Gender mainstreaming from the ground up: WFP Zahel Office

Innovations from the FieldGender mainstreaming from the ground up

Phase 2

An IDS-WFP action research partnership, 2015-16

Aims of Innovations from the Field

A WFP-IDS action learning initiative to•Understand what already works to mainstream gender equality in WFP field programmes, and where improvements are needed•Share that learning and knowledge effectively within WFP•Apply lessons to strengthen gender-responsive practice across WFP •Inform critical thinking on gender mainstreaming and contribute to better practice globally

Program background

• WFP works on gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment.

• Much research has argued that parents take their girl children out of school when they are faced with financial difficulties.

• The boys who are taken out of school

-More mobility

-Earning capacities

• Result: leave boys vulnerable –to poverty and exploitation including military recruitment.

Zahle sub office PAL question for Zahle office•What does WFP do about gender and the protection of refugee children’s right to education? What –if any-are the gendered effects of capping on school attendance of refugee boys and girls?

Data needed•% of WFP card in total food expenditures

( during the reduction period)•% of WFP card in total household expenditures ( during the reduction period)

•School attendance and withdrawal before and after the introduction of capping quantitative and qualitative•Importance of education

The period of Budget cut

• July, August, September 2015

• Corresponds with school holiday

Dimensions of school attendance where WFP can have direct impact

Multiple impacts on income, health, education,

•Income, e-card is a form of secure income

•Health; primary physical and mental health benefits

•Improved school attendance and performance

•Incentive to attend education via the school feeding program

All these effects are gendered

WFP has limited influence on household and food expenses

• Income. WFP card can be central and important, but most expenses, housing, transport, medication not covered

in Average , during the reduction period,

• WFP card covers 35% of all food expenditures.

• WFP card covers 15% of total household expenditures

Present results Data from PDM

# of HH

# of individuals

# of Male (5-15)

# of female (5-15)

# of Male (16-17)

# of female (16-17)

# of children withdrawn from school

# of children involved In the income

Before the the budget cut (May-June) 160 966 159 153 34 16 26 4During the budget cut (July-August) 160 914 163 148 23 14 15 5After the budget cut ( October- November) 160 979 183 164 18 24 30 14

• Sex ratio’s below 16-17 year old are equal but at the age of (16-17) there are almost half as many girls as boys. Where have they gone?

• Limitations and context– Cuts are made in same period as school holiday– PDM does not ask about school attendance– No questions about age and sex related to school withdrawal– No questions about age and sex related to income generation

Conclusion– PDM cannot answer questions on gender and school attendance

Lessons learned

PDM cannot answer questions on gender and school attendance

Solutions

–Refine the PDM questionnaire and Include relevant questions related to gender, age and school attendance, clearly related to WFP mandate and responsibility–Repeat these questions over time–Enhance authority, capacity and sufficient time of gender focal points to use and analyse the data to inform programs

Qualitative data collected to complement PDM

Focus groups discussions

•Selection criteria:

1.Affected people who have been in Lebanon before, during and after the capping and budget cuts

2.Affected people have children and have benefitted from WFP in that period

•Location: Saadnayel village, Bakaa- in a public school with separate rooms /familiar to the refugees

2 FGDs with women: One with 11 and one with 12 participants

2 FGDs with men: One with 16 and one with 15 participants

2 FGDs with both men and women One with 14 (8 F 6 M) and one with 12 (6M 6F) participants.

In depth interviews

•Four teachers two male and two female from the same school

FGD findings: • Education highly valued for the growth of the children at intellectual,

social and psychological level.

• Attendance asset to overcome life’s challenges.

• Parents play a major role in raising awareness on school

• Their children want to go to school, have friends, develop themselves and escape home

• Difficulties adapting to different curriculum, bullying by students and teachers, lack of space in Lebanese schools, transportation fees

• Majority finds school essential until 9th grade (15 age)

• At 9th grade kids receive an official certificate to demonstrate skills

• Men say that a certificate helps with jobs and get better position in the Syrian army that protects sons and build their lives

• Women say that girls need to be in school to prevent early marriage and just doing unpaid care and other homework

• Most are in informal schools in the settlements

• Lebanese schools discriminate, different curriculums, one child was set back one grade

Gender, school attendance and withdrawal

The reason of withdrawal is related to transportation fees, extra expenditures, harassment by the teachers, not food.

Table gender and education (30 hh-127 Children)

# of children # of girls # of boys attend school under agerejected from school by administration

127 73 54 65 40 20

Child labour

• Risky jobs: working as a daily worker/assistant for a carpenter, barber, blacksmith and working in agriculture.

• Acceptable for girls to work in jobs; hairdresser

• Verbal and physical harassment, violence, exploitation, fatigue, diseases

• They get paid between 5000-30000 L.P. per week.

Lessons learned

• Cultures and gender roles can change. Women support education of girls against early marriage

• Gender roles can harm and marginalize boys and girls >education good example

• Refugee situation can be opportunity for change

• Need to involve men in raising children boys AND girls

• Gender of facilitator and of respondents both affect answers/findings > need to have mixed gender team

• Allocate time and increase authority for gender focal points especially for M&E that informs programs and social protection

• Use PAL to systematically mainstream gender in program M&E and design

Identify program action

WFP should consider:

•Removing capping, increase amount per person.

•Collaborate with UNICEF and NGO working on education and advocate for better protection following the life trajectories of girls and boys >16.

•Suggestions made by beneficiaries include:

– Cash for education

– Earmarked cash assistance

– Improving accessibility to formal schools (transport, help with school items)

– Strengthen referral for social protection (early marriage)

– Support to informal schools

Finalize analysis and documentation

• PowerPoint presentation for global learning meeting in May

• Two pages write up• Regional conference on e-cards and lessons learned