加速影响：萨赫勒地区适应性社会保护的性别视角（英）

With gender-responsive approaches, Sahelian countries can unlockthe potential ofallpeople — to drive the inclusive growth neededfor building prosperity and the present and future resilience of thepoorest and most vulnerable. Empowering women and girls is a strategic imperative fortackling the complex and interconnected challenges facingcountries in the Sahel.Across the region, persistent poverty,limited human capital, and entrenched inequalities are beingcompounded by increasingly frequent and severe shocks andcrises, driven by climate change and conflict. These challengesworsen vulnerability for millions of people, but women and girlsare often the hardest hit. Gender inequality and exclusion meanthat women are more likely to be poor — their work is less likelyto be remunerated and less secure, while they carry the bulkof the unpaid care work in their households. The distinct rolesthat men and women play in the household and in the market,combined with unequal power relations and different levels ofrights, entitlements, and legal protections, lock women and girlsinto a reality of reduced opportunities, choice, and agency, andexpose them to increased risks of gender-based violence (GBV).Ultimately, the resulting gaps in welfare, education, health, andemployment opportunities hinder socioeconomic developmentfor women, their households, and communities, and undermineeconomic growth and poverty reduction for entire nations. Adaptive social protection (ASP) programs can advance genderequality and women’s empowerment by widening women’seconomic opportunities; enhancing their access to education,knowledge, and skills; improving their well-being, voice, andagency; and increasing their protection from GBV.When ASPprograms and delivery mechanisms are gender-responsive, theyrecognize women’s pivotal role in their households, communities,and economies, as well as their distinct vulnerabilities and risks. Theyacknowledge that poverty, climate change, conflict, and other shocksaffect women disproportionately and that these impacts can changeand accumulate across life stages — from childhood through to oldage. They set gender-responsive objectives, and they respond tointersecting factors such as age, disability, and displacement thatcan further shape unique and overlapping experiences of inequality.By leveraging research, gender analysis, and targeted strategies,gender-responsive ASP addresses the barriers women and girls facein accessing and benefiting from programs, tailoring interventions tomeet their needs. Evidence shows that when programs understandthe gendered context, set clear objectives for gender outcomes,embed gender-informed delivery features, and measure results,they can not only improve outcomes for women and girlsi, but alsoaccelerate impacts on poverty reduction, job creation, resilience,and social cohesion. Policies, programs, and institutions aimed at reducing poverty,boosting productivity, and strengthening resilience among themost vulnerable must enable the full participation of womenand girls by recognizing and addressing the distinct barriersthey face throughout their lives.Without a sustained commitmentto gender-responsive approaches, investments are less likely tobe effective or sustainable and can worsen existing inequalities. What is Adaptive Social Protection? In the Sahel, adaptive social protection (ASP) is a strategic and cost-effective approach for addressing the region’scomplex and interconnected challenges. By integrating complementary interventions, delivered through nationalsystems, ASP comprehensively addresses the many dimensions of vulnerability. Regular support from multi-yearsafety net programs provide households, and women in particular, with a reliable foundation to meet their basicneeds — including food, education, and healthcare — ensuring they can focus on building better lives. Alongsidethis, economic inclusion programs, aimed primarily at women, equip them with vital skills and training to developsustainable livelihoods, access self-employment opportunities, and grow their incomes. Crucially, when shocksoccur, ASP leverages existing systems to deliver rapid, short-term support, safeguarding households’ hard-earnedinvestments and helping them recover faster. This flexible and responsive approach strengthens the capacities ofvulnerable women and households to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to risks and shocks. This policy note offers actionable recommendations for enhancing the gender-responsiveness of ASP programs and deliverymechanisms in six Sahelian countries — Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.It summarizes the findings of arecentguidance note, highlighting specific examples and good practices across ASP instruments and the social protection deliverychain. The following recommendations aim to guide policymakers and practitioners in systematically integrating a gender lens tomaximize positive impacts of interventions and minimize unintended c