A commitment to gender equality in NRM4LED has been a priority since the formulation of the project. It is clearly stated in the Technical and Financial File of the project that gender will be integrated in all four results of the project. In order to achieve this, a Technical Advisor on Gender and Governance was employed for the duration of the project. Moreover, the project budget was developed using a Gender Budget Scan (GBS) which allows for a gender-specific analysis of the budget and the inclusion of the gender approach as a tool for monitoring in the design, planning, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the project.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy has been finalized this September. Through this strategy, gender equality will be promoted by NRM4LED by improving gender participation in decision making, improving gender equitable governance and access to/control over land, and ensuring gender equitable local economic development in the project area by 2019.The specific objectives of the Strategy are:

• To identify, analyse and address the major issues of concern to gender equality in NRM4LED
• To provide guidance on gender sensitive implementation of the project interventions which will ensure equitable benefits to men and women
• To  ensure the incorporation of gender aspects in the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all project related activities
• To ensure that gender specific change drivers identified in the NRM4LED Theory of Change  are adequately taken care of during the development of annual action plans and budgets