Portfolio Review VAWG Prevention and Response Opportunities in FY21 Pipeline IPF Projects in Central America Summary Note The ASA Mitigating Gender-Based Violence Risks and Expanding the GBV portfolio in Central America (P175262) carried out in FY21 aimed to develop and apply a methodology to screen World Bank (WB) projects across sectors to identify entry points for preventing and/or responding to gender-based violence (GBV) beyond actions to mitigate sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment (SH). The ASA comprises several documents that are intended primarily for WB task teams, who can help their clients adopt GBV prevention and response measures in projects across sectors. The present document uses a tool for integrating violence against women and girls (VAWG) actions in WB operations to identify a selected group of operations to address VAWG prevention and response actions that align to the scope of the operation. This document was prepared by Ursula Casabonne (Consultant) under the guidance of Manuel Contreras-Urbina (Senior Social Development Specialist) and Diana Catalina Buitrago Orozco (Consultant). Published: June 2023 Contents Acronyms 4 Background 6 Methodology for the Portfolio Review 8 Measuring Program Success 14 LC2 FY21 Projects and VAWG Entry Points 16 Guatemala 17 Guatemala - Responding to Covid-19: Modern and Resilient Agri-Food Value Chains (P173480) 17 Guatemala - Forest Governance and Livelihoods Diversification (P167131) 20 Guatemala - Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities(P170391) 25 Honduras 27 Honduras - Integrating Innovation for Rural Competitiveness in Honduras - COMRURAL III (P174328) 27 Honduras - Early Childhood Education Improvement Project (P169161) 30 Honduras - Early Childhood Development pilot with Afro-Honduran communities in the Atlántida (P171362) 33 *Honduras - AF Social Protection Integration Project (P175718) 37 *Honduras - Tropical Cyclones ETA and IOTA Emergency Recovery Project (P175977) 39 Nicaragua 42 *Nicaragua - Property Rights Strengthening Project (P163531) 42 Nicaragua - Covid 19 Education Sector Response Project (P174677) 45 Nicaragua - Dry Corridor Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Project (P164134) 46 Nicaragua - Water Management Capacity and Infrastructure Development Project (P164286) 48 Nicaragua - Hurricanes ETA and IOTA Emergency Response Project (P175878) 49 El Salvador 52 El Salvador - Integrated Landscape Management and Restoration (P170854) 52 *El Salvador - Geothermal Energy for a Sustainable Economic Recovery from the Covid-19 crisis in El Salvador (P170089) 53 *El Salvador - Growing Up Healthy Together: Comprehensive Early Childhood Development In El Salvador (P169677) 55 *El Salvador -Growing Up and Learning Together: Comprehensive Early Childhood Development in El Salvador Project (P171316) 59 Panama 62 *Panama - Sustainable Rural Development and Biodiversity Conservation (P174289) 62 Bibliography 62 Annex 1 69 World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 4 Acronyms World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 5 ACRONYMS AGR Agriculture CCT Conditional cash transfer COMRURAL Innovación para Competitividad Rural en Honduras (Integrating Innovation for Rural Competitiveness in Honduras) DRM Disaster Risk Management ECD Early childhood development EEX Energy and Extractives GBV Gender-Based Violence HNP Health, Nutrition, and Population IPF Investment Project Financing OM Operations Manual OPRs Rural Producers Organization PAD Project Appraisal Document PCN Project Concept Note PID Project Information Document PSDE Business Development Service Providers PTA Parent Teacher Associations SDS Social Development Specialist SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SH Sexual Harassment SPJ Social Protection and Jobs TA Technical Assistance TOR Terms of Reference TOT Training of trainers TTL Task Team Leader URL Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land VAWG Violence against Women and Girls WEE Women’s economic empowerment World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 6 Background World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 7 BACKGROUND This portfolio review is part of the ASA Mitigating VAWG response interventions involve actions that Gender-Based Violence risks and expanding the GBV focus on those affected by violence and on building portfolio in Central America (P175262) that aims systemic, organizational, and community capacity to to review LC21 projects both in the preparation and respond to them (UN Women 2015). Examples include implementation phases to identify key entry points to workplace policy to strengthen support for women address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). workers affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) (e.g., This portfolio review identifies actions in the LC2 paid leave provisions, co-worker sensitivity training), pipeline and some FY21 newly approved projects to legislative and procedural reform to strengthen access prevent and respond to Violence Against Women and to justice for victims of sexual assault, a psycho- Girls (VAWG). VAWG prevention interventions involve educational program for children who are exposed to actions to address factors leading to or protecting parental violence to address the consequences of this against VAWG, such as building social structures, exposure as a risk factor for future perpetration or norms, and practices that protect against VAWG and/ victimization. The portfolio review, however, does not or reduce the risk of it occurring, and/or reduce the focus on the actions to mitigate sexual exploitation risk of recurring exposure to/perpetration of violence, and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment (SH) involved and/or maximizing the prospects of rebuilding lives in major civil works. The process to screen projects and after violence and minimizing its impacts and reduce formulate SEA/SH mitigating actions are spelled out in the likelihood of recurrence in the longer term (UN the WB’s Environmental & Social Framework guidelines Women 2015). Examples of preventative interventions and related guiding notes. are building women’s economic independence while working with both men and women to strengthen equal and respectful relationships and shifting norms toward gender relations and VAWG through mutually reinforcing group education, community mobilization, and local media activities. 1 LC2 Country Management Unit (CMU) includes the following countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 8 Methodology for the Portfolio Review World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 9 METHODOLOGY FOR THE PORTFOLIO REVIEW The portfolio review was conducted following the c. Is there scope in the project to change harmful steps outlined below: gender norms that lead to VAWG at the community and household/beneficiary level and increase Step 1: Screening of projects: women’s agency and empowerment? The remaining 19 projects were excluded because The team revised Project Information Documents they did not present meaningful entry points for (PIDs), Project Concept Notes (PCNs), and in some VAWG prevention and response activities based on cases Project Appraisal Documents (PADs) and other the aforementioned criteria. Some of the reasons for corporate documents available in the operations exclusion were: portal relevant to LC2 to analyze their components and any GBV actions mentioned in the documents, — Projects were narrowly focused on a single objective and did the first cut of projects that had potential to such as strengthening the national public health include VAWG prevention and response components system to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic or or complementary and add-on activities that would building the statistical capacity in the Ministry be both easy to implement and potentially have an of Education with little room to add additional important impact/benefit. The projects that were activities. included were all pipeline and recently approved IPF — Projects focused on funding solely ‘brick and projects that amounted to 37 projects. Of these, 18 mortar’ improvements in infrastructure with no projects had the potential to address VAWG prevention scope for technical assistance for institutional and response actions. The screening was done based development or local/community level benefit- on three criteria (figure 1)2: sharing actions. a. Does the scope of the project allow for strengthening — Projects involved in sector-wide reforms in areas the national legal/policy framework on VAWG and where there is little scope for VAWG actions such changing harmful societal gender norms that lead as banking sector reforms. to VAWG? b. Does the scope of the project provide an opening to strengthen sectoral and institutional policies and practices to address VAWG prevention and response gaps? 2 The screening process and criteria is spelled out more detail in the methodological tool developed by the consultant. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 10 Table 1. Type of VAWG Prevention and Response Intervention by Level of Engagement POLICY INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNITY Laws and policies: Institutional reforms, capacity Community mobilization household building, and infrastructure behavior change: — National Plans for a improvements: comprehensive approach to — Community mobilization and gender-based violence — Policies, procedures and protocols mass media campaigns to change to improve the response of police, attitudes and increase access to — Ratification of international judges, transport sector social services human rights agreements — Sensitization and training — Gender dialogue groups and — Revision of the civil and penal of public administration family approaches to address code, specific legislation on family, professionals negative masculinities and men’s domestic or sexual violence attitudes to VAWG, working — Creation and improvement of Societal changes of gender norms: on men and women’s joint services for VAWG survivors — National and international decision-making power and (health, psychosocial legal, advocacy campaigns communication and negotiating protection, shelter, livelihoods) skills, building women’s and girls’ — Mass media ‘Entertainment- — Creation of women’s police self-esteem, power, and agency education’ (‘edutainment’) stations or cells, legal services programs Vulnerable women and girls: for women, court- appointed Data: advocates — Legal literacy training for groups such as women and youth; Legal — Supporting data collection on — Implementation and enforcement aid referrals and services gender-disaggregated land/ of sexual harassment laws, property ownership policies, codes of conduct in — Micro-credit and income- workplaces generating programs that integrate attention to GBV — Improved school infrastructure and (more rural schools; more — Employ strategies to boost female teachers; safe, working women’s self-worth, self-esteem, latrines for girls, etc.) and self-confidence through solidarity groups, peer networks, — The “whole school” approach to women business or agricultural educator training about GBV, GBV production associations, in schools’ curricula mentorship, and leadership skills building Source: Ursula Casabonne 2022. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 11 Step 2: Meetings with Social the team met with the TTLs and teams from some Development Specialists (SDS): projects to share the identified VAWG entry points and verify their availability and interest to incorporate The team reached out to the project SDS asking VAWG components/activities in the projects. them to preliminarily identify the pipeline and recently approved LC2 Investment Project. Financing (IPF) Step 3: Prioritization of projects: projects that in their view had the potential to include VAWG prevention and response actions and scheduled After meeting with all the SDSs, the team met to select a meeting to brainstorm VAWG prevention and a group of projects where the team could provide more response actions that could be feasibly included in the hands-on support to the project Task Teams. Out of project. The meetings helped to understand the context the preselected 18 projects, 10 projects were selected of the project, the potential openness of the Task Team for follow-up (table 1). The basis for the prioritization Leader (TTL) to include VAWG prevention and response was the openness and the interest of TTL, and the actions, and to discuss the possible VAWG prevention strategic alignment of the proposed action on VAWG actions. Before or after these meetings, the SDS sent prevention and response to the project’s components. the team the draft Gender Action Plans that were being The results of the prioritization included projects in a developed for each project, and the team then refined variety of sectors. the proposed actions for further discussion. Finally, Table 1. LC2 FY21 Pipeline Projects that have VAWG Potential Prevention / Response Entry Points Sectors Priority Projects Other Projects Agriculture — Guatemala - Responding to Covid-19: Modern and — Nicaragua -- Dry Corridor Nutrition-Sensitive Resilient Agri-Food Value Chains (P173480) Agriculture Project (P164134) — Panama - Sustainable Rural Development and Biodiversity Conservation (P174289) — Honduras - Integrating Innovation for Rural Competitiveness in Honduras (Comrural III) (P174328) Health, — El Salvador - Growing Up Healthy Together: — Honduras - Early Childhood Development Pilot Nutrition & Comprehensive Early Childhood Development with Afro Honduran Communities in The Atlántida Population (P169677) (P171362) (HNP) World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 12 Sectors Priority Projects Other Projects Education (EDU) — Honduras - Early Childhood Education — Nicaragua -- Covid 19 Education Sector Response Improvement Project (P169161) Project (P174677) Honduras – — El Salvador - Growing up and Learning Together: Comprehensive Early Childhood Development (P171316) Environment, — Guatemala -- Forest Governance and Livelihoods Natural Diversification in Guatemala (P167131) Resources — Guatemala - Dedicated Grant Mechanism and the Blue for Indigenous Peoples and Local Economy (ENB Communities(P170391) — El Salvador - Integrated Landscape Management And Restoration (P170854) Social — Honduras - AF Social Protection Integration Protection and Project (P175718) Jobs (SPJ) Urban, Disaster — Nicaragua -Property Rights Strengthening Project — Nicaragua - Hurricanes Eta and Iota Emergency Risk, Resilience, (P163531) Response Project (P175878) and Land (URL) — Honduras - Tropical Cyclones ETA and IOTA Emergency Recovery Project (P175977) Extractive and — El Salvador -Geothermal Energy for a Sustainable Extractives Economic Recovery from the Covid-19 crisis (EEX) (P170089) Water — Nicaragua - Water Management Capacity and Infrastructure Development Project (P164286) World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 13 Step 4: Communication with TTLs: Step 6: Provide implementation support to the Task Team on implementing the After the refinement of proposed VAWG prevention VAWG prevention and response actions: and response actions, the team communicated with TTLs showcasing the outcomes of the discussions with This may include drafting Terms of Reference (TOR) for the SDS with a request to hold follow-up meetings. VAWG Specialists to be hired by the project, providing input to the project’s Operations Manual (OM) to include Following the steps outlined above, the roadmap for the VAWG prevention and response activities, providing inclusion of VAWG prevention and response actions comments and feedback to consultant’s outputs and includes the following remaining steps: deliverables such as the design of communications campaigns on VAWG, the curriculum for the training of Step 5: Include VAWG Prevention and trainers (TOT), etc. Response Actions and Results Chain in the PAD: Based on the conversations with TTLs and the agreed actions to be included in the PAD and the project’s Gender Action Plans (if one is being drafted), the team will provide input to the PAD that describes the analysis, activities, and corresponding VAWG prevention and response indicators that would satisfy the ‘gender tag’ requirement. