JAPAN WOMEN-IN-DEVELOPMENT (JWID) FUND Background The government of Japan has established with UNDP a Women in Development Fund with a total contribution since 1995 of $ 5.9 million. This JWIDF contribution is administered in accordance with UNDP's established policies and procedures for programme cost-sharing contributions. The Bureau for Resources and External Affairs (BREA) and the Bureau for Policy Development (BPD) jointly collaborate in the management of JWIDF. The Gender in Development Programme (GIDP) is responsible for the programming and coordination of projects, in close consultation with the Regional Bureau and Country Offices. Focus of JWIDF The Fund is intended to serve as a catalyst for promoting and supporting the empowerment of women and women's participation in economic and social life. Highest priority will be given to project proposals which focus on promoting an enabling environment for the advancement of women's advancement through entrepreneurship development; provision of micro-credit and establishing income-generating activities; promotion of educational opportunities for women and girls; and, support to women's reproductive health. Related issues include capacity building for policy and legal frameworks and for gender equality. We encourage submission of projects that last a duration of one to three years, and cost in the region of $300,000. Project Proposals Project Proposals should incorporate: A situation analysis. A policy component indicating how the envisaged programme will enhance policy dialogue and decision making for the empowerment of women on a sustainable basis. A capacity building component An indication of a follow-up strategy including the possibility of future Japan and/or multilateral cooperation. Linkage to other UNDP cooperation in country.   Format for submitting Proposals Initial project proposals should be submitted to the representative Regional Bureau, copied to GIDP, in the form of an UNDP project brief (2-3 pages), providing in summary form background information on the country related to the project proposal, objectives of the proposed activity, outputs, follow-up mechanisms, institutional responsibilities, proposed budget and programme duration. Application details. Countries for priority considerationq The geographic regions of highest priority for JWIDF pipeline development are: Asia and the Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries in other regions are not excluded from consideration. Highest priority countries in the regions include: Mexico, Brazil, Barbados, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Central America. South/South Cooperation Approximately 25% of the Government of Japan contribution will be earmarked for South/South and Technical Cooperation between Developed Countries (TCDC) cooperation. All geographic regions will be considered for this programme component. JWID projects Global Global: Africa/Asia Africa Bangladesh Cambodia China Ethiopia Fiji Ghana Guatemala Indochina (1) Indochina (2) Jamaica Jordan Kenya Laos Namibia Pakistan Palestine Peru Philippines Papua New Guinea Somalia Vietnam Egypt Ukraine Turkey Projects: AFRICA Project Number: GLO/97/321/A/11/31 Project Title: World Bank: Special Programme for Africa (SPA) Duration: On-going Estimated Starting Date: October 1997 Amount: $ 44,000 Partners: Project Summary: The UNDP/ Japan Women in Development Fund (JWIDF) will contribute towards the evaluation of the multi-donor Special Programme of Assistance to Africa (SPA), particularly from a gender perspective. BANGLADESH Project Number: GLO/97/317/A/11/31 Project Title: Micro-Credit Schemes: Models for the Empowerment of Women and Poverty Reduction. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: April 1997 Estimated Closing Date: April 1998 Amount: $ 180,500 Partners: UNOPS Project Summary: South/South cooperation programme will take place in Bangladesh, aimed at examining the experience, impact and lessons learned of extending women’s access to credit, and control and benefit from credit. Approximately 30 participants, including policy makers, practitioners and researchers from Latin America, Asia and Africa are being invited to Bangladesh to visit, examine and discuss various models of micro-credit schemes to attempt to determine their impact on the empowerment of women, gender equality and poverty alleviation. The aim of the workshop is to try to derive from site visits and presentations, lessons which can be learned in terms of having the most positive impacts. The workshop will provide a forum for a review and discussion of the experiences and opportunities, constraints and policy implications for increasing numbers of beneficiaries, making financial systems and procedures more responsive to low-income women and men and programme sustainability. Follow up activities will be identified for strengthening contacts between countries, institutions, the private sector and organization in civil society to promote common interest. CAMBODIA Project Number: CMB/96/007/ Project Title: Women's Participation in Economic Development. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: August 1996 Estimated Closing Date: August 1997 Amount: $ 194,775 Partners: Association of Cambodian Local Economic Development Agencies (ACLEDA). Project Summary: The project, working with the NGO, Association of Cambodian Local Economic Development Agencies (ACLEDA), will provide sustainable and demand-driven financial and related business and skills development services to the rural poor in the province of Kampot and promote women's participation in business development schemes. Financial and technical support will be provided to solidarity groups, together with basic training for preparation of business plans, skills development and the administration of credits and savings. Women will constitute 80 percent of the direct beneficiaries. Priority will be given to women head-of-households and women with large dependent families who are among the most disadvantaged groups in Cambodian society. Replicable aspects of this initiative will serve as an input into policy development. The present programme builds upon the results of the Indochina seminar on Economic Development. ACLEDA participated in this programme and it will participate in follow-up national activities.   CHINA Project Number: PRC/97/XXX Project Title: Support to Poor Women’s Cooperative Duration: Two years Estimated Starting Date: June 1997 Estimated Closing Date: June 1999 Amount: $ 200,000 Partners: Funding the Poor Cooperative (NGO) Project Summary: The project will work with the poor women in one of the poorest provinces in China to increase their economic and social empowerment through capacity development and credit. This demonstration project facilitated by the NGO, Funding the Poor Cooperative, (FPC) will expand micro-credit facilities and provide experiences and lessons learned for continued growth of this economic empowerment programme. FPC has committed to utilize the experiences of micro-credit operation in their countries, particularly Bangladesh and Cambodia. The project supports the OEDC/DAC agenda for shaping the 21st Century through poverty reduction and the economic empowerment of women. EGYPT Project Title: Women's Club/Health and Population Duration: Not Determined Yet Amount: $245,000 Partners: Ministry of Health and Population Project Summary: The Project objectives are the establishment of two women Clubs in Ismailia and Sharkia, two areas of Egypt, in order to improve women status by encouraging them to participate in club activities and make use of the facilities. ETHIOPIA Project Number: ETH/97/XXX Project Title: Capacity Development of the Association of Former Women Fuelwood Carriers Duration: Two years Estimated Starting Date: June 1997 Estimated Closing Date: June 1999 Amount: $ 200,000 Partners: Fuelwood Former Carrier Association Project Summary: The project support capacity building of the recently established, non-governmental organization, "Fuelwood Former Carriers Association" (FWFCA) to empower its women members to influence policies which shape their lives and to negotiate as equals in the market place. The UNDP/Japan Women in Development Fund (JWIDF) will build FWFCA basic management and business skills and build capacities to provide technical advice and entrepreneurial skills to its members and on-the-job training in business identification, planning, management and financial record keeping. The project will be implemented in parallel with the ILO cooperation to FWFCA in implementing a pilot credit scheme. The project supports the OECD agenda for shaping the 21st century for the economic empowerment of women and poverty eradication goals. Fiji, Regional Pacific Project Number: FIJI/97 Project Title: Pacific Islands: Economic Empowerment of Women through Sustainable Livelihood Promotion. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: May/June 1997 Estimated Closing Date: May/June 1998 Amount: $ 200,000 Partners: Department of Women/ Ministry of Commerce, Suva Fiji. National Governments Project Summary: The Regional Project will assist the UNDP member countries of the South Pacific region to identify viable income generating activities for poor women, thereby increasing the employment opportunities available to them. It is designed to increase women' s participation in small business development through market development, training in skills, business management, etc. The project is supporting of the OECD/DAC Agenda for the 21st Century by demonstrating progress towards reducing poverty through the economic empowerment of women. All publications and information materials for which there is a JWIDF contribution will be acknowledged. GHANA Project Number: GHA/96/002/A/99/99 Project Title: Women Entrepreneurship Development in Ghana. Duration: Six months. Estimated Starting Date: June 1996 Estimated Closing Date: January 1997 Amount: $ 85,000 Partners: International Economic Relation Division of Ministry of Finance; 31st December Women’s Movement. Project Summary: This programme will promote the articulation of an enabling policy environment for women’s economic empowerment building on the experience and achievements of women entrepreneurs and addressing the legal and policy frameworks and capacity building requirements to support their full participation in Ghana’s private sector development. A workshop, drawing on the experience of representative NGO’s, women entrepreneurs, business association and financial institutions, will take place, organized by the national NGO, "31st December Women’s Movement". The outcome of the workshop will include an assessment of existing legal and policy frameworks to promote women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneurship development, the elaboration of an action programme for women’s equal access to productive resources, skills development and financial services, and partnerships developed for longer term collaboration, linking women’s associations, government entities, NGO’s to the business and financial community. A visual-video record of the programme will be produced.   