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The document analyzes the intersection of five major agricultural voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and gender equality themes. It finds that while VSSs can improve working conditions for waged women and promote children's education, they risk exacerbating gender inequalities if they prioritize cash crops over women's subsistence farming or increase women's unpaid labor burdens without providing childcare or gender-transformative training.

The document examines three case studies to demonstrate the impact of capacity building for women in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. In Mongolia, the Sustainable Artisanal Mining (SAM) project combined government support with leadership and managerial training to help women formalize illegal operations and improve environmental rehabilitation. In Zambia, the Extractives Industry Transparency Alliance (EITA) utilized local civil society organizations to provide business and governance training to women in the extraction of development minerals. In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Accountability and Artisanal Mining Program (ZAAMP) focused on strengthening the internal management and governance systems of miners' associations. The report concludes that for empowerment initiatives to be sustainable, they must involve governments as active partners, leverage local civil society organizations to ensure local ownership, and focus on leadership training to create a multiplier effect through associations.

The document analyzes the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It identifies six key themes—household food security, access to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic work, decision-making, and decent work—where VSS can either support or potentially hinder women's empowerment. The guide provides specific recommendations for development organizations to ensure VSS implementation is gender-transformative and does not exacerbate existing inequalities.

The Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan (KJIP) 2019-2028 is a strategic roadmap designed to increase national resilience through a 'whole-of-country approach.' It identifies 12 major strategies covering governance, food and water security, health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and climate finance. The plan emphasizes the extreme vulnerability of Kiribati's atoll geography to sea-level rise and extreme weather, while specifically integrating gender-responsive actions and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. It formalizes the Kiribati National Expert Group (KNEG) as the primary advisory and coordination body to ensure that climate adaptation is mainstreamed into ministerial operational plans and national budgets.

The report finds a significant gap between the essential role women play in local conflict resolution and their near-absence from national peace mechanisms, such as those established by the Algiers Accord. While women often act as mediators and influencers within their communities, their participation is frequently circumstantial, irregular, and constrained by traditional and religious norms that confine them to the domestic sphere. The study highlights a widespread lack of knowledge regarding the Algiers Accord and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 among the general population, particularly women who are not part of formal associations. It argues that sustainable peace requires the empowerment of women, the engagement of traditional and religious leaders as allies, and the creation of decentralized structures to integrate local female expertise into national peace discussions.

The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index 2019/20 ranks 167 countries based on 11 indicators across three dimensions: inclusion, justice, and security. Norway is the top-ranked country (.904) and Yemen the lowest (.351). While 59 countries showed significant progress since 2017, the report highlights persistent gaps in women's employment and parliamentary representation. It also establishes correlations between women's well-being and broader outcomes, such as reduced maternal and infant mortality and a lower risk of violent conflict.

The report finds that while electricity financing reached a record $36 billion in 2017, only about one-third benefited households, and clean cooking finance plummeted by 73% compared to 2015-2016. It highlights severe underinvestment in Sub-Saharan Africa and for vulnerable groups, while suggesting innovative financial mechanisms like results-based financing and crowdfunding to bridge the gap.

The report finds that while electricity finance reached a record USD 36 billion in 2017, it remains far below the USD 51 billion annual requirement for universal household access, with only one-third benefiting residential users. Clean cooking finance saw a severe decline, dropping 73 percent to USD 32 million in 2017. Sub-Saharan Africa remains critically under-invested, and the report highlights a lack of targeted funding for vulnerable groups, particularly women and displaced persons.

Finance for energy access in 20 high-impact countries remains significantly below the levels required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 by 2030. While electricity finance reached a peak of USD 36 billion in 2017, only one-third benefited residential users. Clean cooking finance saw a dramatic 73% drop in 2017 compared to the 2015-16 average. The report highlights a critical under-investment in Sub-Saharan Africa and a reliance on large-scale grid projects over decentralized solutions. It also examines the specific barriers faced by women and displaced persons and explores innovative financing mechanisms like Result Based Financing and securitization to bridge the investment gap.

The SEI Environmental Strategy for Myanmar (2019-2028) establishes a framework for research, policy engagement, and capacity building across four primary themes: water resources and agriculture, gender and environment, sustainable energy, and climate change and disaster risk. The strategy aims to help Myanmar meet its commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement. Key objectives include enhancing the capacity of river basin organizations, promoting a just transition to low-carbon energy systems, and addressing gender inequalities in natural resource management. SEI intends to implement this through partnerships with state agencies, such as the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems, and non-state actors, using tools like the Long-Range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system.

