Sub-Saharan Africa

Project: Women in Politics in Mozambique
Evaluation Date: December 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

All project activities were relevant to the project objective and well-organized, and the training workshops provided were well-received by participants. However, while immediate learning objectives seem to have been met, the broader purpose of the activities delivered was not clear. This was one indicator of the lack of integration of activities. Another was the failure of the project team to maintain engagement with beneficiary groups and collaborating institutions between activities. These gaps undermined the project’s capacity to achieve the medium-term impact results specified.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Mozambique   , ,
Project: Women in Politics in Mozambique
Evaluation Date: December 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project did not budget resources adequately to maintain a continuing relationship with beneficiaries and other partners. This was a complicated project, and, for capacities to be built and maintained, and for openings to be followed up, there was a need for a regular project presence with the Assemblies, government institutions, women community leaders and the base groups.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Mozambique   , ,
Project: Women in Politics in Mozambique
Evaluation Date: December 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The larger Women in Politics project continues on the basis of funding from other donors, and, with a more pro-active approach, and a stronger presence with beneficiaries and local governance institutions, it is possible that the results set out in the UNDEF project may be accomplished by 2013, when the current funding cycle ends. However, given local conditions, more work will be required separately with each beneficiary group, as well as with other gatekeepers and stakeholders, before it becomes feasible to establish a bond between the designated beneficiary groups.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Mozambique   ,
Project: Women in Politics in Mozambique
Evaluation Date: December 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

It was determined that the two local partners lacked the required substantive and administrative capacities to implement the Project effectively. Consequently, the grantee undertook organizational assessments of its local partners. On the basis of the findings of the assessments, it developed partner development plans to enhance the capabilities of the two provincial-level organizations.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Mozambique   , ,
Project: Women in Politics in Mozambique
Evaluation Date: December 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The decision to expand the list of direct beneficiaries to include men among the elected representatives, and as base group members, was justified by the weak position of women within both target groups, as well as the generally low level of education and experience among women beneficiaries. The decision to involve members of the Executive, both members of the Provincial and Municipal Councils (leadership) and officials, as well as political party leaders, was essential, given that the elected members had little influence in planning and budgeting.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Mozambique   , , ,
Project: Strengthening promotion of women’s rights (Kenya)
Evaluation Date: October 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

While the project succeeded in bringing stories from women at grassroots level into the Kenyan mainstream media, simple steps could have improved the coverage of women’s issues. Several women mentioned that they were unable to provide images to illustrate the issues they wanted to highlight because either they did not have cameras or they had not been trained to use them. To ensure sustainability and quality in the coverage of women’s issues, the grantee should include training in photojournalism and social media in future activities.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Kenya   , ,
Project: Strengthening promotion of women’s rights (Kenya)
Evaluation Date: October 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

Training in media management successfully created links between NGO’s and relevant journalists in Kenya, and empowered NGO’s to frame their messages in a more media friendly way. Previously, NGO’s had a difficult time making their material relevant to journalists, and lacked access to media outlets. The NGO training was seen as vital in promoting coverage of women’s issues in the media.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Kenya   ,
Project: Strengthening promotion of women’s rights (Kenya)
Evaluation Date: October 2011
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

In Kenya, community dialogues over the radio proved effective in raising rural women’s awareness about their rights. For example, many married women in conservative communities gave little thought to the fact that their husbands possessed their identity papers. Through radio shows highlighting women’s issues, women became aware of the fact that this practice deprived them of the possibility to vote. The project could have allocated more funds to radio journalism. In the evaluation report many interviewees stressed the importance of radio in rural areas in Kenya, as it reaches beneficiaries with low literacy rates in vernacular languages, without the need of internet access.

UNDEF/Kenya

Theme: Women's empowerment
Kenya   , ,