Designing empowerment indicators to assess learning in participatory evaluation projects
Participatory mid-term review of Women Empowerment Programs
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Transcript of Participatory mid-term review of Women Empowerment Programs
Participatory mid-term review of Women Empowerment Programs
Selam HailemichaelCARE Norway
30.11.12
Outline of presentation
• Background
Initiation of the programs
Baseline stage
• Mid-Term Review (MTR)
The Process
The Findings
The Lessons Learnt
• Next steps
The processes ahead
Background
Structure
Institutions that establish agreed-upon significations (meanings), accepted forms of domination (who has power over what
or whom), and agreed criteria for legitimizing the social order
Relations
Channels through which joint efforts can enhance women
becoming agents of their own development, alter discriminatory
and inequitable structures
AgencyIndividual
And CollectiveCapacities
Empowerment involves poor women becoming the agents of their own
development
Empowerment as an OutcomeGreater access to, influence
over, and control of a) economic, b) ideological, c)
political, d) social, and e) cultural capital
Increased confidence and skills (Power within- Self-esteem, confidence on own abilities Power to -Achieve aspirations, achieve personal benefits, achieve community benefits)
Women’s networks and mobility (Power with- Identify collective interest, organize and link with others) Power to challenge and change
gender relations (Power over - Influence set rules, shape meaning, what is perceived as ‘normal’, at personal, HH & community level)
• 2009 – New framework
agreement with Norad
• Program countries Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda,
Tanzania, Mali, Niger, Myanmar
• Thematic areas: Economic Empowerment Participation in decision making Sexual and Reproductive Health
and Rights Gender Based Violence
• Working methodology VSL Engaging men Advocacy Partnership & Networking
Theory of social change
Cont……
• Focus on higher level & measurable results
• Through participatory, bottom up approach select common sets of indicators
• Baseline research - Comparison groups
• Baseline sample varied between 829 – over 2700 respondents
Outcome indicators
Baseline findings- what the numbers told us
Marked difference with comparison group
• VSL members positive attitude on economic empowerment & participation
• Asset ownership (& control) consistently higher for VSL members
• Consistently showed higher level of participation (level of influence on decisions made) in
community based groups
• Felt stronger social connectedness • Higher SRHR Information (reliable source)
No difference
• Coping with shocks– no marked difference except high % of VSL members used savings to
cope
• Attitude on women’s ability to make decision on their SRHR (use of contraceptives,
accessing maternal health care, choosing partner etc.) & regarding GBV
• Use of services no difference
MTR objectives
• Are we on track?
• What kind of change is being created?
• Qualitative data to support quantitative baseline findings
• Learning & capacity building
• Self-critical reflection
MTR process - Design phase
• Negotiated implementation of review in house by WEP team
• ToR developed through consultation with CO team
• Common guideline – scope, guiding questions, targeted respondents (Impact group
members, target groups, local authorities, CARE & partners staff)
• Very intensive round of consultation and review per country
• MTR team - CARE staff (both program and program support), partners’ staff
• MTR was done in the same geographical area as the baseline
• Qualitative study - App. 30 key informant interviews, 10 focus groups, & 10 most
significant change interviews per country
• Supplemented by focused review of existing secondary information
• Field data collection took about two weeks
• Inter- country peer review (by CARE & partner staff)
• Prepared joint learning agendas & contracts
MTR process - Implementation phase
Burundi
Mali Niger
Rwanda
Tanzania
Uganda
Myanmar
Anglophone Francophone
• Intensive week for joint analysis (capacity building & actual analysis)
Description, Interpretation, Implication, Information/ knowledge application
• Follow up analysis & report writing
• Dissemination in a joint seminar
• Finalization of report
• Develop action points to address identified gaps
MTR process - Analysis and finalisation
The findings – Economic empowerment
Positive
• 8 502 VSLAs formed (22 533 targeted by end of term)
• Mobilized over 3 M USD as savings
• Significant increase in engagement in IGAs
• Increase in personal income, less financial dependence on men & ability to meet HH
expenses
• Able to cope with short duration shocks (e.g. periodic drought situation)
• Men acknowledge & appreciate women’s economic empowerment
• Interested in accessing larger loans – linkages to MFI
