Ridge to Reef Watershed Project : gender and social equity for sustainable watershed management : third report 2003 - 2005

The R2RW project is a five year activity contributing to improved quality of key natural resources in Jamaica in areas that are both environmentally and economically significant.This report focuses on the assistance provided to key organisations to support, co-ordinate, and expand watershed management efforts.As the R2RW project completes the final phase of its five year activities (year ending June 2005), there are distinct shifts in programming approach. Over the past eighteen months, these shifts can be seen in at least two areas among others. One is the shift of methodology from nurturing and demonstrating environmental stewardship to communities and agencies, to training and preparing stakeholders for more independent watershed management. There was some overlap in the two approaches, so a seamless transition accompanied the final programming towards sustainability. Another aspect of the transition is seen in R2RW’s expanding understanding of “equity” as affecting more than gender based groups, to other social groupings that may be marginalized from the project processes which affect their lives. In reviewing R2RW activities in the period October 2003 to April 2005, it appears that the steps taken, as above, and the levels targeted for “engendering” the process, had modest results. Each of the four levels, team level, partner agency level, community level and institutional level, was engaged in gender sensitization training, and the external analyses and checklists were used to inform the training workshops held. The gains remained modest however, because the project requirements and pace and range of activities created results which did not make equitable opportunities any more restrictive. Deliberate efforts to build equity into programming were made, and considerations will now need to be given to the value of this contribution in this final stage of the project in year 5.