UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

This project aims to improve the well being of the most vulnerable children, particularly young girls and adolescent girls, by supporting the relaunch and improving the quality of essential services in health, nutrition, education and child protection that have been delayed or disrupted in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. The project also aims to reduce gender inequalities and support the empowerment of women and girls to increase their resilience to crises and strengthen their role at the social, economic and community level. Finally, the project improves the planning, management, coordination and collaborative response associated with the current crisis, while laying the groundwork for the more effective management of future crises. Project activities include: (1) building staff capacity and strengthening health, education and child protection structures and facilities through training, the supply of equipment, and the procurement and distribution of essential nutritional inputs; (2) implementing special measures to respond to the specific challenges caused by the pandemic, such as financial support to address the risk of children dropping out of school, supporting children to return to school, and the civil registration of undeclared children; (3) strengthening the skills and resilience of women and girls to participate in and lead initiatives that focus on civic engagement, advocating for their rights, entrepreneurship and decision making within their communities; and (4) strengthening the intra- and inter sectoral structures and mechanisms for evidence-based decision making at the central and decentralized levels, taking into account gender dimensions in order to better respond to the challenges that have been exacerbated by the health crisis.