GLOBAL Project Number: GLO/97/315/A/11/31 Project Title: Micro-credit Summit: Micro-Finance as a tool for Economic Empowerment of Women Duration: Six months Estimated Starting Date: January 1997 Estimated Closing Date: August 1997 Amount: $ 100,000 Partners: UNOPS Project Summary: The Micro-Credit Summit to be held in February 1997 provides UNDP with a unique opportunity to engage development practitioners from around the world in a dialogue to examine the policy implications of micro-finance as a tool for the economic empowerment of women. UNDP will sponsor two "meet in challenge" sessions, support follow up publications and networking arrangements with development partners. The project supports the OECD/DAC agenda for the 21st century by promoting the economic well being of women and the goal of reducing the number of significant people living in extreme poverty. All publications and information where there is a JWIDF contribution will be acknowledged. GLOBAL/AFRICA-ASIA Project Title: Asia-Africa Forum on Empowerment of Women Duration: Six months Amount: $ 330,500 Partners: UNOPS Project Summary: An Asian and African forum will be convened, to facilitate collaborative efforts for the empowerment of women in the economic sectors and promote a dialogue on enabling environments conductive to this end. The two themes to be discussed are women in private sector development and gender equality for economic advancement and empowerment, informed by the Beijing Conference recommendations and building on the TICAD process and the sub-regional consultation on promoting Women’s participation in Economic Development in Indochina. This forum will provide the opportunity for exchange of experiences, impacts and lessons learned and identify more specific collaboration for the economic empowerment of women. African and Asian participants from the public and private sectors, will participate in the forum. GUATEMALA Project Number: GUA/96 Project Title: National Seminar on Education of Girls. Duration: Ten months Estimated Starting Date: January 1997 Estimated Closing Date: November 1997 Amount: $ 300,000 Partners: Ministry of Education; SIMAC (National System of Curricular Improvement and Transformation. Project Summary: The objective of the project is to improve the education of girls in Guatemala facilitated through a nation-wide seminar with the participation of senior staff from the Ministry of Education, governmental and non-governmental, grassroots and community organizations. Experiences and lessons learned will be shared. The nation-wide seminar will be followed by three regional seminars to address curriculum reform, teaching materials and practical issues for increasing girl’s participation and achievement in school. The project supports the OECD/DAC agenda for the 21st century, particularly in relation to the goal of promoting equality of girl’s literacy. The project also builds upon the USAID cooperation in support of girl’s education. INDOCHINA (1) Project Number: RAS/95 Project Title: Promoting Women’s Participation in Economic Development in the Countries in Indochina. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: November 1995 Estimated Closing Date: November 1996 Amount: $ 151,525 Partners: ESCAP National focal points for the advancement of women and national planning agencies in three countries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Project Summary: Aimed at promoting women’s participation in economic development in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar, an Indochina Seminar on "Promoting women’s participation in economic development in Indochina" and follow up national workshops in three countries will be convened. Nearly 200 representatives will attend the seminar from national focal points for the advancement for women, line ministries including national planning agencies, private sectors from three countries. The seminar comprises a keynote speech on promoting women’s participation in economic development in economies in transition and subsequent consecutive panel forums on "skill training, entrepreneurship, access to credit and financial institutions, and support systems". National workshops will be organized in three countries to follow-up on the seminar, paying special attention to the priority issues in the respective countries. INDOCHINA (2) Project Number: RAS/97/191/A/01/53 Project Title: Promotion of Women in small businesses in Indochina. