This document serves as a "how to" guide on including women and men with disabilities into USAID's gender assessments and analyses. It provides the following information:

• a brief overview of why it is important to include disability in both activity analysis and country-level gender assessments;
• issues specific to disability that one may need to consider while conducting an assessment;
• suggested questions to include during an assessment following a frequently used gender assessment framework, as well as questions by sector/thematic area; and,
• additional resources for information on disability.

This gender assessment presents a synthesis of the performance assessment findings for IEHA agricultural investments in sub-Saharan Africa and their ability to address gender constraints and increase the impact of agricultural programs for women, as well as men. It captures best practices and lessons learned and offers evidence-based recommendations on gender integration in order to maximize future agricultural investments toward the goals of rural poverty reduction and food security. Largely funded by AFR/SD and EGAT/AG, it represents a broader collaboration of offices including EGAT/ESP and EGAT/WID and organizations including the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

This gender assessment focuses principally on (a) how strengthening women's participation and paying attention to gender issues can enhance USAID/Angola's results and (b) how monitoring and evaluation can track the success stories of women's involvement in USAID programs as well as any unintended negative impacts that can be remedied once observed. The report identifies key issues for Angolan women, particularly in light of conflict and the anticipated transition from humanitarian to development assistance; these include illiteracy, internal displacement, poverty, and violence. The report also looks at gender and performance monitoring with regard to USAID/Angola programming in the agriculture & food security, democracy & governance, and health & HIV/AIDS sectors.

This document assesses current gender issues in Benin, together with governmental, non-governmental, and donor-funded activities to address them. It then proposes an integrated, cross-cutting strategy to strengthen attention to gender issues in USAID/Benin's development assistance programs.

This gender assessment considers (1) the general context of women and gender issues in Eritrea, including how gender issues are enshrined in law and legal codes and thereby impact political participation and education; (2) the health situation and constraints for women and girls in terms of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS; (3) gender issues relating to economic growth and income generation in terms of rural and urban enterprise development; (4) studies of female demobilized soldiers; and (5) how the Mission can take a cross-cutting approach to gender equity and increased participation of women in its funding, management, monitoring, and evaluation.

This report presents the findings of a gender assessment of sustainable conservation-oriented enterprises, which was conducted under the WID-funded Greater Access to Trade Expansion (GATE) Project. It is based on the findings of a gender assessment team that spent three weeks in Kenya in 2007. It also builds on a desktop review of activities in other parts of the country. The objectives of the study were to:

1. identify specific business development constraints facing men and women engaged in nature-based income-generating activities, and
2. recommend strategies and interventions to increase the socio-economic benefits of biodiversity conservation through nature-based enterprises.

This research brief summarizes the findings of a gender assessment of sustainable conservation-oriented enterprises conducted under the WID-funded Greater Access to Trade Expansion (GATE) Project. The larger report is based on the findings of a gender assessment team that spent three weeks in Kenya in 2007. It also builds on a desktop review of activities in other parts of the country. The objectives of the study were to:

1. identify specific business development constraints facing men and women engaged in nature-based income-generating activities, and
2. recommend strategies and interventions to increase the socio-economic benefits of biodiversity conservation through nature-based enterprises.

This gender assessment is divided into four parts:

1. description of the status and situations of women and girls in Liberia;
2. what the Government of Liberia, civil society, international NGOs, and donors are doing for and with women and girls, and how they are contributing to gender equality;
3. review of USAID's sector focuses, as reflected in draft strategy and selective information provided by USAID's teams to flag gender-related issues for the strategy and activities – both pitfalls and opportunities;
4. recommendation(s) for how USAID might direct resources in Liberia toward addressing the needs of women and girls.

This Gender Assessment of the USAID/Malawi portfolio is intended to assist the mission in integrating gender into program planning, project design, procurement, implementation, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation. It discusses how the Government of Malawi (GOM) is addressing gender issues through its Revised National Gender Policy and ways that USAID can support the GOM in achieving its goals.

