action Plans’ for disaster risk reduction. It led inclusive consultations with government, private sector, civil society and academic organizations with the aim to develop practical gender-responsive frameworks that are inclusive to all segments of society, and to build capacity for gender mainstreaming in disaster risk reduction initiatives across the three regions. Cowater applied a collaborative approach that worked in alignment with ECCAS, ECOWAS, SADC, IGAD and African Union (AU) strategies, policies, protocols, and plans and supported their leadership in gender mainstreaming. This assignment was funded by the World Bank as part of the Building Resilience to Natural Hazards in Sub-Saharan African Regions, Countries, and Communities Program.


Related Projects

SMEs Promote Resilience, Inclusion and Innovative Transformation (SPRINT)

The SMEs Promote Resilience, Inclusion and Innovation Transformation (SPRINT) Project will aim to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of Ethnic Minority Women (EMW) working in the agriculture sector in Yen Bai, […]

Strengthening Investments in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA)

The Strengthening Investments in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA) Project is a Government of Canada-funded initiative that aims to improve the resilience of Ghanaian citizens through increased investments in inclusive and […]

Social-Economic Development of Vulnerable Populations in the Sahel (EPASEC)

The Socio-Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable Populations in the Sahel (EPASEC) project is a 6-year project that aims to reduce gender-based barriers to the socio-economic participation of women and marginalized groups […]



Interested in shaping the future with Cowater International?
Learn More