English
VSLAs as Economic Drivers: Exploring Linkages Between Capital Available within Women’s Savings Groups and Economic Contribution to the Tanzanian Economy
Savings-led microfinance innovation aims to improve access to financial services in remote areas, especially among women. In the past decade, more and more researchers and practitioners have recognized and taken advantage of this informal financial service to help improve lives of the poor. A leading innovator in the field, CARE International, has spawned extensive household- and community-level benefits from its Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) programmes. With about 700,000 members in 28,000 groups in Tanzania, CARE is seeking to measure the potential contribution of VSLAs on the growth of the Tanzanian national economy.
This literature review shows some important insights and establishes a foundation for future research on the topic. Read More...
This literature review shows some important insights and establishes a foundation for future research on the topic. Read More...
GEWEP II Mali Final Evaluation Report
The Women and Girls Empowerment and Civil Society Governance Projet (GEWEP) known as MAAYA DANBE in local language, is funded by the Norway Government through CARE Norway for four years (2016-2019) and seeks to empower women and girls affected by poverty, inequality, violence and social marginalization to claim and achieve their human rights. The GEWEP project comprises four theme-based cross-cutting components: (i) strengthening civil society, (ii) women’s economic empowerment and entrepreurship, (iii) women’s participation in decision-making processes and (iv) men/boys’ engagement in the transformation of gender norms. The GEWEP projet is part of a global funding provided by CARE Norway, through the Norway Government, to some African countries including Mali, Niger, DRC, Rwanda and Burundi.
The key findings from the final evaluation of GEWEP II are presented in this report which looks at a number of crosscutting themes. Read More...
The key findings from the final evaluation of GEWEP II are presented in this report which looks at a number of crosscutting themes. Read More...
Social Norms and Barriers Analysis for Agro-pastoralist Women and Girls in South Darfur, Sudan
This report takes a special focus on examining the changing reality of life for agro pastoralist women and girls in South Darfur, Sudan through the lens of social norms and barriers, adding to a set of regional studies (Ritchie 2015 - 2017). Increasingly fragile, agro-pastoralist groups in East Africa now often combine pastoralism with both farming and trading. Women in such societies have been identified as both marginalized and vulnerable.
In the Darfur region of Sudan, rural women remain particularly challenged, with insecurity conflict and displacement. Yet with appropriate development interventions, access to services and government policies, women and girls stand at the forefront of social change, as they adopt new livelihood opportunities and embrace new rights and entitlements.
This research aimed to capture both qualitative as well as quantitative dynamics of current change in agro-pastoralist girls’ and women’s social norms, customs and practices in South Darfur. Read More...
In the Darfur region of Sudan, rural women remain particularly challenged, with insecurity conflict and displacement. Yet with appropriate development interventions, access to services and government policies, women and girls stand at the forefront of social change, as they adopt new livelihood opportunities and embrace new rights and entitlements.
This research aimed to capture both qualitative as well as quantitative dynamics of current change in agro-pastoralist girls’ and women’s social norms, customs and practices in South Darfur. Read More...
Midterm Review of Every Voice Counts Programme
The major objective of the Mid-Term Review of the Every Voice Counts Program in Sudan was to assess the extent to which increasing participation of women and youth in community structures such as Village Development Committees and community and locality level decision making processes and access to finance had been attained. This is in addition to the aim of enhancing their representation and giving them better access to decision making bodies. Read More...
Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Program, GEWEP II 2016-2018 Burundi, Final Evaluation Report, March 2019
The final evaluation of GEWEP II (a women's empowerment program implemented since 2016 in 7 provinces of Burundi and funded by NORAD via CARE Norway) set out to gauge the progress made but also identify the gaps that remain to be filled for the impact group (women aged 15-64 in the intervention area) to enjoy effective economic, social and political empowerment. The evaluation allowed a comparative study of the baseline situation (just as presented in the report of the baseline study) and the final situation resulting from the analysis of data collected on the ground in January 2018. The final evaluation data collection was conducted on a quantitative sample representative of 774 people including 406 women and 368 men. In addition to these quantitative data, qualitative data were collected from target groups and other key informants. [39 pages] Read More...
