PROJECT
Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
Since the grantee did not have experience in working with such a large number of partners and in running a multi-faceted project of this kind, limiting the project’s complexity in this first instance was sensible. This project broke new ground for those leading and participating in it, and could be seen almost as a “pilot”. Now that lessons have been learned, it could well be replicated or extended to other regions.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
The CSOs were fully involved in a series of TV and radio debates both as panelists and audiences. These were a good way to give the CSOs an opportunity to speak out, to engage local journalists in the issues, and to broaden the discourse on women’s empowerment. TV and particularly radio are the most common forms of information dissemination in a region where literacy rates are low.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
Cascade training carried out by the CSOs meant the acquired knowledge did not just stay with the leaders but extended to staff and volunteers of the organizations. Since turnover of staff is always a problem in relation to the sustainability of training, the spreading of capacity throughout the organizations is a positive sign.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
Some partners were replaced during the project because they lacked commitment and did not attend meetings. Some of the organizations that were replaced had ceased operations, and in some cases CSOs insisted on nominating unqualified Resource Persons unacceptable to the grantee. Since the CSOs had signed memoranda of understanding with grantee and were considered to be non-performing against these, replacement was relatively smooth.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
The engagement of “community catalysts/mobilizers” included men in leadership positions within the communities. These men were recruited to spread the messages of women’s empowerment in conjunction with the grassroots campaigns. One community catalyst interviewed was a teacher and religious leader who was also consulted on the nature of the messages and said he considered them “excellent”. Another religious leader said his job was to “undo communities’ negative views on women’s rights and empowerment” and to help change people’s perceptions, including those of parents so that they allowed their daughters to explore their potential “even by seeking leadership positions”. The community catalysts also helped smooth the way for CSOs to gain access to regional administrations. Several of those interviewed expressed their satisfaction at having been consulted and then brought into the project.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
As women become empowered or even make attempts to improve their situation, they may face reprisals at home and in the community. Women’s empowerment can shift relationships between the women and men in their family and community, or just be perceived to do so. This potentially puts the women at risk of reprisals including violence. Protection should be both theoretical (a component of the training) and practical (for example details of a helpline or drop-in centre that women might turn to if they feel that they are at risk of violence). Pro-active protection actions, for example those that work with men to change attitudes and behaviours towards women, might also be integrated into a project that primarily focuses on women.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country
LESSON
Lesson Learned: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
Training materials focused only on upgrading the CSOs’ skills in governance, leadership and gender mainstreaming within their organizations. Advocacy was the only element of the project that looked beyond the organizations to wider political frameworks such as to national and local authorities. This seems to have been something of a missed opportunity; some specific training on, for example, media relations and campaigning might also have been useful.
Project Partner
Centre for Education and Development
Project Description
To increase representation and participation of women in social, economic and political activities in Somalia, the project focused on training and providing support to 20 CSO partners, through mentoring, exchanges, and networking. Grassroots awareness was raised through the CSOs and via the media, as well as through a series of school debates. Advocacy targeting regional and national officials was carried out through meetings and the development of regional and national strategies on women’s empowerment. A final component of the project tested the new capacity of these CSOs, by awarding 10 USD2,000 grants to CSOs which submitted the most innovative projects on women’s empowerment.
The project was well designed, with a number of components that helped it both to empower women in the 20 participating CSOs and beyond. It was also timely, given discussions on a new Constitution and elections announced for 2016. The actions planned were carried out and met their targets. There were no superfluous components in the project; each was designed to add value to other parts of the project.
Report
Evaluation Date
June 2016
Theme
Country