[{"bbox": [82, 171, 679, 196], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Human rights and people living in the most vulnerable situations"}, {"bbox": [82, 209, 1120, 474], "category": "Text", "text": "Zimbabwe has a youthful population as 53.6% of the population is below 20 years while 62.9% of the population is below 24 years. Of those below 24 years, 31.7% are females while 31.2% are males. Nevertheless, youths in Zimbabwe face challenges such as unemployment, unaffordable education, lack of business planning and entrepreneurial skills or access to capital forced mobility (migration) due to limited opportunities, among others. Also, in Zimbabwe there are around 9 percent of the population living with at least one disability and they are among the poorest and socio-economically excluded in the country. Persons with disabilities living in rural areas face even more challenges than in urban areas. They are less likely to have attended school, be employed, have healthcare or own a mobile phone, among other challenges. However, research shows² that persons living with disabilities in rural areas are economically active and have the potential to generate income and pull themselves out of poverty."}, {"bbox": [82, 500, 1120, 554], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Identification of main stakeholders and corresponding institutional and/or organisational issues (mandates, potential roles, and capacities) to be covered by the action:"}, {"bbox": [82, 564, 1120, 643], "category": "Text", "text": "**Government counterparts (duty bearers)** are responsible for the implementation of (not exhaustive list): agriculture and climate change related policies and programmes³; trade/doing business matters⁴; renewable energies policies and investments⁵."}, {"bbox": [82, 653, 1120, 730], "category": "Text", "text": "**Local authorities in targeted districts/provinces** will be directly involved because of their role planning, coordination and monitoring. In addition, gender focal points at local level may be also actively involved and consulted if available."}, {"bbox": [82, 744, 1120, 956], "category": "Text", "text": "**Non-State Actors** such as smallholder farmers, farmer organisations, cooperatives, business support organisations, trade unions, Community Based Organisations and CSOs, will play a key role in the implementation of the Action under the responsibility of the main implementing partners. Particular attention will be given to ensure that voices and leadership skills of women working in value chains are amplified and taken into consideration within farmer organisations, cooperatives, trade unions and CBO. Through these different non state actors rural women can pool their resources, gain knowledge, expand their social networks, lobby for better employment conditions, increase their confidence and self-esteem, and most importantly, improve their visibility and have a stronger position. They also play a central role in spreading best practices, including on agroecological approaches."}, {"bbox": [82, 966, 1120, 1126], "category": "Text", "text": "**Private sector** has a prominent role in this Action (ex. aggregation centres, be it for profit or no for profit, on the two targeted corridors and on the main export corridor; industrial processing and packing facilities; private traders - local and international - both on agri-smart crops and on horticultural products (in large part exporters to the EU); European suppliers of equipment for the concerned value-chains benefitting from EPA conditions and trade facilitation). Activities addressed to the private sector may be informed by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights."}, {"bbox": [82, 1137, 1120, 1242], "category": "Text", "text": "The informal sector and **micro and small enterprises** dominate the local economy in the rural setting. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the major source for job creation and income (especially amongst the poor and women) and are key for the provision of operational (commercial) services and financial services in rural areas."}, {"bbox": [82, 1256, 1120, 1336], "category": "Text", "text": "Coordination with other **development partners** (donors, UN agencies and civil society organisations) and private sector actors active in the targeted sectors will be ensured through the existing sector working groups or through ad hoc coordination meeting if needed."}, {"bbox": [82, 1361, 1120, 1414], "category": "Text", "text": "Additionally, synergies with a number of relevant **think-tanks and research institutes** (e.g. CIRAD, ICRISAT, CIFOR or CIMMYT, universities, among others) will be sought."}, {"bbox": [100, 1455, 1073, 1477], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² Economic Activities of Persons with Disabilities in Rural Areas: New Evidence and Opportunities for IFAD Engagement (2019)"}, {"bbox": [100, 1477, 1115, 1520], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry"}, {"bbox": [100, 1520, 1115, 1607], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Office of the President and Cabinet Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, National Competitiveness Commission, Competition and Tariff Commission, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Standard, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology Institutions, National Plant Protection Organisation, Zimtrade, Airport authorities."}, {"bbox": [100, 1607, 447, 1631], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ Ministry of Energy and Power Development"}, {"bbox": [601, 1640, 614, 1660], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "9"}]