This Country gender assessment of agriculture and the rural sector provides in-depth insights into the gendered dimensions of agriculture and rural development in Fiji. The policy environment in rural sector ministries is supportive of gender mainstreaming, with clear paths to link policy direction on gender equality to programmes. Recommendations are formulated to progressively advance gender equality and support the empowerment of rural women through policy. In the short term, recommendations are oriented toward community programming that is more equitable, practical and beneficial for women. Developing infrastructure to reduce women’s workloads and facilitate their ability to engage in the cash economy could enhance women’s economic opportunities and contribute to improved family welfare. Promoting the use of radio, texts and social media to allow women to share information on weather, prices, economic opportunities and savings and banking can empower women to make more informed decisions about their activities. Building the gender analysis capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) working in rural sectors on climate change, disaster management and sustainable development will support the engagement of women in community-based decision making. To address gender inequalities in the rural sector and support the empowerment of rural women, a set of concrete recommendations is given. These range from promotion of policy research and analysis to inform policies and strategic planning on gender equality and rural women’s empowerment in ARD to putting in place concrete measures for the improvement of rural women’s access to services, technology, finance, markets and resources.

The objective of the Assessment is to analyse the agriculture and rural sectors from a gender perspective at the macro level (policy), meso level (institutional) and micro level (community and household). The Assessment seeks to identify gender inequalities in access to critical productive resources, assets, services and opportunities. The assessment looks at the priorities, needs and constraints of both women and men in agricultural and rural communities, and the gaps that exist in responding to these issues. It also provides recommendations and guidance to promote gender sensitivity in future programmes and projects, and identifies possible partners for gender-related activities. This Assessment is also intended to raise awareness about gender issues among policy-makers, FAO officers, NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) in Samoa. It provides background and gender-related information, and can be used as a tool to mainstream gender perspectives in future policies, projects and programmes in ways that empower rural women.

This abstract outlines the objectives of an assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation in Palau. The assessment identified three main challenges: firstly, the need to acknowledge and reflect the contributions of women to household and rural economies in policies, strategies, plans and programs. Secondly, gender inequalities limit the capacity of women in Palau to develop their potential. Finally, the recognition of gender equality as a driver to sustainable development is beginning to be incorporated into public policies, strategies, plans and programs. These findings highlight the importance of addressing these challenges in order to achieve greater gender equality and empowerment for rural women in Palau.

The objective of the Assessment is to analyse the agriculture and rural sectors from a gender perspective at the macro level (policy), meso level (institutional) and micro level (community and household). The Assessment seeks to identify gender inequalities in access to critical productive resources, assets, services and opportunities. The assessment looks at the priorities, needs and constraints of both women and men in agricultural and rural communities, and the gaps that exist in responding to these issues. It also provides recommendations and guidance to promote gender sensitivity in future programmes and projects, and identifies possible partners for gender-related activities. This Assessment is also intended to raise awareness about gender issues among policy-makers, FAO officers, NGOs and community-based organizations in Vanuatu. It provides background and gender-related information, and can be used as a tool to mainstream gender perspectives in future policies, projects and programmes in ways that empower rural women.

The objective of the Assessment is to analyse the agriculture and rural sectors from a gender perspective at the macro level (policy), meso level (institutional) and micro level (community and household). The Assessment seeks to identify gender inequalities in access to critical productive resources, assets, services and opportunities. The assessment looks at the priorities, needs and constraints of both women and men in agricultural and rural communities, and the gaps that exist in responding to these issues. It also provides recommendations and guidance to promote gender sensitivity in future programmes and projects, and identifies possible partners for gender-related activities. This Assessment is also intended to raise awareness about gender issues among policy-makers, FAO officers, NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) in Fiji. It provides background and gender-related information, and can be used as a tool to mainstream gender perspectives in future policies, projects and programmes in ways that empower rural women.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HT-HH) undersea volcano in the Kingdom of Tonga erupted on 15 January 2022 at 17.10 hours local time in a blast that was felt across the world. As a result of the eruption, the Government of Tonga declared a state of emergency on 16 January 2022. The eruption resulted in two events with potential impacts on agriculture livelihoods and all agriculture sub-sectors (crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture and forestry): a volcanic ash cloud and a tsunami. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Ministry of Fisheries, together with FAO, conducted a Volcano Eruption Household Impact Survey. Data collection was facilitated by Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation (MORDI) Tonga Trust, a national partner for project implementation. The household survey was conducted in the three most impacted divisions – ‘Eua, Ha’apai and Tongatapu. A total of 854 households were interviewed across the three divisions. The data collection process was challenged by various issues, including movement restrictions due to COVID-19 lockdown. This impact report outlines the findings of the survey and proposes medium- and long-term recommendations.