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 14 Measuring Program Success World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 15 MEASURING PROGRAM SUCCESS World Bank projects can be leveraged to address VAW a. Number of projects (IPFs) that include GBV activities prevention and response activities. The ultimate goal in the PAD with financial resources allocated. of this program is to develop activities within WB projects to strengthen sectoral and institutional legal b. Number of projects that obtain WB Gender TAG frameworks and programmatic interventions that with GBV activities. contribute to the reduction of cases of VAW in LC2 region. To monitor the success of the program, the following indicators will be included: World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 16 Central America FY21 Projects and VAWG Entry Points World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 17 CENTRAL AMERICA FY21 PROJECTS AND VAWG ENTRY POINTS This section provides key project information and identifies entry points and VAWG prevention and response actions. Guatemala *3 Guatemala - Responding to Covid-19: Modern and Resilient Agri-Food Value Chains (P173480) TTL Katie Kennedy Freeman SDS Erika Piber Project PDO Promote an agro-industrialization strategy that reduces food losses, increases the adoption of climate-resilient technologies and supports the COVID-19 emergency response for beneficiaries in select value chains. Geographic scope Nationwide Sector Agriculture and Food Beneficiaries Approximately 1,900 MSME agro-industrial enterprises and their members nationwide. Other direct beneficiaries include 9,000 job seekers (50 percent women) who will receive training and job search assistance. The Project will also reach approximately 100,000 people including through its communications campaigns and among others, benefit individual producers through the institutional strengthening of key public sector institutions in the agri-food systems. Project Implementation Vice Ministry of Investment and Competition of MINECO (Ministry of Economy) through Unit (PIU) PRONACOM (Programa Nacional de Competitividad) Implementation period 2021 –2026 3 Priority projects are marked with an asterisk (*). World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 18 Relevant Project Background Information: first being a simple, standardized business plan proposal with minimal time requirements, to avoid The project has a very detailed gender assessment discouraging overloaded women from applying. and action plan. Key elements of the action plan are detailed below. — The committee that will review and approve the business proposals will include members of Component 1: Productive and inclusive MINECO’s gender unit; this will help to lessen the transformation of the agri-food system, post institutional strengthening gap by increasing COVID-19: institutional ownership. — Specific calls for proposals for Micro, Small & — The Project will hire and train women field Medium Enterprises (MSME) led by women, to technicians and extensionists, thus lessening lessen the entrepreneurship gap. employment and human capital gaps. — Specific outreach activities to socialize training — Women’s groups, groups led by women, or any opportunities in agro-industrial jobs for women, to other configuration of women-participated agri- lessen gender stereotypes that frame women as business or agroindustry (specified in the Gender less capable and fit for agro-industrial jobs. Strategy and Action Plan) will benefit from facilitated conditions in terms of matching fund — Specific digital literacy training for women, youth, requirements for their business proposals. This and Indigenous Peoples, to close the digital literacy will help to compensate for gender gaps in terms gap. of wealth levels (income and assets) and lessen entrepreneurship gaps. — Facilitated access to the online labor-matching platform to ensure that all graduated workers have — The Project will encourage the submission of the same access to it (particularly women, youth, proposals by women groups by promoting and Indigenous Peoples who do not usually own a the creation of women and youth groups and phone), to lessen the digital gap. cooperatives. This will be done through targeted training and capacity building, thus lessening — Women and Indigenous groups will have the option entrepreneurship, association, and human capital to receive additional support from the Project gaps. to ensure that illiteracy is not an obstacle to participation, to lessen the human capital gap. — The Innovation Challenge Mechanism will have a dedicated window for the creation of gender- — The selection process for the demand-driven sensitive innovations, thus lessening the gap in mechanism will be divided into two steps, the accessing assets. Consideration will be given to World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 19 young female innovators, to promote participation Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Actions: Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and help lessen gender stereotypes and entrepreneurship gaps. Training for employability in Component 1 could include community-level awareness-raising training Component 4. Monitoring, evaluation, and project on harmful gender norms that lead to VAWG and management and cross-cutting topics: consequences of VAWG, as well as soft skills training to emphasize confidence, empowerment, agency, — Institutional level: To ensure gender inclusion across leadership. An example of this type of intervention is the Project activities, different types of training will be community mobilization program SASA! developed by organized to sensitize all Project team members Raising Voices in Kampala Uganda and implemented and recruited operators. Community level: To in 20 countries including. A randomized control trial encourage all genders to partake as agents of evidenced SASA!’s effectiveness in preventing intimate change and act against negative stereotypes partner violence against women and that change can and behaviors, the Project will invite women, occur at a community level (Abramsky, et al. n.d.).4 couples, and male and female leaders from local communities in Project sites to participate in Component 2 includes gender training or project gender-sensitivity training. This will contribute to staff at the community level, the latter could include lessening gender stereotypes and social norms, awareness-raising on harmful gender norms that lead indirectly reducing GBV. to VAWG. At the community level, an example of this type of training is the one conducted by the Centro Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response de Prevención de la Violencia (CEPREV) in Nicaragua Actions: on intra-familial and juvenile violence prevention. The training video of this program exemplifies the VAWG Increasing income/ participation of women in income- prevention community sensitization and training. In generating activities can lead to a shift to power Nicaragua, it has helped reduce gang violence in many structures that can lead to interpersonal violence. The areas of the capital, Managua, promoting reconciliation Covid-19 pandemic increases the risk of GBV. Emerging and social and workplace integration. Its model has evidence suggests that intimate partner violence been expanded and developed through workshops, and child abuse has increased with the Covid-19 conferences, and talks with people representing pandemic as the additional economic, financial, and hundreds of government, civil society, university, and health stressors in the household increase tensions church groups, in Central America and the broader contributing to domestic violence. continent. 4 See the SASA! Activist Kit, a comprehensive toolkit based on extensive field testing. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 20 Guatemala - Forest Governance and Livelihoods Diversification (P167131) TTL Philippe Dardel SDS Ricardo Marten Project PDO Strengthen forest governance and increase access to diversified livelihood activities for forest-dependent communities in selected areas in Guatemala. Geographic scope Nationwide Sector Environment, Natural Resources & the Blue Economy Beneficiaries Beneficiaries will include the regional governments and actors such as community groups, indigenous peoples, and small and medium-sized producers. Project Implementation Instituto Nacional de Bosques (INAB) Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 31-Mar-2021 Relevant Project Background Information: Ministry of Education. Component 2: Increasing Diversification of Forest- Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response Based Livelihoods: Sub-component 2.1 aims to develop Actions: and implement Mechanisms of Compensation for Environmental and Ecosystem Services Mechanisms Women play a vital role in forest conservation. Women (MCEESs) associated with forests and Subcomponent interact daily with forests and other ecosystems, 2.2 will support the program for the diversification relying on them for household needs and their and strengthening of livelihoods for forest-dependent livelihoods, but also conservation and restoration. communities (through non-timber forest products, Women’s increased participation and decision-making agroforestry, and sustainable tourism). in forest use and conservation groups have been shown to lead to greater improvements in the condition of Component 3: Communication and Outreach: This forests. In addition, VAWG greatly undermines the component seeks to support the development of a communities’ abilities to concretely defend their forests communications strategy and materials to disseminate and territories from mainly corporate and state-led information and results from the strategies described threats. Women bear the brunt of the harsh impacts above. Furthermore, it will support the forestry of their communities being enveloped in conflict and education program developed in coordination with the mega-projects that displace them from their lands and World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 21 destroy their ecosystems. Increased levels of domestic female and male trainees/beneficiaries, as well as soft violence in these particular regions continue to be skills training to women that emphasizes confidence, witnessed and thus necessitating a sharper analysis empowerment, agency, leadership. The Kerr-Wilson of the causes of intimate violence that is located in the et al (2020) meta-analysis of randomized control wider structural socio-economic and political contexts trials (RCTs) of interventions to reduce VAWG found within various communities. Stand-alone training that combined economic empowerment and social on GBV prevention often discourages both men and empowerment interventions are effective in reducing women from attending, given the stigma associated women’s experiences of intimate partner violence with GBV. In response, agricultural projects can adopt (IPV). Short-term two-component interventions an integrated approach that combines the provision worked better with older (>30) women, in more stable of technical advice and extension services with life contexts; for adolescents, longer-term, multi-layered skills using men and women trainers. For example, the interventions were more effective. One study showed Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) farmer field that engaging men directly in these interventions and life schools introduce social and legal issues in a (rather than as women’s partners) could reduce men’s participatory group-learning environment (FAO 2010). self-reported perpetration of IPV. There is very limited This has been instrumental in changing behavior, evidence that short-term two-component interventions particularly social and gender attitudes. Using farmer work with young women and adolescents in complex fields and life schools to implement agricultural and contexts. Two examples of VAWG prevention training food security interventions can play a valuable role in for adolescents are Stepping Stones (box 3) and making interventions relevant to GBV. This is because Creating Futures in South Africa. (Gibbs, et al. 2019) it not only transfers agricultural knowledge and skills, (see training materials and the learning curriculum). but also provides to the beneficiaries a platform to discuss and understand the causes and factors The project can also provide linkages and referrals that contribute to GBV within their communities, its to GBV prevention and response service providers to implications for rural livelihoods, and possible solutions female beneficiaries. Therefore, the above-mentioned to address it. VAWG entry point can be complemented as part of Component 3 by a communications campaign to Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response advocating respectful relationships between men and Actions: women, increase awareness and understanding of the phenomenon of VAWG and domestic violence and its Component 2.2: Support the program for the impact on children (box 1 for important considerations diversification and strengthening of livelihoods for when designing communications campaign on forest-dependent communities (through non-timber VAWG). For example, in South Africa, Soul City used forest products, agroforestry, and sustainable edutainment by integrating social issues into popular tourism): Diversification of livelihoods activities such and high-quality entertainment formats– prime time as training could be broadened to encompass training television drama, radio drama, and print media- based on harmful gender norms that lead to VAWG to on a thorough research process (box 2). World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 22 Box 1. Important Considerations to Guide the Design of Communications Campaigns to Address Social Norms linked to VAWG Evaluations and assessments of communication and media intervention to change social norms provide several important considerations for their design, including: — Baseline studies can help identify the (i) problem, the target of social norms and behaviors, and (ii) the target social audience. In addition to providing an essential reference point for future impact studies, baseline studies allow tuning a social norms message to the correct group, to the existing social norms within that group, and to the wider social environment in which that group exists. Baseline research also helps to identify power brokers in the community, to identify behavioral “channels” (such as confidential and relatively easy-to-access hotlines for victims of VAWG) to allow people to act upon a new social norm, and to understand how that group accesses news and entertainment and interacts in their community. — Pilot the communication intervention. Before any intervention begins, a pilot period in which programmers test, redevelop, and retest culturally and normatively relevant messages are necessary. — Norms change communication campaigns should target injunctive rather than descriptive norms. One common problem with social norms marketing campaigns is their focus on awareness-raising. For example, in the DRC, a billboard campaign featured graphic pictures of gangs of men and their victims either just before or just after rape. The words on the billboards typically said, “Stop Rape” but the image communicates the idea that “Rape is common. This happens in our community. This is normal.” Awareness campaigns can often propagate a descriptive norm that violent behavior is prevalent in the community, perhaps licensing violent behavior rather than activating behavior to reduce VAWG. Norms change campaigns should focus instead on messages about injunctive norms because they discourage the behavior. — Norm change is particularly likely in homogenous, tightly knit groups in which there is private dissent against the current norm. Social norms are most likely to affect behavior when individuals know that the norm will be enforced by people who are present in their everyday lives. In heterogeneous communities, individuals may follow the norms of smaller sub-communities or may know that breaking a social norm will not result in sanctions from community members who live nearby, who matter to them, or who are often physically present. Thus, social norm interventions should be calibrated to social groups that are cohesive, important to their members, and salient in many aspects of the individuals’ lives. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 23 — When there is some degree of private disagreement with an existing norm, attempts to change that norm will be more successful. To give an example: people have multiple reasons to want to report a neighbor’s abuse, including concern for the abused spouse and her children, concern that impunity for abusers encourages further abuse throughout the community, and even simple concern for peace. However, individuals wishing to report abuse may be constrained by a perceived social norm that violence in the home is a private affair. A social norms campaign aiming to change the injunctive norm, promoting the idea that “in this community, violence anywhere is a community affair,” may license the individual privately inclined to report abuse to do so. — It is necessary to replace an old norm with a new one. A successfully weakened norm will rebound if a new one does not replace it. Norms exist for a reason: they provide the rules for how to belong to a group. Given that people feel a need for belonging, weakening a norm leaves a void that should be filled by a newer positive norm. Many domestic abuse interventions, for example, use skills training and relationship modeling to provide couples with a model of healthy relationship strategies following programming that seeks to disrupt dysfunctional ideas about what is typical or desirable in a relationship. — Norms campaigns should “channel” individuals into opportunities to act on the new norm. A final condition that ensures the long-term success of a norm change campaign is the connection of the social norms to an outlet that facilitates the newly normative behavior. Psychologists call these outlets ‘channel factors.’ Channel factors channel people into, for example, services, activities, or social support networks. A campaign that is conducted with channel factors is more enduring because it both changes perceptions of the norm and makes it easier for people to behave in accordance with the new norm. Evidence suggests that messages are likely to have a higher impact when they are reinforced through multiple channels and platforms. Channels are classified as mass media (print, television, radio, film), interpersonal or group media (counseling and outreach, community sessions, peer-to-peer communication, public forums), folk or local media (participatory theatre, puppetry, songs, traditional performances), and digital media or interactive technologies (mobile phones, internet). All channels can include participatory tools, such as community radio, talk shows, community-led television programs, participatory videos, phone or SMS interaction, or community-based discussion. It is important to note that while activities are a critical part of communication for social change, it is the combination of several coordinated, systematically planned, and sustained activities that result in measurable and meaningful change. The integrated whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Source: Paluck & Ball, 2010 World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 24 Box 2. Good Practice Example of Interventions to Foster Behavior Change: Soul City, South Africa The Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication—a South African multi-media health promotion project—together with the National Network on Violence Against Women, formulated an intervention to address domestic violence. Recognizing that behavioral change interventions aimed solely at individuals have limited impact, the intervention was designed to impact at multiple mutually reinforcing levels; individual, community, and socio-political environment. Domestic violence was a major theme in the fourth series of Soul City. Soul City recognized early on that behavior change intervention aimed solely at individuals has limited impact, so the intervention must address multiple, mutually reinforcing levels: individual, community, and socio-political environment. — At the individual level, Soul City sought to 1) shift attitudes, awareness, knowledge, intentions, and practice; 2) enhance self-efficacy; 3) increase supportive behaviors, and 4) connect people to support services. — At the interpersonal and community level the objectives were to 1) promote interpersonal and community dialogue; 2) promote community action; and 3) shift social norms. — At the societal level the program aimed to 1) increase public debate in the national media and 2) advocate for the speedy implementation of the Domestic Violence Act. To achieve these objectives, the program used a multifaceted strategy combining advocacy, social mobilization, and media. The high-quality multimedia campaign consisted of prime-time radio and television dramas, print materials, and community events based on the entertainment-education format. Entertainment education has been effective in promoting social change, self-, and collective efficacy, and role modeling of positive norms, attitudes, and behaviors, such as help-seeking and help-giving actions. Community action and sustained advocacy were built into the narrative of the drama and other materials. Soul City is noted for the robust evaluation that accompanies its programming. Soul City demonstrated a positive impact, reaching 86 percent, 25 percent, and 65 percent of audiences through television, printed booklets, and radio, respectively. Shifts in knowledge around domestic violence were noted with 41 percent of respondents hearing about the helpline. Additionally, attitudinal shifts were observed with a 10 percent increase in respondents disagreeing that domestic violence was a private affair. Qualitative findings highlight an increase in women’s and communities’ sense of efficacy, enabling women to make more effective decisions World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 25 around their health and communities to take action. At the policy level, the evaluation ascertains that the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act can largely be attributed to the intervention. The evaluation shows a strong association between exposure to the intervention components and a range of intermediary factors indicative of and necessary to bring about social change (Usdin, Scheepers, Goldstein and Japhet, 2005) Key learnings from Soul City: — The need to address multiple levels of change, i.e., individual, community, and society, when designing C4D interventions to respond to VAW. — The importance of integrated approaches to ensure that changes in knowledge go hand in hand with the availability of services and supportive legislation. In this case, it was the helpline and the Domestic Violence Act. The intervention targeted social change at three levels (individual, community, and socio-political) by taking an ecological approach. Source: Usdin, Scheepers, Goldstein, & Japheta, 2005 Guatemala - Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities(P170391) TTL Philippe Dardel and Dianna Pizarro SDS Ricardo Marten Project PDO Strengthen the capacity of, and benefits gained by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in their role in sustainable forest and natural resource management. Geographic scope Nationwide Sector Environment, Natural Resources & the Blue Economy World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 26 Beneficiaries The Project will directly benefit approximately 1,700,034 forest-dependent Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) members through support for their subprojects in cultural and sustainable forest management, productive activities, development of forest products, and/or food security. Gender-specific activities and indicators to measure progress have been included to promote the inclusion of women as direct beneficiaries, both in the participation processes to be supported (30 percent of delegations of dialogue processes shall be made up of women) and through the livelihood and food security subprojects (30 percent of subprojects should be led by women or have women as the majority of their direct beneficiaries). Project Implementation National DGM Committee Unit (PIU) Implementation period Feb-2021 – Dec 2025 Relevant Project Background Information: in all the project beneficiary households and their communities. This component will finance technical Components: assistance (consultancy services), goods, training, and operational costs to develop and promote the use of — Component 1: Support for traditional IPLCs’ forest communication tools, such as information campaigns, management systems and enabling conditions for training materials, workshops, focus groups to their sustainability promote food and nutritional security. These include (1) helping households in the Dry Corridor to identify — Component 2: Support for forest dependent IPLCs’ nutritional deficiencies and how to meet minimum economies and food security nutritional demands of the family, (2) promoting intake of food varieties and/or groups with high nutritional — Component 3: Project administration, monitoring, value, (3) promoting crops and livestock production and evaluation that complement nutrient deficiency, (4) identifying improved post-harvest management practices Component 2: Support for forest dependent that improve the quantity and nutritional quality of IPLCs’ economies and food security: Promoting agricultural produce (5) identifying bio-safe foods. improved food and nutrition security by promoting In light of COVID-19, the information campaign will NSA approaches through an information campaign. also promote Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) The objective of this Component is to provide practices for improved awareness to elicit behavioral complementary support to Component 1 to improve change per World Bank guidance.5 The communication food and nutrition security, and nutrition practices 5 https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/wash-water-sanitation-hygiene-and-covid-19 World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 27 methodologies, materials, and activities will door activities, and broader workshops. The community target the beneficiaries and their families, and the agents will be held accountable for monitoring the communities, and will promote behavioral change in dissemination of information of raising awareness in food and nutrition security. In all activities related to the localities. information dissemination such as media campaigns, training, workshops, and others, the project will include Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response information about the prevention and reduction of Actions: COVID-19 spread. During implementation, the project coordination unit (PCU) will develop training that An information campaign targeting farming adapts to situations under COVID-19 considering communities/ households is already planned, which government biosafety guidelines and regulations. can be leveraged through the same dissemination formats to include VAWG prevention messages. Nutritional and food security information will be shared with all beneficiary producer households as well as the Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response community (and involve local agents). Information Actions: will be prepared in consultation with the community. The goal of providing nutritional information to both Piggy-back on the communication campaign beneficiary households and communities is to ensure (Component 2) to advocate for respectful relationships long-run behavioral change and adaptation by the between men and women, increase awareness and whole community. The idea is to create community understanding of the phenomenon of VAWG and awareness on nutrition, but also support beneficiary domestic violence and its impact on children. Different households with more holistic interventions including channels can be used including radio, advertising productivity and income driving interventions to boost posters in public spaces (such as billboards in main overall household welfare. Community agents will be squares, bus shelters, train stations, etc.), distribution responsible for providing information to beneficiary of flyers, postcards, packaging such as in bakery bags, households as well as others, both through door-to- etc. Honduras *Honduras - Integrating Innovation for Rural Competitiveness in Honduras - COMRURAL III (P174328) TTL Augusto Garcia SDS Erika Piber World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 28 Project PDO Improve access to markets and climate-smart practices and contribute to the economic inclusion of targeted beneficiaries in select agricultural value chains. Geographic scope Nationwide Sector Agriculture Beneficiaries Rural Development Department, INVEST-H, although fiduciary management remains with the Ministry of Finance (SEFIN). Project Implementation 2020-2026 Unit (PIU) Implementation period 2021 –2026 Relevant Project Background Information: influence females’ capacity to participate in productive activities; and (5) female-specific needs regarding The project seeks to increase productivity and training, mentoring programs, social networks, and competitiveness for small-scale rural producers of access to finance. Second, the selection process for the coffee, dairy, honey, and other products in Honduras development and implementation of business plans through the implementation of business plans to will allocate a certain number of additional points to improve and add value to their products as well as to organizations of rural producers that have females directly connect them with the market. Of the direct on their Boards of Directors, and to those that have a beneficiaries, approximately 28 percent are women. minimum of 30 percent of households led by women The Project Document of Comrural II specifies that among their members; this process will be detailed the project addresses gender gaps on three levels. in the Project Operational Manual (POM). Third, the First, the preparation of business profiles will include, ESMF will include activities to address the identified based on the provisions of the Environmental and gender gaps in each of the subprojects, helping to Social Management Framework (ESMF), an analysis ensure inclusion of the specific needs, concerns, and of relevant gender gaps. The analysis will address aspirations of women in the design of Business Profiles (1) differentiated roles of males and females in each and promote the implementation of those that help to group and the primary value chains in which they address these issues. Through this strategy, the project participate; (2) factors of production and other inputs endeavors to reach a target of 25 percent female upon which females depend; (3) key production, beneficiaries and 25 percent of jobs created under the market, commercialization, finance, and other barriers project going to women. Progress on this target will faced by females; (4) social and family dynamics be monitored in the Results Framework through two (such as domestic workload and domestic abuse) that indicators. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 29 Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response community. Actions: — Workshops with small groups of women and Increasing income/ participation of women in income- their partners to facilitate critical reflection on generating activities can lead to a shift to power gender norms and the characteristics of healthy structures that can lead to interpersonal violence. relationships Covid-19 pandemic increases the risk of GBV. Emerging evidence suggests that intimate partner violence and — Assist women OPR members to open bank accounts child abuse has increased with the outbreak of the and ensure that agricultural clients/buyers can coronavirus as women, girls, and boys are stuck at establish automatic payment mechanisms that home with abusive family members. The additional deposit money directly into a woman’s bank economic, financial, and health stressors in the account instead of making cash payments. household increase tensions and contribute to the risk of violence. — ‘Soft skills training’ for women members of the OPRs to increase their empowerment and leadership and Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response other strategies that may include the participation Actions: of men to address the issue of social and gender norms. For example, in Cote D’Ivoire, gender- Component 1: Improving competitiveness and dialogue groups supplemented Village Savings resilience in prioritized value chains: Within the and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to address norms, technical, financial, social, and environmental criteria attitudes, and relationship dynamics, with some for the selection of Rural Producers Organizations positive impacts on reducing violence against (OPRs), include concrete actions to prevent/respond to women (Gupta, et al. 2013). In South Africa, VAWG, for example: the RCT of the IMAGE program that combined microfinance and ten gender-transformative group — Carry out a risk mitigation plan including simple sessions for women, alongside community action activities, such as offering separate toilets for men around gender and violence found that after two and women during training and specific training years, women who had received the intervention modules on GBV. had a 55 percent reduction in physical IPV (P. M. Pronyk, et al. 2006). — Workshops to raise awareness among OPR members about the causes and consequences Component 3: Support the adoption of technologies of violence against women and girls and discuss for enabling the agribusiness environment: As part the potential implications of female economic of the design of specialized agricultural education empowerment and gender violence, about the programs (aimed at youth, women, indigenous peoples, change in power relations within the home and and Afro-descendants) to support the modernization World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 30 of public agricultural schools, design and implement The training aims to help reflection and awareness an interactive educational curriculum/module based on how to recognize and change attitudes and on activities and exercises to help reflect and raise behaviors that reinforce harmful stereotyped awareness on how to recognize and change attitudes gender norms that lead to gender violence, as well and behaviors that reinforce stereotypical gender norms as understand the root causes of violence against and gender inequality, as well as understand the root women in their communities and their impact on causes of violence against women in their communities women and families. and its impact on women and families. For example, in South Africa, ‘Intervention with Microfinance — Collection of data in the framework of surveys for AIDS and Gender Equity’ (IMAGE) combined a or qualitative studies on the impact of women’s participatory learning and action curriculum on VAWG participation in PROs on their capacity for action with a microfinance-based women’s empowerment and decision (‘agency’), self-esteem, decision- intervention, which resulted in a significant reduction making power within the household, relationship in IPV experienced by women (Pronyk, Hargreaves and with their partner, etc. The WHO’s (2005) al. 2006). guidelines on Researching Violence Against Women presents methods for performing surveys Component 4: Project Management: and qualitative research on gender-based violence in low-resource settings. It covers all aspects of — Design and deliver a ‘Training of Trainers’ (TOT) the research process, from study design to training curriculum to Business Development Service field workers; and presents clear guidelines for Providers (PSDE), which in turn will provide training protecting the safety of women participating in to OPR members on gender/gender violence issues). the research (Ellsberg and Heise 2005). *Honduras - Early Childhood Education Improvement Project (P169161) TTL Shawn Michael Powers SDS Norman Howard Taylor Project PDO Improve (1) SE’s institutional capacity for preschool management; (2) teaching practices of preschool teachers and Educators; and (3) physical learning environments in preschools serving children in Targeted Areas. Geographic scope Municipalities in the departments of Gracias a Dios, Olancho, Yoro, Copan, Lempira, and el Paraíso. Sector Education World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 31 Beneficiaries The Project would benefit approximately 178,400 preschool students (80 percent of the total number of preschool students), who will receive enhanced pedagogical practices and access to improved learning materials. About 7,900 teachers in Preschool Education Centers (Centro de Educación Prebásica, (CEPB) and Educators in Preschool Education Community Centers (Centros Comunitarios de Educación Pre-Básica, (65 percent of the total number of preschool teachers) will benefit from quality in-service training, learning materials, and personalized coaching. Finally, the Project will benefit Ministry of Education (Secretaría de Educación) staff, particularly, Preschool Education Subdirectorate (Subdireccción General de Educación Prebásica) , UPEG, the General Directorate for Professional