This report presents the findings of two consultants hired by USAID/Rwanda to carry out a gender country assessment, identify strategic recommendations for USAID/Rwanda to strengthen its and its collaborating partners' programs, and incorporate these findings into a comprehensive and practical gender action plan. The assessment, provided to strengthen the Mission's current program, also lays the groundwork for efforts to integrate gender considerations into the USAID/Rwanda Country Strategic Plan for 2002-2006. The assessment finds that the lives of many women and girls have improved as a result of USAID/Rwanda's development assistance, however the Mission does not yet analyze or address gender issues in a systematic fashion and does not yet have adequate quantitative or qualitative gender-specific information from which to appropriately design its country strategy.

As part of the new strategy preparation, USAID/Senegal requested assistance with a gender assessment of its programs. The assessment team made site visits to multiple cities and towns in Senegal, which offered examples of key gender concerns, including gender disparities in access to education, unequal allocation of land and other resources, and gender-based violence, as well as examples of USAID/Senegal programming to address these problems. In addition to its analysis of gender issues and USAID activities in Senegal, the team provided the Mission with recommendations to help it continue to design and implement programs to overcome critical gender disparities in the country.

This report presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations that emerged from a gender assessment carried out for USAID/South Africa from August 4-24, 2004. The assessment is based on a review of background documentation as well as meetings with Mission staff members, interviews with USAID implementing partners, NGOs, and Government of South Africa officials, and visits to selected field sites. The goal of the report is to show that gender analysis can, in some cases, be easily used to make small changes in activities so that they acknowledge gender issues.

This document reports on two tasks undertaken by the WIDTECH project at the request of the Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA) Mission:

1. Conducting a gender assessment and making recommendations for a gender plan of action. The body of the report summarizes these findings and recommendations.
2. Implementing a gender training for the Mission and its partners. This training is summarized in Annex D.

This document presents the results of an assessment of the Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA) Mission's strategic objectives with respect to how gender issues could be addressed. The assessment was conducted under an Agency directive that strategic planning should address two questions: (1) how will gender relations affect the achievement of sustainable results; and (2) how will proposed results affect the relative status of women. The assessment covers the topics of HIV/AIDS, economic opportunity and competitiveness, democracy and governance, integrated river basin management, rural livelihoods, and RCSA services and accountability.

This gender assessment describes USAID-funded programs in Southern Sudan and the degree to which they succeed in integrating gender. The purpose of the assessment is to identify key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in USAID/Sudan's programs and to make recommendations on how USAID can achieve greater gender integration and equality outcomes in its programs. In addition, the assessment provides preliminary guidance on incorporating gender into the Mission Strategic Plan and provides help in developing a Gender Action Plan that will inform that strategy.

This report presents the findings of a gender assessment carried out for USAID/Tanzania between May 19, 2003 and June 6, 2003, as well as a draft gender plan of action. USAID/Tanzania requested the assessment to identify key gender-based constraints and ways to address them in the design of its new country strategic plan and new and/or continuing programs in health, HIV/AIDS, economic growth/agriculture, natural resource management, and democracy and governance. The assessment was based on a review of background documentation, meetings with Mission staff members, interviews with USAID implementing partners, and visits to selected field sites and selected local NGO and Government of Tanzania officials.

This report summarizes the proceedings of a gender assessment and education strategy workshop held in Lusaka, Zambia between May 23 - 27, 2005. The workshop was conducted for USAID/Zambia by Management Systems International (MSI) with support from EQUATE, a task order under the Office of Women in Development. The workshop is the second part of a two-stage effort to improve USAID education programming, which began with an assessment of the status of gender equality in Zambian education. Assessment findings were used to help USAID/Zambia improve educational access and quality for Zambian students, especially boy and girl orphans and vulnerable children, in current and future education programming.

