USAID Enhance Activity: Gender and Inclusive Development Action Plan (GIDAP)

The Activity focuses on three objectives: strengthening the capacity of local governments and nongovernmental stakeholders in citizen-centric governance, strengthening communications, networking, and learning among government and nongovernmental stakeholders to increase innovations that amplify citizen voice and accountability in local governance, and ensuring wider adoption and/or institutionalization of successful local innovations that support citizen-centric governance. The Gender and Inclusive Development Action Plan (GIDAP) outlines the gender and social inclusion approach and actions the USAID Enhance team will take to ensure that gender equality and social inclusion are embedded throughout the Activity. The Activity is built on the premise that mutually reinforcing efforts and deeper partnerships between government and nongovernmental stakeholders will provide increased opportunities for citizens to participate in government and empower them to voice their concerns constructively. The GESI Analysis identified key GESI issues areas upon which to focus efforts: law, policies, regulations, and institutional practices; cultural norms, gender roles, patterns of power and decision-making; access to and control over assets and resources; and gender-based violence and security. Following the GESI Analysis, the Activity conducted co-creation workshops in each of the three Activity regions within Thailand to validate the results and gather further insights from stakeholders. The GIDAP presents a holistic approach to integrating GESI into the USAID Enhance objectives and the results framework and describes how the Activity will design, implement, monitor, and evaluate the interventions that will promote citizen-centric local governance. Implementation of the USAID Enhance GIDAP invites partnerships and collaborations from different organizations that recognize the importance of gender equity and social inclusion within citizen-centric local governance. The Activity team undertook several exercises during Activity startup to develop the GIDAP, informed by the context and current challenges. This section details the steps taken to gaps and constraints identified through the USAID-approved GESI Analysis and three GESI-focused co-creation workshops, one in each key Activity region. The Activity has developed mitigation measures and actions necessary to close the gaps to services and indicators to measure progress. The GESI Analysis identified inequalities faced by women and other marginalized groups, including Muslim women in the Deep South, LGBTIQ+ persons, and Indigenous Peoples. The Analysis also highlighted the importance of addressing cultural norms, gender roles, patterns of power and decision-making, access to and control over assets and resources, and gender-based violence and security. The Activity will focus on these areas to promote GESI and citizen-centric local governance. The GIDAP provides a framework that will inform USAID Enhance efforts to promote GESI at the national level and in focus regions. The Activity team will revise and strengthen the GIDAP in subsequent years, as more data from fieldwork and collaboration with partners and stakeholders become available. This will also be supplemented with further practical guidance as the USAID Enhance team members broaden their experiences. The Activity has developed a results framework that outlines the expected outcomes and indicators for the GIDAP. The framework includes indicators for GESI, citizen-centric governance, and local innovation. The Activity will monitor and evaluate progress towards these outcomes and indicators to ensure that the GIDAP is effective in promoting GESI and citizen-centric local governance. The GIDAP is designed to be a "living document," and as such, the team will revise and strengthen it in subsequent years, as more data from fieldwork and collaboration with partners and stakeholders become available. This will also be supplemented with further practical guidance as the USAID Enhance team members broaden their experiences. The Activity will continue to engage with stakeholders and partners to ensure that the GIDAP remains relevant and effective in promoting GESI and citizen-centric local governance.