Gender Equality
Women and Girls Safe Spaces in Rohingya Camps
As the Rohingya Response of Bangladesh nears the two-year mark, the response has evolved from immediate emergency life-saving provisions to other supports (protection, health, nutrition etc). One aspect of this crisis is that majority are women and children (52% women & girls, 55% children under 18)(Rohingya Response Gender Analysis, Lulia, Mita et al, 2018) . Thus, responses specific to needs of women and girls are of crucial importance. At the heart of this are Women and Girls’ Safe Space (WGSS) locally called shantikhana (Center of Peace). As UNFPA defines:
“A safe space is a formal or informal place where women and girls feel physically and emotionally safe. The term ‘safe,’ in the present context, refers to the absence of trauma, excessive stress, violence (or fear of violence), or abuse. It is a space where women and girls, being the intended beneficiaries, feel comfortable and enjoy the freedom to express themselves without the fear of judgment or harm.”
CARE Bangladesh conducted an inter-agency study that analyzes collective experience of organizations serving survivors of GBV and other Rohingya women visiting WGSS to understand key successes, good practice, challenges and way-forward. Read More...
“A safe space is a formal or informal place where women and girls feel physically and emotionally safe. The term ‘safe,’ in the present context, refers to the absence of trauma, excessive stress, violence (or fear of violence), or abuse. It is a space where women and girls, being the intended beneficiaries, feel comfortable and enjoy the freedom to express themselves without the fear of judgment or harm.”
CARE Bangladesh conducted an inter-agency study that analyzes collective experience of organizations serving survivors of GBV and other Rohingya women visiting WGSS to understand key successes, good practice, challenges and way-forward. Read More...
MEN AND BOYS AS PARTNERS IN PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY AND PREVENTION OF YOUTH EXTREMISM AND VIOLENCE IN THE BALKANS
The Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and Prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Balkans or the Young Men’s Initiative II (YMI II) project is a follow-up to CARE’s comprehensive and programmatic effort to fight interpersonal and gender-based violence (GBV), as well as to improve gender equality in the region and address preventative issues related to youth extremism and violence.
The Endline Assessment was carried out to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the overall project progress, focusing on changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to gender-based violence, gender equality, healthy lifestyles amongst young men and young women from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo* who participated in ‘Program Y’ in target schools in the period 2018-2020. The endline assessment examined the effects of project activities on: views regarding gender relations; health of young men and women, including mental health, use of psychoactive substances; knowledge about sexual reproductive health; experience of young people who suffered and perpetrated violence. Read More...
The Endline Assessment was carried out to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the overall project progress, focusing on changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to gender-based violence, gender equality, healthy lifestyles amongst young men and young women from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo* who participated in ‘Program Y’ in target schools in the period 2018-2020. The endline assessment examined the effects of project activities on: views regarding gender relations; health of young men and women, including mental health, use of psychoactive substances; knowledge about sexual reproductive health; experience of young people who suffered and perpetrated violence. Read More...
SWEEP-Water for Food Security, Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Protection Project in East and West Belesa Woredas of Central Gondar Zone, Amhara Regional State
Introduction and Context of the Evaluation
This report refers to the midterm evaluation (MTE) of “SWEEP-Water for Food Security, Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Protection Project” funded by Austrian Development Cooperation through Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and implemented by CARE Ethiopia. The project was commenced in October 2017 and will be implemented through September 2020 in East and West Belesa Woredas of Central Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State. With the ultimate impact of “Chronically food insecure households in Belesa Woredas have improved food security and resiliency”, the project was designed and implemented to achieve the following outcomes.
i. Improved access to water resources for domestic consumption and productive use and enhanced and sustainable productivity of land for varied uses
ii. Vulnerable groups empowered to contribute productively in the household and community
iii. Local government capacitated and community empowered to initiate and lead community development and adaptive measures
The purpose of this mid-term evaluation was assessing the degree of success based on the five OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) standard evaluation parameters. Ten selected project intervention Kebeles from the two intervention Woredas were visited in this evaluation process. Participatory and multi-stage evaluation methods, data sources and triangulations were made to analyze the project status and measure the performance. Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used to collect data from direct project beneficiaries such as chronically food insecure and drought affected people, rural women and girls, persons with disabilities, youth, relevant government sector and administrative offices at various levels and CARE. Overall, household survey was administered on 845 HHs and 14 KII, 21 FGDs, 20 direct observations and 16 in-depth interviews were made. The following description illustrates the summary of key midterm evaluation findings. Read More...