This report explores the gender issues, impacts, and mainstreaming opportunities specific to USAID/Bangladesh's rural energy programs. Its recommendations aim to to ensure that more gender-sensitive strategies are adopted by energy professionals to meet the sustainable energy needs and priorities of both men and women stakeholders in rural Bangladesh. The study focuses on the work of the USAID/Bangladesh Energy Team's U.S. contractor, the National Rural Electrification Cooperative International Ltd., and three Bangladeshi partners: the Dhaka-based Rural Electrification Board, the rural electric co-operative Palli Bidyut Samities, and the NGO Grameen Shakti.

This gender assessment analyzes the impact of USAID/Bangladesh programs and projects on gender relations. It offers suggestions for mainstreaming gender and provides actionable recommendations that can be implemented in the short, medium, and long-term. This study also updates USAID/Bangladesh's gender action plan and provides background for a new Mission strategy for 2011-2015.

This gender analysis is the first volume in a two volume series; the gender assessment for USAID/Cambodia is volume two (PN-ADF-576). This report analyzes gender roles and relationships in the context of Cambodia and in relation to the scope of USAID/Cambodia's Strategic Plan for 2005-2010. It analyzes gender issues in the health, education, and governance sectors, which are the Mission's three focus areas.

This gender assessment is the second volume in a two volume series; the gender analysis is volume one (PN-ADF-575). This report uses the volume one gender analysis to examine the USAID/Cambodia portfolio, highlight gender integration in on-going activities, and suggest potential avenues to strengthen gender mainstreaming in the future. It focuses on USAID/Cambodia's three focus areas: health, education, and governance.

This gender assessment analyzes USAID/Cambodia's activities and provides recommendations for better gender integration in Mission programming.

This USAID/CAR gender assessment covers the five Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It reviews national policies on gender and conditions of gender inequality, USAID processes related to gender integration, and sectoral gender issues affecting USAID projects and programs. It also offers recommendations relevant to current and future USAID programming in the five countries and the CAR region overall.

USAID/India has decided to mainstream gender into its strategy as a means of addressing gender inequalities throughout its programs. This gender assessment was conducted to provide the Mission with guidance on how best to set this process in motion.

From August 15-31, 2005, a four-person team conducted a gender needs assessment for the USAID-funded Environmental Services Program (ESP) in Indonesia. The objectives of the assessment were twofold: to produce recommendations to strengthen the three core ESP components from a gender perspective and to begin building staff capacity in gender mainstreaming by conducting the needs assessment with the participation of ESP staff and partners.

This USAID/CAR gender assessment covers the five Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It reviews national policies on gender and conditions of gender inequality, USAID processes related to gender integration, and sectoral gender issues affecting USAID projects and programs. It also offers recommendations relevant to current and future USAID programming in the five countries and the CAR region overall.

This USAID/CAR gender assessment covers the five Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It reviews national policies on gender and conditions of gender inequality, USAID processes related to gender integration, and sectoral gender issues affecting USAID projects and programs. It also offers recommendations relevant to current and future USAID programming in the five countries and the CAR region overall.

This gender and inclusion assessment analyzes the impact of gender, caste, and ethnic relations on development outcomes and makes recommendations for program sustainability in the context of Nepal's recovery from the Maoist insurgency. It offers recommendations for more effectively integrating concerns of gender equity and social inclusion (GESI). It presents an overview of exclusion issues and examines aspects of USAID/Nepal's portfolio, focusing mainly on programs with new solicitations and strategies for integrating GESI within the Mission.

This assessment analyzes gender issues in USAID/Nepal's strategic framework, program, and activities for Strategic Objective #2 (SO2): reduced fertility and protected health of Nepalese families; SO4: increased private sector participation in environmentally and socially sustainable hydropower development; and SO5: strengthened governance of natural resources and selected institutions. It identifies entry points for the integration of gender into ongoing activities. The assessment was based on document review, interviews, and field observations with forest user groups, women's empowerment groups, and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), as well as working sessions with USAID/Nepal staff.

