Gender Equality
Strengthening Female Youth Resilience in Somalia Learnings from AGES and SOMGEP-T
A quality, relevant education is core to adaptive capacities for resilience, equipping children and youth with the skills to cope with shocks and adapt to new livelihoods.1 Schools and non-formal learning environments may also contribute to develop transformative capacities for resilience: strengthening social cohesion through peer support networks; equipping students for collective action and participation in decision-making; and shifting gender norms. Education also has the potential to build absorptive capacities for resilience through engaging adolescents and youth in informal savings groups, strengthening preparedness for shocks, and providing safeguarding mechanisms. Developing resilience capacities is relevant for all, but particularly for adolescent girls coming of age in crisis-affected contexts and those living in displacement. Read More...
Learning outcomes, transition, & retention Stories of change from AGES project in Somalia
The Adolescent Girls’ Education in Somalia (AGES) project aims to improve learning outcomes and positive transitions
for 82,975 extremely vulnerable girls and female youth in South Somalia. In 2019-2022, AGES enrolled a total of 62,288
girls in formal primary education (including regular and special needs schools), accelerated basic education (ABE), and non-formal education classes (NFE). Each learning pathway is adapted to girls’ age range and needs, including flexible delivery and content. The project works with Ministries of Education (MOEs) to coach teachers on delivering subject content, adopting inclusive and gender-responsive practices, and providing remedial education where applicable. AGES also trains teachers and Community Education Committees (CECs) to routinely follow up on cases of absenteeism and dropout. Through AGES, girls who are frequently absent or facing temporary school closures due to attacks and natural disasters are provided with remote learning materials and remedial support. As of November 2022, 49% of the students reported receiving remedial support from teachers. Read More...
for 82,975 extremely vulnerable girls and female youth in South Somalia. In 2019-2022, AGES enrolled a total of 62,288
girls in formal primary education (including regular and special needs schools), accelerated basic education (ABE), and non-formal education classes (NFE). Each learning pathway is adapted to girls’ age range and needs, including flexible delivery and content. The project works with Ministries of Education (MOEs) to coach teachers on delivering subject content, adopting inclusive and gender-responsive practices, and providing remedial education where applicable. AGES also trains teachers and Community Education Committees (CECs) to routinely follow up on cases of absenteeism and dropout. Through AGES, girls who are frequently absent or facing temporary school closures due to attacks and natural disasters are provided with remote learning materials and remedial support. As of November 2022, 49% of the students reported receiving remedial support from teachers. Read More...
CARE Rapid Gender Analysis Ghana- Upper East, Ashanti, Western North, Central and Bono COVID-19
Between March 2020 and May 2020 Ghana was ranked second amongst countries in the West and Central Africa region most impacted by the COVID-19. In the number of cumulative cases in the WHO Africa region, Ghana is number three. Three regions have maintained their position as having the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Ghana – Greater Accra, Ashanti and Western Regions. On March 12th 2020, Ghana recorded its first two cases. Because of the spread of the virus, the government has taken proactive deterrent measures to prevent its spread. Some of the measures range from the closure of land, sea and air borders (except for the transport of goods) to partial lockdown, closure of schools, enforcement of social distancing, mandatory wearing of face mask, quarantining of suspected cases, partial closure of markets and ban on all social gatherings. Despite these restrictions, the virus seems to be making rapid spread in the country. Ghana’s total confirmed cases as at Wednesday, April 15, 2020 is as follows: Confirmed cases 268, Recoveries 83, Well/responding to treatment 175, Critically/moderately ill 2, Deaths 8. The novelty of the virus will impact women, men, girls and boys in different aspect across the sixteen regions of Ghana.
The management of the pandemic has led to an increase in the workload of women in households. Men continue to predominantly retain the role of heads of household, in some cases dedicating more time to family discussions. However, women are taking full responsibility for household chores and caring for dependents, such as children, vulnerable elderly, and the sick, as well as children who have dropped out of school due to the temporary closure of schools. This significant increase in work for women has significant effects on their physical and psychological health.
Men also face mental health problems as they are under stress from the loss of paid work and have difficulty managing the confinement measures that prevent them from working.
Women's economic empowerment continues to be conditioned by social norms that limit women's control over economic resources and decision-making over financial resources in the household. The response to the crisis can easily increase the already existing gender gaps in livelihoods given the preventive measures adopted by the authorities, even though some of them have already been lifted.
