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LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Gender-Responsive Local Government in Nepal

An effective way to address the structural barriers that marginalized women may face in accessing formal political space, is to start with building localized platforms and relevant capacities and gradually scaling up the effort to connect to formal institutional structures. In the present project, this was demonstrated successfully by the creation of the local Women Musahar Empowerment Forums which were eventually scaled up to district-level platforms as well as connected to the National Musahar Association.

Project Name
Strengthening Gender-Responsive Local Government in Nepal
Project Partner
South Asia Partnership Nepal
Project Description

The project aims to empower Musahar women and strengthen their representation in local decision-making procedures for promoting gender-responsive local governance in two rural municipalities and two town municipalities. It will work through three main approaches:empowerment of Musahar women to claim their rights, accountability of local government authorities, and strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships for gender-responsive local governance.

Report
evaluation_udf-19-859-nep_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
December 2024
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Nepal
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Gender-Responsive Local Government in Nepal

Women’s participation in political change processes not only enhances gender equality, but it also makes a positive contribution to local development outcomes. The present project experience clearly demonstrates the transformative impact of women’s inclusion in local development in the shape of a number of local needs-based infrastructure schemes undertaken by the Women Musahar Empowerment Forums in their Municipalities.

Project Name
Strengthening Gender-Responsive Local Government in Nepal
Project Partner
South Asia Partnership Nepal
Project Description

The project aims to empower Musahar women and strengthen their representation in local decision-making procedures for promoting gender-responsive local governance in two rural municipalities and two town municipalities. It will work through three main approaches:empowerment of Musahar women to claim their rights, accountability of local government authorities, and strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships for gender-responsive local governance.

Report
evaluation_udf-19-859-nep_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
December 2024
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Nepal
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Gender-Responsive Local Government in Nepal

Livelihood support interventions can prove to be effective entry points in political empowerment initiatives, especially in the case of extremely marginalized and impoverished communities and should be considered as a strategic approach in project design. The present project experience clearly builds the case for linking economic and livelihood interventions to political empowerment evidenced through the successful establishment and continuation of the Musahar women led Cooperatives.

Project Name
Strengthening Gender-Responsive Local Government in Nepal
Project Partner
South Asia Partnership Nepal
Project Description

The project aims to empower Musahar women and strengthen their representation in local decision-making procedures for promoting gender-responsive local governance in two rural municipalities and two town municipalities. It will work through three main approaches:empowerment of Musahar women to claim their rights, accountability of local government authorities, and strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships for gender-responsive local governance.

Report
evaluation_udf-19-859-nep_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
December 2024
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Nepal
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Women’s Political Participation in Eswatini

To ensure project sustainability and stakeholder ownership, it is vital to foster a comprehensive understanding of project outcomes among all stakeholders and to align project strategies with their mandates and constraints. In this project, the lack of ownership by the Electoral Boundaries Commission resulted in the Gender Responsive Electoral Guidelines not being adopted.

Project Name
Enhancing Women’s Political Participation in Eswatini
Project Partner
Women and Law in Southern Africa - Eswatini
Project Description

The project seeks to enhance the gender responsiveness of policies and practices in the electoral process in Eswatini by assisting stakeholders to develop gender responsive guidelines and educating citizens on the importance of women’s political participation, while empowering the female electorate with leadership skills, campaign and mobilization strategies. The project seeks to impart a long-term effect by enabling community-based paralegals to conduct gender equality sensitization talks at community level. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.

Report
udf-18-793-swa_evaluation_report.pdf
Evaluation Date
August 2024
Theme
Women's empowerment
Electoral Processes
Country
Swaziland
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Women's Political Participation in Eswatini

A multi-level approach that engages stakeholders from the grassroots level to the institutional level ensures consistency and has a higher chance of success in enhancing women’s political participation. In this case, the project engaged rural communities, traditional leaders, electoral management bodies, public institutions, and the government. This comprehensive engagement enabled a concerted effort to enhance women’s political participation in the subsequent elections.

Project Name
Enhancing Women’s Political Participation in Eswatini
Project Partner
Women and Law in Southern Africa - Eswatini
Project Description

The project seeks to enhance the gender responsiveness of policies and practices in the electoral process in Eswatini by assisting stakeholders to develop gender responsive guidelines and educating citizens on the importance of women’s political participation, while empowering the female electorate with leadership skills, campaign and mobilization strategies. The project seeks to impart a long-term effect by enabling community-based paralegals to conduct gender equality sensitization talks at community level. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.

