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gender relations

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing Women's Land Ownership Rights in Eastern Sierra Leone


In Sierra Leone, chieftaincy authorities are key powerbrokers in local communities. When initiatives work to build the capacity of women and girls, these initiatives are made most effective when they also work to change the attitudes of men and in particular, of traditional authorities. In addition, 'chieftaincy by-laws' are the most applied legal framework in rural communities, regardless of what national laws may say.


Project Partner
Humanist Watch Salone
Project Description
This community-driven project is aimed at supporting an informed public debate and advocacy on women land ownership rights in the Districts of Kailahun, Kenema and Kono in Eastern Sierra Leone. The project will focus on research, public awareness-raising, building knowledge of communities on human rights and the Devolution of Estates legal framework, thus creating a forum for communities to critically analyze the need to enhance gender fairness and social justice, in the existing land tenure system.
Evaluation Date
July 2018
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowered Civil Society Addressing the Democratic Needs of Rural Women in Myanmar

Raising awareness among men about women’s rights is necessary to contribute to reducing some of the challenges faced by women who seek leadership roles in their community. The project contributed to changing men’s attitudes towards women’s role in the community: there was greater acceptance among men of women exercising a leadership role at local level, even though some men continued to note that this trend faces hostility.
Project Partner
DanChurchAid
Project Description
The project's objective was to strengthen institutional capacity of three independent CSOs working with rural women’s groups so that they could establish associations of self-help groups and promote inclusive participatory dialogue with authorities. Working from a UNDP model, the project focused on three aspects: transparency and accountability; rights awareness and advocacy; and linkages with other community-level groups. The project was exemplary in its effectiveness, both in terms of the clarity of outcomes to be achieved (and activities to achieve them) and of quantitative and qualitative standards of achievement. It raised awareness of voters’ and women’s rights, and initiated engagement between local officials and rural communities. This is also an example of a project where sustainability was included in the design. The capacity building activities included supporting partner organizations achieve a degree of financial independence, by providing technical advice on project design and management, and by helping them develop internal governance and accountability systems.
Evaluation Date
January 2016
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowered Civil Society Addressing the Democratic Needs of Rural Women in Myanmar

The project correctly emphasized the need to build the capacity of women to take part in decision-making processes, but it could also have included an element addressing men, to encourage them to support women’s involvement in such processes. In the absence of engagement specifically directed at men, the project ran the risk of appearing to be solely a support mechanism for women.
Project Partner
DanChurchAid
Project Description
The project's objective was to strengthen institutional capacity of three independent CSOs working with rural women’s groups so that they could establish associations of self-help groups and promote inclusive participatory dialogue with authorities. Working from a UNDP model, the project focused on three aspects: transparency and accountability; rights awareness and advocacy; and linkages with other community-level groups. The project was exemplary in its effectiveness, both in terms of the clarity of outcomes to be achieved (and activities to achieve them) and of quantitative and qualitative standards of achievement. It raised awareness of voters’ and women’s rights, and initiated engagement between local officials and rural communities. This is also an example of a project where sustainability was included in the design. The capacity building activities included supporting partner organizations achieve a degree of financial independence, by providing technical advice on project design and management, and by helping them develop internal governance and accountability systems.
Evaluation Date
January 2016
Country