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: July 1997 Estimated Closing Date: July 1998 Amount: $ 200,000 Partners: ESCAP National focal points for the advancement of women and national planning agencies in three countries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Project Summary: Aimed at enabling women to benefit from the transition to a market economy, the project will impart knowledge and skills and enhance contracts, linkages and networks for women in small businesses in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Vietnam through specialized management consultant teams, a sub-regional workshop on "Promoting Women in Small Businesses" and activities fostering networking and technical cooperation among developing countries. The sub-regional workshop will be attended by participants from various sectors in the three participating countries, representatives of women’s organizations and chambers of commerce and industry and participants from other countries with small business promotion schemes for women. The workshop will focus on strengthening and the development of a policy framework to provide an enabling environment for women in small businesses, integration and development of markets, and promotion of networking and information sharing. JAMAICA Project Number: JAM/96/003/01/99 Project Title: Women and Micro-Enterprise Development in Jamaica Duration: Six months Estimated Starting Date: June 1996 Estimated Closing Date: December 1996 Amount: $ 100,000 Partners: UNIFEM; UNRISD (UN Research Institute for Social Development) Project Summary: The project builds on-going work in Jamaica for the development of policies, institutional frameworks and training, responsive to the needs of female entrepreneurs. This programme will increase and consolidate the knowledge and understanding of the needs of female entrepreneurs, provide a gender analysis of macroeconomics policies which can be used as a basis for dialogue with public and private decision maker, provide training for planners and practitioners in working with women to develop their abilities and skills and facilitate financial and technical support for women entrepreneurs. The programme, coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister, will culminate in a national policy seminar on women and micro-enterprise development. An audio-visual record of the programme will be produced. JORDAN Project Number: JOR/96/008 Project Title: Enhancing Vocational Training and Employment Opportunities for Jordanian Women Duration: Two years Estimated Starting Date: January 1997 Estimated Closing Date: January 1999 Amount: $ 245,000 Partners: Ministry of Higher Education Project Summary: The objective of the project is to reform community college education in Jordan targeted to women to increase their opportunities to obtain well paid employment in the labor market in non-traditional vocational areas based on market needs. The programme will include curriculum design and development, a mentor programme with Jordanian business women’s professional organizations, a promotional media campaign to encourage female enrollment in non-traditional community college programmes along with career counseling to offer best employment possibilities. The Jordanian Business and Professional Women’s Club will act as a focal point for this programme. The project supports the OECD/DAC agenda for the 21st century by promoting opportunities for the economic empowerment of women. KENYA Project Number: KEN/97/303/01/NEX Project Title: Sensitisation of Financial Institutions, Commercial Banks and Insurance Companies for Increased Credit to Support Women . Duration: One Year Estimated Starting Date: January 1998 Estimated Closing Date: January 1999 Amount: $ 75.000 Partners: Management Development Assistance (NGO) Project Summary: The project supports a review and assessment of the needed reform of legal and operational policy frameworks to support women’s access and control of investment capital through existing financial institutions. Seminars and workshops will take place with government and banking institutions, officials and women’s groups to identify constraints and opportunities to increase the economic empowerment of women, through access to credit. The project supports the OEDC/DAC agenda for shaping the 21st century through poverty reduction and the economic empowerment of women. LAOS Project Number: LAO/98/014 Project Title: Strengthening Lao Women's Union on Management and Administration. Duration: Eighteen months. Estimated Starting Date: January 1998 Estimated Closing Date: June 1999 Amount: $ 180,000 Partners: Lao Women's Union (LWU) Project Summary: This project will provide general support for strengthening LWU capacity on management, project management cycle, especially analytical process to streamline issues and gender issues in the planning process. Through this continual process, gender issues will be systematically addressed and fed in the planning process which will contribute to the women promotion and advancement as well as equal rights among women and men. The project will be implemented in Central LWU and five provinces (Oudomxay, Sayabuly, Xiang Khouang, Savannakhet and Sekong) which had implemented UNDP sponsored