Development (Dirección General de Desarrollo Profesional, DGDP), and the General Directorate for School Construction and Property (Dirección General de Construcciones Escolares y Bienes Inmuebles, DIGECEBI) by strengthening their capacity to manage preschool education. Project Implementation Ministry of Education (Secretaría de Educación - SE) Unit (PIU) Implementation period 2020-2025 Relevant Project Background Information: of improved pedagogical practices This subcomponent will enhance in-service training for Component 1: Strengthening SE’s Institutional preschool teachers with an emphasis on the updated Capacity for Preschool Management, including in curricular design and learning materials. The in- Disbursement-Linked Indicators – DLIs). service training program under Subcomponent 2.2 will also include content on gender biases, inclusive Component 2: Updating the Curricular Design for all education, and violence prevention (including Preschool Service Modalities and Improving Teaching gender-based) to ensure the increased awareness Practices in CEPB and CCEPREB: and ability of teachers to address these issues. Activities financed under this subcomponent — Subcomponent 2.1. Upgrade of the current include: (1) developing and disseminating a manual preschool curricular design and associated of good teaching practices for preschool education; learning materials, and their provision. The revised (2) developing an articulated training strategy for preschool curricular design and associated preschool teachers and Educators; (3) designing learning materials will include content to promote the new Preschool Teacher and Educator Training gender equity, inclusion, and violence prevention, Program focused on key pedagogical practices as well as incorporate material on climate change tailored to preschool needs and core curriculum adaptation and mitigation. content and materials. The Training Program will incorporate content on gender, special education — Subcomponent 2.2. Support the implementation needs, and violence prevention (including VAW). World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 32 Component 3: Improving Physical Learning to evaluate their attitudes towards gender-based Environments in Selected Preschools Serving violence and reflect on the implicit messages conveyed Children in Targeted Areas. through their words and actions. Understanding the dynamics of gender-based violence in schools enables Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response these teachers to incorporate activities to reduce the Actions: problem into their daily routines. A manual, Opening Our Eyes: Addressing gender-based violence in South Training for parents on positive disciplines to reject the African schools, as created for teachers and school use of violence as a teaching tool can be a powerful administrators as a tool for professional development preventative approach to VAWG, as studies have shown and a starting point from which to develop whole- that corporal punishment on children is positively school approaches and policies. related to bullying behaviors and use of violence (Pisani and Martins 2016). Incorporate GBV prevention messages into education- related community outreach and awareness-raising Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response activities. Schools could also be a point of reference Actions: for disseminating information in the community about GBV risks and protective factors related to education, As part of the in-service training for preschool where to report risk, and how to access care for teachers’ subcomponent, training teachers on gender GBV, for example through community dialogues; norms that lead to VAWG, gender-sensitive teaching workshops; meetings with community leaders; GBV strategies, and positive parenting so that they can messaging; meetings with PTAs and parent groups; both put into practice those skills in class and provide etc.). For example, in Ghana and Malawi, the Safe guidance to parents on positive parenting, non- Schools program implemented by DevTech Systems, violent communication, as well as build awareness Inc., included interventions at multiple levels: national among parents about how to recognize and change (advocacy campaigns to raise awareness on violence their attitudes/behaviors that may reinforce gender- that occurs at and on the way to and from schools), stereotypical norms. The training can engage teachers institutional (sensitization training of teachers and and education staff in discussions around creating a supervisors and creating relevant codes of conduct), culture of non-violence; challenging beliefs around local (work with local leaders and community masculinity that condone GBV; and what their role can organizations to strengthen capacity) and individual be in creating safe and non-threatening environments (training teachers to train students on attitudes and for all students and teachers. In Africa and Central and knowledge on gender-related issues). An evaluation South Asia, these interventions are effective in reducing of the program found that among both teachers and violence when using participatory methods, building students, there were shifts in the knowledge of gender- skills, and addressing violence prevention through a based violence, increased awareness of rights, and gender lens (Kerr-Wilson, et al. 2020). For example, a reductions in acceptability toward violence (USAID project in South Africa asks primary school teachers 2008). World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 33 Establishing Codes of Conduct (CoC) in schools and of the pilot (implemented between 2008 and 2011) ensuring all teachers and other education personnel showed that, throughout the program, participating understand and have signed a code of conduct students grew more supportive of girls pursuing higher related to the prevention of violence against children education and marrying later in life, and of boys and and youth and other related child protection issues. men contributing to household work. Ensure that the code of conduct has specific provisions related to sexual exploitation and abuse of students Key resources for including VAWG prevention by teachers and mechanisms to address these types interventions as part of education sector programs of incidents are included in the project GRM and the include: Labor-Management Plans (LMPs). — ENDVAWNOW Programming Guidance in Sensitize and empower teachers to challenge existing Education discriminatory gender norms that promote gender inequality and violence against their students (girls and — The Global Women’s Institute’s Evidence Brief boys) as well as among colleagues and women and men School-Based Interventions to Prevent Violence in their communities. For example, in India, the Gender Against Women & Girls provides an overview of Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) was a curriculum select school-based interventions that aim to implemented in public schools to engage young girls prevent VAWG or improve knowledge and attitudes and boys ages 12–14, to promote gender equality by that perpetuate VAWG. encouraging equal relationships, critical examination of social norms defining gender roles and responsibilities, — United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and questioning the perpetuation of gender-based End School-Related Gender-Based Violence violence. It was first implemented as a pilot program Resources to help eliminate SRGBV in Goa, Kota, and Mumbai and later scaled up to 250 schools across the country. An evaluation study — Raising Voices. Good School Toolkit Honduras - Early Childhood Development pilot with Afro-Honduran communities in the Atlántida (P171362)6 TTL Shawn Michael Powers SDS Norman Howard Taylor 6 Related to Honduras Early Childhood Education Improvement Project (P169161) (TTL: Alonso Sanchez, Enrique O. Alasino Massetti) FY20 approved project. The project’s PDO is to improve (1) SE’s institutional capacity for preschool management; (2) teaching practices of preschool teachers and educators; and (3) physical learning environments in preschools serving children in targeted areas. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 34 Project PDO Improve early childhood development in terms of health and nutrition outcomes among children under 5 years of age of the Atlántida’s region in Honduras. Geographic scope The Atlántida department is located on the north Caribbean shore of the country. It is home to 600,000 Garifuna population of Honduras. Sector HNP Beneficiaries The target population for the Project’s intervention is 10,245 pregnant women and 60,056 children (30,558 boys and 29,498 girls) including afro-Honduran communities. Implementation Unit (PIU) Secretariat for Development and Social Inclusion - SEDIS Implementation period 2021-2023 Relevant Project Background Information: Through the creation of a network of community volunteers, it seeks to provide frequent and personalized The project will support the implementation of an early accompaniment to families of children under 5 years child development program in Atlántida by focusing on of age and pregnant women, through the provision of the provision of ECD services included in the National home visits and/or group meetings in the community Program “Rising with Love” —a program that has a to (1) guide early childhood development; (2) monitor package of basic and priority services for children the integral development of children; (3) strengthen under 5 years of age and their families— but adapted parenting skills and health care education for mothers, to the Afro-Honduran population and including and fathers, and caregivers; (4) provide tools and conditions innovated piece of developing household training that generate learning opportunities through play; abilities towards increasing household income levels as and (5) promote demand for the use of maternal and well as increase the shared capacity of SEDIS, SESAL, child health services (through targeted monitoring of and other institutions to ensure adequate coverage and attendance at pregnancy and puerperium controls, quality of services and an improvement in living and child vaccination scheme, assistance with health health standards of Garifuna mothers and children. and growth controls and delivery of information Community volunteer agents selected from among on recognition of warning signs during pregnancy the members of the communities will be key for the and concerning prevalent childhood diseases). development of these activities. They will be responsible Simultaneously this subcomponent will finance training, for executing home visits and community meetings. and supervision of community volunteer networks Volunteers will work directly with the primary health that will support primary health teams through the: (1) teams and follow an organized schedule of home visits promotion of early childhood development, nutrition, in addition to community meetings. and positive and respectful parenting practices; (2) appropriate use of health services; (3) detection of World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 35 early childhood development delays; (4) activation of disciplinary methods, and children who suffer corporal services such as home visits and specialist referrals punishment at home are more likely to be involved whether that be through the health network or local in violent conduct against other children and adults. interventions that are in execution; and (5) purchase (UNICEF 2017). Furthermore, working with men as of materials for volunteers, and participants. The fathers is a key entry point to discussing sensitive abilities of the volunteer and primary health teams will subjects around traditional gender norms, and how be improved through thematic training related to: (1) these norms negatively impact communities. Through the importance of play; (2) early childhood stimulation; discussion guides, role plays, and hands-on activities (3) respectful and positive parenting practices; (4) (such as learning how to change diapers), men and self-help strategies for caregiver adults that will help their partners are encouraged to discuss and challenge them control stress and stay healthy; (5) promotion of traditional masculine and inequitable gender norms active parenting with the integration of fathers (men) and to practice more positive social behaviors in their in childcare; (6) provision of training for the integration families and communities. of parents in the labor market; and (7) prevention of intrafamily violence. Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: Household-level: Strengthen the capacity of front-line service providers (i.e. volunteers) on how to inform and Research has consistently found a high prevalence sensitize parents (both mothers and fathers) about of child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) in almost basic elements of positive interaction and disciplinary every country in the LAC where studies have been practices and conduct training/sensitization about conducted. Violent discipline in early childhood takes harmful gender norms that sustain VAWG. For example, place on a large scale throughout the region and across in Uganda, the REAL Fathers Initiative was designed to social strata, even in children as young as one year of address gender norms that promote the use of violence age. Two out of every three children aged 2-4 in LAC in child discipline and with intimate partners through regularly experience violent discipline -psychological the promotion of positive parenting and partnership aggression or corporal punishment- in the home skills building. The initiative used a 12-session fathers (UNICEF 2017). There is solid evidence across countries mentoring program and a community poster campaign in the region of the negative effects of violence on early to model alternative strategies for nonviolent discipline child development, socio-emotional skills, and behavior. and conflict resolution to improve fathers’ parenting and communication skills and confidence in adapting Data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey reveal nonviolent strategies. An evaluation of the REAL that the percentage of children between 36 and 59 Fathers program in Uganda showed a significant months with adequate development is systematically reduction in physical punishment of the child at follow- lower among those who have suffered violent up (8- or 12-months post-baseline (Ashburn, Kerner, et World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 36 al., Evaluation of the responsible, engaged, and loving — The importance of reporting violence and existing (REAL) fathers initiative on physical child punishment reporting mechanisms. and intimate partner violence in Northern Uganda 2017). This communication campaign can be complemented with community forums based in community centers, Community-level: Communities have a fundamental churches, and peer networks for young parents. role in determining how children are parented and cared for. Parenting and childcare practices may be An example of this type of intervention is Program P founded on culturally accepted norms and practices designed by Promundo, a direct and targeted response that will only change if the community endorses the to the need for concrete strategies to engage men in changes. Therefore, in partnership with strategic actors active fatherhood from prenatal care through delivery, with influence at the community level (religious and childbirth, and their children’s early years. The training community leaders, celebrities, potential role models), program involves hands-on activities and role-playing a communications campaign at the community level exercises with fathers and couples to create a safe could be conducted to complement the actions at environment for discussing and challenging traditional the household level, to reduce social acceptance of gender norms and practicing new, positive social child maltreatment, and increase social adherence behaviors related to men’s caregiving and involvement to engaged fatherhood and gender-equitable child- in prenatal, newborn, and children’s health. Along rearing. The public education campaign could address: with group education for parents, Program P training is carried out for health and social sector staff in — Prevalence of violence against young children. conjunction with community-level campaigns and local and national advocacy initiatives. The Program — Impact of violent discipline, abuse, and neglect on P manual contains (1) background research on the young children’s development. latest data on why engaging men as caregivers is an essential part of maternal health and gender equality; — Norms around the acceptability of intimate partner (2) a guide for health professionals on how to engage violence and the sexualization of girls as objects men in the prenatal consultation space and primary from a very young age. health clinics; (3) a series of interactive modules for gender-transformative group education with men, — Positive forms of child discipline. and in some instances their female partners; and (4) a step-by-step guide to create and launch a MenCare — Social values that endorse gender equality, active community campaign. mother and father engagement, and non-violent discipline. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 37 *Honduras - AF Social Protection Integration Project (P175718)7 TTL Miriam Matilde Montenegro Lazo SDS Rafael Corral Project PDO Improve the outcomes of the CCT Program and strengthen the integration of the social protection system and be responsive to shocks including COVID-19 for the extremely poor and the vulnerable. Geographic scope Nationwide: 64 municipalities Sector Social Protection Beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries of the project will vary by activity. This includes approximately 40,000 urban CCT beneficiaries from extremely poor households. The beneficiaries of the urban transition strategy will be current and former CCT beneficiaries in the three pilot municipalities, prioritizing youth and women. Beneficiaries of the soft skills training are youth attending 9th through 11th grades enrolled in targeted schools and alternative education. Financial inclusion efforts will target urban CCT beneficiaries in the three municipalities. Project Implementation Secretariat of Development and Social Inclusion Unit (PIU) Implementation period Board date: 09-Dec-2021 Relevant Project Background Information: for the application to the Credito Solidario micro-credit program. Component 1: Implementation of the Integrated Transition Strategy: To address secondary school Component 2: Institutional Strengthening for the dropout. The short-term vocational skills development CCT Program and Integration of the Social Protection entails financing of the local market studies, design System. and printing of entrepreneurship training materials for vulnerable households, and implementation of short- Gender Analysis of the Parent Project (P152057): term skills development training. Design and piloting The project will strengthen female participation by of referrals to entrepreneurship training and assistance mainstreaming gender-sensitive approaches. To 7 Parent project - P152057 World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 38 empower girls and women and to address low female education, and more, leading to better self-esteem, LFP, the communication campaign will emphasize social interaction, and social capital as was done in messages on the importance of female participation Bangladesh with cash transfers (Roy, et al. 2019).8 in program activities, and the vocational training materials targeting 9th to 11th graders will emphasize — Workshops with small groups of men and women the importance of female labor participation and to facilitate critical reflection on gender roles, potential economic and job opportunities for girls. norms, and power relations that took place in Cote The efforts for financial inclusion will target CCT d’Ivoire in the context of village savings groups grantees, over 90 percent of whom are women. The (Gupta et al 2013). project’s intermediate results indicators will measure the effectiveness of the gender-sensitive messages in — Communication interventions for behavior change the communication and vocational training materials, as done in Kenya (Mahmud, Orkin & Riley, 2020) and the level of participation of female beneficiaries in where a video was shown to women/families financial inclusion orientations benefiting from unconditional transfers for change/ reflection on gender norms and decision making at Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response home. Actions: — Conversations with the community to raise There is some evidence that other familial/partner awareness about gender violence as was done in relations can worsen as a result of cash transfers the cash transfer program in Ethiopia (Erulkar and (Buller, et al. 2018). A recent meta-analysis of VAWG Muthengi 2009). prevention interventions revealed that cash transfers when combined with group discussions on VAWG can For Component 2, which focuses on educational help mitigate this risk (Kerr-Wilson, et al. 2020). transition, including a training module for young people who participate in the program on dating relationships Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response free of violence (Fernandez de Juan 2015). There is good Actions: evidence that school-based interventions can prevent dating violence. Kerr-Wilson, et al (2020) find that In Component 1 adding accompanying/ add-on’ the more effective and promising interventions had activities for women beneficiaries of cash transfers, longer programs delivered by highly trained facilitators such as: or teachers, used participatory learning approaches, including critical reflection and skills building, and were — Workshops with women to empower them through based on theories of gender and power. Box 3 presents greater knowledge about nutrition, health, financial two examples of successful interventions. 87 In Bangladesh, an RCT of a cash/food transfer found no evidence of impact on IPV among women who received the transfer, eight to ten months post-trans- fer. However, the RCT found decreases in physical IPV when transfers were paired with intensive nutrition behaviour-change communication (BCC) (Roy, et al. 2019). World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 39 Box 3. Examples of Successful Interventions to Prevent Dating Violence In South Africa, Stepping Stones have been used in schools after hours. It is, intended to be used with single-sex peer groups in two- to three-hour sessions over several weeks (10 to 17 sessions depending on the edition used) and led by trained facilitators. Sessions are participatory, allowing participants time for critical reflection. Topics covered include gender relations, love, relationships, VAWG, STIs and HIV, condom use, and communication skills. It was evaluated in an RCT conducted in 70 schools, with 24 months follow-up. The evaluation showed a significant reduction in young men’s perpetration of IPV at endline (Jewkes, et al. 2008). In Canada, the Fourth R intervention was delivered in 21 lessons over 28 hours in Canadian schools by teachers who had received special training in dating violence dynamics and healthy relationships. The methodology was interactive; dating violence prevention was situated in a broader curriculum that discussed healthy relationships, sexual health, and substance use. There was an emphasis on teaching relationship skills to promote safer decision-making with peers and dating partners (Wolfe, et al. 2009) It was evaluated in an RCT in 20 schools with 2.5 years of follow-up. Overall, it showed a significant reduction in the perpetration of physical violence in dating relationships, and this finding was much stronger for boys’ perpetration than girls’ perpetration. *Honduras - Tropical Cyclones ETA and IOTA Emergency Recovery Project (P175977) TTL Eduardo Ereno Blanchet SDS Ricardo Marten Project PDO Support Honduras' response and recovery needs and strengthen institutional capacity to manage a resilient and inclusive recovery and reconstruction. Geographic scope Nationwide. Early estimation is to support interventions in 110 municipalities distributed in 16 Departments: Copán (13), Intibucá (8), Lempira (11), Santa Bárbara (18) y Ocotepeque (8), Francisco Morazán (2), Choluteca (1), Comayagua (2), Cortés (9), El Paraíso (3), La Paz (2), Olancho (4), Yoro (5), Atlántida (8), Gracias a Dios (6) y Colón (10). Sector Urban, Resilience, and Land World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 40 Beneficiaries Direct beneficiaries include the population of the communities in the most affected departments who will benefit from the restoration and improvements of the public services and the resilient reconstruction of critical infrastructure, estimated to be at least 800,000 inhabitants, of whom approximately 50 percent are women including from IP and AD communities. The total population of the country will also benefit indirectly from the increased capacity of the authorities to build back better infrastructure and respond more efficiently to disasters. Government officials from line ministries and local authorities will benefit from the enhanced capacity for disaster recovery planning and implementation. Project Implementation SEDECOAS (Secretaría de Desarrollo Comunitario, Agua y Saneamiento) Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 18-Dec-2020 – Closing: 31-Dec-2026 Relevant Project Background Information: connections are rapidly restored. The Project’s social assessment may identify potential community groups Component 1: Emergency relief, response, and public who would benefit from labor and short-term training health and safety operations. that they may need before the construction of works. Moreover, principles of universal design to allow access Component 2: Resilient rehabilitation and for persons with disabilities will also be followed in all reconstruction of public and community rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Finally, the infrastructure and resumption of public services. activities financed under this component will also be implemented in a gender-informed fashion. Component 3: Institutional support to the Government recovery and reconstruction program. Social risks: The social risk rating is also considered high. There are several cross-cutting socials risks, Gender actions in PAD: The proposed Project will also including: (1) possible exclusion of IPs and ADs from utilize inclusive and gender-sensitive participatory disaster relief efforts due to historical barriers to processes to define priority investments. Such processes access benefits, limited territorial connectivity, and are expected to involve, among others, local authorities lack of culturally sensitive engagements; (2) possible (municipalities) and local/municipal risk management exclusion of vulnerable populations as described in committees (CODEL/CODEM).The Project aims to SINAGER’s DRM Law (Art. 10), and groups whose strengthen the links between communities and the interests are traditionally underrepresented, such as local government for an inclusive and resilient recovery. women, elders, youth, persons with disabilities, and These activities will also endeavor to support high- sexual and gender minorities, if targeted strategies intensity local labor operations to boost employment to ensure their engagement are not incorporated and adopt efficient engineering techniques such as the into the Project activities’ design; (3) potentially use of bailey or modular bridges to ensure that vital inadequate management of Gender Based Violence World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 41 (GBV) risks, which severely augment during disaster institutional, and community/beneficiary levels in this contexts; (4) labor influx risks, despite project efforts DRM project. to promote local hiring of community workers; (5) the potential for involuntary resettlement; (f) the presence Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response of crime and gang violence during disaster response Actions: and reconstruction activities which can pose a threat to local communities and project workers, and could Component 1: Emergency Relief, Response, and hinder the implementation of site-specific project Public Health and Safety Operations: Several VAWG activities; (6) the intersection between the Eta and response actions can be taken such as: Iota disaster response with the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency, which poses significant health — At the Policy Level: Comprehensively address challenges particularly for those who are in shelters, VAWG prevention and response in policies and and which has augmented underlying social risks plans on disaster risk management. Also, legal and such as discrimination, poverty, access to healthcare, policy frameworks VAWG. limited job opportunities and others; (7) challenges to supervision and reporting on Environmental and — At the Institutional-Level: (1) strengthen existing Social Framework compliance of retroactively financed protocols/guidelines to integrate actions to activities, particularly those related to temporary respond to VAWG during the emergency and the shelter provision; and potential social discontent if recovery phase (2) build the capacity of disaster public demand for disaster assistance surpasses the response actors at the regional and national response capacity of the government. levels to identify and integrate VAWG issues into existing risk reduction and emergency response Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response training and manuals; (3) Map VAWG services Actions: and develop dissemination materials outlining the availability of services : (4) Strengthen Natural disasters, including tsunamis, hurricanes, confidential referral mechanisms among and earthquakes, and floods, disproportionately affect between sectors working on VAWG prevention women and girls, who are at greater risk of violence and response; (5) systematically include VAWG and exploitation than men and boys in the face of in disaster research, evaluations, training, and uprooted housing and traditional support structures, advocacy/awareness campaigns. At the policy disrupted access to services, and both structural and and institutional levels, a key reference document social obstacles to accessing food, relief, supplies, and for integrating VAWG prevention and response to latrines. Therefore, it is vital that disaster management disaster risk management are the Guidelines for projects include measures to prevent and effectively Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in respond to VAWG. The project has scope to include Humanitarian Action (IASC). VAWG prevention and response actions at the policy, World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 42 — At the Community Level: (1) Design sites and disasters, and focusing on women and girls in shelters that meet internationally agreed-upon camps/settlements, to raise awareness of risks of standards and that consider women’s and girls’ increased violence, how to protect themselves, and physical safety; ensure availability of latrines, where to go for assistance. washing facilities, and water points in accessible, secure locations, and have locks to ensure safety — A good resource for implementing GBV case and privacy while the latrine or washing facility is management in humanitarian emergencies being used;(2) Ensure female protection or police and development settings is GBV Information officers are available, and that female worker is Management Systems. Its GBV Case Management included in food distribution, registration, and Companion Guide (2021) provides guidance on the other services set up to respond to the emergency; forms, features, and functionalities in GBVIMS+ that (3)establish confidential entry points where facilitate GBV case management service provision, survivors and other community members can seek supervision, including remote supervision, and assistance after an incident of sexual violence and/ monitoring the quality of GBV case management or make an incident report; (4) carry out community services. educational programs on how to be prepared for Nicaragua *Nicaragua - Property Rights Strengthening Project (P163531) TTL Ivonne Astrid Moreno Horta & Enrique Pantoja SDS Norman Russle Howard Taylor Project PDO Provide beneficiaries in selected municipalities with: (1) updated and integrated cadastral and property registry information; and (2) improved land administration services Geographic scope Nationwide Sector Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice Beneficiaries The Project’s direct beneficiaries include, through systematic cadastral and surveying activities, households in selected municipalities; and on a demand basis, households requesting land regularization that are prioritized by national programs. Attention will be paid to ensure that women benefit from titling and regularization services by promoting the issuance of titles jointly to couples and to female-headed households. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 43 Project Implementation The PGR will continue to be the lead agency and implement the Project through its PCU, Unit (PIU) known as the Project Executive Secretariat (SE PRODEP). Implementation period 2018-2024 Relevant Project Background Information: consistent with the overall gender equity vision of the Strategy. Likewise, regarding the strengthening The Project will continue supporting government of institutional capacities, the project will finance efforts to promote gender equity in property rights. capacity-building activities at the central and municipal Based on the experience of the previous land levels that include gender equity modules aimed to, for operations, the project design is gender-informed and instance, Project personnel and local government staff has a Gender Strategy based on an updated gender to increase their knowledge of the legal framework and assessment. Reflecting the country’s gender-sensitive their cultural awareness of gender issues. The gender legislation, the Strategy seeks to benefit women by strategy is aligned with the Communications Strategy promoting the issuance of titles jointly to couples as to ensure that promotion materials, community well as to female-headed households, and by financing outreach activities, and key milestone steps of the specific communication activities designed to raise cadastre and regularization process, such as conflict women’s awareness of their property rights. Moreover, mediations and public display of surveying results, help the Project will finance technical capacity-building promote women’s participation and knowledge of their activities at the central and local levels that include property rights. The Gender Strategy includes specific gender equity modules and produce technical manuals indicators for each pillar (table below), while its overall that are informed by gender considerations. implementation will be monitored through an indicator in the Project’s Results Framework. The Project’s Gender Strategy aims to mainstream gender across Project activities and to empower Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response women beneficiaries by raising their awareness about Actions: their property rights. The strategy is based on the following pillars: (1) institutionalization of the Gender The links between property ownership and domestic Strategy, (2) strengthening of institutional capacities; violence are complex. Emerging research indicates and (3) community communication, awareness, and different pathways describing how property ownership participation. In terms of institutionalization of the can serve to protect, deter or increase domestic Gender Strategy, the Project