Participatory mid-term review of Women Empowerment Programs

Selam HailemichaelCARE Norway

30.11.12

Outline of presentation

• Background

Initiation of the programs

Baseline stage

• Mid-Term Review (MTR)

The Process

The Findings

The Lessons Learnt

• Next steps

The processes ahead

Background

Structure

Institutions that establish agreed-upon significations (meanings), accepted forms of domination (who has power over what

or whom), and agreed criteria for legitimizing the social order

Relations

Channels through which joint efforts can enhance women

becoming agents of their own development, alter discriminatory

and inequitable structures

AgencyIndividual

And CollectiveCapacities

Empowerment involves poor women becoming the agents of their own

development

Empowerment as an OutcomeGreater access to, influence

over, and control of a) economic, b) ideological, c)

political, d) social, and e) cultural capital

Increased confidence and skills (Power within- Self-esteem, confidence on own abilities Power to -Achieve aspirations, achieve personal benefits, achieve community benefits)

Women’s networks and mobility (Power with- Identify collective interest, organize and link with others) Power to challenge and change

gender relations (Power over - Influence set rules, shape meaning, what is perceived as ‘normal’, at personal, HH & community level)

• 2009 – New framework

agreement with Norad

• Program countries Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda,

Tanzania, Mali, Niger, Myanmar

• Thematic areas: Economic Empowerment Participation in decision making Sexual and Reproductive Health

and Rights Gender Based Violence

• Working methodology VSL Engaging men Advocacy Partnership & Networking

Theory of social change

Cont……

• Focus on higher level & measurable results

• Through participatory, bottom up approach select common sets of indicators

• Baseline research - Comparison groups

• Baseline sample varied between 829 – over 2700 respondents

Outcome indicators

Baseline findings- what the numbers told us

Marked difference with comparison group

• VSL members positive attitude on economic empowerment & participation

• Asset ownership (& control) consistently higher for VSL members

• Consistently showed higher level of participation (level of influence on decisions made) in

community based groups

• Felt stronger social connectedness • Higher SRHR Information (reliable source)

No difference

• Coping with shocks– no marked difference except high % of VSL members used savings to

cope

• Attitude on women’s ability to make decision on their SRHR (use of contraceptives,

accessing maternal health care, choosing partner etc.) & regarding GBV

• Use of services no difference

MTR objectives

• Are we on track?

• What kind of change is being created?

• Qualitative data to support quantitative baseline findings

• Learning & capacity building

• Self-critical reflection

MTR process - Design phase

• Negotiated implementation of review in house by WEP team

• ToR developed through consultation with CO team

• Common guideline – scope, guiding questions, targeted respondents (Impact group

members, target groups, local authorities, CARE & partners staff)

• Very intensive round of consultation and review per country

• MTR team - CARE staff (both program and program support), partners’ staff

• MTR was done in the same geographical area as the baseline

• Qualitative study - App. 30 key informant interviews, 10 focus groups, & 10 most

significant change interviews per country

• Supplemented by focused review of existing secondary information

• Field data collection took about two weeks

• Inter- country peer review (by CARE & partner staff)

• Prepared joint learning agendas & contracts

MTR process - Implementation phase

Burundi

Mali Niger

Rwanda

Tanzania

Uganda

Myanmar

Anglophone Francophone

• Intensive week for joint analysis (capacity building & actual analysis)

Description, Interpretation, Implication, Information/ knowledge application

• Follow up analysis & report writing

• Dissemination in a joint seminar

• Finalization of report

• Develop action points to address identified gaps

MTR process - Analysis and finalisation

The findings – Economic empowerment

Positive

• 8 502 VSLAs formed (22 533 targeted by end of term)

• Mobilized over 3 M USD as savings

• Significant increase in engagement in IGAs

• Increase in personal income, less financial dependence on men & ability to meet HH

expenses

• Able to cope with short duration shocks (e.g. periodic drought situation)

• Men acknowledge & appreciate women’s economic empowerment

• Interested in accessing larger loans – linkages to MFI

• Obtaining productive assets & Improved property rights

Challenges

• Low turn over & activity levels (large savings & low levels of loans)

