Girlpower mfsii stage2 web by Plan Nederland

Girl Power “Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women” MFS II - stage 2 application by the Child Rights Alliance

1. Table of contents

1. Table of contents 1 Table of contents

List of abbreviations

03 05

2. General information about the applicant

3. Management summary

4. Section 5.2.1 Contextual analysis 5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy

5.2.2a The programme’s contribution to the strengthening of civil society in the South

5.2.2b The objectives of the programme

5.2.2c The strategy and ownership of the programme

5.2.2d The influence of lessons learned on the programme

13 13 14 16 17

6. Section 5.2.3 Intended results

5.2.3a Intended results and effectiveness of the programme

5.2.3b The connection between strategy and intended results of the programme

5.2.3c Baseline measurement of the programme

5.2.3d The programme must tie with the applicant’s (and co-applicants) capacity

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation

5.2.4a Monitoring the intended results, ensuring contextual relevance

5.2.4b Evaluations of the programme

8. Section 5.2.5 Harmonisation and complementarity

19 19 19 21 21

23 23 26

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency

5.2.6a Efficiency of the programme

5.2.6b Verification of the programme’s efficiency

5.2.6c

Timeline of the programme

10. Section 5.2.7: Sustainability

5.2.7a Sustainability of the programme results

29 29 32 34

35 35

11. Applicant’s signature

12. Checklist of compulsory appendices

13. Checklist of optional appendices

217

1. Table of contents 3

1. List of abbreviations ACPF

African Child Policy Forum

ACRWC

African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

AMWCY

African Movement of Working Children and Youth

ANPPCAN African Network for Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect AU

African Union

AWEPA

The Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa

CBO

Community Based Organisation

CCCD

Child Centred Community Development

CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

CHI

Child Helpline International

CLPC

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Legal Protection Centre

CONAFE

Coalition of African NGOs working with children

CSC

Country Steering Committee

CSD

Civil Society Development

CSO

Civil Society Organisation

DCI-ECPAT Defence for Children International Nederland - End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and

Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes Nederland

DPA

Direct Poverty Alleviation

DSC

Dutch Steering Committee

European Commission

ECCD

Early Childhood Care and Development

EFA

Education for All

European Union

FAWE

Forum for African Women Educationalists

FGM/C

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

GCE

Global Campaign for Education

GDI

Gender Development Index

GEI

Gender Equity Index

GPGEM

Girl Power Gender Empowerment Measure

HDI

Human Development Index

HIPC

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

ICDI

International Child Development Initiatives

ILO

International Labour Organisation

Lobby & Advocacy

LDC

Least Developed Country

M&E

Monitoring & Evaluation

MDG

Millennium Development Goal

MFS II

Co-financing System II (2011-2015) of the Dutch Government

MIS

Management Information System

MoU

Memorandum of Understanding

MSC

Most Significant Change

MTR

Mid-Term Review

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation 1. List of abbreviations 5

OVC

Orphans and vulnerable children

PTA

Parent Teacher Association

PEF

Programme Effectiveness Framework

PRSP

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

PALS

Programme Accountability and Learning System

RBA

Rights Based Approach

RNE

Royal Netherlands Embassy

SGBV

Sexual and Gender Based Violence

SMC

School Management Committee

SRHR

Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights

ToC

Theory of Change

UNCRC

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

UBR

Universal Birth Registration

UNIATFAG United Nations Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls UNICEF

United Nations Children Fund

UNIFEM

United Nations Development Fund for Women

UNFPA

United Nations Population Fund

UNPD

United Nations Population Division

UNTDC

United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime

VAC

Violence against Children

Vocational Training

WASH

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

World Bank

1. List of abbreviations 6

2. General information about the applicant

2. General information about applicant

a. Applicant’s name / Alliance Name

Plan Nederland / Child Rights Alliance

b. Address

Visiting address: Van Boshuizenstraat 12 1083 BA Amsterdam the Netherlands

Postal address: PO Box 75454 1070 AL Amsterdam the Netherlands

c. Phone / fax

+31 (0)20 – 549 55 55 +31 (0)20 – 644 40 65

d. E-mail

info@plannederland.nl

e. Director(s)

