Grants and Contributions:

Biodiversity & Livelihood Opportunities for Ethnic Minority Women (BLOOM)

7462606 P013893001

$9,750,000.00

Nov 8, 2024 - Mar 31, 2030

The project focuses on conducting research and delivering capacity-building programmes to ethnic minority women and communities to support their adoption of nature-based solutions (NBS) to enhance biodiversity conservation. It would provide technical support to cooperatives, enterprises, women’s organizations to strengthen ethnic minority women’s access to financial services and trainings that promote biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient agricultural practice in forest buffer zones. The project also supports the capacities of public and private actors to implement biodiversity conservation policies and programs supporting EM women’s rights and their climate change adaptation. This project aims to (a) strengthen the conservation of high value forests in Ha Giang and Dak Lak provinces; (b) promote sustainability of the use of biodiversity in the buffer zones of these forests via climate-smart agricultural production; and (c) improve the capacities of public and private actors in developing and implementing biodiversity policies. Project activities include: (1) conducting studies on High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) biodiversity, ethnic minority women’s traditional knowledge and nature based solutions; (2) providing gender-sensitive technical assistance to forest protection committees and community-based conservation groups; (3) implementing women-led reforestation and ecological restoration campaigns; (4) providing a training program on sustainable business management for ethnic minority women entrepreneurs; (5) establishing a transformative leadership school tailored to environmental issues for diverse ethnic minority women’s groups; and (6) implementing awareness raising and training on gender equality and positive masculinity to increase women’s participation in biodiversity decision-making process.

Global Affairs Canada

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) restored or conserved at least 10,000 hectares of strategic forest ecosystems, focusing on buffer zones of Du Gia National Park (Ha Giang) and Yok Don National Park (Dak Lak) as well as national reserves and classified forests; (2) the project is expected to directly benefit 13,600 people, including 2,720 cooperative members and enterprise employees, with 2,040 of these individuals (75%) being ethnic minority women. Additionally, nearly 25,000 local people will benefit indirectly through enhanced environmental services; (3) integrated biodiversity conservation with ethnic minority women empowerment. The project also addressed the links between biodiversity loss, climate change vulnerability, and poverty; (4) implemented nature-based solutions using traditional Indigenous knowledge, introducing innovative agroforestry techniques to enhance ecosystem conservation; (5) advanced public affairs and trade partnerships, using relationships established by Global Affairs Canada with Ha Giang’s local authorities through the Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (AWEEV) project and targeting various ethnic minority communities near high conservation value forests. In Dak Lak, the project marks the Canadian bilateral development program’s initial entry into the Central Highlands—a region with sensitive social and human rights issues.

Quebec, Quebec, CA G1S 4S2

064-2024-2025-Q3-00029

Contribution

Grants and Contributions

3203104918610

Not-for-profit organization or charity

Société de coopération pour le développement international SOCODEVI

Québec

24059

International Development Assistance Program

The main purpose on the International Development Assistance Program is to reduce poverty for those living in countries where Global Affairs Canada engages in international development.