This country gender assessment (CGA) provides a comprehensive, up-to-date gender analysis of key socioeconomic areas in the Kyrgyz Republic. It also reviews progress and identifies gaps in gender mainstreaming. ADB initiates CGAs to map key gender equality issues, focusing on sectors supported by ADB funding. This is the second CGA for the Kyrgyz Republic, following the first one published in 2005. Providing key recommendations for future planning in different sectors, it can be of primary interest to development partners designing or undertaking projects in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Central Asia region.

Pacific economies are bouncing back as tourism recovers and infrastructure projects resume, but inflationary pressures and vulnerability to natural hazards remain downside risks. This edition of the Pacific Economic Monitor tracks the rebound of some tourism-dependent economies; explores new opportunities from agriculture, digitalization, and fisheries; and analyzes ways to mitigate fiscal risks and support sustainable economic growth. It highlights how policies can better support women entrepreneurs and how strengthening fiscal reserves can help countries recover more quickly from shocks.

This report seeks to expand the understanding of anticipatory action in Small Island Developing States, with a focus on the geographic and socio-institutional aspects of independent Pacific Island Countries in the Southwest Pacific Ocean. This report provides a summary of regional and selected national contexts and approaches to the building blocks of anticipatory action in the Pacific Island Countries region. Through a combination of workshops and interviews with government agencies, regional organizations, international NGOs, multilateral groups, and country-based participants, the report provides a synthesized context for anticipatory action in the region. A case study section presents the anticipatory action context for Palau, Solomon Islands and Fiji. The discussion and conclusions point towards the feasibility of advancing anticipatory action and the broad governance that will need to be facilitated to formalize anticipatory actions.

The 'Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook' provides an up-to-date understanding of gender issues and a rich compilation of compelling evidence of good practices and lessons learned to guide practitioners in integrating gender dimensions into agricultural projects and programs. It is serves as a tool for: guidance; showcasing key principles in integrating gender into projects; stimulating the imagination of practitioners to apply lessons learned, experiences, and innovations to the design of future support and investment in the agriculture sector. The Sourcebook draws on a wide range of experience from World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and other donor agencies, governments, institutions, and groups active in agricultural development. The Sourcebook looks at: access to and control of assets; access to markets, information and organization; and capacity to manage risk and vulnerability through a gender lens. There are 16 modules covering themes of cross-cutting importance for agriculture with strong gender dimensions (Policy, Public Administration and Governance; Agricultural Innovation and Education; Food Security; Markets; Rural Finance; Rural Infrastructure; Water; Land; Labor; Natural Resource Management; and Disaster and Post-Conflict Management) and specific subsectors in agriculture (Crops, Livestock, Forestry, and Fisheries). A separate module on Monitoring and Evaluation is included, responding to the need to track implementation and development impact. Each module contains three different sub-units: (1) A Module Overview gives a broad introduction to the topic and provides a summary of major development issues in the sector and rationale of looking at gender dimension; (2) Thematic Notes provide a brief and technically sound guide in gender integration in selected themes with lessons learned, guidelines, checklists, organizing principles, key questions, and key performance indicators; and (3) Innovative Activity Profiles describe the design and innovative features of recent and exciting projects and activities that have been implemented or are ongoing.