This report refers to the midterm evaluation (MTE) of “SWEEP-Water for Food Security, Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Protection Project” funded by Austrian Development Cooperation through Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and implemented by CARE Ethiopia. The project was commenced in October 2017 and will be implemented through September 2020 in East and West Belesa Woredas of Central Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State. With the ultimate impact of “Chronically food insecure households in Belesa Woredas have improved food security and resiliency”, the project was designed and implemented to achieve the following outcomes.
i. Improved access to water resources for domestic consumption and productive use and enhanced and sustainable productivity of land for varied uses
ii. Vulnerable groups empowered to contribute productively in the household and community
iii. Local government capacitated and community empowered to initiate and lead community development and adaptive measures
The purpose of this mid-term evaluation was assessing the degree of success based on the five OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) standard evaluation parameters. Ten selected project intervention Kebeles from the two intervention Woredas were visited in this evaluation process. Participatory and multi-stage evaluation methods, data sources and triangulations were made to analyze the project status and measure the performance. Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used to collect data from direct project beneficiaries such as chronically food insecure and drought affected people, rural women and girls, persons with disabilities, youth, relevant government sector and administrative offices at various levels and CARE. Overall, household survey was administered on 845 HHs and 14 KII, 21 FGDs, 20 direct observations and 16 in-depth interviews were made. The following description illustrates the summary of key midterm evaluation findings. Read More...
GEWEP II: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Programme II Final Report
GEWEP II works with and for poor and vulnerable women and girls. More than 8 160 000 women and girls live in our programme areas, and the end programme target is to directly work with 1 022 200.
The main impact is through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The VSLA model came out of a pilot in Niger in the early 90s. Nearly 30 years later, there are more than 6.7 million VSLA members across the globe. Other organisations and governments have adopted CARE’s model, thereby multiplying impact. GEWEP continued to scale up VSLAs, and advocated for governments to recognize the model. The Governments of Burundi, DRC, Niger and Rwanda all recognize the important contribution of VSLAs to women’s economic empowerment, manifested within national strategies, policies and funds.
Women’s economic empowerment opens up for women’s participation. GEWEP supported women to come together and find confidence and common cause through VSLAs. We find VSLA women who actively participate in decision-making in formal structures, and who manage to stay there despite resistance from some men. This is the main success for women’s participation, across countries.
The shrinking space for civil society remains the most difficult challenge. In all countries, CARE’s main approach was to maintain good relations with those that are directly engaging with the field of women’s rights or who control the implementing areas or relevant political processes. This approach was successful in terms of preserving enough working space for CARE, GEWEP partners and other civil society actors working in the same field. Read More...
The main impact is through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The VSLA model came out of a pilot in Niger in the early 90s. Nearly 30 years later, there are more than 6.7 million VSLA members across the globe. Other organisations and governments have adopted CARE’s model, thereby multiplying impact. GEWEP continued to scale up VSLAs, and advocated for governments to recognize the model. The Governments of Burundi, DRC, Niger and Rwanda all recognize the important contribution of VSLAs to women’s economic empowerment, manifested within national strategies, policies and funds.
Women’s economic empowerment opens up for women’s participation. GEWEP supported women to come together and find confidence and common cause through VSLAs. We find VSLA women who actively participate in decision-making in formal structures, and who manage to stay there despite resistance from some men. This is the main success for women’s participation, across countries.
The shrinking space for civil society remains the most difficult challenge. In all countries, CARE’s main approach was to maintain good relations with those that are directly engaging with the field of women’s rights or who control the implementing areas or relevant political processes. This approach was successful in terms of preserving enough working space for CARE, GEWEP partners and other civil society actors working in the same field. Read More...
Final Report On End Line Study of Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls in Clothing Industry Project
Employing more than 2.5 million women (60%), the RMG sector in Bangladesh is one of the largest sources of employment for women. CARE Bangladesh and UN Women partnered to undertake the Promoting Women Worker’s Empowerment Project as a 5 months pilot to help workers, particularly women, develop their skills and experience and access leadership opportunities which may lead to career advancement, improved work environment for the workers. The study was undertaken with several objectives- (i) To identify the progress on knowledge, skill and aspiration of women RMG workers in the working factories from the baseline (ii) To identify the initiatives that Management of the working factories are planning for career Advancement for women RMG workers (iii) To examine the appropriateness of the career pathways that was identified in baseline and identify the further recommendations for career Advancement for women RMG workers (iv) Evaluating the project indicators to measure the progress of the project (v) Developing a learning brief on the Project from baseline and end line . Read More...
Addressing GBV & SRHR Challenges in Bama and Dikwa LGAs in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria
Borno state in Northeast Nigeria has been under frequent attacks in the past decade, which has left several million people insecure, homeless, and without any means of livelihood. Hence, the rate of Gender-based Violence (GBV) continues to increase coupled with lack of awareness and basic infrastructure for promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). To alleviate the challenges faced by several inhabitants of these conflict-affected communities, CARE is implementing a SRHR and GBV project to reach 47,000 vulnerable boys, girls, men and women, living in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps and host communities in Bama and Dikwa Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Borno State. This report highlights the current gaps in GBV and SRHR in Bama and Dikwa LGAs to serve as benchmark for measuring progress and guide implementation of the right intervention mix.
