Expanding Impact in Latin America with the Inter-American Development Bank

The NO MORE Foundation remains at the forefront of the global movement to eradicate domestic violence and sexual assault by raising awareness, inspiring action, and fostering cultural change. Our commitment to creating a world where everyone can live free from violence extends across diverse communities and involves innovative collaborations with organizations worldwide.

In this spirit, NO MORE has been actively collaborating with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to strengthen environmental and social management in projects across Latin America. This partnership focuses on the critical importance of integrating social safeguards, particularly concerning gender equality, into the design and execution of development projects. By providing specialized consultancy and training, we aim to equip IDB's executing agencies and strategic partners with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage risks and impacts related to gender equality, in line with the IDB's Environmental and Social Policy Framework.

NO MORE has proudly facilitated these vital trainings in many countries throughout Latin America. Our efforts have reached professionals in Bolivia, Paraguay, Guyana, and Colombia from South America. And México, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, as we continue to broaden our reach and impact in the region. This ongoing work underscores our dedication to building local capacities and promoting sustainable development that prioritizes safety and equality for all.

During the last NDAS 9 and NDAS 10 training workshops conducted in Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, the NO MORE Foundation played a key role as a technical and methodological facilitator in implementing the ESPF—specifically focusing on ESPS 9 on Gender Equality and ESPS 10 on Stakeholder Engagement. In the NDAS 9 phase, NO MORE supported borrower governments in understanding and applying the social safeguards related to gender, promoting a rights-based approach, cultural sensitivity, and prevention of negative impacts.

Our recent work has involved successfully delivering a series of training workshops on the IDB's Environmental and Social Performance Standard 9 (ESPS 9) on Gender Equality. These sessions have been tailored to address the unique contexts of participating countries, empowering local agencies to uphold best practices in assessing and managing gender-related issues in public works and infrastructure projects.

With the transition to NDAS 10, centered on stakeholder engagement and information disclosure, NO MORE led capacity-building sessions aimed at empowering national teams to design effective stakeholder engagement plans, ensure meaningful consultation, and develop grievance mechanisms that are accessible, proportionate, equitable, and free from retaliation. Through practical case studies and participatory exercises, the workshops promoted the identification of key stakeholders, the design of communication strategies, and the analysis of social risks. NO MORE’s involvement not only provided technical tools aligned with IDB standards but also fostered a climate of trust and learning among participants. Thanks to its prior experience with NDAS 9, the Foundation facilitated a coherent transition between standards, strengthening interagency coordination, recognition of best practices, and the commitment of countries to adopt participatory and transparent approaches to project management.