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The management of the pandemic has led to an increase in the workload of women in households. Men continue to predominantly retain the role of heads of household, in some cases dedicating more time to family discussions. However, women are taking full responsibility for household chores and caring for dependents, such as children, vulnerable elderly, and the sick, as well as children who have dropped out of school due to the temporary closure of schools. This significant increase in work for women has significant effects on their physical and psychological health.
Men also face mental health problems as they are under stress from the loss of paid work and have difficulty managing the confinement measures that prevent them from working.
Women's economic empowerment continues to be conditioned by social norms that limit women's control over economic resources and decision-making over financial resources in the household. The response to the crisis can easily increase the already existing gender gaps in livelihoods given the preventive measures adopted by the authorities, even though some of them have already been lifted.
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She Feeds the World Peru Final Evaluation
From April 2019 to December 2022, CARE PERU implements the project "She Feeds the World" - SFtW (SFtW - She Feeds the World), a program launched by the PepsiCo Foundation through CARE USA in several countries. The purpose of the project has been to reduce chronic malnutrition and anemia in children under 5 years old and increase the income of 4,000 poor families residing in 4 prioritized districts, corresponding to the provinces of Lima, Ica and Sullana with a gender approach. The target group are children under 5 years old and pregnant women.
The project considered as areas of change, to achieve its results, to work on the economic empowerment of women, improvement of nutrition and feeding practices, increase in access and control of productive resources, and increase in access to market opportunities. The project was organized into three components; Promotion of healthy practices and environments for maternal and child care in prioritized districts of the regions of Lima, Ica and Piura, Increased income of 4,000 households (16,000 beneficiaries) in poor communities in prioritized districts of the regions of Lima, Ica and Piura in a sustainable and inclusive manner, and Development of Strategic Alliances and Political Advocacy to improve maternal and child nutrition and local economic development with a gender approach. It should be noted that the project had a goal at the end of the action (December 2022) of directly reaching 54,000 women, men and children and indirectly benefiting 358,450 people, in this case through advocacy and scaling strategies, with a full scope estimated of 412,450 people.
At the end of the implementation, CARE PERÚ entrusts ESTRATEGIA, a consulting company, to conduct the final evaluation assessment of the project "She Feeds the World - Peru", to measure the level of achievement of the planned objectives and implemented strategies; as well as the status of the project indicators. Read More...
The project considered as areas of change, to achieve its results, to work on the economic empowerment of women, improvement of nutrition and feeding practices, increase in access and control of productive resources, and increase in access to market opportunities. The project was organized into three components; Promotion of healthy practices and environments for maternal and child care in prioritized districts of the regions of Lima, Ica and Piura, Increased income of 4,000 households (16,000 beneficiaries) in poor communities in prioritized districts of the regions of Lima, Ica and Piura in a sustainable and inclusive manner, and Development of Strategic Alliances and Political Advocacy to improve maternal and child nutrition and local economic development with a gender approach. It should be noted that the project had a goal at the end of the action (December 2022) of directly reaching 54,000 women, men and children and indirectly benefiting 358,450 people, in this case through advocacy and scaling strategies, with a full scope estimated of 412,450 people.
At the end of the implementation, CARE PERÚ entrusts ESTRATEGIA, a consulting company, to conduct the final evaluation assessment of the project "She Feeds the World - Peru", to measure the level of achievement of the planned objectives and implemented strategies; as well as the status of the project indicators. Read More...
Best Approaches from the Disaster READY Project Phase II to be Replicated at Scale by Government and/or Other Partners
This report analyzes best practices in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) derived from the second phase of the Disaster READY Project (DRP II), implemented by five agencies under the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP). It identifies approaches that can be effectively scaled by the government and other partners in Timor-Leste, focusing on the inclusion of vulnerable populations. The evaluation investigates the effectiveness, inclusiveness, and localization of various project implementation strategies. Among the highlighted activities, Community Action Planning (CAP), Small Scale Disaster Mitigation Activities (SSDRMA), and Participatory Community Risk Assessment (PCRA) emerge as the most successful, showcasing a significant impact on community resilience and disaster preparedness while emphasizing the importance of local engagement and support for vulnerable groups.
