Sustainability

Swisscontact advocates the comprehensive and low-emission consumption of resources, adaptation to the effects of climate change, gender equity, and transparent decision-making processes. Various projects support access to essential financial services so that marginalised populations can have the required start-up capital and participate actively in the economy over the long term.

Swisscontact is driving the vision of sustainable development forward by incorporating the concepts of gender equality and inclusion, environmental responsibility, good governance, and access to financial services in all its projects and activities. Swisscontact thus contributes to socially and ecologically mindful development based on participation and community involvement.

Swisscontact thus contributes to socially and ecologically mindful development based on participation and community involvement.

 

Sustainability Criteria and Results 2022

Environmental responsibility

  • 497 green jobs created
  • 373,111 farmers and businesses applying greener practices or with greener processes and practices in place
  • CHF 0.96 M of income generated through supported green business activities.
  • 21,560 tonnes of CO2 reduced
  • 11,165 tonnes of waste reduced

 

Financial services

  • 508,981 smallholder farmers and SMEs gained access to financial services, 47.7 per cent of whom were women/women-led.
  • 10,085 vocational school graduates with access to financial services, of whom 59.5 per cent are women
  • CHF 476.6 M savings and loans mobilised by projects

Gender equality and social inclusion

  • 4,335 jobs created in woman-friendly or gender-neutral professions
  • 5,847 women trained in male-associated and/or gender-neutral trades
  • CHF 9.4 M additional net income generated by female vocational school graduates

 

Good governance

  • 38 projects have done capacity building on good governance principles with public institutions.
  • 31 projects worked on improving policies and the regulatory environment.
  • 21 projects have fostered private sector internal governance.

Project Case Study: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

Chad: training men and women in non-traditional professions in fragile contexts

Gender equality and social inclusion are important fundamentals in the creation of economic opportunities and skills strengthening. Swisscontact has committed advocates to this concept in more than 120 projects across the globe.

An example of this approach is an education project in the Republic of Chad promoting employment and more importantly, self-sufficient income generation among young people who are marginalised from the formal education system. This is achieved by developing their technical and business skills and providing guidance to encourage their integration into the labour market.

During a sensitisation and information campaign, young people are shown various career paths. The project team explicitly instructs them to select a profession that reflects their desires and preferences. Despite social and cultural barriers, some women have entered professions traditionally considered male, and thus they have broken through under the weight of certain prejudices. As an example, women have opted to become electricians, take up a job in the construction sector, become motorcycle mechanics, or solar panel installation technicians. Conversely, men have chosen professions in gastronomy and nutrition, even though traditionally these have been considered “classic women’s professions.”

Equal pay for women and encouraging results

Labour market integration remains a challenge for young people who opt for professions that are unconventional for their gender. Around 50 per cent of women and over 80 per cent of men, after completing their training, are working in a profession traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Although young women often earn less than men in these areas, gaining entry to so-called male professions and completing the same jobs as their male colleagues fill them with pride.

According to Koubra Dahab, the mayor of Oum Hadjer (capital of the western province of Batha), young women trained to install and repair solar panels are paid the same as men. They work keenly and produce high-quality results, explains the mayor.

In a country such as Chad, marked so severely by gender-specific cultural norms, these results are very encouraging. They also demonstrate that much remains to be done to facilitate access among men and women on the other side of the gender divide to the entire spectrum of professions.

Overview
Results and Impact
The private sector as partner
Financial Statement 2022
Organisation
Partners