will, inter alia, update violence. The bulk of the emerging literature suggests and develop technical manuals that take into account that providing women with secure rights over land gender equity considerations, promote the increased and other property decreases the risk of domestic participation of women in technical roles in the project, violence. A limited number of studies’ findings are and ensure that the Annual Operations Plans are either inconclusive or report an increased incidence World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 44 of violence, with no definitive resolution of whether land/property than women and girls. Engaging with such an increase is a mere temporary spike in violence media to raise visibility on women’s land rights issues because they are perceived as subverting or upending can be critical to enable women to claim their land traditional power relations. This suggests that the rights which will increase their potential opportunities effects of women’s property ownership are context- to navigate a relationship (Box 1). specific and depend on the interplay of various factors. Among the contextual factors to consider Map women’s organizations and other service providers in land operations is how common it is for women to that offer affordable, good-quality support services to own assets and whether women’s asset ownership survivors of VAWG and establish contact with them challenges gender norms. for future referrals. Land projects can provide an entry point for women seeking VAWG support services. As Positive outcomes are more likely in situations part of the awareness-raising on women’s land rights, where social norms and institutions are supportive staff in land administration services can provide of women’s rights8. Risk factors that may lead to advice to survivors of VAWG in a non-threatening negative outcomes are contexts where institutions and supportive way and refer them to the appropriate (such as courts, or social norms and practices) are VAWG support services. not supportive of women’s empowerment and where partners are prone to misuse of alcohol or drugs, or Introduce Codes of Conduct in the land administration populations with high rates of unemployed men. agency with clear accountability frameworks for sexual Marital and inheritance regimes in a country should extortion by land authorities to women who seek also be taken into consideration. For instance, one may land titles or negotiate access to the property. The expect an increase in women’s ownership of assets VAWG Guidance Land Sector Brief identifies this as would be less likely to produce a backlash effect in an important action (Casabonne, Arango and Stanley contexts where both men and women have inheritance 2019). The Codes of Conduct Toolkit developed by CHS rights when compared to contexts where inheritance is Alliance assists organizations to develop, implement, predominantly male. and review an effective and integrated Code of Conduct that is aligned with their organizational goals Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response and Human Resources (HR) and people management Actions: systems. It reflects good practice and includes a user- friendly step-by-step implementation process. At the community level, carry out communication campaigns that educate the population on the links As part of monitoring activities for the project, conduct between women’s lack of property ownership with light-touch qualitative research, interviewing female their increased poverty and vulnerability and their beneficiaries of land titles to understand the impact of exposure to VAWG. Awareness campaigns need to women’s land ownership on women’s empowerment, address the persistence of traditional beliefs among agency, decision-making power in the household, and men and women than men have stronger claims to their experience of IPV. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 45 Nicaragua - Covid 19 Education Sector Response Project (P174677) TTL Enrique O. Alasino Massetti SDS Erika Piber Project PDO Support MINED’s COVID-19 response programs conducive to reducing learning gaps and develop socio-emotional skills for vulnerable groups. Geographic scope Nationwide Sector Education Beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries of the Project will be approximately 623,483 students (representing approximately 50 percent of the total preschool, primary, lower secondary, and special education student population) , 20,159 school staff, and about 36,000 parents in approximately 11,200 preschool, primary, lower secondary and special education schools predominantly serving vulnerable students. Project Implementation Nicaragua’s Ministry of Education (MINED) Unit (PIU) Implementation period Dec-2020 - Apr-2022 Relevant Project Background Information: providing socio-emotional support to the education community by strengthening and promoting the Component 2: Program to Develop Socioemotional socioemotional competencies and well-being of Skills in Selected Public Preschools and Basic school staff, parents, and students. Education Schools. Supporting programs to develop socio-emotional skills in vulnerable schools. This Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response component aims at mitigating the negative impact Actions: of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well- being of the education community by providing Responses to COVID-19 have included or led to socio-emotional support to school staff, families, and restricted economic activity, school closures, reduced students in targeted schools. access to health, social and legal services, and social distancing measures. Each of these may affect the — Subcomponent 2.2. Implementing a socioemotional risk of violence. Increased economic insecurity could support strategy for school staff, students, increase caregivers’ stress levels and the likelihood of and their families. This subcomponent aims at using violence against children and others within the World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 46 household. Reduced health and protection services for parenting strategies and the effects of domestic/ children further limit opportunities to identify, report, family violence on children are delivered via radio/TV/ and respond to violence. Finally, social distancing internet/social media. measures reduce child and caregiver contact with formal and informal support structures that often Increase public awareness about violence in the home, play a role in violence prevention and response. These how to remain in touch with survivors, and how and pathways to violence operate across society over time where to refer them for help and support without and are exacerbated by unequal access to pandemic compromising their safety. response efforts, as well as by pre-pandemic levels of health-care access, poverty, gender, and social Provide parenting tips to caregivers in confinement or inequality. quarantine. Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Encourage self-care and techniques to reduce stress Actions: and mental distress and positive coping strategies, social support, safety planning, and avoidance of Communications campaigns to support parents with unhelpful coping strategies such as the use of tobacco, coping, stress management, and training on positive alcohol, or drugs. Nicaragua - Dry Corridor Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Project (P164134) TTL Ashwini Rekha Sebastian SDS Norman Russle Howard Taylor Project PDO Strengthen agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and nutritional security in selected municipalities of the Dry Corridor of Nicaragua. Geographic scope 6 municipalities in the Dry Corridor (Condega, Pueblo Nuevo, San Juan de Limay, San Juan de Cinco Pinos, San Francisco del Norte, and Totogalpa) Sector Agriculture Beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries of the Project will be approximately 623,483 students (representing approximately 50 percent of the total preschool, primary, lower secondary, and special education student population), 20,159 school staff, and about 36,000 parents in approximately 11,200 preschool, primary, lower secondary and special education schools predominantly serving vulnerable students. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 47 Project Implementation FUNICA, a non-governmental organization (NGO) created in 2000. Currently, FUNICA has Unit (PIU) alliances with 24 public and private sector partners, agricultural and forestry producers’ associations, universities, NGOs, and associations of professionals of the sciences and agronomy. Its mandate is to promote agricultural technological services, ensuring the broad participation of smallholder/family farmers and their organizations. It also promotes agricultural innovation through the provision of technological and entrepreneurial services that reach and enhance rural households. Implementation period Jan 2021-Dec-2024 Relevant Project Background Information: six municipalities of the Dry Corridor. The six selected municipalities are: Condega, Pueblo Nuevo, San Juan A recent analysis of the socio-economic context de Limay, San Juan de Cinco Pinos, San Francisco of women in Nicaragua’s Dry Corridor shows that del Norte, and Totogalpa. The target beneficiaries roughly 23 percent of agricultural holdings are led represent 11 percent of the total population of the by women. However, only 30 percent of women in chosen municipalities. agriculture are remunerated, relative to 70 percent of men. Approximately 87 percent of rural women in The project envisions four years of implementation the Nicaragua Dry Corridor are not organized in any and includes three components: (1) strengthening productive or commercial association. Only 26 percent productive capacities of farmers and small agri- of rural properties in the Dry Corridor are registered- food processors through CSA and NSA (improved owned by women. In addition, women’s ownership of agricultural technologies) and agricultural extension agricultural assets and use of credit are very low. In services managed through the development of general, only 8 percent of all households have access agri-extension startups; (2) promotion of improved to financing for productive activities, and this is much food security and nutrition practices; (3) project lower among female-led households. management, monitoring and evaluation. The project will (1) strengthen agricultural productivity, Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response climate resilience, and nutritional security of 1,500 Actions: farmers and 50 small agri-food processors of which women would be at least 30 percent, and (ii) support Stand-alone training on GBV prevention often the organization of 4 small local agri-extension start- discourages both men and women from attending, up firms to provide extension services to farmers in given the stigma associated with GBV. In response, 9 This is split into 1500 farmers and 50 renewable energy pilots for agri-food processors. 10 CSA options implemented and evaluated across the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) seeks to address the increasing challenge of global warming and declining food security on agricultural practices, policies and measures through strategic, broad-based global partnerships. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 48 agricultural projects can adopt an integrated approach cooperative efforts between men and women in that combines the provision of technical advice/ planning and managing family farm enterprises extension services with life skills using men and women to maximize household profits. There is a risk of trainers. the backlash of domestic violence toward female beneficiaries which needs to be carefully managed Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: (Macmillan and Gartner 1999). Add awareness-building activities to male and female The above-mentioned entry point can also be beneficiaries of agricultural extension services (and complemented by a communications campaign to their partners) to advocate for respectful relationships advocate respectful relationships between men and between men and women and foster progressive women, increase awareness and understanding of the changes in power relationships or adopt a “farming phenomenon of VAWG and domestic violence and its as a family business” approach that fosters more impact on children. Nicaragua - Water Management Capacity and Infrastructure Development Project (P164286) TTL Maria Eliette Gonzalez Perez, Martin Benedikt Albrecht, SDS Rafael Corral Project PDO Strengthen the institutional capacity for water resources management at national level ii) promote planning and implementation of water resilient infrastructure; and iii) improve the recipient’s capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible emergency. Sector Water Beneficiaries N.A. Project Implementation Empresa Nicaraguense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Sanitarios Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: Feb 2022 Relevant Project Background Information: for water resources management at national level; Component 2: Revamping and promoting resilient Component 1: Strengthening institutional capacity water infrastructure World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 49 Component 3: Project management, monitoring, serve as an input for developing and implementing and evaluation measures to increase women’s employment in the utility and sexual harassment policies. Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Gender considerations: To ensure full participation Actions: and effective inclusion of females in the Project’s activities and associated benefits, social assessments Assess the diversity and inclusion policies of Nicaragua’s will include gender analyses to examine and address Water and Sewerage Utility (Empresa Nicaragüense de project-relevant gender gaps and constraints. Women Acueductos y Alcantarillados Sanitarios (ENACAL) is will be consulted in gender-disaggregated groups to the water utility responsible for the delivery of water guarantee their specific needs will be reflected in the supply and sanitation services, including whether it design and implementation of the Project. has anti-sexual harassment policies, codes of conduct, and worksite facilities that cater to the needs of female Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response and male workers such as separate toilets, Provide Actions: safe transportation and field-site accommodations for women operators. The World Bank 2019 report Women At the institutional level in the water utility, there is scope in Water Utilities: Breaking Barriers guides addressing to include technical assistance activities for preparing gender diversity and inclusion in water utilities. a gender diversity and inclusion assessment that would Nicaragua - Hurricanes ETA and IOTA Emergency Response Project (P175878) TTL Mirtha Liliana Escobar SaenzHaris Sanahuja SDS Norman Howard Taylor Project PDO Support Nicaragua’s emergency response and restoration of services and economic activities in critical sectors in the Project area. Geographic scope RACCN: Bonanza, Mulukuku, Prinzapolka, Rosita, Siuna, Waslala RACCS: Desembocadura, Laguna de Perlas World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 50 Sector Urban, Resilience, and Land Beneficiaries The proposed Project will target populations within the Project area (Región Autónoma de la Costa Caribe Norte (RACCN) and (Región Autónoma de la Costa Caribe Sur – (RACCS) affected by Hurricanes Eta and Iota, who will benefit: (1) indirectly from emergency disaster recover activities, estimated to be at least 80,000; (2) indirectly from the rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical infrastructure and restoration of services, estimated to be at least 195,000 inhabitants; (3) directly from housing rehabilitated or rebuilt following the climate and disaster-resilient standards estimated to be at least 17,500 beneficiaries (about 3,500 families); and (4) directly from the restoration of income as a result of Project Implementation Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (Ministerio de Hacienda y Credito Publico (MHCP), Unit (PIU) United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Implementation period Approval: 22-Jan-2021 – Closing: 31-Mar-2025 Relevant Project Background Information: approaches with affected populations and their representatives, which would be adapted to the Component 1: Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Resilient specificities and cultural realities of the groups. Reconstruction. This component would emphasize the restoration of livelihoods of communities and families engaged Component 2: Livelihood Recovery. in artisanal fisheries, subsistence agriculture, small livestock, and agro-industrial ventures, as well as other Component 3: External Audit, Verification, activities that directly contribute to the food security Monitoring, and Evaluation. of affected communities. 20. This component would be based on the World Bank-funded Project, Nicaraguan Component 2: Livelihood Recovery: This component Caribbean Coast of Food Security (P148809). would restore and potentially improve the socio- Under that Project, participatory approaches and a economic conditions of the affected population in coordination mechanism for the development and the Project area. This component would finance: (1) implementation of LIDPs were established. Based the reassessment and expansion of Local Innovation on these efforts, existing LIDPs would be reassessed Development Plans (LIDPs); and (2) using a positive to identify opportunities to restore livelihoods and list, the provision of equipment and supplies. LIDPs incomes disrupted by Eta and Iota. This component support formal and informal groups of beneficiaries also aims to contribute to the objectives of the “Plan (e.g., cooperatives, producer associations) that play an of Action for Women in Artisanal Fishing in Nicaragua” important role in restoring livelihoods in a participatory by restoring and improving the income of organized and transparent manner. The Government would carry women in artisanal fishing affected by the hurricanes out a prioritization process based on participatory in the Project area. