Cross-Cutting Issues

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USAID and its partners understand that most, if not all, issues are not standalone—many situations involve complex, varied contributing factors that interact to create a larger problem. While USAID supports projects in nearly every area of development, it also recognizes the importance of cross-cutting issues and their potential impact on the implementation and sustainability of a program. By incorporating these key elements into its efforts within Ethiopia, USAID and its partners strive to develop initiatives that make improvements in multiple target areas by focusing on the linkages they create between sectors. Cross-cutting issues prioritized by USAID Ethiopia include water, women and gender, youth, disability, and resilience.

 

Water

school children wash up as an adult looks on

A vast majority of Ethiopia’s population lacks adequate access to safe water and proper sanitation facilities. At most, 25% of people have access to safe water, while proper sanitation facilities are available to about 12%. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services negatively impact health and productivity, especially that of children.

The Government of Ethiopia aims to increase access to improved water supply in rural communities and achieve universal access to sanitation. USAID supports these efforts by incorporating water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities within its health, education, agriculture, humanitarian assistance and democracy and governance programs. Activities will include components to promote hygiene education, strengthen communities’ capacity to manage water supply and sanitation schemes, and educate communities on how to use safe water and maintain proper waste disposal and sanitation measures.

 

Women and Gender

a group pf women from Oromia

USAID promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment across its portfolio, focusing on increasing women’s social, economic and political status. Programs and capacity building interventions encourage participation of women as beneficiaries, agents of change and project partners. For instance, women are more likely to spend income on the betterment of their families and successfully participate in village savings, loans and trade schemes—however, their access to resources and participation is mediated through men. USAID programs promote women’s decision-making power within households, especially so that they can better influence family nutrition decisions as part of the Feed the Future and Global Health Initiatives.

Education programs aim to increase girls’ access to school, retain them in school, and provide support to improve their academic performance. In the health sector, USAID programs will increase access to financial and health services, including nutrition, family planning and reproductive health services. Other programs target gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices that undermine the status of women in Ethiopia. Women’s participation in decision-making bodies is also encouraged, both through literacy and numeracy trainings for women and gender integration awareness training for men.

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Youth

two smiling young women

Young people under 25 comprise almost two-thirds of Ethiopia’s population, making them one of the country’s largest potential resources. However, barriers to Internet access inhibit the development of youth civil society, as their peers in other countries have been profoundly shaped by information and communication technology and social media access. USAID’s programming enhances the role of youth as positive and active members of their communities, especially in conflict mitigation and reconciliation activities. Training and activities take place in a number of settings, including university campuses, and address topics ranging from life-skills to leadership and business planning.

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Disability

USAID Ethiopia’s inclusive development strategy will be the first multi-year, comprehensive cross-cutting strategy to address disability for a USAID Mission. The strategy ensures that all USAID Ethiopia projects are disability inclusive and increases the capacity of local disability organizations to deliver services through partnerships. USAID will provide training and technical assistance both internally and to implementing partners. Some existing projects will be modified, and disability inclusion practices will be added to new projects. Efforts will span nearly all sectors, addressing the needs of people with disabilities in health care, education services, business practices and market linkages. Additionally, USAID efforts will also reach out to people with disabilities to encourage their participation and community services.

See also: USAID Ethiopia Disability Strategysmiling man in wheelchair [PDF, 367KB]

 

Resilience

USAID defines resilience as the ability of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.

For the strongest response to these crises, USAID created a Joint Planning Cell in the Horn of Africa, bringing together relief and development teams to identify ways to layer, sequence and integrate humanitarian assistance and development programs around the shared goal of building resilience. The Horn of Africa Joint Planning Cell has developed plans focused on the region’s worst hit areas and aims to benefit directly 10 million people and to reduce the region’s emergency caseload by one million people by 2017.

In April 2012, USAID, together with over 51 donor and international development partners, led the formation of the Global Alliance for Action for Drought Resilience and Growth in response to a call from Heads of State from East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to end recurrent drought emergencies in the Horn. The Global Alliance brings together relief and development actors and resources to take joint action in support of effective country-led plans, with an emphasis on building resilience and promoting economic growth in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. USAID is serving as the “convener” for the Global Alliance.

Some of USAID Ethiopia's projects designed to build resilience are:

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