RESULTS SERIES HOW UFGE SUPPORT HAS IMPROVED WOMEN’S LIVELIHOODS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Story of the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) Project Based on recommendations from a UFGE While the majority of the Solomon Island population financed study, the Solomon Islands’ CAUSE works in the informal sector, 85 percent of women are engaged in vulnerable employment,1 compared to project is providing employment opportunities 77 percent of men.2 Women are also twice as likely for women, particularly young and vulnerable as men to perform “unpaid” work, tend to rely on women, as well as access to relevant training selling less profitable goods for their livelihoods, and and counseling services. are underrepresented in formal employment across different sectors.3 For example, only 36 percent of public employees and 2 percent of those employed in construction are women.4,5 THE ISSUE In addition, gender-based violence (GBV) in the Women are underrepresented in paid Solomon Islands is high, with 64 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 29 reporting having and formal work, including work in the experienced physical and/or sexual abuse from countries’ main industries. For example, an intimate partner during their lifetime.6 Beyond they account for only 2 percent of those detrimental effects on physical and mental health, employed in construction. such high rates of GBV have been linked to increased absenteeism and turnover rates, affecting Traditional social norms, knowledge both women’s participation in paid work and firm and skills gaps, and a lack of access to performance overall. finance and savings curtail women from participating in better, higher-paying jobs. Through the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) Project, the World Bank is supporting the government of the Solomon Islands to bridge the gap in economic opportunities THE RESULT between women and men. CAUSE is improving basic infrastructure and services for many of the Solomon Islands’ most vulnerable people, particularly those CAUSE has delivered training and paid employment to more than 1,700 women, 52 percent of which are young women. 1 D  efined as work that is unpaid, or with an irregular income, and lacks formal work arrangements with social protection benefits. Women represent 53 percent of team 2 World Bank. 2018. Gender Data Portal.  leaders in project activities, 83 percent 3 World Bank. 2019. Enhancing the Economic Participation of  Vulnerable Young Women in Solomon Islands study. of participants in literacy and numeracy 4 ADB. 2018. Women and Business in the Pacific. Manila: ADB.  training, and most of the participants in 5  Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES). 2012–2013. job coaching and counseling. 6  Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2009. Solomon Islands family health and safety study: a study on violence against women and children. Noumea: SPC. 66 in urban areas. It aims to help communities become As recommended under the study, CAUSE has also self-sustaining by prioritizing skills training, short-term promoted the equitable representation of women employment, and income generation opportunities. In among team leaders of urban works activities, less than three years, infrastructure and maintenance including by tracking and reporting the number of work under the project has provided jobs to more female leaders. Currently, women represent 53 than 3,500 people. One-half of those employed in percent of team leaders, including 19 percent of project activities are women, 52 percent of which are leaders in infrastructure subprojects and 60 percent in young7 women.8 waste collection. In order to identify the constraints to, and effective Beyond benefiting from training and short-term measures for, increasing the economic participation employment, community members who join the of vulnerable young women in urban and semi- project have access to additional services that are urban areas, the CAUSE project team undertook a based on study recommendations, such as job study supported by the Umbrella Facility for Gender coaching and employment support; counseling and Equality (UFGE). The Enhancing the Economic GBV referral services; and information and skills Participation of Vulnerable Young Women in Solomon training sessions. For instance, the study found that Islands study, published in 2019, informed the work the lack of financial literacy and knowledge on saving of government and development partners supporting services and techniques represents a barrier for women gender, youth, disability, and livelihood activities in to engage in higher income generating business the Solomon Islands. It identified a set of 18 specific activities. As such, sessions on these topics have been recommendations to enhance the inclusion of women included in a training curriculum. Also, based on study (particularly young and vulnerable women)9 and other recommendations, GBV-related services are provided, excluded groups in CAUSE; 15 recommendations including individual and confidential counseling, and have already been implemented. referrals to family support and GBV services. Based on evidence on knowledge and skills gaps So far, 53 percent of participants from the more than in areas like numeracy produced under the study, 1,400 job coaching sessions conducted under the CAUSE engaged in a pilot project with the Literacy project have been women. Women also represent Association of Solomon Islands to provide literacy 72 percent of the more than 360 beneficiaries of and numeracy classes for project participants in information and skills training sessions, and 81 Honiara.10 To date, close to 110 women (representing percent of beneficiaries from 150+ counseling 83 percent of participants) have benefited from sessions. Study recommendations will continue to be literacy and numeracy classes. Under the project’s implemented during the project’s additional financing. additional financing, training will be expanded to all These include, but are not limited to, offering pre-bid targeted urban locations. trainings and orientations to encourage contractors to engage more women in their projects. 7  outh was defined as those between the ages of 16 and 29. Y 8 As of March 2021.  9 The study sought to elicit the perspectives of some of the most marginalized members of society living in low-income urban/peri-urban  communities, namely those of unemployed young women with low literacy/education levels, including young mothers and women with disabilities. 10 Fifty-four percent of women participating in the study had not completed secondary education.  The Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality is a World Bank Group multidonor trust fund investing in knowledge, diagnostics, impact evaluations and data to help policy makers and practitioners close gender gaps in countries and sectors. Learn more on www.worldbank.org/gender/ufge