Outcome Harvesting evaluation OIKKO (Unity): Bangladesh
OIKKO (Unity in Bangla) was a 3 year project (March 2015 – February 2018) delivered by CARE Bangladesh with support from CARE Austria, with funding from the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency. The overall objective of the project was: a strong and united civil society promotes the implementation of fundamental labour rights in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh.
OIKKO was implemented through the following actors: CARE Bangladesh and 3 partners Sheva Nari O Shishu Kallyan Kendra (SHEVA, Gazipur), Agrajattra (AJ, Chittagong), and Karmojibi Nari (KN).
The main interventions of the project were:
• Forming solidarity groups of women RMG workers known as EKATA (Empowering Through Knowledge and Transformative Action).
• EKATA members with a high leadership potential were selected to form larger Community Worker Associations (CWA) to facilitate engagement and participation in trade unions and federation.
• Form Community Support Groups to help foster a supportive environment for the project.
• A national platform to engage civil society.
• Gender sensitisation training for trade union and federation leaders.
• Publications including commissioned research on, for instance, minimum wage.
• A national convention to take stock of OIKKO and share achievements. Read More...
OIKKO was implemented through the following actors: CARE Bangladesh and 3 partners Sheva Nari O Shishu Kallyan Kendra (SHEVA, Gazipur), Agrajattra (AJ, Chittagong), and Karmojibi Nari (KN).
The main interventions of the project were:
• Forming solidarity groups of women RMG workers known as EKATA (Empowering Through Knowledge and Transformative Action).
• EKATA members with a high leadership potential were selected to form larger Community Worker Associations (CWA) to facilitate engagement and participation in trade unions and federation.
• Form Community Support Groups to help foster a supportive environment for the project.
• A national platform to engage civil society.
• Gender sensitisation training for trade union and federation leaders.
• Publications including commissioned research on, for instance, minimum wage.
• A national convention to take stock of OIKKO and share achievements. Read More...
Informed to Influence’: Increasing ethnic minority women’s access to information for improved
Objectives:
I) To examine information access context in ethnic minority (EM) community including available information sources, information channels, communication and information accessibility among EM population, EM women particularly.
ii) To access impacts of information shortage on EM communities, as well as identify associated factors with information accessibility of EM population, EM women particularly. Read More...
I) To examine information access context in ethnic minority (EM) community including available information sources, information channels, communication and information accessibility among EM population, EM women particularly.
ii) To access impacts of information shortage on EM communities, as well as identify associated factors with information accessibility of EM population, EM women particularly. Read More...
BASELINE SURVEY AND GENDER ANALYSIS FOR “STAND UP, SPEAK OUT: BREAKING THE SILENCE AROUND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AMONG ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN VIETNAM”
CARE Vietnam (CVN) in coordination with stakeholders is implementing the Project titled Stand Up, Speak Out: Breaking the silence around gender based violence among ethnic minority communities in Northern Vietnam, which is a part CARE’s Remote Ethnic Minority Women’s Program. In CVN’s programming, Gender based violence (GBV) is considered as one of the three focus thematic areas. Within the REMW Program, GBV will be addressed through three dimensions: a) Protection (legal protection, literacy, reform), b) Prevention and Response (engaging with initiatives of others, promoting access to services), and c) expanding the scope of the national agenda to focus on GBV. ”Stand Up, Speak Out” project (SUSO) aims to promote all of the three dimensions for addressing GBV: Protection (legal protection, literacy, reform), through Prevention and Response (engaging with initiatives of others, promoting access to services) and through expanding the scope of the national agenda to focus on GBV.