The Global Commission on Adaptation's report, 'Adapt Now', presents climate adaptation as a human, environmental, and economic imperative. It argues that current responses are insufficient and calls for a 'triple dividend' approach—avoiding losses, gaining economic productivity, and securing social-environmental benefits. The report details specific strategies for food security, natural environments, water management, urban areas, infrastructure, and disaster risk management, while proposing a 15-month 'Year of Action' to jump-start these transitions through eight dedicated Action Tracks.

The document identifies a "missing middle" in climate finance—a systemic gap where mobilized funds fail to reach local and subnational actors due to bureaucratic barriers, capacity constraints, and a preference for international intermediaries. It argues that the direct access modality is a critical tool for overcoming this gap by empowering national and subnational entities. The authors highlight that while the AF has pioneered direct access, the GCF remains dominated by Multilateral Implementing Entities (MIEs), with only 16% of approved funding channeled through Direct Access Entities (DAEs) as of March 2019. The paper recommends shifting toward a principle of subsidiarity, increasing grant-based financing, and holding MIEs accountable for transferring capacity to national institutions.

The document highlights Rwanda's approach to expanding clean cooking access amidst a regional trend in Sub-Saharan Africa where the number of people without such access has increased by 275 million. It notes that 860 million people in the region, or approximately 70 percent of Africa's population, lack clean cooking, which negatively impacts health, productivity, and gender equality. Furthermore, it reports a decline in clean cooking finance from USD 32 million in 2013-14 to USD 30 million in 2015-16, far below the USD 4.4 billion annual investment required by 2030.

The document argues that public participation is essential for the effective implementation of climate action, citing IPCC findings that stakeholder engagement increases the likelihood of success. It outlines specific entry points for enhancing procedural rights within the Paris Agreement's framework, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Adaptation Communications, the Transparency Framework, the Global Stocktake, and Article 6 mechanisms. It also emphasizes the need for an independent grievance redress mechanism for the Sustainable Development Mechanism and the operationalization of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform to ensure indigenous voices are reflected in the UNFCCC process.

The draft Strategic Plan (2019–2044) outlines the IAI's vision to create a sustainable and informed American continent through science-based policy. It focuses on three main themes: meeting the needs of member states regarding global environmental change, advancing science for sustainability (covering food, water, energy, and biodiversity), and ensuring the IAI's own institutional sustainability through improved communication and funding. The plan emphasizes transdisciplinary research, open data, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups such as indigenous peoples and women.

The report finds that while some countries have strengthened forest laws, overall governance remains weak, particularly in poor nations. Illegal deforestation is endemic, driven by commercial agriculture for palm oil, soy, and beef. Progress in recognizing the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) is slow, and the lack of secure tenure contributes to increased violence and land grabbing. The report emphasizes that strong governance and the empowerment of IPLCs are essential for effective forest protection.

The CARE-WWF Alliance implemented community-based management and climate-smart agriculture in Mozambique, leading to the 2012 designation of the Primeiras e Segundas archipelago as a protected area and improving food security and credit access for local populations.

The project aims to support 175,000 people in rural Guatemala by transitioning them from a heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture to climate-resilient production systems. It proposes a three-component approach: implementing on-farm resilient practices and income diversification, establishing watershed-level water management plans and infrastructure, and removing policy barriers to strengthen agricultural extension services. With a total indicative cost of 62 million USD, the project targets indigenous populations and women who face significant barriers to credit and technical knowledge.

The document examines how host governments can stimulate direct local employment in mining to drive socioeconomic growth and maintain a social licence to operate. It outlines a five-step process for developing local employment policies: assessing the sector's role in national development, evaluating labour supply and demand, setting goals, formulating policies, and monitoring outcomes. The report categorizes interventions into regulatory 'stick' policies—such as employment quotas, mandated training, and visa restrictions—and facilitative 'carrot' policies, including bidding preferences, fiscal incentives, and support for training facilities. It emphasizes the need for context-specific strategies that address gender inequality and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, while warning that automation and technological trends may shift future workforce requirements.

The document outlines how to apply a gender and social equality (GSE) lens to sustainable development research to uncover power relations and inequalities. It defines key concepts such as intersectionality, the distinction between sex and gender, and the role of social constructions in creating hierarchies. The guide provides a framework for analyzing norms, division of labour, resource access, and decision-making power, while offering specific methodological advice for defining research questions, collecting data from diverse social groups, and presenting results to ensure the voices of marginalized populations are represented.