Economic Transformation Initiative, IFAD and Agribusiness Support Fund

The Economic Transformation Initiative (ETI) Programme works smallholder farmers through a value chain development approach, with the goal to improve incomes, reduce poverty and malnutrition in rural areas of Gilgit-Baltistan region. The Programme Development Objective is to increase agriculture incomes and employment for at least 100,000 rural households in 7 districts through sustainable development of agriculture value chains. Embedded in its design is a commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. As Lead Consultant, assisted ETI-GB’s Gender and Poverty (G&P) Section to develop a comprehensive model and strategy to ensure that poor and vulnerable households are directly included in the programme, their voices are heard and amplified, they are given the opportunity and skills to actively participate in the Programme as ‘agents of change’, and eventually graduate out of poverty. The G&P Section works directly with poor women headed households (poor married women, widow, divorced and separated), the ultra-poor, landless and vulnerable (family head suffering from a chronic debilitating disease or handicapped).