Join GAYA (Gender and Youth Activity) on September 1, 2022, at 8:30 AM ET for a participatory discussion to reflect on lessons learned for gender and youth programming during the last few years of massive global shocks and stresses.

In the midst of a worsening food crisis, climate change, and conflict, as well as over two years of COVID-19 changing our world, we are in a pivotal moment to reflect on how to prevent backsliding of progress for gender and youth programming. We have seen the severe impacts of these compounding crises. Gender-based violence, child labor, food insecurity, malnutrition, unpaid care work, and women’s unemployment have all increased while girls’ ability to attend school has decreased.

This 90-minute discussion offers an opportunity for participants to pause and reflect on how to best design and adapt programming to address this evolving context. A consortium of implementing partners will share their experiences and facilitate discussions around strategies that prevent the backsliding of progress on gender and youth programs. In small groups, participants will discuss:

1. If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now about how the food crisis affects gender and youth, what would you do differently to prevent backsliding of gender and youth outcomes?
2. At this moment, what is the one action you feel would have the greatest impact on ensuring our gender and youth programming addresses critical issues for these marginalized groups?
3. What commitments and resources would you like to see from the international development sector in designing and redesigning to prevent further backsliding for gender and youth?

Join us to participate in this critical discussion and share your perspective on the commitments you want to see across the international development sector to protect the progress made in gender and youth programming.

This event will be in English with simultaneous French interpretation.

The Gender and Youth Activity (GAYA) works to improve the quality and impact of food security activities by addressing the barriers and challenges implementing partners face when integrating gender and youth within their activities. Understanding and meeting the unique and intersectional needs of women and youth, and addressing the root causes of the inequalities that affect them, are essential to achieve broad and equitable impacts in food and nutrition security.

GAYA supports partners implementing emergency response, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience programs. GAYA is a five-year award (2021-2026) funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and issued through the IDEAL Leader with Associate Awards Activity. GAYA is implemented by Mercy Corps in collaboration with Save the Children.

This event is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the Gender and Youth Activity (GAYA) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.