This report summary is an abridged version of Coady Institute’s 2024 Engage Operations Report: April 1 - September 30, 2024.
January 2025
For more information about Engage: Women’s Empowerment and Active Citizenship, or this report summary, contact:
Eric Smith Project Manager esmith@stfx.ca
Jenny MacDonald Impact Officer
jenmacdo@stfx.ca
coady.stfx.ca/engage
We would like to acknowledge the Engage project partners, women’s rights organizations, and community members who inform and lead this important work.
Engage:
Women’s
Empowerment
and Active Citizenship is a 6.5 year initiative co-designed by Coady Institute and five partner organizations in India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Haiti. Coady is a convenor and is bringing these partners together in ways that they can share their expertise, learn from each other, and collectively explore new approaches and tools.
The project works primarily to support the leadership capacity of informal sector women in addressing key issues they are facing. This includes the future of work faced by women; engaging women in community governance; women’s leadership and feminist approaches, young women as entrepreneurs and agents of community change; and assetbased approaches to reducing urban and rural poverty through economic development.
This summary provides an overview of the activities and outcomes achieved between April 1 - September 30, 2024 with a focus on two to three key changes/future plans each organization has identified. Annual goals will be completed by March 31, 2025.
Coady Institute, Canada
Coady was pleased to welcome 18 participants across the five partner organizations to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada to attend on-campus programs at St Francis Xavier University (StFX) Staff of partner organizations attended courses focused on: asset-based community development, livelihoods and markets, and community-led solutions for climate resilience In previous project periods, courses and workshops have been offered in partners’ home countries; this was the first opportunity for partners to travel to Coady Institute to attend programming amongst the usual cohort of nonEngage participants Some partners who attended these programs have already begun to bring their new tools and learnings into their organizations
A D Y
Coady staff adapted the leaky bucket tool and conducted an exercise focused on Engage’s impact on organizational change. Coady created its own leaky bucket (in addition to those partners created) to help assess the project’s impact on the Institute. Examples of ‘energy-filling’ activities include: deepened relationships with partners, opportunity for exchange between projects and programs, innovation and resilience (new ways of working). Examples of ‘energydraining’ activities include: heavy administration workload, political unrest, trying to innovate while working within Global Affairs Canada (GAC) requirements and restrictions
C
COADY x ENGAGE Progress on Goals
Select data: April 1 - September 30, 2024
COADY INSTITUTE offers educational programming for emerging and established community leaders with a passion for social change Coady’s approach to adult education is practicefocused and participatory, informed by learner-centered and asset-based methods that hold the potential for both personal growth and societal transformation
Engage partner staff attended oncampus trainings at Coady Institute
of both on-campus and off-campus graduates reported a story of change.
knowledge products such as: case studies, videos, blog articles, etc learning innovations
satisfaction by Engage participants in Coady on-campus courses.
Self Employed Women’s Association, India
Due to popular demand, the SEWA Manager School (SMS) is preparing to expand its offerings beyond SEWA membership in a community college model of trainings and workshops To achieve this, SEWA is building the capacity of staff through Training of Trainers (TOT) programs. SEWA conducted trainings related to organizational values and principles, digital literacy using the hybrid in-person/online models they developed in 2020, as well as small business development. Coady staff Pauline MacIntosh and Adam Baden-Clay co-facilitated a three-week course focused on Facilitation and Training Approaches for Community Change for SMS staff A follow-up course will take place in the new year These efforts will support the SMS staff to take on further leadership as the facilitators of new programs
SEWA is preparing a research study with two to three thousand SEWA members to learn more about the barriers women are facing in obtaining relief supports offered in response to natural disasters – such as formal documentation, awareness, infrastructure, and more. The organization is working to incorporate new tools they’ve practiced through the Engage partnership such as LAPA (local adaptation plans for action), OSINT (open source intelligence), and qualitative research methods
SEWA is a member-based organization of more than 19 million self-employed women workers of the informal sector in India The SEWA Manager School (SMS) was founded in 2005 and provides leadership and management education to grassroots members from the informal economy
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 200 people in local advocacy and awareness activities to promote equitable local governance, inclusive economies, and community resilience
APR - SEPT RESULTS: More than 500 women and more than 500 men have been engaged in these activities
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 25 duty bearers* in awareness raising and capacity building activities
APR - SEPT RESULTS:
8 women & 1 man attended on-campus trainings at Coady Institute
2,702 women engaged in community-based trainings
satisfaction by participants in organizationled community-based trainings.
