Engendering democratic governance in South Asia

Review the budget monthly and, when it becomes clear that there will be unspent funds, discuss immediately with the donor how these funds might be reallocated within the project to reinforce other components of the project.

When planning and managing the budget, emphasis quality rather than quantity – for example, fewer meetings but more hands on support to the Watch Groups and journalists.

The regional components of the project were limited. There remain untapped regional synergies that would add value to the project’s outcomes. In particular, there is great potential for a regional network to be created bringing together the members of Watch Groups in the three countries. Journalists also indicated an interest in developing a regional network of media professionals interested in women’s issues and participation in government.

The media training was well received by the participants. Journalists are often limited by the views of their editors, producers and other “gatekeepers”. Bringing together media gatekeepers (editors, sub-editors, executive producers and others in decision-making roles in the media) would further reinforce the mobilization of journalists in the project and increase the likelihood of their developing gender-sensitive coverage and women’s stories. This should not be promoted as training but might perhaps take the form of a modest ”retreat” at which information can be shared and trust built.

The local level Watch Groups and meetings created evidence and data on the status of women in grassroots democratic institutions which was used by the National Watch Groups built on the local data with analysis of the situation in national politics and democratic institutions. This provided a significant evidence-based advocacy platform, which was then reinforced and supplemented by newspaper features, radio profiles and debates, generated by the media people who had gone through the training.