Lessons

Working with women’s community-based organizations and municipal authorities the project aimed to enhance the social and economic rights of women in Niger by supporting Gender Responsive Budgeting. Integrating a gender perspective into all steps of the municipal budget process, the project focused on improving the capacity of women to advocate municipalities to shape local budgetary policies which consider their health, education and water sanitation concerns. The project’s strategy of working directly with women community based organization members and municipal officials brought activities closer to beneficiaries in the five targeted municipalities of Niger. This approach was highly relevant to women as a beneficiary group, which for most part, rarely has a voice in public affairs and limited access to political decision-making processes.

The project sought to improve the quality of nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) services and programmes by strengthening their capacity to effectively implement accountability standards. Its intended outcomes were: strengthened NGO capacity to implement accountability strategies and tools; strengthened capacity of donor community to foster participatory accountability within the NGO community; and increased public demand for greater NGO accountability to beneficiaries. The project design, however, was not well grounded in the larger concept of accountability, or in how donors incorporate these principles into the efforts they fund. It also did not take into consideration feedback received from potential partners and beneficiaries during the design, and did not adequately consult with donors who were identified as a target group.

The project sought to improve the quality of nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) services and programmes by strengthening their capacity to effectively implement accountability standards. Its intended outcomes were: strengthened NGO capacity to implement accountability strategies and tools; strengthened capacity of donor community to foster participatory accountability within the NGO community; and increased public demand for greater NGO accountability to beneficiaries. The project design, however, was not well grounded in the larger concept of accountability, or in how donors incorporate these principles into the efforts they fund. It also did not take into consideration feedback received from potential partners and beneficiaries during the design, and did not adequately consult with donors who were identified as a target group.

The project sought to improve the quality of nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) services and programmes by strengthening their capacity to effectively implement accountability standards. Its intended outcomes were: strengthened NGO capacity to implement accountability strategies and tools; strengthened capacity of donor community to foster participatory accountability within the NGO community; and increased public demand for greater NGO accountability to beneficiaries. The project design, however, was not well grounded in the larger concept of accountability, or in how donors incorporate these principles into the efforts they fund. It also did not take into consideration feedback received from potential partners and beneficiaries during the design, and did not adequately consult with donors who were identified as a target group.

The project sought to improve the quality of nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) services and programmes by strengthening their capacity to effectively implement accountability standards. Its intended outcomes were: strengthened NGO capacity to implement accountability strategies and tools; strengthened capacity of donor community to foster participatory accountability within the NGO community; and increased public demand for greater NGO accountability to beneficiaries. The project design, however, was not well grounded in the larger concept of accountability, or in how donors incorporate these principles into the efforts they fund. It also did not take into consideration feedback received from potential partners and beneficiaries during the design, and did not adequately consult with donors who were identified as a target group.

The project sought to improve the quality of nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) services and programmes by strengthening their capacity to effectively implement accountability standards. Its intended outcomes were: strengthened NGO capacity to implement accountability strategies and tools; strengthened capacity of donor community to foster participatory accountability within the NGO community; and increased public demand for greater NGO accountability to beneficiaries. The project design, however, was not well grounded in the larger concept of accountability, or in how donors incorporate these principles into the efforts they fund. It also did not take into consideration feedback received from potential partners and beneficiaries during the design, and did not adequately consult with donors who were identified as a target group.

The objective of the project was to contribute to the elimination of violence and discrimination against women in 20 communes of Djibouti’s Tadjourah region. This was to be achieved through awareness raising and mobilisation of the local population; and by building the personal capacities of local actors and structures, followed by the creation of 20 local vigilance groups in the targeted communes. There was, however, a fundamental flaw in the design of the project that reflected a mismatch between the problem identified and the responses chosen. The grantee’s research identified the principal cause of violence against women as patriarchal attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to an inferior status in the couple, the community and the nation. A weak legal framework to support action to end violence, and weak implementation of existing clauses in the Constitution that promise gender equality were also found. The project did not address these causes but focused on raising the awareness of women, potentially putting them at risk of reprisals.

The objective of the project was to contribute to the elimination of violence and discrimination against women in 20 communes of Djibouti’s Tadjourah region. This was to be achieved through awareness raising and mobilisation of the local population; and by building the personal capacities of local actors and structures, followed by the creation of 20 local vigilance groups in the targeted communes. There was, however, a fundamental flaw in the design of the project that reflected a mismatch between the problem identified and the responses chosen. The grantee’s research identified the principal cause of violence against women as patriarchal attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to an inferior status in the couple, the community and the nation. A weak legal framework to support action to end violence, and weak implementation of existing clauses in the Constitution that promise gender equality were also found. The project did not address these causes but focused on raising the awareness of women, potentially putting them at risk of reprisals.

The objective of the project was to contribute to the elimination of violence and discrimination against women in 20 communes of Djibouti’s Tadjourah region. This was to be achieved through awareness raising and mobilisation of the local population; and by building the personal capacities of local actors and structures, followed by the creation of 20 local vigilance groups in the targeted communes. There was, however, a fundamental flaw in the design of the project that reflected a mismatch between the problem identified and the responses chosen. The grantee’s research identified the principal cause of violence against women as patriarchal attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to an inferior status in the couple, the community and the nation. A weak legal framework to support action to end violence, and weak implementation of existing clauses in the Constitution that promise gender equality were also found. The project did not address these causes but focused on raising the awareness of women, potentially putting them at risk of reprisals.

The project sought to improve the quality of nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) services and programmes by strengthening their capacity to effectively implement accountability standards. Its intended outcomes were: strengthened NGO capacity to implement accountability strategies and tools; strengthened capacity of donor community to foster participatory accountability within the NGO community; and increased public demand for greater NGO accountability to beneficiaries. The project design, however, was not well grounded in the larger concept of accountability, or in how donors incorporate these principles into the efforts they fund. It also did not take into consideration feedback received from potential partners and beneficiaries during the design, and did not adequately consult with donors who were identified as a target group.