Organization for Women in Self Employment, Ethiopia
WISE completed a significant infrastructure update which will allow the organization to leverage information technologies for education and entrepreneurship, including an introduction of ecommerce system to support the development of online shops for the women entrepreneurs of WISE This is further supported by digital financial inclusion trainings for WISE members
WISE hosted the inaugural National Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Forum.
“The event brought together leaders, experts, community organizers, and stakeholders to explore innovative ways to empower communities by leveraging their existing strengths for sustainable development. Discussions centered on success stories, challenges, and strategies to scale the ABCD model, emphasizing the need for stronger partnerships among governments, NGOs, and grassroots organizations The conference concluded with a resounding call to action, envisioning a future where communities take the lead in their own development journeys” – Women in Self Employment (WISE)
WWith the increasing displacement of residents of Addis Ababa, WISE has added supports for members including home visits, psychosocial supports, and shelters for women facing gender-based violence Home visits allow WISE to continue to assess and support the economic health of members - a key factor in decreasing rates of gender-based violence (GBV)
AHEAD
WISE x ENGAGE Progress on Goals
Select data: April 1 - September 30, 2024
WISE is a women’s empowerment organization that provides national and community-based training of women leaders with a focus on women’s empowerment, asset-based approaches, and enterprise development
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 30 women and 30 men in local training of trainers (TOT) and advanced trainings co-delivered by partners for their staff and networks
APR - SEPT RESULTS:
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 700 women and 675 men in local advocacy and awareness activities to promote equitable local governance, inclusive economies, and community resilience.
APR - SEPT RESULTS:
181 women engaged in community-based trainings
3 women & 1 man attended on-campus trainings at Coady Institute
satisfaction by participants in organizationled community-based trainings.
C C D B
Christian Commission for Development Bangladesh
With changes in the political context in Bangladesh, CCDB saw women in Engage programming take on leadership roles in reducing community conflict and developing support initiatives for the most at-risk people of the country. This has resulted in reduced levels of communal violence in Engage project sites.
The Community Climate Resilience Committee (CCRC), which was founded by CCDB but now runs independently, held an election for new leadership Three women from Engage programming contested in the election and two succeeded –one as treasurer and one as communications secretary This is a significant accomplishment for the women leaders individually and also systemically, as the prior leadership team did not include any women or include women’s concerns and priorities in its decision making
CCDB’s alternative livelihoods training has included sessions on preparing vermicompost as well as sessions focused on business skills Many of the women are now producing their own compost to use on their own agriculture fields and to sell for additional income After visiting the local government’s Agriculture Department, women leaders from Engage initiated a farmers’ group which will begin activities in the new year.
“The perception of women before the project was that women were not seen as the leaders or changemakers in their own community, but a few years after the project, the success of the women groups has become a source of inspiration for other women in their community and it’s encouraging them to get involved in agriculture, financial stability and social respect”
– Imran Kibria, CCDB
CCDB x ENGAGE Progress on Goals
Select data: April 1 - September 30, 2024
CCDB is a learning non-profit organization focused on emergency relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction, as well as human resource development for self-reliance, collective growth, and distributive justice CCDB’s Climate Centre aims to support South Asian villages and their inhabitants to become climate-resilient to protect their lives and livelihoods
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 219 women and 70 men in community-based trainings
APR - SEPT RESULTS: 144 women and 16 men have been engaged in these activities.
women reached through 8 women’s watch committees and 30 group meetings.
organizations engaged in CCDB-led forum: CCDB 50th Anniversary
duty bearers engaged in awareness raising and capacity building activities.
G N P
TTanzania Gender Networking Program, Tanzania
TGNP has initiated a comprehensive strategy for supporting women leaders’ participation in the 2024 local level elections. They are meeting weekly with six groups from Engage project Knowledge Centres for capacity building trainings.
