Feed the Future Democratic Republic of Congo Strengthening Livelihoods and Resilience Activity Gender, Social Inclusion, and Conflict Mitigation Strategy (GSICMS)

The activity aims to strengthen the foundation for durable peace in the DRC by enhancing economic activity, education, and health services in conflict-affected communities. The FTF SLR activity targets three main objectives: inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population, especially women and children. The activity is rooted in a systems approach that focuses on the biases and incentives driving systems and behaviors, with a central emphasis on inclusivity and gender equality. Sex and age-disaggregated data are used to understand and address inequalities in inclusion into FTF SLR activities. The activity is implemented in Ituri province, in partnership with local organizations, communities, and individuals. FTF SLR's goals, purpose, and objectives are outlined in Table 1, which highlights the activity's focus on addressing the root causes of poverty and conflict in the DRC. The activity's technical approach is centered on the Gender, Social Inclusion, and Conflict Mitigation Strategy (GSICMS), which aims to address the barriers to social inclusion and conflict mitigation in the DRC. The GSICMS identifies four main barriers to social inclusion and conflict mitigation: harmful social norms, limited access to finance and training, the threat of violence, and exclusion from meaningful participation and leadership. The strategy outlines a technical approach to address these barriers, including the use of sex-and age-disaggregated data, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adapting (MELA) frameworks, and the development of local peace and development committees (CLPDs). The FTF SLR activity also contributes to the U.S. Government's Feed the Future initiative, which targets inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, strengthened resilience among people and systems, and a well-nourished population, especially women and children. The activity's implementation is guided by a systems approach that considers the impact of market forces on local actors, especially the private sector, business associations, government, and producer groups. The GSICMS is a key component of the FTF SLR activity, aiming to address the barriers to social inclusion and conflict mitigation in the DRC. The strategy identifies four main barriers: harmful social norms, limited access to finance and training, the threat of violence, and exclusion from meaningful participation and leadership. The GSICMS outlines a technical approach to address these barriers, including the use of sex-and age-disaggregated data, MELA frameworks, and the development of CLPDs. The FTF SLR activity's implementation is guided by a systems approach that considers the impact of market forces on local actors, especially the private sector, business associations, government, and producer groups. The activity's technical approach is centered on the GSICMS, which aims to address the barriers to social inclusion and conflict mitigation in the DRC. The strategy identifies four main barriers: harmful social norms, limited access to finance and training, the threat of violence, and exclusion from meaningful participation and leadership. The GSICMS outlines a technical approach to address these barriers, including the use of sex-and age-disaggregated data, MELA frameworks, and the development of CLPDs. The activity's implementation is also guided by a focus on inclusivity and gender equality, with a central emphasis on addressing the root causes of poverty and conflict in the DRC. The FTF SLR activity's goals, purpose, and objectives are outlined in Table 1, which highlights the activity's focus on addressing the root causes of poverty and conflict in the DRC.