Gender roles, gender relations, gender discrimination, gender equality, gender equity, gender analysis, gender balance, gender mainstreaming are the topics discussed over the past decade and all of those terms have been accepted into all kinds of different development projects and programs, declarations, plans of action and policies.

STAGE II project is not an exception as well. Moreover, it has a special focus on gender issues and incorporation of those in the project activities. With this purpose, training and a workshop were organized for the project team, i.e. CARE International in the Caucasus, Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD), Civil Development Agency (CiDA) Georgia and local Armenian and Georgian trainers. The trainings were aimed at enhancing the capacities of the team to share their knowledge with the target groups and organize the project activities in a gender mainstreamed context.

At the end of November 2010, training on “Gender Mainstreaming” was organized for the Armenian target Civil Society Organizations, namely “Shirak Competitiveness Center” in Shirak region, “Spitak‐Farmer Association” in Lori and “Yerevak” NGO in Tavush. Representatives from local and regional authorities were also invited, as the issue is very topical for them as well.

The goal of the training was to introduce gender mainstreaming and its basic principles to the participants, show the gender importance in organizations as well as in developing and implementing different projects. To ensure the understanding of the terms in a practical context, the training was complemented with the elaboration of Monitoring and Evaluation plans for each target CSO. Those plans are guiding tool for the CSOs while implementing small grant projects approved within the STAGE II Project and exercise application of those concepts in their daily work.

“Poverty Reduction and Confidence‐building in Border Areas of Georgia and Armenia by Strengthening Civil Societies in Sustainable Rural Development” (STAGE II) Project is financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation and Cooperation with Eastern Europe (ADC) (for more information please visit: www.mfa.at/adc, www.ada.gv.at), implemented by CARE Osterreich and CARE International in the Caucasus, along with the partner organizations – Civil Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia and Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD)in Armenia.