扩大规模的途径：扩大萨赫勒地区就业和韧性的经济包容性

comprehensive package of interventions. These aim to removethe barriers they face across multiple levels: within households(limited skills, assets or decision-making), communities (restrictivesocial norms), local economies (lack of market access), andformal institutions.2Through this comprehensive approach,individuals can progressively build sustainable self-employmentopportunities and increase their household resilience. In theSahel, these programs primarily target women — from over80% in Senegal to close to exclusive female participation inother countries — and have shown strong impacts for them, asexplored in Section 3 of this note.Governments across the Sahel are now transforming evidence intoaction by rapidly expanding these programs to provide economicopportunities.Multiple pathways for scaling have emerged, typicallyinvolving: (i) integrating economic inclusion within safety net systems;(ii) establishing government-led hybrid implementation models; and(iii) developing context-specific adaptations tailored to local capacity,fiscal constraints, and the unique vulnerabilities of beneficiarypopulations.1.Embed economic inclusion programs within established safety nets for greater impact.Leveraging existing delivery systemsreduces costs while enhancing impact. Impact evaluations show strong complementarity between regular transfers and economicinclusion components. Productive measures amplify the impacts of regular transfers, while enabling households to fully benefit from2.Balance quality and cost.The government is best placed in the driving seat for strategic coordination while leveraging specializedservice providers (including decentralized government services, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private firms) to deliver3.Secure sustainability through strong anchoring in national policies, institutionalization of programs, resource mobilization,and capacity building.Formalize programs within national poverty reduction, social protection, and climate strategies, establishdedicated budget lines to gradually increase domestic financing, strengthen evidence-gathering systems to demonstrate impactand cost-effectiveness, and strengthen institutional capacity for coordination and delivery.4.Make adaptation to climate change a core program objective.Economic inclusion programs already contribute to climate resiliencethrough income diversification, savings, and financial education. To strengthen this impact, programs can also address barriershouseholds face in adopting climate adaptation strategies, while positioning programs to access climate finance through theirinclusion in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).5.Implement adjustments for fragile, conflict, and violence (FCV) contexts.Simplify operations by reducing group activities, recruitinglocal personnel, partnering with local NGOs and actors already present in restricted areas, using electronic payments, and securingsavings. Modify content to address the psychosocial needs of conflict-affected populations and incorporate community-building6.Address gender-specific constraints through tailored program design.Women face different constraints that programs need totake into account. Economic inclusion programs should continue prioritizing women while adapting the design to overcome theirspecific barriers, as evidence shows that targeted approaches for women can lead to stronger program outcomes.This policy note explores key dimensions to consider when reflecting on how to sustainably scale up economic inclusionprograms. Drawing on recent experience in the Sahel, it distills six considerations that can support this reflection: Economic inclusion programs are a critical tool for addressingthe jobs crisis in the Sahel.Rapid population growth in theregion, coupled with rising instability and climate degradation,makes job creation not merely an opportunity but an immediatenecessity. As formal employment opportunities remain scarcein the Sahel, economic inclusion programs help young andvulnerable populations climb the “ladder of opportunity”, byacquiring valuable skills and creating or developing their ownbusinesses. The Sahel faces some of the highest poverty rates inthe world, with an average of 42.5% of the population living on 1.9dollars per day, a growing number of people joining the workingage population, and significant gender disparities1that persist.Against this backdrop, economic inclusion programs providea pathway for marginalized groups to develop sustainablelivelihoods and access self-employment opportunities.A strong body of evidence demonstrates that economicinclusion programs deliver transformative results in theSahel.Economic inclusion programs (also known as productiveinclusion or livelihoods programs) enable poor and vulnerablepeople to participate in economic development by providing aeconomic inclusion opportunities.specialized components.activities to strengthen social cohesion between diff