Gender Responsive Engagement Strategy & Action Plan for the Fisheries Department and CZMAI

The Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative for Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, and Belize’s National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), has organized a consultation for the Gender Responsive Engagement Strategy & Action Plan for the Fisheries Department and Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute. The discussion is a deliverable of the GCF readiness project entitled, Enhancing Adaptation Planning and Increasing Climate Resilience in Belize’s Coastal Zone and Fisheries Sector. The consultation took place in Belize City on August 26, 2022.
The proposed gender strategy seeks to enable the inclusive and collaborative approach to climate change adaptation planning and support the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups in adaptation planning, decision-making processes, and active participation and implementation of climate adaptation actions on the ground.
The main objectives are to:
Conduct a gender analysis to identify and analyze gender issues relevant to the Fisheries and Coastal Zone Program. The consultation took place on July 22, 2022;
Develop a gender strategy and action plan; and
Develop a gender-sensitive monitoring & evaluation framework.
The ministry highlights that understanding the gender dimensions is crucial to adopting gender-sensitive and gender-responsive programming in Belize.