Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

Essential to MEDA’s inclusive Market Systems Development (MSD) approach is generating positive social impact by addressing social norms, power relations, and systems barriers that perpetuate inequalities and limit the agency of people in the food system. MEDA starts all of our inclusive MSD programming with an analysis process that prioritizes local articulation of the root causes of systemic barriers and opportunities to shift behaviors and attitudes.

An intersectional lens is required to understand how clients’ intersecting identities (e.g., their gender, age, ability, race, etc.) influence their specific challenges, needs and interests within the market system. Certain groups of clients (for example: women, youth or people living with disabilities) face systemic marginalization, making them more likely to experience persistent cycles of poverty. Patterns of discrimination and disadvantage create systemic barriers for these groups that are not only economic, but also political, social and cultural.

Recognizing that equitable and inclusive approaches must be highly context-specific, MEDA collaborates with local partners whose socio-cultural expertise complements our best practices and innovation in business solutions.

Our early programming in Pakistan and Afghanistan sensitized MEDA to opportunities for women to become active economic participants in challenging contexts; youth initiatives in Nigeria, Jordan and Morocco have helped hone our expertise in job readiness, entrepreneurship and access to finance; projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia have contributed to models for the economic integration of the people living in poverty; and our current work in Haiti, Philippines, Ghana and Senegal are fostering innovation to overcome social divides and promote greater economic inclusion.