Girls Education and Women Empowerment and Livelihoods, GEWEL

(i) Nutrition-Sensitive Social Cash Transfer (SCT): With a focus on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, this component will aim to improve the nutrition outcomes of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) households with pregnant and lactating women and girls and/or children under the age of two through a holistic approach, looking at both demand and supply sides of nutrition service provision. It also provides scaling up in response to climate and other shocks (ii) Keeping Girls in School and Beyond (KGS): Looking at adolescent years, this component will scale up KGS nationally through the provision of financial assistance to eligible adolescent girls from SCT households for associated education costs. Efforts will also be given to support KGS girls to access employment and livelihoods opportunities through enhanced transition from secondary school to work or to tertiary education. (iii) Supporting Women’s Livelihoods for Climate Smart Productive Inclusion (SWL): With the goal towards improving productivity and economic welfare in adulthood, this component will scale up SWL nationally, expanding to urban areas in response to rising urban poverty in Zambia. Poor women from SCT households will be given productivity grants as seed capital, with options for additional sources of financing explored, coupled with life and business and digital literacy skills training and mentorship, as well as facilitated formation into savings groups. Particular attention will be given to enhancing resilience to climate-induced shocks, while supporting them to adapt more climate-adaptive livelihoods activities. Concerted focus will also be on ensuring value chain linkages and access to markets by SWL beneficiaries to be able to sustainably expand their businesses.