Proposed actions will challenge the harmful gender norms that accept and normalize GBV in ethnic minority communities, by taking a multi-level, multi-sectoral approach. The project will tackle the taboo nature of GBV by increasing the awareness and understanding about GBV among ethnic minority community members, authorities and service providers. It will work with service providers to improve the support services available for ethnic minority survivors of GBV. At the policy level the project will strengthen implementation of the National Action Plan on GBV through the development of tools and processes that align with the National Action Plan’s priorities and by undertaking advocacy in partnership with an alliance of Vietnamese civil society organisations (CSOs). The project will use a rights based approach to tackle intersectional discrimination by targeting ethnic minority groups in remote and rural areas and being sensitive to GBV survivors with disabilities.
Read More...
Proposed actions will challenge the harmful gender norms that accept and normalize GBV in ethnic minority communities, by taking a multi-level, multi-sectoral approach. The project will tackle the taboo nature of GBV by increasing the awareness and understanding about GBV among ethnic minority community members, authorities and service providers. It will work with service providers to improve the support services available for ethnic minority survivors of GBV. At the policy level the project will strengthen implementation of the National Action Plan on GBV through the development of tools and processes that align with the National Action Plan’s priorities and by undertaking advocacy in partnership with an alliance of Vietnamese civil society organisations (CSOs). The project will use a rights based approach to tackle intersectional discrimination by targeting ethnic minority groups in remote and rural areas and being sensitive to GBV survivors with disabilities.
Read More...
Myanmar Endline Report Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Programme II 2016-2019
Project name: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Programme (GEWEP) II
Project period: 2016-2019
Number of people that have been directly reached: 4,429 Female and 2,305 Male
Myanmar endline / baseline report submission: 31st March 2019
Result highlights for GEWEP II in Myanmar
Sex Workers in Myanmar (SWiM) is growing. SWiM advocates for the rights of fellow sex workers by advocating for amendment of the 1949 Suppression of Prostitution Act, a law that punishes and fines prostitution, putting sex workers at increased risk. With the contribution from SWiM and other stakeholders, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has been drafting a new law. The draft law is expected to be submitted to parliament by the end of 2019.
More than a hundred brothels have been lobbied to promote safer work environment for female sex workers using a minimal standard checklist. The minimal standard includes provision of condoms, and hygiene and sanitary materials for both clients and female sex workers. It also needs the brothel owners/managers to allow sex worker to go out for regular medical check-up.
58% of the endline survey respondents are members of one or more self-help groups. Participation in self-help groups develops sense of social inclusion among the sex workers. This is important, as sex workers are greatly discriminated in the general community and often excluded from the social activities in the general community.
During the survey, a subset of men – who were partner of, have work relationship with, or are somehow related to FSWs – showed aggressive attitudes towards their intimate partners. These attitudes may be linked to high incidence of violence against female sex workers. More exploration on this finding and more targeted engaging men activities are suggested for future programs. Read More...
Project period: 2016-2019
Number of people that have been directly reached: 4,429 Female and 2,305 Male
Myanmar endline / baseline report submission: 31st March 2019
Result highlights for GEWEP II in Myanmar
Sex Workers in Myanmar (SWiM) is growing. SWiM advocates for the rights of fellow sex workers by advocating for amendment of the 1949 Suppression of Prostitution Act, a law that punishes and fines prostitution, putting sex workers at increased risk. With the contribution from SWiM and other stakeholders, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has been drafting a new law. The draft law is expected to be submitted to parliament by the end of 2019.
More than a hundred brothels have been lobbied to promote safer work environment for female sex workers using a minimal standard checklist. The minimal standard includes provision of condoms, and hygiene and sanitary materials for both clients and female sex workers. It also needs the brothel owners/managers to allow sex worker to go out for regular medical check-up.
58% of the endline survey respondents are members of one or more self-help groups. Participation in self-help groups develops sense of social inclusion among the sex workers. This is important, as sex workers are greatly discriminated in the general community and often excluded from the social activities in the general community.
During the survey, a subset of men – who were partner of, have work relationship with, or are somehow related to FSWs – showed aggressive attitudes towards their intimate partners. These attitudes may be linked to high incidence of violence against female sex workers. More exploration on this finding and more targeted engaging men activities are suggested for future programs. Read More...