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Women's empowerment

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

A sense of ownership by the women NGOs/CBOs members has apparently been achieved in Niger in each targeted municipality. Nevertheless, sustainable ownership of Gender Responsive Budgeting is still fragile and all stakeholders recognize that more time is needed to consolidate the women’s work which has been initiated.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

Women NGOs/CBOs members’ capacity in Niger is still basic. Women need to strengthen their political and technical expertise. The women from research/action groups improved their ability to participate in the decision-making process, but there is no evidence that they are able to manage and monitor the compliance of municipal investments (i.e. health, water sanitation, education, etc.). In addition the political weight of women within municipalities is still weak.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

The project in Niger has empowered women through giving them skills to analyse budges based on the issues that affect their daily life. However, gender responsive budget analysis alone does not change budget priorities and the decision-making process in ways that truly promote gender equality. Municipal budgets are still a political product and budgetary commitments are allocated according to political priorities. Relevant decision makers could be addressed through evidence-based round-table discussions and lobbying.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

The project in Niger has changed stakeholders’ perceptions by opening up new opportunities for cooperation between women and local officials and has reinforced social and economic cohesion. After the project, the women of research/action groups were invited by other development partners to share their experience with others municipalities.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Together against violence and discrimination of women

There was particular concern about the role of the local vigilance groups in Djibouti. While there was obvious enthusiasm and energy to improve understanding in the communities, especially from the female members of the groups, the male leaders’ responses to instances of violence perpetuated the community-negotiated outcomes that avoided reporting violence to the authorities and resulted in silencing women.
Project Partner
Association des Femmes de Tadjourah
Project Description
The objective of the project was to contribute to the elimination of violence and discrimination against women in 20 communes of Djibouti’s Tadjourah region. This was to be achieved through awareness raising and mobilisation of the local population; and by building the personal capacities of local actors and structures, followed by the creation of 20 local vigilance groups in the targeted communes. There was, however, a fundamental flaw in the design of the project that reflected a mismatch between the problem identified and the responses chosen. The grantee’s research identified the principal cause of violence against women as patriarchal attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to an inferior status in the couple, the community and the nation. A weak legal framework to support action to end violence, and weak implementation of existing clauses in the Constitution that promise gender equality were also found. The project did not address these causes but focused on raising the awareness of women, potentially putting them at risk of reprisals.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Together against violence and discrimination of women

The project appeared to be effective, but only because the target indicators were quantitative and not qualitative. For example, the project achieved the indicator of training and installing 20 local vigilance groups in the 20 target sites, however evaluators found that the functioning of these groups was not likely to contribute to the project’s objectives.
Project Partner
Association des Femmes de Tadjourah
Project Description
The objective of the project was to contribute to the elimination of violence and discrimination against women in 20 communes of Djibouti’s Tadjourah region. This was to be achieved through awareness raising and mobilisation of the local population; and by building the personal capacities of local actors and structures, followed by the creation of 20 local vigilance groups in the targeted communes. There was, however, a fundamental flaw in the design of the project that reflected a mismatch between the problem identified and the responses chosen. The grantee’s research identified the principal cause of violence against women as patriarchal attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to an inferior status in the couple, the community and the nation. A weak legal framework to support action to end violence, and weak implementation of existing clauses in the Constitution that promise gender equality were also found. The project did not address these causes but focused on raising the awareness of women, potentially putting them at risk of reprisals.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

The fact that the grantee organised meetings with all parties was an important first step in building mutual trust and facilitating a common understanding of gender issues through municipal budget in Niger. Most women and municipal officials who participated said it was the first time they had the opportunity to work jointly on Gender Responsive Budgeting issues.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

Enhancing practical skills of women on action research and gender-responsive analysis allowed women to participate in local governance more effectively and in a collaborative way. The women’s action research groups were involved in all phases of the project. They analysed their own municipal budget and identified budgetary problems and issues to raise with the local administration and elected officials.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

An important indicator of the project’s relevance was its consistency with Niger’s health, education and water sanitation sector priorities, which frequently concern women first and of which they are barely consulted about.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Women's Participation in Local Budgetary Processes

More of the budget should have been spent on local project staff based in each target area rather than the grantee’s headquarters. The concrete changes for women were as a result of the work of the local project teams.
Project Partner
Alternative Espaces Citoyens
Project Description
Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.
Evaluation Date
March 2016
Country