Mr. Tjipke Bergsma

f. Contact person for this application

Mr. Jan Jaap Kleinrensink (janjaap.kleinrensink@plannederland.nl)

g. Theme of the application

GIRL POWER: Promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women

h. Co-applicants in the Alliance

Child Helpline International Defence for Children International Nederland - ECPAT Free Voice International Child Development Initiatives Women Win For specific contact details please refer to appendix a.

i. Is the applicant applying as co-applicant for a grant under MFS?

j. Dutch bank account number

Rabobank 12.68.79.958

Appendices 5. Budget for each programme b. Overview of other grants received from the ministry of Foreign Affairs per Alliance member

k. Applicant’s total annual budget Budget 2008: € 56.753.000 Budget 2009: € 49.433.000 Budget 2010: € 47.809.000 Budget 2011: € 54.263.000 l. Grant amount requested per 2011: € 17.739.000 year and total amount 2012: € 22.722.000 2013: € 20.331.000 2014: € 15.104.000 2015: € 14.305.000 Total: € 90.000.000 2. General information 7

Appendix a. Overview of co-applicants contact details

m. Programme budget (per programme/per year and total amount) The proposal consists of one programme – ‘GIRL POWER: Promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women’. The total programme has a budget of € 100.200.000 of which € 90.000.000 is requested from MFSII funding and € 10.200.000 is to be co-financed by Plan Nederland. Please refer to appendix 5 for budget details. MFS II

Plan Nederland

2011

€ 17.739.000

€ 2.000.000

2012

€ 22.722.000

€ 2.000.000

2013

€ 20.311.000

€ 2.000.000

2014

€ 15.104.000

€ 2.000.000

2015

€ 14.305.000

€ 2.000.000

Overhead costs

€ 8.100.000

€ 200.000

Alliance costs

€ 1.800.000

Total

€ 90.000.000

€ 10.200.000

n. In what countries will West Africa: the activities take place? Benin. Ghana. Liberia. Mali. Sierra Leone and Togo East and Southern Africa: Ethiopia. Malawi. Mozambique and Zambia Asia: Bangladesh. Nepal and Pakistan Latin America: Bolivia and Nicaragua

o. Does your organisation and/or any of your co-applicants receive any other grants from the ministry of Foreign Affairs? If so. specify budget. implementation course. activity number.

Plan Nederland receives grants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 1. MFP 2007 – 2010 / activity number 15880 / € 59.430.000 2. Sanitation in peri-urban areas in Africa 2008 – 2012 / activity number 17169 / € 3.500.000 3. Fighting violence to ensure education for all 2009 – 2011 / activity number 19429 / € 541.046 4. Empowering self-help sanitation of rural and peri-urban communities and schools in Africa 2009 – 2014 / activity number 20614 / € 4.474.000 An overview of other grants received from the ministry of Foreign Affairs per Alliance member can be found in annex b.

2. General information 8

3. Management summary

3. Management summary b Short substantive summary of the programme proposal Introduction The ‘Girl Power: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women’ programme is an effort by six experienced and allied Dutch civil society organisations to fight the injustices girls and young women face daily in 15 developing countries. We are: Plan Nederland, Child Helpline International, Defence for ChildrenECPAT, Free Voice, ICDI and Women Win. Together we form the Child Rights Alliance. We recognize that gender equality and children’s rights are interconnected and that gender-based discrimination is both a cause and a fundamental consequence of child poverty. Our joint mission - ensuring that all girls and boys can enjoy their rights and fully participate in the social, economic and political development of their communities - requires that we fight gender inequality and discrimination, adhering to the human rights principles frameworks as outlined in the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Girls and young women are a huge untapped potential for global human development. Empowerment of girls and young women, in particular adolescent girls (aged 10-17), is a strategic investment for structural poverty reduction and overall human development. The Girl Power programme is the result of participative research, and consultations at national, regional and international level with a broad representation of stakeholders. Its 15 tailor-made country programmes and underlying contextual analyses, were developed in close cooperation with our Southern partners in a process facilitated by the Plan country offices.