• Obtaining productive assets & Improved property rights
Challenges
• Low turn over & activity levels (large savings & low levels of loans)
• Limited choices for IGAs, limited prospect for expansion
• Weak marketing linkages
• Loss/ theft of savings
• Risk of indebtedness + forceful repayment of loans
• Some cases of men ‘owning’ women’s savings & loans
• Men withheld their contribution to the HH budget
• As a result women investing benefits from the VSLAs/ IGAs in HH consumption
rather than being reinvested in productive activities
• Inability to cope with sever & extended shocks
• Women’s empowerment narrowly understood as economic gain
Cont……
Positive
• Self-worth & confidence
• Increase in awareness of rights & entitlements
• Stronger social support; mediation, peace building–more than monetary gains
• Improved participation skills
• Contribution to community development
• Cultural & religious institutions defending & promoting women’s rights
• Improved HH relations
• Men increasingly involved in & supported SRH service use
• Men involved in domestic work
The findings – Social empowerment
Cont……
Challenges
• Strained social relations
• Discrimination within groups
• Exclusion of the poorest
• Men’s perception - women becoming not just assertive but ‘arrogant’
• Men felt ‘disempowered’
• Men forcefully prevented women from participating in meetings/ VSLs/ forced
them to work extra hours
• Conflicts in HHs as roles changed
Positive
• VSLA – platform to nurture capacities to enter the public arena
• Forming networks – influential beyond immediate community
• Participation in community management structures
• Increased interest to play an active role in politics
• Mobilize support
• Election to public offices
• Carry out stronger advocacy leading to concrete changes in laws & policies
• Enabled to hold decision makers accountable
• Leaders consulting VSL members
The findings – Political empowerment
Cont……
Challenges
• Work load
• Increased representation but still struggle with meaningful participation
• Political animosity – no strategy to deal with this
• Party politics – and where does CARE fit in this?
• Ad hoc engagement with promoting this objective; lack a well thought through
strategy
In conclusion
Are we addressing underlying causes & creating not easily reversible changes?
• Strengthening inherent capability (Knowledge, Skills and information)
• Increased self-esteem, confidence
• Mutual trust & social capital
• Improved HH wellbeing
• Concrete changes in roles & relations at HH & community levels
• Changes in the way women are perceived and are integrated into society
• Changes in attitude and behaviors
• VSLA members having concrete contributions socially and politically
Cont……
Tangible gain in financial capital, but are we optimizing this?
• Need to give women skills to manage their economic investments & productivity
• Need to develop linkages with strategic partners; microfinance, SACCOs
• Find diverse income generating activities, increase access to market & marketability
of products
• Need to improve women’s control over income, assets & resources
• A model that is suitable for engaging with youth/ girls
• Do more to engage men –large scale but focused, also engage boys & young men
Cont……What gaps should we need to address/ strengthen?
• Commitment to a specific impact group in a holistic manner & over a long time
• Need to be aware of the underlying assumptions behind Poverty reduction -
Women’s human rights – Economic growth goals
• Better define our added value
• Target the men in the lives of the women in our impact group
• Think in terms of couples
• When targeting men be clear about your intents, strategies and expected outcomes
• Seek out the right partners; other actors in our operational areas and seek
cooperation
• Strengthen link with government – we are not there to replace them
Cont……
• Sustained & focused advocacy strategy
• Explicit strategies to support women’s ability to protect individual & collective
interest at different levels
• More work at the level structures (especially with men on decision making
positions)
• Strengthen monitoring system to identify gaps in a timely manner
• Strengthen use of qualitative methodology to better capture process of change
• Create the room to get regular feedback from community
• Continue with similar participatory reviews & cross-fertilization between
COs/programs
• Better institutionalize lessons learnt, capacity built
Plans ahead• Baseline
• MTR
• Endline
Similar approach as baseline
More follow up on quality
Qualitative part done by country team
Quantitative data collection, storage; & analysis done centrally through
standardized approach
• New phase
Clearer M&E plans; with clearer goals & targets
More systematic capacity building objectives of CARE & partners
More focus on social & political empowerment