Focusing on the new USAID Country Strategic Plan for the FY 2003-2007 period, this report provides an overview of Sri Lanka's gender context and discusses the gender issues for each of the Mission's four Strategic Objectives. Recommendations include specific activities, both mainstreamed adaptations of existing activities and gender-focused ones. It also includes suggestions for possible indicators as well as data collection and analysis considerations.

This USAID/CAR gender assessment covers the five Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It reviews national policies on gender and conditions of gender inequality, USAID processes related to gender integration, and sectoral gender issues affecting USAID projects and programs. It also offers recommendations relevant to current and future USAID programming in the five countries and the CAR region overall.

This report, based on two weeks of in-country interviews and an extensive review of available documents, assesses the critical gender issues, resources, and options for USAID/Timor-Leste. The report provides an overview of the gender context for Timor-Leste, as well as the gender issues specific to the Mission's programs. It considers how gender relationships may impact program results, as well as how specific activities may affect the status of women. Its recommendations include specific ideas for both gender-mainstreamed and gender-focused activities, indicators, and monitoring.

This USAID/CAR gender assessment covers the five Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It reviews national policies on gender and conditions of gender inequality, USAID processes related to gender integration, and sectoral gender issues affecting USAID projects and programs. It also offers recommendations relevant to current and future USAID programming in the five countries and the CAR region overall.

This USAID/CAR gender assessment covers the five Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It reviews national policies on gender and conditions of gender inequality, USAID processes related to gender integration, and sectoral gender issues affecting USAID projects and programs. It also offers recommendations relevant to current and future USAID programming in the five countries and the CAR region overall.

This gender assessment identifies key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in the USAID/Albania Strategic Plan as part of the strategy development process and makes recommendations as to how the Mission can achieve greater gender integration in its programs.

This report assesses and analyzes gender issues in Armenia and provides recommendations to assist the Mission in integrating gender issues into its strategic thinking.

USAID has undertaken this gender assessment to gain a better understanding of gender issues across all sectors of Azerbaijan. The report presents the findings of key gender issues and offers USAID/Azerbaijan recommendations for better gender integration in general as well as for the economic, democratic, and social sectors. The report finds that gender-based violence is a hidden epidemic in Azerbaijan and recommends that the Mission support domestic violence awareness and protection activities, including emergency shelters.

This report presents the findings of a gender assessment conducted during two weeks in January and February 2005. The report includes key recommendations for USAID/Bosnia-Herzegovina to undertake in order to strengthen its gender mainstreaming efforts. The goal of the assessment is to outline key gender issues and constraints in Bosnia and Herzegovina to be addressed through existing or planned programming.

This Gender Plan of Action consists of two sections: The first section provides a gender analysis for each of USAID/Bulgaria's Strategic Assistance Areas, aiming to promote a better understanding of gender issues in Bulgaria and their potential impact on the sustainability and effectiveness of USAID-funded activities. The second section provides cross-cutting recommendations to facilitate the mainstreaming of gender into the Mission portfolio and to deepen the awareness and understanding of Mission staff and implementing partners.

As part of its country strategy development, USAID/Bulgaria requested this gender assessment in order to better comprehend the overall situation of men and women in Bulgaria and how it reflects the Mission's activities. The analysis and recommendations provided in the assessment aim to help the Mission mainstream gender into the new country strategy, technical areas, and Mission policies and procedures.

This report presents the results of a gender assessment carried out in Georgia in March 2003 at the request of the USAID/Georgia Mission. It provides a summary of gender relations in Georgia, an analysis of gender integration in the Mission's current and future strategic framework and program portfolio, and recommendations on how the Mission can better mainstream gender in its activities, policies, and procedures. The report analyzes gender in the context of economic growth and private enterprise, as well as trafficking in persons and domestic violence, which are both serious problems in Georgia.

The primary purpose of this gender assessment is to assist USAID/Georgia in integrating gender issues into its strategic thinking, assistance objective (AO) results framework, and performance monitoring plan (PMP). The assessment process involved:

1. analyzing the broad institutional structures and socio-economic and cultural trends in Georgia that determine the gender roles and relationships and gender-based constrains in the country;
2. providing suggestions and highlighting key areas in which the Mission AO frameworks and PMP could better respond to the different roles and status of men and women and potential impact of USAID programming on these roles.

