Gender Study Undertake gender study to understand the scenario and devise strategies to mainstream gender Gender report summary:

Based on the gender study report; a gender mainstreaming strategy was developed for the programme to address the gaps. The programme needs to put in place a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy that is informed by the results of this Gender Analysis. Through this analysis, gaps have been identified which the strategy will need to address. The gender mainstreaming training can be conducted in collaboration with other government and civil society initiatives. The capacity training will enable project stakeholders to systematically mainstream gender and develop a common approach to tackling gender inequality and women empowerment issues in the bamboo value chain. The programme already has capacity strengthening as one of the key indicators, however, there is a need for gender-focused training. Male engagement should also aim at sensitizing men so that they can speak out against and discourage harmful cultural and religious practices that perpetuate gender inequality. There is a need for male involvement in the programme activities such as income-generating activities so that men can appreciate more the importance of these activities for household livelihood, and such participation can also be used as a platform for reaching out to men with gender messages. The programme needs to utilise more traditional, religious and community leaders as entry points for the gender mainstreaming process. Role models amongst the traditional leaders should be identified and moulded into gender champions who speak out against harmful traditional and cultural practices that perpetuate gender inequality. A starting point might also entail programme operational male staff members also playing this role and leading by example with intentionality. Women Friendly Bamboo Technology, Tools and Machines: such as craft making tools, wheelbarrows and other tools should be made accessible to women to enable them to manage efficiently their multiple roles and responsibilities. However, the technologies need to be tested to ensure applicability within the context. On the other hand, and in support of technology intervention, women’s workload can also be reduced significantly if men begin playing a greater role in reproductive work.

There is a need for the programme to consider adopting the “Stepping Stones” approach which promotes the participatory and progressive engagement of communities in mainstreaming gender rather than the prescriptive and “hit-and-run” approach. Savings and Thrift - Lack of banking and microcredit facility in remote villages mean that women are lacking the financial support to initiate business enterprise activity. Linking savings and thrift among the small bamboo producers’ group (women) will be an opportunity to reduce the barrier and empowerment including the mainstream financing gradually. Improving Women’s functional literacy and entrepreneurship in Bamboo–There is a need for the programme to focus on educating women on micro-business management and budgeting. Doing so will equip women with basic skills such as bookkeeping, taking stock, and hopefully the ability to scale up their ventures. This could be linked to collaborative efforts with TVETs to exclusively design and demonstrate bamboo women entrepreneurship programme to learn business in bamboo. Bamboo cluster development Initiatives- This can provide women and men involved in the bamboo value chain for better partnership and sharing activity in a collaborative way. It will help to empower both men and women to participate and gain skills and knowledge. For example, in bamboo furniture, it is mostly men that are involved, however, the cluster development approach can ensure the sharing of certain activities to women to make some of the products or components i.e. slating, treatment, assembling on the other hand harvesting and treatment could be done by the males.