A first approach to gender mainstreaming: Women’s Handicraft Exports Program in Cusco, Peru.

Financial & Private Development Sector Forum: Female Entrepreneurship: What do we know? What is

next?April 6th, 2011

Introduction IDB Trade and Gender Initiative

Action Plan: knowledge building and gender mainstreaming into trade operations

Challenge: to have some operational results in 2011.

What we are showing today? An example of that particular challenge:

Mainstreaming gender into a women’s handicrafts entrepreneurial development project

Project title Women’s Handicrafts Export Program in Cusco, Peru

Funding organization

IDB-Aid for Trade Fund

Executing agency

Ministry of Commerce and Tourism in Peru

Budget US$ 165,680Duration 18 months, 1st phase until December 2010Objectives 1. Association strengthening: capacity building,

coaching, product development2. Commercialization: increase sales, foster export.

Main results 1. Association strengthening: entrepreneurial approach to handicraft, initial steps towards creation of an enterprise (corporate chapter, bylaws), new products developed.

2. Commercialization: participation in fairs, marketing training, website designed, better knowledge on national and international demand.

Beneficiaries 425, 90.72% Quechua women, high rate of illiteracy, living in extreme poverty

Pending challenges for 2nd phase1. Association strengthening

Consolidate the business model for KAMAQ Products certification Improving production, business and quality processes Equipment

2. Commercialization Promotion and marketing Consolidation of the export partnership model E-commerce

3. Gender mainstreaming: How to do this?

Starting points What do we want the project to achieve?

Empowerment, leadership roles, increase income…

What does "empowerment" mean to these women? Let's ask them (and let's devote funds in the project for

specialized assistance: for a baseline identification of gender indicators by a gender expert, Quechua speaker).

First conclusion: we need specialized gender expertise.

Developed a questionnaire that tried to address different issues: Leadership, ownership, empowerment, impact on lifestyle,

consequences for family… 11 interviewees from 4 associations Bias: interviewer from Ministry of Commerce and Tourism may

have unwillingly conditioned some answers

Key answers to the concept of “gender empowerment"

Learning process and exposure in the project linked to self-esteem and rise of expectations for the future (they see the potential), new leadership roles in the community (admiration from others), increased empowerment to face other social groups.

The whole family is affected by project's activities: reorganization of daily activities to some extent.

They are very aware about the importance of sales, but would like the project to continue capacitating them further (education gap with men)

Empowerment “The training courses have helped us a lot. First of all,

to participate in our community meetings. Previously, women have been sitting without a say and if for any reason we were offered to assume a position, we have never accepted, we felt diminished. But now, although I only understand some Spanish and can not respond much, I value myself (…) as a woman (...) I can express myself. Today, many women in our community participate in the board (…)”

"Of course, even though I am illiterate, I am able to undertake a leadership position. Perhaps the presidency. As a leader, I can do it "

Conclusions 1. Gender objectives: we can mainstream gender into the

original project's goals, but it doesn’t make sense to consider gender aspects in parallel or independently from them. They must be embedded into the project as is.

2nd phase will not have a separate component on gender. Gender will be introduced in results, activities and indicators.

2. Translate the “empowerment concepts” into the project’s results and indicators:

Introduction of gender indicators in the logical framework

Overall objectiveWomen handicrafts entrepreneurial development Empowerment

Results Indicators before gender approach

Indicators with gender approach

1. Association strengthening and product development

Approved bylawsOperational manual in placeOperational plan approved

Organization in placeRotation of positions and positions fulfilled

·# of participants at meetings

# of new initiatives

# of products designed and/or in production

# of women participants in the approval processes of bylaws, operational manuals and plans

# of women participating in personnel selection processes

# of women in managerial positions

# of women that participate in meetings

# of new initiatives presented by women

# of women that participate in the production process

Activities Capacity building, technical assistance: ensure transfer of knowledge and information from facilitators to associations, especially to the women.Gender-sensitive materials?Include complementary literacy activities?

Results Indicators before gender approach

Indicators after gender approach

2. Marketing and increased access to national and international markets

% of increase in sales

Marketing learning process:• Information about

demand

• Implementation and administration of the website

• Promotional tools

% of income increase for women. Include in baseline information on use of resources.

Ownership for women:• # of women who have

seen their marketing skills improved

• # of women that participate in marketing processes and decisions, and in communications activities

Activities Trade fairs, capacity building. Gender sensitive materials?Include complementary literacy activities?

Final remarks We need a baseline of indicators and more information on

women's characteristics (it is important to deepen our knowledge of their specific circumstances to find out the underlying realities that affect gender equality. For example: share of tasks in the production process, educational gap, use of income by women)

The project may have to work on bridging the educational gap in order to ensure gender equality.

Literacy activities may be necessary to support the learning process of women and reduce the educational gap faster.