The purpose of this gender consultancy was to 1) analyze the USAID/Macedonia Mission project portfolio for improvements in gender integration and 2) conduct gender integration training for staff and partner personnel. The recommendations in this report are based on a review of relevant documents, in-country meetings, and trainings conducted from January 19 - February 8, 2004.

This Macedonia gender assessment was undertaken for two purposes:

1. to identify key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in the FY 2011-2015 Serbia Country Strategic Plan as part of the strategy development process, and
2. to make recommendations as to how USAID/Serbia can achieve greater gender integration in its programs.

This Gender Assessment aims to identify significant sector-specific gender issues that are relevant across the USAID/Moldova portfolio and serve as the baseline against which to measure progress in achieving gender equality in Moldova. The assessment provides practical recommendations on how to ensure gender integration throughout project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation cycles. Its findings will be used to inform the design of the new strategic plan and new projects.

USAID/Serbia & Montenegro is amending its current Country Strategic Plans for both countries, which cover the period FY 2006 through FY 2010. The purpose of this gender assessment is (1) to identify key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in the amended Montenegro Country Strategic Plan as part of the strategy development process, and (2) to make recommendations as to how USAID/Montenegro can achieve greater gender integration in its programs.

USAID/Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), composed of offices in the constituent republics of Serbia and Montenegro and established after democratic elections in the fall of 2000, was a relatively new program when this Gender Assessment was conducted. Strategic plans for each republic were new, and performance monitoring plans with achievement indicators were to be produced in late 2002. The FRY Mission requested this Gender Assessment as a "reality check" to ensure that gender would be integrated into current and future initiatives, including each performance monitoring plan. The assessment found that a few USAID initiatives strongly support women's empowerment but that numerous programs need to consider gender impacts.

The purpose of the USAID/Serbia and Montenegro Gender Assessment is to identify key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in the Mission's proposed programs and offer recommendations on how the it can achieve greater gender integration in its programs. The report presents background on gender in Serbia and Montenegro and findings of key gender issues, risks, and opportunities and relevant NGOs and public institutions. It offers general recommendations focused on operational gender integration, followed by specific recommendations by strategic objective area (economic policy and finance, democracy and governance, and general development).

This assessment shows that USAID/Romania has been and continues to be committed to ensuring the promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women and disadvantaged groups in the country. Numerous programs and successes in all three strategic objectives (economic growth, governance, and health and social services) have addressed gender discrepancies specifically. Nevertheless, there are still areas in the strategic objectives, as well as in the special interest area of combating domestic violence and trafficking, that could benefit from gender analysis and integration.

This gender assessment was requested by USAID/Russia to help it ensure that gender was integrated into its strategy/vision statement and to help it draft a gender action plan. The report's recommendations are based on a review of relevant documents, in-country meetings, and training conducted from June 20 - July 23, 2004. Recommendations for improved gender integration include 1) an action plan of operational recommendations for improved gender mainstreaming in compliance with USAID's gender requirements, 2) recommendations for future technical assistance and training, and 3) gender issues and opportunities identified by sector for consideration by activity managers and sector-specific teams.

USAID/Serbia & Montenegro is amending its current Country Strategic Plans for both countries, which cover the period FY 2006 through FY 2010. The purpose of this gender assessment is (1) to identify key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in the amended Serbia Country Strategic Plan as part of the strategy development process, and (2) to make recommendations as to how USAID/Serbia can achieve greater gender integration in its programs.

USAID/Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), composed of offices in the constituent republics of Serbia and Montenegro and established after democratic elections in the fall of 2000, was a relatively new program when this Gender Assessment was conducted. Strategic plans for each republic were new, and performance monitoring plans with achievement indicators were to be produced in late 2002. The FRY Mission requested this Gender Assessment as a "reality check" to ensure that gender would be integrated into current and future initiatives, including each performance monitoring plan. The assessment found that a few USAID initiatives strongly support women's empowerment but that numerous programs need to consider gender impacts.