The groups are also working to identify leaders within their respective areas and are then building mentoring relationships between experienced and emerging leaders While data is still being collected, they are generally seeing an increase in women selected as village representatives
“In one instance, we used the two young women who participated in the Financial Inclusion in Microenterprise Development training in Ethiopia [offered by Coady Institute through Engage] We chose one Knowledge Centre to be a pilot place where they train those women in financial inclusion and microenterprise development They have reached the stage of opening bank accounts This is one of the changes I have seen ” – Anna Sangai, TGNP
TGNP hosted their biannual district level Gender Festival increasing collaboration with NGOs, government bodies, private sector organizations, and other stakeholders. As the country begins to develop its vision for 2050, the festival provides a space for women to voice their values and priorities for the future.
TGNP has been working to update their curriculums, incorporating new tools and skills they’ve practiced and developed through the Engage program Previously they incorporated the Leaky Bucket tool and asset-based approaches (ABCD) Now, they are adding elements of feminist leadership principles, particularly focused on decision making, and climate change resilience
TGNP x ENGAGE Progress on Goals
Select data: April 1 - September 30, 2024
TGNP is a non-profit organization that works to eliminate all forms of discrimination through transformative feminism TGNP aims to influence and contribute to gender responsiveness of policy formulation and implementation for equitable resource allocation and sustainable livelihoods
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 333 women and 112 men in communitybased trainings
APR - SEPT RESULTS: 215 women and 82 men have been engaged in these activities
organizations engaged in TGNP-led forums: Gender Festival and accompanying events
Knowledge Centres strengthened with capacity strengthening sessions
participants in local advocacy and awareness activities
ACTION RESEARCH
Role of Intensive Movement Building Cycle “IMBC” in Gendered Actions in Tanzania: Findings from Kishapu andIlala Districts
CCentre Haitien du Leadership et de l'Excellence, Haiti
After launching the second cohort of the Fanm Angaje fellowship for women social entrepreneurs, CLE has been working to strengthen their social entrepreneurship offerings by joining their three programs Fanm Angaje, Antreprenè Angaje and Lidè Kominote Angaje into one holistic fellowship titled Angaje
“We have realized that if we want to build a more equitable society, we have to bring all the people to the same table This has enabled us to bring together a larger and more diverse group of young entrepreneurs across the 10 departments of Haiti”
– Assuntha Fleurant,
The Fanm Angaje cohort would have supported 25 women entrepreneurs The new blended Angaje cohort supports 100 social entrepreneurs, including 65 women In addition to the fellowship’s training and mentorship, CLE has added financial supports for start-ups and loan programs for those in an operational growth phase Entrepreneurs must complete the Angaje fellowship to be eligible to apply for start-up or growth funding
CLE’s Engage initiative has helped the organization develop its organizational capacity and its readiness for further partnerships
CLE
CLE x ENGAGE Progress on Goals
Select data: April 1 - September 30, 2024
CLE is a Haitian non-profit leadership development foundation committed to identifying, training, and connecting Haitian leaders to enable them to collectively build towards a prosperous, self-reliant, equitable, and well-governed Haiti
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 50 people in local advocacy and awareness activities to promote equitable local governance, inclusive economies, and community resilience community-based change initiatives in gender equitable inclusive governance, equitable economies, and community resilience
APR - SEPT RESULTS: 125 women and 125 men have been engaged in these activities
ANNUAL GOAL: Engage 25 women in training of train (TOT) and advanced trainings co-delivered by partners their staff and networks
APR - SEPT RESULTS: 80 women and 70 men have b engaged in these activities
The work we are doing with Engage to support women social entrepreneurs has put us in a place where our program is turning into new work Recently we were able to secure a new project; what we presented is really the next phase of the Angaje program This strengthens not only what we're delivering, but our capacity as an organization to actually connect with some of the partners and key players on the ground The work is really paying off, not just at the personal level, but as an organizational level as well.”
Established in 1959, Coady Institute is committed to accompanying generations of global leaders skilled in the application of citizen-led, asset-based, and community-driven leadership for economic and social change. Located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Coady Institute includes a network of leaders in 152 countries globally.
Coady Institute
St. Francis Xavier University 4780 Tompkins Lane PO Box 5000 Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 Canada
