We Effect, 2019-2021, Sustainable Cotton for Women & Youth Empowerment, Pt. 1

General

We Effect has applied for support from Sida for the implementation of the regional development project "Sustainable Cotton for Women and Youth Empowerment in Southern Africa" (Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbawe). With reference to the Strategy for Sweden's Regional Development Cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa 2016-2021 and the prioritized strategy objective "Improved conditions, especially for women and young people, for productive employment with decent working conditions", Sida will make a decision to finance the first phase of the project (2019-2021) with a budget of SEK 28,150,000. The plan is to finance also the final years of the project (Phase 2) via a later decision on support for 2022 and 2023 of SEK 16,850,000. The total budget for the four-year intervention is SEK 45,000,000. The specific project objective is women, men and youth cotton farmers have increased incomes and sustainable livelihoods in targeted communities in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe through the creation of 55,000 decent jobs (of which at least 50% are women). It is expected that this goal be achieved through strengthened capacity of partner organizations and ginning companies to implement a certified cotton standard scheme and create decent jobs for women and youth; improved volume of certified seed cotton/lint and cotton value addition products supplied by smallholder women and youth cotton farmers entering local, regional and international markets; and targeted women and youth smallholder cotton farmers have increased resilience to climate change through the adoption of sustainable agricultural land management practices. The project begins with a six-month inception phase during which several studies are carried out in order to design and plan the project in detail including studies on cotton certification and market analysis, environment and social impact, conflict sensitivity approach, gender and power analysis, and on detecting constraints affecting women and youth smallholder cotton farmers. The studies form the basis for the final design of the project implementation phase. The project is implemented by We Effect in close cooperation with identified regional and national cotton producer organizations who, through advocacy, promote improved political conditions for environmentally and economically sustainable cotton production and increased trade. Sida will enter into an agreement with We Effect who in turn will forward funds to Eastern and Southern African Cotton Organization (ESACO).

Objectives

The project objective is women, men and youth cotton farmers have increased incomes and sustainable livelihoods in targeted communities in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe through the creation of 55,000 decent jobs.