Gemensamma jämställdhetsfonden 2016-2018 Common Gender Fond 2016-2018 Insatsen "gemensamma gender-fonden 2016-2018" (Fonds Commun Genre 2016-2018) är ett program som samfinansieras av Danmark, Schwiez, Österrike, UNICEF och UNFPA, och som syftar till att stärka kvinnors sociala, politiska och ekonomiska rättigheter i Burkina Faso. Programmet är utvecklat i enlighet med Burkina Fasos nationella policy för jämställdhet samt FNs konvention mot alla former av diskriminering mot kvinnor (CEDAW). Gemensamma genderfonden ("Fonds Commun Genre", FCG) initierades 2005 i enlighet med Paris-deklarationen och en stark ambition att koordinera och samordna det gemensamma givarstödet till stärkt jämställdhet i Burkina Faso. Ursprungligen bidrog 9 givare till fonden och i dagsläget återstår fem givare - Danmark, Schweiz, Unicef, UNFPA och Österrike. Sverige och Holland avslutade sitt stöd till genderfonden pga de båda ländernas tidigare utfasningsplaner. Anledningen för övriga som drog sig ur fonden var att deras strategier flyttade fokus till mainstreaming av jämställdhet inom alla sektorer och ej längre tillät direktstöd i denna form. Under insatsens tidigare programfas 2012-2014 bidrog Sverige med 3 MSEK och viktiga resultat bestod av stöd till genomförandet av genderkvotering vid politiska val på nationell och lokal nivå, samt ökad tillgång till utbildning för flickor, formella landrättigheter för kvinnor, samt motverkad diskriminering och minskat könsbaserat våld i de områden där programmet genomfördes.

Det nationella Diakonia-kontoret i Ouagadougou utgör den centrala avtals- och samarbetsparten för programfasen 2016-2018. Urvalet av genomförande partners med sina respektive projekt görs av programmets styrkommitté på basis av väl etablerade avtalade kriterier. Alla genomförande parter har underavtal med Diakonia som upprättas i enlighet med Sveriges krav på hantering av biståndsmedel, inklusive godkända rutiner för finansiell uppföljning och kontroll. Bland de nationella och lokala genomförande parterna finns ministerier och offentliga institutioner, civila samhällsorganisationer och aktörer från privata sektorn. Det svenska föreslagna bidraget syftar till att skapa en kontinuitet och konsolidera redan uppnådda resultat, och att samtidigt stärka kvinnors ekonomiska rättigheter via projekt som syftar till att förbättra förutsättningarna för kvinnliga företagare inom den privata sektorn samt att stärka kvinnliga företags produktivitet. The initial "Fonds Commun Genre" programme, called FCG (i.e. the Common Gender Fund) was created in 2005 with the aim to strengthen the capacity and synergy of donors' efforts in respect of the Paris Declaration and the effectiveness of support to gender equality in Burkina Faso. It is an innovative instrument for an efficient donor coordination, enabling aligned strategic initiatives, the pooling of funds and a coordinated dialogue with central national and civil society actors in the area of gender equality in Burkina Faso. Through a previous phase of this programme, during 2012-2014, Sweden contributed 3MSEK and important results consisted of a strengthened network of CSO promoting strengthened women's rights at national and local levels, women's increased access to juridical assistance and economic resources, as well as input to a new legislation against gender-based violence and a proposition for a more efficient law for gender quota during political elections.The contribution "Common Gender Fond 2016-2018" (Fonds Commun Genre 2016-2018) is a programme co-financed by Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, UNICEF and UNFPA, that is corresponding to Burkina Faso's national policy for gender equality and the UN Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and aiming at strengthening women's social, political and economic rights in Burkina Faso. The national office of Diakonia in Ouagadougou is the central cooperation partner responsible for the programme phase for 2016-2018. Amongst the implementing partners are ministries, public institutions, civil society organisations (CSO) and actors of the private sector. All implementing partners of the programme have sub-contracts with Diakonia, that have been elaborated and agreed according to the norms and standards agreed at a central level between Sida and Diakonia, including routines and procedures for financial management and control.With a total budget of approximately 43 MSEK donor's support, the Swedish proposed contribution for the programme phase of 2016-2018 of 25 MSEK will serve to enhance continuity and sustainability of the results acheives so far, while at the same time supporting new initiatives for women's economic emancipation with focus on improved conditions for female entrepreneurship. Out of this Swedish contribution to the gender fond for 2016-2018, 20% will finance on-going CSO projects that are already agreed in the programme, whereas the remaining 80% will constitute a special support to enhance conditions for women's economic emancipation. The principal objectives of the on-going CSO projects, as outlined in the actions plans that are attached to the Agreement, are to strengthen mechanisms at national and local levels against gender-based violence and discrimination, to enhance girls' access to education, and to strengthen women's political participation and influence.  Three new projects that are to be implemented within the strategic axe "women's economic emancipation" have been proposed by Diakonia to the members of the fund through the mechanism of "co-optation". The first project is to be implemented by the Ministry for Commerce, Industry and Artcraft and aims at improving the conditions for women entrepreneurs by means of mainstreaming of gender equality in the private sector. The second project within the area of women's economic emancipation will be implemented by an association of women entrepreneurs with the ambition to improve these entrepreneurs productivity in the textile industry more specifically. A third project will assist the Ministry for Gender Equality to strenghten its role in promoting and coordinating initiatives for gender equality throughout various sectors and in relation to economic actors in particular. The main objective of this development intervention is to improve gender equality and empower women and girls politically, socially and economically.  More specifically, the intervention will i) contribute to strengthening the integration of gender in priority development sectors, ii) reinforce civil society contributions to strengthen girls' and women’s rights and to counteract gender-based violence, and iii)s upport the development of female entrepreneurship and thereby women’s economic empowerment in Burkina Faso.