P4P’s Women’s Empowerment Pathways
Roadblocks and Successes
This report discusses how WFP has approached gender mainstreaming in its Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative, and examines how P4P contributed to empowering smallholder women farmers over a five-year pilot period. It documents how WFP went beyond adopting symbolic gender considerations to embrace a transformative agenda in the drive for women’s economic empowerment. The analysis centres on three inter-related themes of empowerment: social empowerment, economic empowerment, and empowerment through capacity building. The paper contrasts current achievements with the strategic goals and expected gender outcomes expressed in the P4P initial grant proposal and other interim documents, such as occasional papers I and II. It draws on various aspects of the processes and results to show the empowerment potential of group participation, despite undeniable hurdles as a result of group/ societal dynamics. More importantly, it pinpoints the P4P Global Gender Strategy as a major instrumental tool. This paper outlines the activities carried out and assesses challenges that may have affected project targets. Finally, it discloses the outcome of the P4P approach to translating gender strategy into concrete field action by sharing lessons learned and best practice.