projects. The immediate objectives of the project are the following: 1) To provide a basic knowledge on women's status and roles in the socio-economic development, awareness on gender equity as stipulated by the family, labor, legislation laws, and facts on the women involvement in the decision making related to grassroots organizations (water users groups, village committees, village development committees, etc; 2) To improve family situation in selected areas by providing life skills to women in a) Mother and children heath care; b)Birth spacing; and c) Agriculture and family income generating activities; 3) To strengthen LWU in project management and problem analysis related to gender issues; 4) To strengthen LWU staff's qualifications and professional skills; 5) To improve equipment of LWU offices at Central level and 5 provinces (Oudomxay, Sayabuly, Xiang Khouang, Savannakhet and Sekong). NAMIBIA (Not Approved Yet) Project Title: Support to Women Entrepreneurs Duration: Not Determined Amount: $ 100,000 Partners: Project Summary: The project aims at increasing the productivity and earnings of women’s income generating activities through improved feasibility studies, entrepreneurial and management skills. Training programmes will be designed and carried out for women’s entrepreneurship and management leadership through the Namibian National Women’s Organization (NANAWO). PAKISTAN. (No Project Number Not approved) Project Title: Maternal and Child Health Promoting Reproductive Health in Pakistan. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: September 1997 Estimated Closing Date: August 1998 Amount: $ 99,500 Partners: Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS) Project Summary: The project aims at supporting the Maternal and Child Health Center (MCH) project, which started in June 1996 with the bilateral technical assistance of the Government of Japan. The objective of the MCH project is to promote women's health and welfare with a special focus on the improvement of reproductive health services delivery. To complement this initiative, a national workshop on reproductive health will be organized, attended by the representatives from the national focal points for reproductive health, relevant ministries including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Population, the Ministry of Women's Development and health professionals including obstetricians and gynecologists, pediatricians, nurses, doctors and lady community health workers. Promotional video films and survey reports will be produced for disseminating the knowledge and data on reproductive health in Pakistan. The training curriculum and manuals for reproductive health will be developed.   PALESTINE Project Number: PAL/96 Project Title: Promoting a Gender Sensitive Educational System. Duration: One year Estimated Starting Date: December 1996 Estimated Closing Date: December 1997 Amount: $ 110,000 Partners: Ministry of Education and the Center for Curriculum Development. Project Summary: Aimed at developing a new educational curriculum for the Palestinian people, this project will provide assistance to the Ministry of Education and the center for Curriculum Development (CCD) in developing a gender sensitive curriculum and formulating policies that ensure access of female students to better services in an effort to curtail rates of female students drop-outs. Through training workshops teachers perceptions of gender sensitive education will be developed in order to create gender sensitive teacher training modules. Follow up actions will be identified for further UNDP and Japan collaboration in this sector, within the overall UNDP Framework of the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (1996-1998). UNICEF will be a collaborating agency for this project. PERU (Didn't get in touch anymore) Project Title: Establishment of MIBANCO. Duration: Not Determined Amount: Not Determined Partners: Project Summary: The project aims at incorporating an analysis of the impact on women as clients of the proposed MIBANCO initiative in Peru, examining legal and policy frameworks and alternative institutional modalities. As the MIBANCO initiative moves forward there is a need to consider the clientele and the potential impact of this initiative on women and men, particularly with regard to such issues as collateral, property titles. The projects outputs include the review of the legal and policy frameworks of MIBANCO from a gender perspective and the promotion of gender equity within the institutional framework of MIBANCO. PHILIPPINES Project Number: GLO/97/XXX Project Title: Expanding Women Entrepreneurship Development on a Sustainable Basis. Duration: One and a half years Estimated Starting Date: May 1997 Estimated Closing Date: May 1998 Amount: $ 280,000 Partners: SU/TCDC-UNDP Project Summary: The project will examine, through case studies, the experiences, strategies, practices, constraints and opportunities of women-managed small enterprises in a group of selected countries in the Asia-Pacific and African Region. The project will facilitate the collection of experiences and know-how, sharing the lessons learned and best practices within countries and between countries. Institutions of the South within each region will be identified to assume responsibility of implementing these studies. Workshops will take place both at the country level and inter-regionally. The TCDC modality will be utilized for capturing the experiences, lessons learned and the practical measures required to increase the viability and growth of women managed enterprises.   