WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 151

Standard Project Report 2016
As a result, the proportion of women trained on modality distribution increased from 52 to 60 percent, and the
percentage of women in project management committees increased from 47 to 60 percent.
As part of country office’s gender action plan, multiple initiatives took place in 2016. WFP participated
in inter-agency and government working groups including the gender inclusiveness and disabilities technical
working group for the education sector, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) group on
gender equality, and a new working group under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on gender
inclusiveness, disaster risk reduction and climate change.
Under the school meals programme, schools were instructed that men and women should share tasks in the school
gardens equally, to take and circulate photos of men cooking in schools, as well as to analyse gender dimensions of
drop-out rates. WFP also considered women’s unpaid workload in collecting community contributions, and ensured
that participants in livelihoods initiatives for nutrition (LIN) adequately monitored who was doing the work; for
example, that children were not working and that households headed by women had an equal opportunity to
participate. WFP enumerators paid attention to gender balance in all activities to the extent possible, and if both
men and women were present, considered interviewing them separately.
The feedback mechanism enabled female beneficiaries to directly contact WFP to ask about food entitlements or
programme implementation. This bridged the information gap for women, raised their capacity to be proactive and
increased their ability to plan. In turn, these qualities gradually encouraged women to participate in community
activities, be part of the development committees, or become village volunteers. Beneficiaries were also
encouraged to make more informed decisions over food utilisation and to incorporate a diversified diet into their
daily meals.
Protection and Accountability to Affected Populations
Significant efforts have been made on accountability to affected populations. Two protection advisers (standby
partners) were deployed for several months to develop a strategy, which included the design and distribution of
posters on WFP’s activities and entitlements, community mobilisation and the set-up of a beneficiary feedback
mechanism in target villages.
The introduction of the feedback mechanism began with information sessions in the villages about WFP activities
and beneficiary entitlements for immediate feedback. A hotline was established in all three field offices so that
beneficiaries could communicate directly with WFP. Beneficiaries were advised either to call or leave a 'missed call'
to the WFP number, and it would be returned at no cost. The majority of the beneficiaries who used the hotline
wanted to learn what kind of services it could provide. Over 30 percent of callers asked questions related to
programme implementation issues, such as food rations, proper procedures, and when the next food delivery
would take place. Several beneficiaries also suggested that WFP assess the situation related to droughts, which
caused local