Donor: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian Government
Total Page Count: 39
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Donor: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian Government
Total Page Count: 39
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Gender and Power Analysis on CoVID-19 Health System Strengthening Project (CoHSiS)
From July 2022 to April 2025, the COVID-19, and Health System Strengthening Support Project (commonly known as CoHSiS) will be in operation. This three-year initiative, funded by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) and administered by the World Bank Group, aims to empower municipalities to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 and other health emergencies. Specifically, CoHSiS’s implementation is focused on two municipalities: Covalima and Viqueque. To ensure gender equality, the project will incorporate CARE's Gender Equality and Women’s Voice Framework into all its intervention. As part of its planning process, the project aims to conduct a comprehensive gender analysis on six key areas of inquiry: (i) Sexual/gender division of labour, (ii) household decision-making, (iii) claiming rights and meaningful participation in public decision-making, (iv) access to public space and services, (v) control over productive assets, and (vi) violence and restorative justice using both primary methods which include utilising SAA methodology in focus group discussions, key interviews with key stakeholders as key informants and individual survey with the community and secondary data sources.
Key findings
Sexual/Gender Division of Labor
Timor-Leste is predominantly a patriarchal society with strong social and gender norms and gendered power imbalances that lead to gender inequality. At the household level, women and girls are overburdened with work as they perform most of the household chores and child and elder care; and spend their time on agriculture or horticulture work as well as contributing to community or cultural events. On the other hand, based on the primary data analysis, men are expected to be breadwinners for the family and women are expected to take care of the household. In cases where men have performed chores outside their prescribed roles, for example, the daily clock showed caring for babies, taking care of the children, and doing household activities like cooking and fetching water, women and the community at large have stigmatised men. When men try to take up roles that are already defined as women's roles, women and the community can even call men "gay". Additionally, women spend an average of 12 hours daily (5 am – 10 pm) on household chores while men spend an average of 9 hours daily on productive work (6 am – 10 pm) taking out resting time from both males and females. Self-confidence and belief in their own abilities are key components that aid women in negotiating for a fairer household division of labour with their partner.
Despite the existence of negotiation between partners for sharing household chores, tasks remain gendered and resistant to change. Men and boys who challenge these norms by performing household chores face backlash and stigmatization. However, there is some evidence of shifting trends, with more men participating in traditionally female chores.
Household Decision-Making
Generally, women have less decision-making power in households, with their scope often limited to daily matters like food consumption and management of finances for daily expenses. Men tend to make the more substantial decisions regarding matters like buying and selling large animals, land, and generally making agricultural choices.
The division of decision-making power varies depending on the marriage system, with some communities adhering to matrilineal traditions where women have more influence, but even in such cases, significant decisions still require consultation with males within the family.
The study highlights that attending traditional ceremonies and making decisions about children's futures, education, and financial matters can lead to conflicts if not handled jointly. While discussions with community members indicated the importance of mutual consultation in women's negotiation for decision-making, the study also found that women who make independent decisions without consulting their husbands are blamed if the outcomes are unfavourable.
Control over productive assets
In Timor-Leste, control over productive assets, including agricultural land, crops, and animals, poses a significant challenge for women. Men predominantly hold control over big productive assets, such as buffalos and horses, and are the primary decision-makers for household assets. There's a clear distinction between "big assets" and "small assets," with women primarily owning the latter, which includes items like Tais (traditional weavings) which have a lower monetary value.
However, there are signs of change, with recent developments, such as training and activities by NGOs and the government, leading to increased participation of women in decisions about household and productive assets. Joint decision-making, especially on assets with lower monetary value, is now more common. In some cases, men are giving women more autonomy over these assets.
Strategies employed by women to negotiate control over productive assets include mutual agreement, open communication, temporary changes in responsibilities, and shared responsibility.
The study also identifies differences in ownership and control of assets between patrilineal and matrilineal societies, where practices can vary significantly. For example, in patrilineal societies, the presence of a male family member often automatically bestows inheritance rights, while in matrilineal societies, women are prioritized for inheritance, particularly regarding land. However, the study notes that it is essential to consider the specific context of individual families. Read More...