In October – November 2019, CARE Nigeria conducted a baseline survey for the project. The study involved administration of Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) questionnaires as well as Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and Key Informant Interviews (KII) covering SRHR and GBV to randomly selected men, women, boys and girls in the project communities. Among the interviewed were; community members, representatives of security agencies, camp coordinator and health facility staffs respectively, in Dikwa and Bama LGAs in Borno State. A total of 79 FGDs and 46 KIIs were conducted, in addition to the quantitative survey involving 3,112 participants. Read More...
In October – November 2019, CARE Nigeria conducted a baseline survey for the project. The study involved administration of Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) questionnaires as well as Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and Key Informant Interviews (KII) covering SRHR and GBV to randomly selected men, women, boys and girls in the project communities. Among the interviewed were; community members, representatives of security agencies, camp coordinator and health facility staffs respectively, in Dikwa and Bama LGAs in Borno State. A total of 79 FGDs and 46 KIIs were conducted, in addition to the quantitative survey involving 3,112 participants. Read More...
When Time Won’t Wait: CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis Approach External Evaluation
Humanitarian crises can offer a ‘window of opportunity’ to transform unequal gender relations and shift harmful gender norms. Integration of gender into humanitarian programming ensures that the specific vulnerabilities, needs, capacities and priorities of women, girls, men and boys — related to pre-existing gender roles and inequalities, along with the impacts of the crisis — are recognised and addressed.
Sound gender analysis and programming from the outset is critical to effective crisis response in the short-term, and equitable and empowering societal change in the long-term. CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) approach and tool, developed during the humanitarian response in Syria in 2013, aims to drive a shift to locally driven and women-centered needs assessment which influences how needs are defined and responses are developed. The approach aims to provide essential information about gender roles and responsibilities, capacities, and vulnerabilities together with programming recommendations in situations where time is of the essence
and resources can be scarce. The ultimate goal of such an approach is to influence humanitarian response, program design and implementation to ensure that it supports not only the immediate needs of women and girls but also upholds their rights. CARE’s RGA has now been used in over 50 crises around the word and is featured as good practice in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action. With rapidly increasing interest in and adoption of CARE’s RGA approach, discussion and questions continue as to whether increased awareness of gender, power and disaggregated data sets are translating into safer, more responsive, and effective aid.
To answer these questions, CARE commissioned an external evaluation to ‘provide an analysis of the effectiveness and influence of the RGA approach on adapting programming to improve gendered outcomes for crises-affected communities.’ The scope of the evaluation was global and focused on rapid gender analyses and related humanitarian programming over the period 2015-2020. Read More...
Sound gender analysis and programming from the outset is critical to effective crisis response in the short-term, and equitable and empowering societal change in the long-term. CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) approach and tool, developed during the humanitarian response in Syria in 2013, aims to drive a shift to locally driven and women-centered needs assessment which influences how needs are defined and responses are developed. The approach aims to provide essential information about gender roles and responsibilities, capacities, and vulnerabilities together with programming recommendations in situations where time is of the essence
and resources can be scarce. The ultimate goal of such an approach is to influence humanitarian response, program design and implementation to ensure that it supports not only the immediate needs of women and girls but also upholds their rights. CARE’s RGA has now been used in over 50 crises around the word and is featured as good practice in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action. With rapidly increasing interest in and adoption of CARE’s RGA approach, discussion and questions continue as to whether increased awareness of gender, power and disaggregated data sets are translating into safer, more responsive, and effective aid.
To answer these questions, CARE commissioned an external evaluation to ‘provide an analysis of the effectiveness and influence of the RGA approach on adapting programming to improve gendered outcomes for crises-affected communities.’ The scope of the evaluation was global and focused on rapid gender analyses and related humanitarian programming over the period 2015-2020. Read More...
Learning from Youth in West Africa in COVID-19
In July 2020, volunteers from the West Africa CARE Youth Network decided to learn more about what young women and men are experiencing in COVID-19, and how that should shape CARE’s response and our advocacy interests. This team interviewed 128 young people between the ages of 15 and 35 in 8 countries. 86 of the young people (67%) were young women. Volunteers used Whatsapp messages, phone calls, and recorded interviews to let young people tell their own stories. With a few guiding questions, and using ONA as a platform to structure and analyze the responses, the team has been able to see regional trends and individual stories that must shape humanitarian response to COVID-19 and recovery efforts in way that include young people—especially young women, meet their needs, and value their voices and leadership.
Interviewers had a set of questions from CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis toolkit, where they asked young people about the biggest impact COVID-19 has in their lives, their biggest need right now, how they are responding to COVID-19, and what are their hopes for the future. Listening to their answers, interviewers categorized the responses based on a pre-set list of options also from the RGA toolkit.
Read More...
Interviewers had a set of questions from CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis toolkit, where they asked young people about the biggest impact COVID-19 has in their lives, their biggest need right now, how they are responding to COVID-19, and what are their hopes for the future. Listening to their answers, interviewers categorized the responses based on a pre-set list of options also from the RGA toolkit.
Read More...