• Limited choices for IGAs, limited prospect for expansion

• Weak marketing linkages

• Loss/ theft of savings

• Risk of indebtedness + forceful repayment of loans

• Some cases of men ‘owning’ women’s savings & loans

• Men withheld their contribution to the HH budget

• As a result women investing benefits from the VSLAs/ IGAs in HH consumption

rather than being reinvested in productive activities

• Inability to cope with sever & extended shocks

• Women’s empowerment narrowly understood as economic gain

Cont……

Positive

• Self-worth & confidence

• Increase in awareness of rights & entitlements

• Stronger social support; mediation, peace building–more than monetary gains

• Improved participation skills

• Contribution to community development

• Cultural & religious institutions defending & promoting women’s rights

• Improved HH relations

• Men increasingly involved in & supported SRH service use

• Men involved in domestic work

The findings – Social empowerment

Cont……

Challenges

• Strained social relations

• Discrimination within groups

• Exclusion of the poorest

• Men’s perception - women becoming not just assertive but ‘arrogant’

• Men felt ‘disempowered’

• Men forcefully prevented women from participating in meetings/ VSLs/ forced

them to work extra hours

• Conflicts in HHs as roles changed

Positive

• VSLA – platform to nurture capacities to enter the public arena

• Forming networks – influential beyond immediate community

• Participation in community management structures

• Increased interest to play an active role in politics

• Mobilize support

• Election to public offices

• Carry out stronger advocacy leading to concrete changes in laws & policies

• Enabled to hold decision makers accountable

• Leaders consulting VSL members

The findings – Political empowerment

Cont……

Challenges

• Work load

• Increased representation but still struggle with meaningful participation

• Political animosity – no strategy to deal with this

• Party politics – and where does CARE fit in this?

• Ad hoc engagement with promoting this objective; lack a well thought through

strategy

In conclusion

Are we addressing underlying causes & creating not easily reversible changes?

• Strengthening inherent capability (Knowledge, Skills and information)

• Increased self-esteem, confidence

• Mutual trust & social capital

• Improved HH wellbeing

• Concrete changes in roles & relations at HH & community levels

• Changes in the way women are perceived and are integrated into society

• Changes in attitude and behaviors

• VSLA members having concrete contributions socially and politically

Cont……

Tangible gain in financial capital, but are we optimizing this?

• Need to give women skills to manage their economic investments & productivity

• Need to develop linkages with strategic partners; microfinance, SACCOs

• Find diverse income generating activities, increase access to market & marketability

of products

• Need to improve women’s control over income, assets & resources

• A model that is suitable for engaging with youth/ girls

• Do more to engage men –large scale but focused, also engage boys & young men

Cont……What gaps should we need to address/ strengthen?

• Commitment to a specific impact group in a holistic manner & over a long time

• Need to be aware of the underlying assumptions behind Poverty reduction -

Women’s human rights – Economic growth goals

• Better define our added value

• Target the men in the lives of the women in our impact group

• Think in terms of couples

• When targeting men be clear about your intents, strategies and expected outcomes

• Seek out the right partners; other actors in our operational areas and seek

cooperation

• Strengthen link with government – we are not there to replace them

Cont……

• Sustained & focused advocacy strategy

• Explicit strategies to support women’s ability to protect individual & collective

interest at different levels

• More work at the level structures (especially with men on decision making

positions)

• Strengthen monitoring system to identify gaps in a timely manner

• Strengthen use of qualitative methodology to better capture process of change

• Create the room to get regular feedback from community

• Continue with similar participatory reviews & cross-fertilization between

COs/programs

• Better institutionalize lessons learnt, capacity built

Plans ahead• Baseline

• MTR

• Endline

Similar approach as baseline

More follow up on quality

Qualitative part done by country team

Quantitative data collection, storage; & analysis done centrally through

standardized approach

• New phase

Clearer M&E plans; with clearer goals & targets

More systematic capacity building objectives of CARE & partners

More focus on social & political empowerment