The purpose of the USAID/Serbia and Montenegro Gender Assessment is to identify key gender issues and gender constraints that need to be addressed in the Mission's proposed programs and offer recommendations on how the it can achieve greater gender integration in its programs. The report presents background on gender in Serbia and Montenegro and findings of key gender issues, risks, and opportunities and relevant NGOs and public institutions. It offers general recommendations focused on operational gender integration, followed by specific recommendations by strategic objective area (economic policy and finance, democracy and governance, and general development).

This report assesses the gender dimensions of USAID/Barbados and Eastern Caribbean's activities and provides recommendations for mainstreaming gender in Mission policies, procedures, and activities.

The Gender Assessment for USAID/Colombia was prepared in anticipation of the 2007 Operational Plan. The Mission asked that the assessment focus on gender in relation to the armed conflict and its effects in five programming areas: justice, human rights (with emphasis on domestic violence), alternative development, internally displaced populations, and demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants. The assessment provides an analysis of gender relations and potential constraints in each program area and offers recommendations on how the Mission might address issues of gender and conflict within these programs.

This assessment of the USAID/Dominican Republic portfolio identifies key gender concerns in each sector, assesses the extent to which the Mission programs address these concerns, and provide recommendations for gender integration in the future

This report assesses gender relations and issues in the El Salvador Mission's program as part of the process for developing the El Salvador Country Plan for FY 2004-2008.  The report also offers recommendations on how the Mission can achieve greater gender integration.

This document assesses the integration of gender in USAID/El Salvador programs as required for the development of the new Country Strategy. The purpose of the assessment was to identify key gender issues and constraints in Mission programs and provide guidance on how to achieve effective gender integration in the new portfolio. It found a general awareness in the Mission of the basic USAID requirements for attention to gender considerations; however, with a few exceptions, projects did not take account of gender relations in their activities or results.

The purpose of this gender assessment is to provide an overview of the key gender issues and constraints in Guatemala, to assess the USAID/Guatemala Mission's portfolio, and to recommend how the Mission might develop a Gender Plan of Action and address gender considerations in its programs.

This gender assessment was conducted as part of the preparation for the USAID/Guyana 2004-2008 Country Strategic Plan. The report includes an overview of factors affecting the status of women in Guyana, key gender issues in the country, and government, NGO, and donor resources directed to these issues. It then focuses directly on USAID/Guyana's strategic program areas, identifying gender issues specific to these programs and making recommendations for the process of gender mainstreaming in the strategy and subsequent activities.

The Gender Assessment for USAID/Haiti was carried out in March 2006, including two-weeks of in-country consultation. Section 1 presents basic development indicators, disaggregated by sex, to measure the relative status of men and women. Section 2 outlines gender dimensions in Haiti in terms of the roles of men and women, patterns of decision-making and control, and relative legal and social status; this section also identifies the broad implications of this analysis for development programming. Section 3 presents a gender assessment of USAID/Haiti's current programs, while Section 4 addresses anticipated future program directions.

This gender assessment was developed as a part of the process for defining the Honduras Mission's strategy for FY 2004-2010. The assessment provides a baseline overview of key gender issues and resources and initial guidance on gender integration in USAID strategy areas. The gender action plan makes recommendations on how to move forward from this overview to take account of gender differences as a factor in the USAID programming cycle.

This assessment explores the role that gender plays in boys' and girls' development, performance, and outcomes in school, with the goal of unearthing strategies that could address differential performance and impact. The research examines the nature and function of gender dynamics in teaching and learning at home, at school, and in the wider society. USAID/Jamaica commissioned this study to determine the reasons for, and possible interventions to address, the underachievement of male students.

