Women's Economic Empowerment

Evidence Review of Women’s Groups and COVID-19: Impacts, Challenges, and Policy Implications for Savings Groups in Africa

It has been more than a year since COVID-19 lockdowns began, and economic recovery is a top priority for governments, donors, and international financial institutions (IFIs) worldwide, including in sub-Saharan Africa. Targeted investments that increase community resilience and spur economic growth will mitigate some of the negative economic consequences of this crisis. Investment in women’s economic resilience and social support is para- mount, considering that the crisis may reverse recent progress in gender equality. Around the world, women’s groups, such as self- help groups, savings groups, and health groups, play an important role in communities; evidence shows promise in their role in promoting women’s empowerment and economic outcomes. They encompass many models, but all bring women together around a shared purpose, such as financial inclusion, livelihoods, health, and women’s rights.
This brief focuses on one specific type of women’s group in sub-Saharan Africa: savings groups. Savings groups are a common form of women’s group and serve as a reliable mechanism for people in sub-Saharan Africa to save money. Members of savings groups pool small weekly savings into a common fund, which members can then borrow against, creating opportunities for investments and women’s empowerment. Savings groups show mixed, but promising, results in improving economic and social outcomes. This brief, written by a consortium of researchers and practitioners, presents emerging evidence from studies in diverse African contexts— with a deep dive into Nigeria and Uganda—on how COVID-19 has affected savings groups and how these groups have helped mitigate the pandemic’s negative consequences in sub-Saharan Africa.
This report is 23 pages long. Read More...

DESARROLLO ECONÓMICO, SOCIAL Y RURAL INTEGRAL EN COMUNIDADES INDÍGENAS DE LA PROVINCIA DE NAPO

El objeto a evaluar es el proyecto “Desarrollo económico, social y rural integral en comunidades indígenas de la provincia de Napo” (Para los fines de esta evaluación se resumirá de la siguiente manera el nombre del proyecto: “DESRICI de la Provincia de Napo”). El Proyecto es llevado a cabo por Maquita Cushunchic y financiado a través del Ministerio Federal de Cooperación Económica y Desarrollo de Alemania (BMZ) y CARE Alemania. Su localización geográfica es la Provincia de Napo en el cantón Tena y las parroquias de Ahuano y Chontapunta. Se evalúa el periodo completo de ejecución entre el 2017 y 2020 y corresponde a la evaluación final sobre cómo el diseño, proceso y ejecución han contribuido al logro de los tres resultados propuestos en la formulación de la intervención Read More...

STOP Southeast Asia Impact Reflections

Sexual harassment is any unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour of a sexual nature which could be expected to make a person feel humiliated, intimidated or offended. Female garment workers experience sexual harassment in their workplace, generally have limited legal protections, lack job security and work in an environment where there is often impunity for the harassment they experience. In Cambodia alone, sexual harassment costs in the garment industry USD $89 million per annum in lost productivity.

After four years of work, independent evaluations found the STOP project had assisted factory management to set up clearer guidelines and mechanisms for dealing with and preventing sexual harassment. It also empowered female workers to be confident to report sexual harassment incidents and become more aware of their rights. Read More...

ENDLINE EVALUATION COVER PAGE Adolescent Empowerment Project (AEP) IN KAJIADO & MUKURU

CARE implemented the Adolescent Empowerment Project (AEP) in Kenya, funded through the Patsy Collins Trust Fund Initiative from 2015 to 2020. The project aimed to empower adolescent girls and boys from chronically insecure households to fully exploit their potential, take advantage of opportunities, and fulfil their aspirations. Over a 5-year implementation period, the project targeted adolescents (aged 10-19) in urban Mukuru (within Nairobi county) and rural Kajiado county with a suite of activities and services delivered through partners Hope Worldwide Kenya (HWWK) and Neighbors Initiative Alliance (NIA). Inputs were designed to expand life choices and empower participants to become engaged citizens and include activities on leadership skills development, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ARSH), economic empowerment, ICT skills, and quality education.
This report is 70 pages long. Read More...

COOPERER III Relèvement et renforcement Financier des populations vulnérables affectées par la COVID 19 RAPPORT DE L’ÉTUDE DE BASE