Key findings
Sexual/Gender Division of Labor
Timor-Leste is predominantly a patriarchal society with strong social and gender norms and gendered power imbalances that lead to gender inequality. At the household level, women and girls are overburdened with work as they perform most of the household chores and child and elder care; and spend their time on agriculture or horticulture work as well as contributing to community or cultural events. On the other hand, based on the primary data analysis, men are expected to be breadwinners for the family and women are expected to take care of the household. In cases where men have performed chores outside their prescribed roles, for example, the daily clock showed caring for babies, taking care of the children, and doing household activities like cooking and fetching water, women and the community at large have stigmatised men. When men try to take up roles that are already defined as women's roles, women and the community can even call men "gay". Additionally, women spend an average of 12 hours daily (5 am – 10 pm) on household chores while men spend an average of 9 hours daily on productive work (6 am – 10 pm) taking out resting time from both males and females. Self-confidence and belief in their own abilities are key components that aid women in negotiating for a fairer household division of labour with their partner.
Despite the existence of negotiation between partners for sharing household chores, tasks remain gendered and resistant to change. Men and boys who challenge these norms by performing household chores face backlash and stigmatization. However, there is some evidence of shifting trends, with more men participating in traditionally female chores.
Household Decision-Making
Generally, women have less decision-making power in households, with their scope often limited to daily matters like food consumption and management of finances for daily expenses. Men tend to make the more substantial decisions regarding matters like buying and selling large animals, land, and generally making agricultural choices.
The division of decision-making power varies depending on the marriage system, with some communities adhering to matrilineal traditions where women have more influence, but even in such cases, significant decisions still require consultation with males within the family.
The study highlights that attending traditional ceremonies and making decisions about children's futures, education, and financial matters can lead to conflicts if not handled jointly. While discussions with community members indicated the importance of mutual consultation in women's negotiation for decision-making, the study also found that women who make independent decisions without consulting their husbands are blamed if the outcomes are unfavourable.
Control over productive assets
In Timor-Leste, control over productive assets, including agricultural land, crops, and animals, poses a significant challenge for women. Men predominantly hold control over big productive assets, such as buffalos and horses, and are the primary decision-makers for household assets. There's a clear distinction between "big assets" and "small assets," with women primarily owning the latter, which includes items like Tais (traditional weavings) which have a lower monetary value.
However, there are signs of change, with recent developments, such as training and activities by NGOs and the government, leading to increased participation of women in decisions about household and productive assets. Joint decision-making, especially on assets with lower monetary value, is now more common. In some cases, men are giving women more autonomy over these assets.
Strategies employed by women to negotiate control over productive assets include mutual agreement, open communication, temporary changes in responsibilities, and shared responsibility.
The study also identifies differences in ownership and control of assets between patrilineal and matrilineal societies, where practices can vary significantly. For example, in patrilineal societies, the presence of a male family member often automatically bestows inheritance rights, while in matrilineal societies, women are prioritized for inheritance, particularly regarding land. However, the study notes that it is essential to consider the specific context of individual families. Read More...
Integrating Local Knowledge in Humanitarian and Development Programming: Perspectives of Global Women Leaders
This report examines local knowledge integration in the context of global development and humanitarian aid work. It builds upon a recently published report by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) called "Integrating Local Knowledge in Development Programming". That report sought to “share knowledge of how development donors and implementing organizations leverage local knowledge to inform programming.”2 This study aims to extend the original methods to better understand grassroots actors’ own interpretations of local knowledge and its integration into programming in their communities. It examines the perspectives of 29 grassroots leaders from women-led organizations around the world, looking deeply at the ways in which they conceptualize local knowledge and local knowledge stakeholders, their approaches to designing their own projects based on local knowledge, and their experiences sharing knowledge with international actors and donors. This builds the broader evidence base on integrating local knowledge to incorporate the perspectives of grassroots actors into the same conversation as the original study.
Key takeaways from this research span two broad categories – how local leaders conceptualize local knowledge and what the effective use of local knowledge in practice looks like to them. Within these categories, interviewees explored the many challenges they face in identifying and sharing knowledge; their various approaches to designing projects based on local knowledge; some of the tensions they often find themselves balancing; unique ways of measuring the contribution of such knowledge to the success of an intervention; and experiences with and strategies for sharing their knowledge with non-local actors.