Report
udf-18-793-swa_evaluation_report.pdf
Evaluation Date
August 2024
Theme
Electoral Processes
Women's empowerment
Country
Swaziland
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Women’s Political Participation in Eswatini

Leveraging established partnerships and resources, particularly during disruptive situations such as the pandemic, enhances stakeholder endorsement and improves the potential for sustaining project activities. In this project, the existing relationships and trust between WLSA and the project communities facilitated ongoing engagement and awareness during the lockdown periods. This ensured the continuity and engagement of project stakeholders.

Project Name
Enhancing Women’s Political Participation in Eswatini
Project Partner
Women and Law in Southern Africa - Eswatini
Project Description

The project seeks to enhance the gender responsiveness of policies and practices in the electoral process in Eswatini by assisting stakeholders to develop gender responsive guidelines and educating citizens on the importance of women’s political participation, while empowering the female electorate with leadership skills, campaign and mobilization strategies. The project seeks to impart a long-term effect by enabling community-based paralegals to conduct gender equality sensitization talks at community level. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.

Report
udf-18-793-swa_evaluation_report.pdf
Evaluation Date
August 2024
Theme
Electoral Processes
Women's empowerment
Country
Swaziland
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Raising the Social and Political Profile of Youth in Mozambique

The project has highlighted the receptiveness of municipal governance structures to the voices of young people. It is, therefore, opportune to invest in initiatives that actively incorporate youth perspectives into the development of public policies concerning youth affairs.
Project Name
Raising the Social and Political Profile of Youth in Mozambique
Project Partner
Associação Gender Links Moçambique
Project Description
The project supports young people's participation in local and national issues by developing youth councils and youth councilor training workshops. Young people will have their voices heard on key social and political platforms, and will be better represented at the center of local and national policies and decision-making, within and outside selected councils. Project activities incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis as it impacts youth.
Report
UDF-18-794-MOZ_Evaluation-Report_Final.pdf
Evaluation Date
April 2024
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Mozambique
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Youth Participation through Development Policy in Burkina Faso

Organizations with “niche” expertise in complex contexts and with a high capacity for access can prove decisive for project success: A convincing example is Balai Citoyen, whose ability to operate in difficult-to-access areas, its technical, administrative and financial expertise, as well as its vast institutional network have considerably expanded the scope of the project. This approach highlights the importance of choosing strategic partners who can provide significant added value in varied contexts.
Project Name
Promoting Youth Participation through Development Policy in Burkina Faso
Project Partner
Balai Citoyen
Project Description
This project aims to both increase citizen participation of young people in the electoral process and implement the formulation and monitoring of public policies in seven municipalities in Burkina Faso. Advocacy and a series of awareness-raising actions will allow the establishment of at least seven local networks dedicated to the promotion of citizen participation of youth at the level of decision-making bodies. These actions will also lead public authorities to take formal measures in response to the demands formulated by young people. Project activities integrate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis and its various implications for youth.
Report
UDF-18-789-BKF_FINAL.pdf
Evaluation Date
December 2023
Theme
Youth engagement
Country
Burkina Faso
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Improving Maya Women's Access to Justice in Rural Guatemala

There is a strong demand for legal support services, which only increases by offering this service. Projects must anticipate this growing demand and establish the mechanism to respond while also strengthening interinstitutional efforts to continuously provide these services.
Project Name
Improving Maya Women's Access to Justice in Rural Guatemala
Project Partner
Women's Justice Initiative
Project Description
This project seeks to improve access to justice for some 2,900 indigenous women living in rural areas of Tecpan, Guatemala through free legal support, accompaniment of survivors, and strengthening local governance and municipal response to violence against women and girls. In addition, the project aims to increase the capacities of 175 key public actors including community leaders, service providers, and police at the local, municipal, and departmental level to provide quality services to indigenous survivors and promote human rights.
Report
UDF-17-784-GUA_Final.pdf
Evaluation Date
March 2022
Theme
Women's empowerment
Rule of law
Country
Guatemala
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Improving Maya Women's Access to Justice in Rural Guatemala

Community advocates have the potential to be a powerful support network for supporting community awareness, navigating victims to justice services, and play a role in restorative justice processes as a survivor rights group. To optimize this potential, community advocates need institutional backing, continual skills training, linkages to institutional networks, and community recognition.
Project Name
Improving Maya Women's Access to Justice in Rural Guatemala
Project Partner
Women's Justice Initiative
Project Description
This project seeks to improve access to justice for some 2,900 indigenous women living in rural areas of Tecpan, Guatemala through free legal support, accompaniment of survivors, and strengthening local governance and municipal response to violence against women and girls. In addition, the project aims to increase the capacities of 175 key public actors including community leaders, service providers, and police at the local, municipal, and departmental level to provide quality services to indigenous survivors and promote human rights.
Report
UDF-17-784-GUA_Final.pdf
Evaluation Date
March 2022
Theme
Women's empowerment
Rule of law
Country
Guatemala