CARE International au Cameroun a obtenu à travers CARE France un soutien financier du Centre de Crise et de Soutien (CDCS) du Ministère français de l'Europe et des Affaires Etrangères, pour implémenter le projet : « Relèvement et renforcement Financier des populations vulnérables affectées par la Covid-19 », en abrégé « COOPERER III » ou encore « ResCOV-19 », sur le corridor Kaélé-Touloum-Yagoua dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord du Cameroun, sur la période du 1er Avril 2021 au 31 Mars 2022. S’inscrivant dans la continuité de ses actions entrepris à travers les projets COOPERER I et COOPERER II dans ces localités (Kaélé, Touloum et Yagoua), CARE se propose de poursuivre le soutien de la résilience économique et de protéger les moyens de subsistance des femmes et des jeunes touchés directement ou indirectement par la Covid-19, en valorisant les acquis des précédents projets.
L’action de CARE Cameroun dans ces Communes est de : « Contribuer à l’accès aux services sociaux de base en matière d’accès à l’eau et aux opportunités économiques des femmes et des jeunes touchés par la pandémie de la COVID-19 dans la Région de l’Extrême-Nord du Cameroun, Axe Kaélé-Touloum-Yagoua ». De manière spécifique il sera question de : (1) Renforcer et sensibiliser le personnel des communes et les communautés sur la protection Covid et la gouvernance autour des infrastructures sociales de base (point d’eau, hygiène), dans les communes de Kaélé, Touloum et de Yagoua, (2) Améliorer l’accès des femmes et les jeunes dans les zones Kaélé, Touloum et Yagoua, aux opportunités économiques via une approche de sensibilisation et développement économique.
Le présent document est le résultat et les analyses des données de la collecte des données e l’étude menées du 07 au 14 Avril 2021 dans les Communes de Kaélé, Touloum et Yagoua auprès de 407 personnes dont 64% de femmes :
▪ 02 membres de l’exécutif municipale ;
▪ 04 Responsables des districts de santé et formation sanitaires ;
▪ 323 (dont 248 femmes), anciens membres d’AVEC issus des projets COOPERER I et COOPERER II ;
▪ 39 (dont 04 femmes) membres des Comités de gestions des forages ;
▪ 05 leaders traditionnels et d’opinion dans les localités cibles des projets COOPERER I et II ;
▪ 32 membres Micro-assurance communal des forages,
▪ 02 Représentantes des réseaux des associations féminines
Cette étude a été conduite pour établir un référentiel des indicateurs du projet COOPERER III et pour servir de base de calcul, en vue d’apprécier toute évolution ou variante pour chaque indicateur à la fin du projet.
Les principales recommandations issues de cette étude vont dans le sens de :
▪ Poursuivre la sensibilisation des CGPE sur l’importance de leur adhésion à la micro-assurance ;
▪ Organiser un recyclage/formation des membres des CGPE et de la micro-assurance sur leurs rôles et responsabilités ;
▪ Accompagner les bureaux de micro-assurance à l’élaboration des statuts et règlements intérieurs (pour celles qui n’en disposent pas) ;
▪ Définir clairement les responsabilités des communes vis-à-vis de la micro-assurances des forages ;
▪ Faire un plaidoyer auprès de l’exécutif municipal pour qu’ils apportent un appui au fonctionnement de la micro-assurance notamment en ce qui concerne l’acquisition d’un bureau ;
▪ Renforcer la dynamique associative à travers la redynamisation/création des réseaux d’AVEC fortes et interconnectées ;
▪ Poursuivre le processus d’autonomisation des femmes via le renforcement des capacités en matière de leadership, d’entrepreneuriat y compris le pouvoir de négociation.
Ce document s’articule autour des points suivants : La partie introductive, la méthodologie de l’étude, les résultats de l’étude par indicateurs, la conclusion et les recommandations issue de l’étude. Read More...

Baseline of “Mujeres en Empresa” project

This Baseline Report of the Women in Business-Strengthening the Approach Project provides information on the initial values ​​of the project indicators within the entire results chain, at the level of result, effect, process and product. This project corresponds to a third implementation phase that runs from April 2020 to March 2022, after two previous stages and successive development. The purpose of this project is "To scale the business entrepreneurship models of women developed by the project, through investment and commitment from the public and private sectors", through an intervention in 34 districts located in three regions ( Piura, Junín and Huancavelica).
The baseline of the project was carried out between the months of August and November 2020 and provided relevant starting information for the project. A major scale challenge represents women entrepreneurs who in a proportion less than 20% apply business management practices in the 34 districts targeted by the project. This population has a high level of informality, low educational level, medium-high poverty level of deprivation and is located for the most part in urban areas.
This report is 124 pages long. Read More...

Women’s involvement in coffee agroforestry value- chains Financial training, village savings and loans associations, and decision power in Northwest Vietnam

Colleagues in Vietnam and at CCAFS and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) carried out some research on our work in the coffee value chain (TEAL).

This study assessed VSLA impacts and related training on gender equality and women’s access to coffee markets in an ongoing coffee- project in northwest Vietnam.

Applying the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), women rated perceptions of their decision-making over a range of 18 tasks related to household and agricultural responsibilities and use of income and social activities (over 18 months). There were improvements in decision-making power in categories with previously low participation and increased sharing of domestic responsibilities (biggest gains were decision-making over large purchases and use of income). Also found that husbands to women in the study embraced more equal sharing of responsibility and decision-making with their wives.
This report is 40 pages long. Read More...

Evaluation finale du Programme d’Amenagement du Delta Interieur du Niger (PADIN-II)

The Inner Niger Delta Development Program (PADIN-II) in the Mopti Region has been implemented in 24 Communes classified as vulnerable in four Circles of the Mopti Region in Mali. The program, lasting more than five years (Sept. 2013-June 2019), was implemented by a number of stakeholders: technical services and governorate, municipal authorities, NGOs and farmers' organizations. The NGO CARE-Mali was the main operator of the program, which was funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bamako to the amount of 7.87 billion FCFA. The goal was to improve the living conditions of 20,000 households (or 120,000 people) of agro-pastoralists and fishermen in the Inner Niger Delta (DIN) and Sourou. The report is 104 pages long. Read More...

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Program II 2016-2019

The Women-Girls Empowerment and Civil Society Governance Project (PEF-GS) called MAAYA DANBE in the local language, is funded by the Norwegian government through CARE Norway for a period of four (04) years (2016-2019) and aims to empower women and girls facing poverty, inequality, violence and social exclusion to claim and realize their human rights. The report is 82 pages long. Read More...

Youth Livelihoods Needs Assessment & Labor Market Assesssment

This study was undertaken to assess the supply side (youth ages 14-30 needs and preferences related to livelihoods), as well as the demand side (needs and opportunities in the labor market) in preparation for the design of the Youth Empowerment & Leadership (YELI or “enlighten” in Bambara) curriculum and training plan (IO 2.2). This report is 37 pages long. Read More...

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