Experts from the West African Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) in charge of environmental and social protection, including gender-based violence (GBV), met in Accra, Ghana, from 5 to 8 September 2023 to review the implementation of activities in the countries and at regional level.
In four days of work marked by exchanges experience, experts from Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, Chad, Togo, ECOWAS and CORAF and their counterparts from Niger, CILSS and the Bank (online) took stock of the implementation of recommendations in the various environmental and social safeguard instruments prepared by countries and partners. The representatives of the countries and regional institutions (ECOWAS, CORAF and CILSS) presented the complaints management mechanisms and the committees set up to make them operational.
Through the various presentations, the experts gained a better understanding of the concepts of gender, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse/sexual harassment (SEA/HS).
This regional meeting was also an opportunity to provide country experts and PRSP implementation partners with information on the appropriate mechanisms for the efficient implementation of the various safeguard instruments that have been developed and validated.
Together, the participants defined environmental and social safeguard indicators before drawing up an action plan to implement these recommendations by country and by institution, and helped national experts to draw up GBV/EAS/HS action for each country.
The regional meeting ended with the drafting of a roadmap for monitoring and supporting countries in order harmonise the inclusion of environmental and social safeguard aspects, including GBV/EAS/HS, in the various activities.
It should be remembered that compliance with environmental and social standards during the implementation of PRSP activities is a legal requirement of partner countries and institutions. Taking into account environmental and social safeguards not only contributes to the achievement of the project's objectives, but also ensures its sustainability and ownership by the implementing partners. It is within this framework that all the countries plus the partner institutions have developed, validated and implemented safeguard instruments in line with the standards set out in the World Bank's new environmental and social framework. Taking into account the recommendations when implementing these instruments remains a prerequisite for any PRSP activity.
