Banyan Global is implementing the Gender Integration Technical Assistance (GITA) II Task Order, which provides on-demand, rapid-response, short-term technical assistance (STTA) to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Missions and Bureaus across multiple sectors and in crisis and non-crisis settings.

Under GITA II, Banyan Global partnered with USAID/Laos to conduct a gender analysis to inform the Mission’s first Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for FY2022-2027. Using Banyan Global’s tested gender analysis research tools, a three-person research team identified advances, gaps, and opportunities on gender equality and women’s empowerment across sectors. These sectors include health; democracy, human rights, and governance; education; economic growth; and energy and environment. The analysis focused on cross-cutting themes of gender-based violence prevention and response, women’s economic empowerment, and gender inequality exacerbated by COVID-19. It also focuses on youth, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities as key cross-cutting populations.