In terms of how women leaders tend to conceptualize local knowledge, the research reveals three distinct but interconnected definitions of the term: 1) knowing what a community is like; 2) knowing what a community needs and where the solutions lie; and 3) having a profound connection with the community. The first definition indicates knowing a community well enough to understand the dynamics within it. The second goes a bit further to say that local knowledge means knowing both the specific needs present in a community as well as the relevant solutions for addressing them. As one respondent told us, “Contextual expertise is having experience in a certain context and being able to solve problems based on it.” And the third conceptualization indicates having a deeply rooted connection with the community or the grassroots. Some described this as “having your heart” in the community. Key to this third definition appears to be both consistency and the ability to perceive change over time. Interviewees said that local knowledge depends on people having gone through different “contexts, histories, processes, and experiences” together, and having learned from them collectively. Therefore, it is difficult, if not impossible, for international actors to acquire the same level of investment in communities that is quasi-synonymous with local knowledge unless they have lived, worked, and built relationships within them long enough to meet this consistency standard. Instead, this level of knowledge of a community and its context is fairly unique to local actors. Read More...
Key takeaways from this research span two broad categories – how local leaders conceptualize local knowledge and what the effective use of local knowledge in practice looks like to them. Within these categories, interviewees explored the many challenges they face in identifying and sharing knowledge; their various approaches to designing projects based on local knowledge; some of the tensions they often find themselves balancing; unique ways of measuring the contribution of such knowledge to the success of an intervention; and experiences with and strategies for sharing their knowledge with non-local actors.
In terms of how women leaders tend to conceptualize local knowledge, the research reveals three distinct but interconnected definitions of the term: 1) knowing what a community is like; 2) knowing what a community needs and where the solutions lie; and 3) having a profound connection with the community. The first definition indicates knowing a community well enough to understand the dynamics within it. The second goes a bit further to say that local knowledge means knowing both the specific needs present in a community as well as the relevant solutions for addressing them. As one respondent told us, “Contextual expertise is having experience in a certain context and being able to solve problems based on it.” And the third conceptualization indicates having a deeply rooted connection with the community or the grassroots. Some described this as “having your heart” in the community. Key to this third definition appears to be both consistency and the ability to perceive change over time. Interviewees said that local knowledge depends on people having gone through different “contexts, histories, processes, and experiences” together, and having learned from them collectively. Therefore, it is difficult, if not impossible, for international actors to acquire the same level of investment in communities that is quasi-synonymous with local knowledge unless they have lived, worked, and built relationships within them long enough to meet this consistency standard. Instead, this level of knowledge of a community and its context is fairly unique to local actors. Read More...
Integrating Sexual and Reproductive Health and Gender Based Violence Programming
Learning brief on CARE's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) implementation programming in in Cox’s Bazar (CxB), Bangladesh, home to nearly a million refugees from Myanmar. Read More...
PROHORI: Combating Intimate Partner Violence in Bangladesh in the Context of COVID-19
In July 2021, CARE Bangladesh and its local partner GBK launched the Prohori project to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and respond to survivors of violence through safe spaces, behavior change communication and capacity building approaches that address gender norms and practices. The 12-month project was generously funded by Voices Against Violence: The Gender-Based Violence Global Initiative, a public-private partnership led by Vital Voices and funded with support from the State Department and the Avon Foundation. The project targeted female garment workers and their male partners in Gazipur District, and female agricultural workers and their male partners in Rangpur District. CARE implemented activities in four locations in Gazipur, a peri-urban industrial area in central Bangladesh, and GBK implemented activities in five locations in Rangpur in northwest Bangladesh. Prohori used a blend of community-based, participatory approaches to prevent IPV, improve IPV survivors’ linkages to post-GBV referral services, and strengthen the capacity of first responders to respond empathetically to people who disclose they have experienced GBV. The project built 9 Women and Girls’ Safe Solidarity Spaces (WSSSs, adding to the 18 that CARE had already established in Gazipur) and strengthened GBV services through capacity building and referral service coordination. Read More...
Mid-Term Evaluation of the Hamzari Resilience Food Security Activity in Niger- Volume I
The report evaluates the "Hamzari" Resilience and Food Security Activity (RFSA) in Niger, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Launched in 2018, this project aims to enhance food and nutrition security for vulnerable groups in the Maradi Region, directly impacting 96,000 participants across 325 villages. The report outlines four key purposes, focusing on reducing extreme vulnerability among marginalized groups, improving health and nutritional status, ensuring equitable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. Despite challenges such as COVID-19, the project has made notable progress, although the diversity of interventions has sometimes hindered overall quality and sustainability.
Page No: 82
Donor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
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Page No: 82
Donor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
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