PAPUA NEW GUINEA(No Starting Date) Project Number: PNG/97/002/A/1730 Project Title: Women in Small Enterprise Development. Duration: One year. Amount: $ 200,000 Partners: OPS/UNDP; Liklik Dinau/Abitore Trust Project Summary: Building upon the Micro Credit and Savings project, implemented by the Liklik Dinau/ Abitore Trust, this endeavor would provide small business enterprise training and business development loans to rural women who had successfully repaid two micro-credit loans for income generating activities and were desirous of starting a more extensive small business enterprise. SOMALIA Project Title: Rural Rehabilitation Programmes. Duration: Not Determined Amount: $ 70,000 Partners: UNIFEM. Project Summary: The objective of this project is to ensure that gender mainstreaming becomes fully integrated in socio-economic development as well as peace and conflict resolution process in Somalia. The project will include activities such as data collection and surveys for basic statistics and appraisal surveys and capacity building through training to acquire functional skills to increase female capabilities to be part of the future formal private Somali sector. TURKEY Project Number: TUR/97/002 Project Title: Microstart Programme for the Development of Microfinance Sectors in Turkey. Duration: Two Years Estimated Starting Date: 1998 Estimated Closing Date: 2000 Amount: $1,620,000 Partners: Development Foundation of Turkey Project Summary: Microstart is a pilot programme designed by UNDP to strengthen the capacity of local organizations to deliver microfinance services to the poor, especially women, and to develop the basis for permanent, self-sustaining, fast growing programmes within the country. The programme will do so by providing technical assistance on microfinance and micro-capital grants to six local organizations that have the potential to become sustainable microfinancial institutions. The programme will be nationally executed by ther Development Foundation of Turkey (TKV), which will assume the role of Local Technical Service Provider, the national counterpart for the International Technical Service Provider. Both TSP's will be responsible for providing technical assistance, know-how and a wide range of services to the selected Microstart grantees. UKRAINE Project Number: UKR/98 Project Title: Sustaining Women Farmers in Ukraine. Duration: Two Years Estimated Starting Date: October 1998 Estimated Closing Date: October 2000 Amount: $98,000 Partners: State Comitee of Ukraine for Entrepreuneurship Development Council of Women Farmers of Ukraine Project Summary: The project aims to facilitate the process of rural women's empowerment in different ways disseminating information to eneble women living in rural areas to voice their concerns network together, plan their own response and, what is most important, find their own place in the realities of the new market. The project will facilitate the implementation in Ukraine of the strategies developed at the last World Food Summit in Rome, November 1997, which underlined the importance of the assistance to women who are primary producers of food for their families and their countries. This will be done through organizing practical workshops for women farmers on the topic how to operate a farm as a successful business. It is envisaged to exchange the experiences of women farmers from different parts of Ukraine and inviting female farmers from neighbouring countries. The project will organise the first Women Farmers Trade Fair to make rural women more visible in Ukraine and to facilitate the creation of women farmers networks and the strengthening of women farmers associations. VIETNAM Project Number: VIE/97/049 Project Title: Literacy and Vocational Education for Ethnic Minority Girls and Women in Vietnam. Duration: One year. Estimated Starting Date: February 1998 Estimated Closing Date: February 1999 Amount: $ 160,000 Partners: Ministry of Education and Training Project Summary: This pilot demonstration project provides ethnic minority women and girls in two provinces of Vietnam with literacy and vocational skills and technological opportunities to improve their physical, social and economic well being. A revolving loan fund will provide participants with a small-scale investment opportunity. The experiences and lessons learned will be shared by the groups of participating women providing a sound basis for programme expansion. A trainer’s programme will facilitate the extension of the programme to other areas. A video production will document the change in capacities and opportunities for improving ethnic minority women's lives. The project supports the OECD/DAC agenda for shaping the 21st century by promoting the economic empowerment of women as a means to reduce poverty. Total number of women participants/ beneficiaries: 400.