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 51 Gender analysis: Nicaraguan women, particularly Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response those who live in rural areas, are more susceptible than Actions: men to disaster-related impacts due to a multitude of pre-existing inequalities and gender gaps in access At the community level: Carry out communication to health, social protection, productive resources, campaigns that educate the population on to economic opportunities, and voice and agency. A 2018 advocating respectful relationships between men and survey that included 5,866 rural women in Nicaragua women, harmful gender norms that lead to VAWG, found that 89 percent were food insecure. Only 18 consequences of VAWG. percent of the rural women in Nicaragua own land. In 2017, agricultural employment among females At the beneficiary level: (1) Livelihood’s training/ was estimated at only 9.2 percent compared with support for women can be complemented with soft 44.9 percent among males. With limited access to skills training to increase women’s self-confidence, economic opportunities in rural areas, Nicaraguan leadership, agency including modules on VAWG women tend to hold unstable employment, are more awareness and its consequences; (2) Couples training likely to have informal work arrangements, and lack of project beneficiaries on the characteristics of decent working conditions. Although Nicaragua’s male successful households and learned about healthy vulnerable population decreased from 44.6 percent relationships and conflict resolution. Kerr-Wilson in 2005 to 35 percent in 2017, the female vulnerable et al.’s (2020) meta-analysis of RCT interventions population slightly increased from 46.7 percent to 46.9 to reduce IPV that couples’ interventions are an percent in the same period. Thus, compared with men, effective approach for reducing women’s experiences Nicaraguan women are less likely to contribute to social of IPV and can be delivered safely. Well-designed, insurance programs for themselves and generally have well-implemented couples’ interventions are effective fewer safety nets in disaster situations. For example, in transforming gender relations within the couple. only 55 percent of Nicaraguan women reported having Couple or family-centered programming is particularly emergency funds compared with 68 percent of men, beneficial when combined with economic and gender according to the World Bank’s latest Global Findex empowerment interventions. The ‘couple’ needs to be survey. prepared to work to strengthen their relationship. Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: Livelihood’s training/support interventions envisaged by the project serve as an entry point for community/ beneficiary level awareness-raising and training on VAWG. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 52 El Salvador El Salvador - Integrated Landscape Management and Restoration (P170854) TTL Philippe Eric Dardel, Ramon Ernesto Arias Moncada SDS Ricardo Marten Project PDO Promote integrated landscape management and restoration in project areas. Geographic scope 6 municipalities in the Department of Auchapan (Tacuba, Concepción de Ataco, San Francisco Menendez, Jujutla, Guaymango, San Pedro Puxtla) and 1 in the Department of Sonsonate (Acajutla). Sector Environment, Natural Resources & the Blue Economy Beneficiaries N.A. Project Implementation Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 30-Apr-2021 – Closing: 03-Jul-2026 (R) Relevant Project Background Information: conservation of riparian forests and mangroves, increased sustainability in sugar cane fields through Component 1: Enabling conditions for integrated the adoption of improved agricultural practices that landscape management (i.e. strengthening government mainstream biodiversity considerations, extension for natural resource management, awareness-raising service capacities to promote sustainable practices of ecosystem restoration, increasing capacity for and technologies strengthened) monitoring of landscapes sustainability, improved sustainability of financial resources for ecosystem Component 3: Project Monitoring and Management conservation and restoration increased) Gender: The proposed project recognizes that gender Component 2: Ecosystem restoration to secure the roles have impacts on both farming and land-use flow of ecosystem services within the productive decisions, but the contribution of women is often landscape (.i.e. reduced soil degradation and improved unrecognized. During project preparation, a diagnosis biodiversity conservation through the restoration of gender-relevant issues to the Project intervention of degraded lands in agricultural landscapes and will be carried out as part of the preparation of the World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 53 Environmental and Social Framework instruments. for future referrals. VAWG support services. Provide This diagnosis will build on the analysis generated referral information to service providers (medical, during REDD+ preparation to better identify practical psychosocial, legal) for project staff to disseminate. gender needs, including conditions of women in terms There are several resources available to conduct this of access to resources, services, and opportunities, and mapping exercise, including: strategic gender interests in terms of decision making. The project aims to contribute to closing gender — Kelly. 2018. Mapping Support Services for Victims gaps, and it will encourage and monitor women’s of Violence Against Women in Line with the Istanbul participation of women in all the project activities. Convention Standards. Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response — Rights For Change. 2011. Mapping VAWG Tool . Actions: — SVRI. 2006. How to Conduct a Situation Analysis As part of Component 2, possible entry points include of Health Services for Survivors of Sexual Assault. awareness-raising activities on gender norms that lead to VAWG. — UN Women. 2015. Essential services package for women and girls subject to violence Map women’s organizations and other service providers that offer affordable, good-quality support services to — UN Women. 2019. Conduct a service mapping survivors of VAWG and establish contact with them exercise. *El Salvador - Geothermal Energy for a Sustainable Economic Recovery from the Covid-19 crisis in El Salvador (P170089) TTL Mariano Gonzalez Serrano, Fernando Jose De Sisternes Jimenez, SDS Christopher M. Johnson Project PDO Increase geothermal power generation capacity and to promote direct uses of geothermal energy in El Salvador. Geographic scope N.A. Sector Energy & Extractives Beneficiaries N.A. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 54 Project Implementation LaGeo Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 21-Sep-2021 – Closing: 31-Dec-2026 Relevant Project Background Information: Project Implementing Unit (PIU), specialized technical assistance, and supervision for different components Component 1: Increasing electricity generation from of the Project and citizen engagement mechanisms. geothermal resources: This component will finance the construction of two geothermal power plants and Component 5: Contingent Emergency Response their associated ancillary systems, including the steam Component -CERC: Reflecting the strategic approach and brine piping system and power substation and taken in El Salvador across the World Bank’s portfolio, lines, tapping into the available confirmed geothermal the Contingency Emergency Response Component resource. (CERC) can be activated to facilitate the use of critical resources in the event of a national emergency. Component 2: Drilling campaign, geothermal resource confirmation, and technical design of the Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response geothermal fields’ scale-up: This component will Actions: fund the drilling campaign to secure power-generation steam production for the power generation plants Actions on social safeguards aimed to mitigate the described in Component 1, confirm the overall steam- risk of crime in local communities where the project is production capacity of the geothermal reservoirs and located can be an entry point for awareness-raising/ advance production drilling for a future scale-up of the training on VAWG prevention. power generation plants to tap into the full potential of the geothermal reservoirs. Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: Component 3: Execution of social programs and environmental impact mitigation: This component Training program for municipalities on crime/violence/ will support the execution of social programs, VAWG as part of actions on social safeguards. environmental mitigation plans, and investments to create local economic opportunities in communities in Awareness-raising on VAWG may also be envisaged the vicinity of the project. working with youth, faith-based organizations. Component 4: Project management, monitoring, technical assistance, and supervision: This component will support the financing of the proposed World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 55 *El Salvador - Growing Up Healthy Together: Comprehensive Early Childhood Development In El Salvador (P169677) TTL TTL: Roberto Lunes SDS Ricardo Marten, Rafael Corral Project PDO To: (i) strengthen health promotion behaviors among children aged 0 to 7 and their mothers during preconception and gestation; (ii) strengthen the early identification of risks and developmental delays in children aged 0 to 7, and (iii) improve the provision of quality maternal and child health care services. Geographic scope Nationwide Beneficiaries Children from 0 to 7 years of age (16.9 percent of the population) and women during preconception and gestation (27 percent of women between 15 to 49 years of age). expected to improve the resolution capacity of health services by certifying the quality provision of care at facilities at the national, regional, and municipal levels that provide care to targeted population groups. The Project will support health system strengthening activities at these levels, and it will strengthen the referral capacity from the PHC level to the Secondary Health Care (SHC) level. Project interventions will also benefit health sector staff by strengthening their capacity, and the overall population by strengthening the provision of public health services. The staff at the PCH level and in hospitals will benefit from training, improved working conditions, and additional resources to allow them to operate with better conditions and more knowledge and provide better quality care. In addition, some of the Project’s interventions have an intrinsic public goods value and will benefit the entire population, such as the regulatory and system governance components, the communication campaigns to raise awareness about ECD and nutrition, and health promotion efforts aimed at preventing risk factors and developmental delays. Sector HNP Beneficiaries By supporting the implementation of the National Development Plan (Plan Cuscatlán) and Crecer Juntos, the Project will directly benefit children from 0 to 7 years of age (16.9 percent of the population) and women during preconception and gestation (27 percent of women between 15 to 49 years of age). The Project is Project Implementation Ministerio de Salud de El Salvador - MINSAL Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 19-Mar-2020 – Closing: 30-Jun-2026 (R) World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 56 Relevant Project Background Information: early pregnancy identification in the first level of care and community and include ECD education Components: and the early detection of delays and risks in the provision of MCH; (iv) ensure the quality of care in — Component 1: Promoting Human Capital all levels, including in maternity houses; (v) provide Accumulation in children 0 to 7 years and their safe adolescent motherhood health-care services mothers during preconception and gestation. addressing adolescent pregnancies and active fatherhood; and (vi) develop tools for preventing — Component 2: Modernization, Streamlining and gender-based violence and negligence, obstetric Strengthening of MINSAL for the Public Provision violence, and adolescent pregnancy in the context of Maternal and Child Health. of the National Mental Health Plan. — Component 3: Contingent Emergency Response — Subcomponent 1.3. Promotion of Human Capital Component (CERC). Accumulation from 4 to 7 Years of Age. Promotion of the development of training, campaigns, and — Component 4: Project Management and Monitoring outreach activities to foster prevention of violence and Evaluation. and negligence against children and girls, and to raise awareness on climate change impacts and — Subcomponent 1.1. Promoting Human Capital ways of mitigating and adapting to them. Among Accumulation during Preconception, Pregnancy, these activities, the Project will build community and Safe and Dignified Delivery. This subcomponent and family awareness of domestic and community will target women of reproductive age and aim to violence, with an emphasis on the perinatal period, strengthen the national network of maternal and through campaigns and outreach activities. child (MCH) services. The strategic lines are to: (i) design and implement national green accreditation Analysis of VAWG in the PAD: High rates of violence guidelines25 to improve the quality of MCH care against women and children coupled with high murder in both primary health care (PHC) facilities and rates are having a devastating impact on the quality hospitals across the country; (ii) strengthen and of life and mental health of Salvadorans, especially climate-proof the infrastructure, equipment, children and adolescents. A lack of security and an and technological solutions of the health-care unsafe environment has a particularly adverse effect network, including through an application of a on the social, cognitive, and emotional development of green checklist and measures such as energy children. Exposure to community violence is perhaps the efficiency improvements in buildings, lighting, most detrimental event that children can experience, appliances and equipment, rehabilitation of cooling since it impacts how they think, feel, and act. As many systems with lower greenhouse gas emissions, as 42 percent of women and 62 percent of men have and the use of renewable energy; (iii) include reported being exposed to physical violence before they World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 57 were 15 years old,10 and 8 percent of students reported that create gender inequalities, and to solve conflicts having been sexually abused .Unsafe environments 11 assertively and peacefully by empowering women and affect children early in their development, costing them children and strengthening personal relationships. In the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing environment. this effort, the Project will: finance a baseline survey According to the Early Child Development Index12,the that will include a module to identify any gender percentage of Salvadoran children aged 36 to 59 differences; advocate for the inclusion of activities to months with adequate development is 9 percent lower address gender-based violence in the National Mental among children who were disciplined violently than Health Plan and prepare communications campaigns among children who were disciplined nonviolently13. A and support citizen engagement/outreach activities violence-free upbringing has a life-long positive effect on the issue of gender inequality. In particular, the on an individual’s health and well-being. following Project interventions will have a direct impact on gender issues: (i) programs to strengthen VAWG actions in the PAD: The Project relates to gender the parenting skills of mothers and fathers; and (ii) in all three of its dimensions: analysis, actions, and the strengthening of healthcare services’ responses to M&E. It aims to reduce risk factors for violence against violence against women and children. women and children at the national, community, family, and individual levels. Project activities will focus M&E: Intermediate outcomes: “Increased percentage on preventing violence against mothers, fathers, and of health facilities with a protocol in place to respond children from 0 to 7 years of age and will reinforce the to gender-based violence. Government’s efforts to educate the population on the concepts of agency, respect, and rights. This last Background: element will include the rights of the population with disabilities and those from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The Project is part of the comprehensive support Project-supported activities will also provide citizens given by the World Bank for the development and with the necessary tools to become involved in implementation of the Crecer Juntos National Early decision-making. In its various efforts, the Project will Child Education (ECD) Policy. The Bank is supporting leverage synergies with government programs. the design, implementation, and evaluation of the policy in a coordinated manner, using different The activities will also focus on developing critical instruments. Technical assistance focused on the early thinking skills in both mothers and fathers to enable years of education supported government efforts them to question stereotyped beliefs and social norms to strengthen integrated ECD services (P169063). In 11 WHO, 2013, Global School-based Student Health survey, https://www.cdc.gov/gshs/countries/americas/elsalvador.htm 12 The Early Child Development Index (ECDI) assesses children aged between 36 and 59 months old in four domains: (i) language/literacy; (ii) numeracy; (iii) physical development; and (iv socio-emotional and cognitive development 13 UNICEF, 2014, El Salvador Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, https://mics.unicef.org/news_entries/70/EL-SALVADOR-FINALREPORT-RELEASED World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 58 addition, the Bank is supporting government efforts programs need to include content to transform with two closely coordinated lending operations – the gender norms and relations, use participatory proposed Project is one of them- that promote more methods and be of sufficient intensity. It may be efficient investments in health and education services. that the birth of a child, or the focus on a child, enables a space to change relationships. Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: b. Awareness-raising activities on the concepts of Training parents on the positive disciplines and to agency, respect, and the right of women and reject the use of violence as a teaching tool and can be children to live a life free of violence, as part of a powerful preventative approach to VAWG as studies the planned communications campaign that have shown that corporal punishment on children is supports citizen engagement and gender equality/ positively related to bullying behaviors and the use of outreach activities. Note that awareness-raising violence (Pisani and Martins 2016). activities play a role in combination with other components of interventions designed to impact Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: at a community level (Kerr-Wilson, et al. 2020). For example, Program H and Program M designed At the Policy/Sectoral Level: The inclusion of activities by Promundo were developed to engage youth in to address VAWG prevention and response actions in critical reflections on gender and help them build the National Mental Health Plan and strengthening skills to act in more empowered and equitable ways. of healthcare services’ responses to violence against The complementary interventions use educational women and children. workshops, community outreach strategies, and a multi-media campaign to empower young women At the Household Level: to feel a sense of agency and control over their lives and sensitize young men to some of the harmful a. Training on positive parenting skills discipline ways they are socialized and introduces ways strategies. Developing critical thinking skills in both to take on more gender-equitable attitudes and mothers and fathers to enable them to question behaviors. Program H and Program M have been stereotyped beliefs and social norms that create carried out in diverse contexts in Latin America gender inequalities, and to solve conflicts assertively and the Caribbean, as well as in Asia, sub-Saharan and peacefully by empowering women and children Africa, and the Balkans. Beneficiaries have included and strengthening personal relationships. There is youth living in urban centers and youth living in rural good evidence that parenting programs that also areas, in-school and out-of-school youth, single explicitly address IPV are effective in reducing IPV youth and married youth, and youth of various (Kerr-Wilson, et al. 2020). To be effective parenting sexual orientations. The curricula have also been World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 59 used to train health and education professionals are: on how to incorporate a gender perspective in their work with youth (Ricardo, et al. 2014).14 — UNIFEM. 2010. Estudio Sobre Tolerancia Social e Institucional de la Violencia Basada en Genero. On M&E: The proposed baseline survey that has a module to identify any gender differences, can also — ONU Mujeres. 2015. Segunda medición sobre la include questions related to harmful gender behavior tolerancia social e institucional de las violencias and attitudes that lead to VAWG and perceptions contra las mujeres. regarding VAWG. Example of VAWG perception surveys *El Salvador -Growing Up and Learning Together: Comprehensive Early Childhood Development in El Salvador Project (P171316) TTL TTL: Enrique Alasino SDS Rafael Corral Project PDO Improve Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teaching practices nationwide; upgrade physical learning environments of selected ECCE centers; and strengthen institutional capacity for education sector management Geographic scope Nation-wide: implemented in 50 municipalities Beneficiaries The Project will benefit approximately 230,038 ECCE students (100 percent of children in ECCE public and private center‐based modalities). The Project will also directly benefit teachers and principals in ECCE official centers. All 7,865 ECCE teachers (100 percent of teachers working in public center‐based modalities in urban and rural areas) will receive quality in‐service professional development, learning materials, and personalized coaching. In addition, all 4,500 ECCE principals (100 percent of public KG principals in urban and rural areas) will benefit from training based on the updated curriculum and ECDLS. The Project will benefit the National Directorate of Early Childhood (Dirección Nacional de Primera Infancia, DNPI), the INFOD, and the MINEDUCYT by strengthening their capacity to work. Sector EDU 14 Educational Materials. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 60 Project Implementation Ministry of Education Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 19-Mar-2020 – Closing: 30-Jun-2026 (R) Relevant Project Background Information: principals will be focused on serving children from 0 to 7 years old, with special emphasis on the needs of The proposed project is part of the comprehensive different contexts and populations: urban and rural support given by the World Bank to the development children, those from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and implementation of the Crecer Juntos ECD Policy. and those with special needs. A rigorous impact evaluation of the in service training program for ECCE Components: principals and teachers will be carried out under this component. This evaluation will include an analysis — Component 1: Ensuring ECCE Structural Quality of the complementarities between principals’ and Standards and Curriculum Nationwide. teachers’ in service training. This component also aims to revise the national pre service teacher training plan — Component 2: Strengthening Professional to introduce mentoring and effective techniques in Development of Teachers and Principals at ECCE teacher training and to ensure the quality of trainers Official Centers. for its implementation. In addition, the component will also finance emergency response training for principals — Component 3: Upgrading ECCE Physical Learning and teachers to enable them to carry out evacuations Environments. at the onset of natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, and floods to promote the execution of — Component 4: Institutional Strengthening for the effective post disasters strategies and responses. Management of the Education Sector. Component 4: Institutional Strengthening for — Component 5: Contingency Emergency Response. the Management of the Education Sector: This component seeks to strengthen MINEDUCYT’s Component 2: will focus on strengthening cognitive and capacity to provide quality services to schools socioemotional skills, and the pedagogical practices and to efficiently manage the Project. To this end, of teachers and principals working in ECCE official the component has two sub-components: (4.1) centers. Component 2 has three subcomponents: (2.1) Strengthening MINEDUCYT’s institutional capacity In service training for teachers in ECCE official centers; for the management of the education sector (which (2.2) In service training for principals in ECCE official focuses on support to MINEDUCYT to implement its centers; and (2.3) Support to pre service training for institutional transformation plan and use of learning teachers at ECCE centers. Training for teachers and World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 61 outcomes to improve the quality of education); (religious and community leaders, celebrities, potential and (4.2) Project Management for strengthening role models), a communications campaign at the MINEDUCYT’s capacity to manage and oversee project community level could be conducted to complement implementation and monitor and evaluate the Project’s the actions at the household level, to reduce social objectives and outcomes. In addition, this component acceptance of child maltreatment, and increase includes strengthening MINEDUCYT’s capacity to social adherence to engaged fatherhood and gender- give sustainability to the initiatives supported by equitable child-rearing. The public education campaign the Project, including the strengthening of curricular could address: management capacity, centralizing training processes, and strengthening monitoring, supervision, and — Prevalence of violence against young children. accreditation capacities (including the strengthening of the implementation of the structural quality standards — Impact of violent discipline, abuse, and neglect on accreditation system), and the ability to comply with young children’s development. environmental and social standards. — Norms around the acceptability of intimate partner Rationale for VAWG Prevention/Response violence and the sexualization of girls as objects Actions: from a very young age. Training parents (especially fathers) on positive — Positive forms of child discipline. discipline and rejecting the use of violence as a teaching tool and can be a powerful preventative approach to — Social values that endorse gender equality, active VAWG as studies have shown that corporal punishment mother and father engagement, and non-violent on children is positively related to bullying behaviors discipline. and use of violence (Pisani and Martins 2016). — The importance of reporting violence and existing Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: reporting mechanisms. At the Institutional Level: In Component 2, train Promundo has designed and implemented Program teachers on how to inform and sensitize parents (both P to engage men globally in active fatherhood from mothers and fathers) about basic elements of positive their partner’s pregnancies through their children’s interaction and disciplinary practices and conduct early years. Program P has been adapted and/or training/sensitization about harmful gender norms implemented with partners in at least 18 countries that sustain VAWG. around the world, including: Nicaragua, Chile, Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, At the Community-Level: In partnership with Bolivia, Russia, Guatemala, India, Armenia, Haiti, strategic actors with influence at the community level Ghana, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Mozambique. In World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 62 certain contexts, such as in India and Armenia, the reveal the powerful impacts of this targeted, gender- methodology has been adapted to address specific transformative programming on health and violence issues: child marriage and prenatal sex selection, outcomes. Results show that almost two years after respectively. In Bangladesh, the curriculum focuses participating in the program, men are nearly half as on addressing violence against women and violence likely to use violence against their female partners and against children. Results from a randomized controlled spend almost one hour more per day doing household trial (RCT) of Program P in Rwanda, released in 2018, chores (Doyle, Levtov and Barker 2018).15 Panama *Panama - Sustainable Rural Development and Biodiversity Conservation (P174289) TTL Ramon Ernesto Anria Moncada SDS Rafael Corral Project PDO Improve protected areas management and promote access to inclusive and biodiversity- friendly economic opportunities in project areas. Geographic scope At the departmental level: 16 areas protegidas y potencialmente en 99 corregimientos. Sector AGR Beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries will include primarily (i) Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, family farmers, producer cooperatives, small size entrepreneurs in project areas; and (ii) key public institutions -Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agricultural Development, and the National Tourism Authority- and their civil servants would also directly benefit from capacity building interventions of the Project. In addition, indirect beneficiaries will include those benefiting from the improved biodiversity management, stronger rural economy, and better institutional services. Women and youth will be supported under all components. Project Implementation Ministry of Environment Unit (PIU) Implementation period Approval: 13-Jan-2022 – Closing: 31-Dec-2027 15 For reference see Program P’s educational materials. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 63 Relevant Project Background Information: Suggested VAWG Prevention/Response Actions: Component 1: Institutional strengthening for biodiversity conservation. At the Institutional Level: Training for technical personnel that provides Technical Assistance (TA) Component 2: Support to promote biodiversity- on the causes and consequences of VAWG, inks friendly investments: This component seeks to support between women’s economic empowerment and VAWG biodiversity-friendly, climate-smart, economically concerning the change of power relations within the viable, and inclusive initiatives (“subprojects”) to home and the community, links between environmental unlock the full socio-economic potential of the rural degradation and gender-based violence, situations space. Subprojects will facilitate the promotion of in which the informal trade in natural resources can deforestation-free and climate-resilient value chains increase the exposure of women to gender-based of non-exclusively native or naturalized products violence, and recommendations to manage private (i.e., honey, coffee, vegetables, cocoa, panela, wood, participation in conservation in areas of selected tubers, fruits, aromatic plants, etc.) and restoration biodiversity.16 of degraded landscapes for sustainable income- generation initiatives. For that purpose, the component At the Beneficiary Level: The confidence and skills- will facilitate participatory processes, the provision of based workshops for female beneficiaries include a technical assistance and financing (matching-grants) module on VAWG, its causes and consequences, and the to individuals and associated beneficiary groups to right of women to live a life free of violence regardless increase incomes, competitiveness, and adoption of of their conditions. An example of this training: IIDH, relevant innovations, better practices, and technologies 2009. Guía de capacitación en derechos humanos de for biodiversity conservation and job creation. las mujeres. The booklet “Mujer conoce tus Derechos” that presents a Security Plan for women who are in a Component 3: Project management, Monitoring, and relationship of violence - mentioned in the Action Plan Evaluation. - could be one of the inputs for the workshops. 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Chiodo, R. Hughes, W. Ellis, and A. Donner. 2009. “A school-based program to prevent adolescent dating violence: A cluster randomized trial.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 168 (8): 692-699. World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 69 Annex 1. Rough Cost Estimates of Selected VAWG Prevention and Response Actions World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 70 ANNEX 1. ROUGH COST ESTIMATES OF SELECTED VAWG PREVENTION AND RESPONSE ACTIONS The following table contains proxy costs of some VAWG Prevention and Response Actions. The price could vary according to the project location, the scope of the activities planned (for example, activities at the national level vs. activities at the local level), and the duration of the intervention (short-term activities vs. medium and long-term activities), among other factors. Intervention Level Type of Intervention Cost Estimate in US$ National/Policy level Preparation of National Plans for a comprehensive approach 80,000-100,000 to gender-based violence National-level communications campaign to change harmful 300,000-1,500,000 gender norms that lead to VAWG Development of policies, procedures, and protocols to 50,000-200,000 improve the response to sexual harassment in public spaces/ transport Institutional level Sensitization and training of public administration 30,0000-150,000 professionals (such as in the justice system/land administration) Preparation and implementation and enforcement of sexual 100,000-200,000 harassment laws, policies, codes of conduct in workplaces The "whole school" approach to educator training on GBV, 350,000-1,500,000 and incorporating GBV in schools’ curricula World Bank Central America Portfolio Review Pag. 71 Intervention Level Type of Intervention Cost Estimate in US$ Community level/ Community mobilization and communications campaigns 350,000-2,000,000 Beneficiary level to change harmful gender norms that lead to VAWG and increase access to social services for victims of VAWG Gender dialogue groups and family approaches to address 100,000-300,000 negative masculinities and men’s attitudes to VAWG, working on men and women’s joint decision-making power and communication and negotiating skills, building women’s and girls’ self-esteem, power, and agency Legal literacy training for groups such as women and youth; 200,000-300,000 Legal aid referrals and services Micro-credit and income-generating programs that integrate 200,000-1,000,000 attention to GBV Training programs on healthy conflict resolution or healthy 150,000-500,000 parenting School-based interventions to prevent dating/sexual violence 150,000-1,000,000