1. These three objectives – and strategically chosen thematic areas – of the programme are in line with the recommendations of the UN Taskforce on Gender Equality to accelerate progress on MDG3. ‘Taking Action: Achieving gender equality and empowering women: UN millennium programme’ (2005) 2. Of the selected countries there are 11 Profile I-type countries and 4 late phase Profile II countries. (MFS II application stage 1, 4.4.2a, pg 82)

Objectives and target groups Our programme’s goal is “to build and strengthen civil society to ensure the equal rights and opportunities of girls and young women in developing countries, and their full participation in the social, economic and political development of society.” In particular, it aims to achieve the following specific objectives:1 1. Reduction of sexual and gender-based violence against girls and young women; 2. Increased socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women by strengthening quality and access to education, with special focus on post-primary education, including vocational, financial and employment skills; 3. Increased socio-political empowerment of girls and young women by promoting their participation in private and public decision-making processes.

The programme will be implemented in 15 developing countries2 West Africa: Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Togo East and Southern Africa: Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan Latin America: Bolivia and Nicaragua Direct target groups within the programme areas in the 15 countries (110 rural districts and 20 urban areas) are: • 2.550 civil society organizations • 900.000 girls and young women (majority aged between 10 to 24 years) • 1.000.000 community members, including parents, men and boys and leaders • 800 government institutions at national and local level An estimated total of 17 million girls and young women below age 25, in the 15 selected countries, will benefit from our programme.

Expected contribution to the overall MFSII objective To achieve the specific objectives mentioned above, change is required at four broad and interrelated levels: in laws, public policies and services (institutional level), in beliefs and practices of communities, families and parents (socio-cultural level), in the capabilities of girls and young women themselves (individual level), and in the commitment and capacity of civil actors to defend girls’ and women’s rights and promote gender equality (civil society level). The latter level is the key, as an active and well organized civil society can play a pivotal role and trigger profound social changes in the other three levels. Civil society organisations can mobilise poor girls, young women and communities for social change; they influence policy processes; they hold governments and the private sector accountable; and they can deliver social services to marginalised groups (including girls and young women) who are not served by the state. By increasing their ability to perform these functions, individually and collectively, our programme contributes to the overall MFS II objective of establishing and strengthening civil society as a building block for structural poverty reduction, particularly within the policy focuses of equal rights and opportunities for women and girls and of growth and equity.

