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Project: Advancing Pedestrian Rights in Georgia
Evaluation Date: January 2018
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Ensure that projects explicitly consider and raise awareness regarding the differentiated needs of vulnerable groups and establish partnerships with women’s organizations and CSO’s representing other marginalized communities.

Theme: Community activism

Georgia communities, partnerships, vulnerable

Project: Advancing Gender Justice with Community Broadcasters in Kyrgyzstan
Evaluation Date: April 2022
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Community media is key in Kyrgyzstan, given the geographic challenges of rural communities in remote and mountainous locations, where regional news do not reach the country as a whole, and vice versa. Alternative channels of access to information complement national and regional information. It is thus key in advancing gender justice through gender-sensitive information and conscious opposition to gender stereotypes.

Theme: Women's empowerment, Media

Kyrgyzstan Community Radio, gender, Kyrgyzstan, media, rural communities

Project: Promoting Good Governance among Tribal Inhabitants in Bangladesh (PROGGATI)
Evaluation Date: December 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

These communities are marginalized and lacked the understanding needed to participate more effectively. The project’s approach was to create alternative leaders to advocate on behalf of their community rather than working directly to engage these indigenous communities. The project also could have focused more on issues of critical concern to the communities, such as land tenure which is essential to their livelihood and traditional way of life.

Theme: Community activism

Bangladesh indigenous, land, livelihoods

Project: Developing alternative models of natural resource governance based on indigenous community participation in Aceh
Evaluation Date: July 2016
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project could have capitalised on existing successful natural resource governance models and fostered exchanges of experiences among Mukim communities. The needs that should have been addressed by the project involved strengthening of Mukim capacity to rule and manage their natural resources with a good knowledge of local constraints and specificities. Therefore, sharing lessons learned from other Mukims or other indigenous communities’ experiences could have played a key role in disseminating methodologies and techniques about governing natural resources.

Theme: Community activism

Indonesia collaboration, natural resources, network

Project: Promoting Good Governance among Tribal Inhabitants in Bangladesh (PROGGATI)
Evaluation Date: December 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project used existing networks to establish a project structure. This proved an effective way to reach down to the grass roots level within a relatively short period of time. This allowed for a quick mobilization of the project despite the dispersed nature of the communities. These communities were able link to the local governance officials as many of them had already worked together on other issues.

Theme: Community activism

Bangladesh grassroots, indigenous, networks

Project: Strengthening Dialogue for Community Decision-Making
Evaluation Date: June 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project activities – raising awareness about human rights, organizing community debates and producing broadcasts – contributed the local democratization agenda, and complemented the gradual reestablishment of a stable and democratic situation in Ituri District. In particular, the project helped to reach remote communities; increase women’s awareness of their rights; and in some communities the project helped address security concerns, including the use of violence by police and military personnel against civilians.

Theme: Media

Democratic Republic of the Congo post-conflict, radio, rights

Project: Promoting democratic dialogue and social cohesion in the Western region of Côte d'Ivoire
Evaluation Date: November 2014
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project put in place “frameworks for coordination” – Cadres de concertation – bringing together local officials, CSOs and representatives of the various communities to discuss and prevent conflicts. These were very effective and are likely to have an impact in the future in terms of easing tensions among communities.

Theme: Community activism

Côte d'Ivoire community, inclusion, post-conflict

Project: Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Rights in Somalia
Evaluation Date: June 2016
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The engagement of “community catalysts/mobilizers” included men in leadership positions within the communities. These men were recruited to spread the messages of women’s empowerment in conjunction with the grassroots campaigns. One community catalyst interviewed was a teacher and religious leader who was also consulted on the nature of the messages and said he considered them “excellent”. Another religious leader said his job was to “undo communities’ negative views on women’s rights and empowerment” and to help change people’s perceptions, including those of parents so that they allowed their daughters to explore their potential “even by seeking leadership positions”. The community catalysts also helped smooth the way for CSOs to gain access to regional administrations. Several of those interviewed expressed their satisfaction at having been consulted and then brought into the project.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Somalia community, gender, men

Project: Fostering Ethical Democracy and Advancing Micro Justice in India
Evaluation Date: September 2018
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

This project provides a good model of planning for project sustainability. The grantee planned for sustainability in every component of the project, leaving nothing to change. This particular grantee’s experience suggests that projects that deliver tangible benefits to communities may be sustained by those communities themselves.

Theme: Rule of law

India planning, sustainability

Project: Enhancing Women's Land Ownership Rights in Eastern Sierra Leone
Evaluation Date: July 2018
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

In Sierra Leone, chieftaincy authorities are key powerbrokers in local communities. When initiatives work to build the capacity of women and girls, these initiatives are made most effective when they also work to change the attitudes of men and in particular, of traditional authorities. In addition, ‘chieftaincy by-laws’ are the most applied legal framework in rural communities, regardless of what national laws may say.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Sierra Leone community, elite, gender relations, patriarchy

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