The purpose of this Gender Assessment, through the assistance of the Office of Women in Development, is to help the USAID Mexico Environment Program and its NGO partners build stronger linkages between environmental issues, economic growth, and gender equity. The specific goal of the assessment was to understand key gender issues affecting poverty and, as a result, natural resource use in local communities. A specific focus has been placed on the activities of Conservation International's Usumacinta Watershed Management Program in Chiapas as well as ecotourism activities conducted through this program.

This gender assessment for the USAID/Nicaragua program was requested as a part of the development of the new strategic plan for FY 2004 to FY 2009. The purpose of the assessment is to provide an overview of gender issues in Nicaragua in the three strategic objective areas (economic growth, good governance/civil society, and health/education) and to make recommendations for integration of gender concerns in the Mission strategy and activities.

The Gender Assessment for USAID/Panama was completed in February 2004 as part of the preparation of the new Country Plan for 2004-2008. The report includes an overview of factors affecting the status of women in Panama, key gender issues in the country, and the government, NGO, and donor resources directed at these issues. It then focuses directly on USAID/Panama strategic program areas to identify gender issues specific to these programs and partners and to make recommendations for gender mainstreaming in the Country Plan and projects.

This gender assessment serves as background for USAID/Panama's new five-year country strategy. It provides an overview of key gender issues and constraints in USAID/Panama's new program areas and general background on the status of women and gender in Panama. In addition, it offers recommendations for a Mission gender plan of action as guidance for the integration of gender considerations into the design, procurement, and implementation of new Mission activities.

The Gender Assessment and Analysis for USAID/Paraguay was prepared in anticipation of a Strategic Plan to guide Mission programs after 2005. The assessment includes a discussion of gender concerns in the on-going activities as well as considerations in the programs under the subsequent strategy. Recommendations are offered for increased gender mainstreaming in each of the four Strategic Objective areas (economic growth, democracy and governance, health, and environment). In the concluding sections, a series of overall recommendations are suggested, which could serve as the basis for development of a Gender Action Plan for the Mission.

This report analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the process of gender integration in Egypt under the Bridge Strategy and provides a preliminary presentation of evidence for the importance of addressing gender inequality in Cairo Initiative program areas.

USAID/Egypt undertook a gender assessment as part of its strategic review of its support to the Government of Egypt to control the spread of Avian Influenza (AI) in poultry and avoid human infection. The analysis focuses on understanding the underlying gender issues related to AI, especially in terms of food security, child malnutrition, poverty, and human infection. It also provides recommendations to take account of gender in future AI-related activities.

This report analyzes USAID/Jordan's portfolio with regard to gender. It is divided into five parts:

1. an overview of the current socio-economic context of Jordan and the crosscutting issues that form challenges for the country in the coming decade;
2. an overview of the current USAID requirements for incorporating gender into USAID programs;
   
3. a discussion of the status of Jordanian women;
4. a discussion of the gender issues in USAID/Jordan's water, health, and economic growth programs and recommendations for each program area; and
5. a delineation of the next steps for gender mainstreaming for USAID/Jordan.

The assessment analyzed each of the four components under the Sustainable Achievement of Business Expansion and Quality (SABEQ) project in Jordan to identify opportunities to integrate gender systemically. Through the analysis, it became apparent that achievement of SABEQ's principal goals is strongly linked to the extent to which women are empowered to participate in the economy and contribute to economic growth. As such, the assessment was able to highlight opportunities for SABEQ to integrate gender throughout project activities as a means of promoting women's entry into the economy as labor entrants and business owners.

This gender assessment provides a baseline overview of gender issues pertinent to USAID/Morocco's planned target area under its 2004-2008 strategy -- increasing economic opportunity. This report aimed to serve as a starting point for gender mainstreaming under the country strategy and to provide the Mission with the appropriate questions to ask when developing Performance Monitoring Plans (PMPs), designing programs, implementing activities, and monitoring results. With Morocco expected to expand its trade through the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., such questions were intended to assist the Mission and the Government of Morocco in assessing to what extent gender-based constraints hampered the development of key industries and the impacts of different policies and investment strategies on the relative status of women.