3. Management summary 9

3. See Chapter 8 on Harmonisation and Complementarity and MoUs in appendix d, e and f.

Main programme activities and implementation To achieve the desired outcomes at each of these four levels, the Girl Power programme will use three main intervention strategies: 1. The Civil Society Development strategy leads to a strengthened civil society effectively addressing girls’ rights violations and gender inequality. Programme activities within this strategy include: • Supporting partners’ organizational development and capacity to mainstream gender in programming and decision-making. • Supporting girls’ and young women’s mobilization through sport and news programmes. • Support research into the conditions and barriers experienced by girls and young women, in education, employment, protection and participation. • Strengthening partners’ capacity and networks to raise awareness and mobilize civil society to engage with local and national governments and claim their rights. 2. The strategy of Sustainable Economic Development and Direct Poverty Alleviation is aimed at girls and young women’s empowerment. It is designed to improve their access and use of essential services through increasing the capacity of public service provision agencies and improving the gender sensitive norms, values and practices within their communities. Programme activities include: • Capacity development and gender mainstreaming support to partners like child helplines, DCI/ECPAT sociolegal protection centres, CBOs and NGOs specialized in (formal and non-formal) education and protection; • Supporting NGOs and CBOs in the creation of safe spaces for girls, young women and boys; • Supporting partners to develop the capacity of government institutions responsible for protection and education services through training, institutional strengthening and the development of innovative service delivery models such as integral child protection systems. 3. The strategy of Lobbying and Advocacy actions targets politicians, policy makers and public leaders at national and local levels. Its desired outcome is to increase the responsiveness and accountability of national and local governments to marginalized girls and young women. Programme activities include: • Supporting partners’ lobbying work for law and policy reform, implementation, monitoring and enforcement; • Supporting research for developing policy alternatives on girls’ issues of education, protection and participation; • Promoting linkages between regional partners – such as ACPF and FAWE in Africa and SACG in Asia – and partners in the programme countries. The strength of the Girl Power programme lies in the diversity its Southern partners and its connections with other actors and donors. We will work with partners in different sectors (education, protection, participation) and at different levels (local, national and regional). Examples of partners are regional child and women’s rights organizations, national NGOs involved in rights monitoring, media organisations, child helplines, associations of girls, boys and youth, CBOs as well as Parent Teacher Associations. We will harmonise our strategies and activities with those of civil society actors, government and other donors wherever possible. We also formally coordinate our actions with other MFSII alliances via agreements captured in a set of MoUs3. Finally, we will ensure that our strategies and activities are aligned and coordinated with those of bilateral donors and multilateral agencies such as UNICEF and UNIFEM. Our aim in doing all this is to achieve the maximum improvement in rights and opportunities for girls and young women. Each Alliance Member brings in specific thematic expertise, sound programme strategies for addressing girls’ rights violations, and relationships and networks with partners and other stakeholders in the South. Plan Nederland has extensive experience in supporting local civil society organizations in the areas of child protection, education, economic empowerment and local governance. CHI and Defence for Children-ECPAT have much expertise in integrated and rights-based child protection systems. Specific knowledge on gender is available in Plan and Women Win and through agreements with other capacity-building organisations. ICDI brings capacitybuilding skills around child development issues which will benefit the programme. Free Voice brings the technical capacity to use local media in civil society development, awareness raising and advocacy efforts. Women Win contributes their knowledge on the empowerment of girls and young women through the use of sport.

The budgeted costs of the programme

3. Management summary 10

The total proposed budget for the Child Rights Alliance’s ‘Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women’ programme, in the 15 countries over a 5-year period, is € 100.200.000. We request € 90.000.000 from MFSII funding for the period January 2011 till December 2015. Plan Nederland will provide co-financing of € 10.200.000 for that period. This gives an average budget of over € 1.000.000 per target country, per year.

4. Section 5.2.1 Contextual analysis 4

4. Section 5.2.1 Contextual analysis

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

PAKISTAN NEPAL BANGLADESH MALI

NICARAGUA SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA

GHANA

ETHIOPIA

BENIN TOGO

MALAWI BOLIVIA

ZAMBIA MOZAMBIQUE

The Girl Power programme is based on in-country consultations with a broad representation of local civil society organisations and target groups from the 15 participating countries. With their input, three themes were defined as well as 4 levels of intended results, allowing us to develop tailor made interventions according to the specific context of each country. For details on themes and levels of intended results, please refer to chapter 5 and 6.

Appendices 2.1-2.15 Contextual analysis per country 2.16 Global activities Contextual analysis

In appendix 2, a contextual analysis per country is presented (2.1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2.15), according to the format set in the application form and answering criteria 5.2.1a to 5.2.1c. Each contextual analysis contributes to the design of the country specific programmes, by indicating the geographical and thematic emphases per country. Each contextual analysis includes a target group analysis, a problem analysis at micro-, meso- and macro level, a background analysis of social, economic and political factors in relation to each other, and a multiactor analysis. Finally, a description of a tailor made country programme is included in each contextual analysis. In addition, a contextual analysis regarding our global activities is included, as appendix 2.16.

4. Section 5.2.1 Contextual analysis 11

5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy

5. Objective and strategy 5.2.2a The programme’s contribution to the strengthening of civil society in the South The overall objective of the Girl Power programme is to build and strengthen civil society to ensure girls’ rights and achieve gender equality. In order to be successful, civil society in programme countries need to perform several key functions like mobilising poor girls, young women and communities for social change, influencing policy processes, holding governments and the private sector accountable for the delivery on gender-related obligations and, under specific conditions, delivering services to marginalised groups (including girls and young women) who are not served by the State. The context analyses of this application, which were based on in-country consultations with a wide range of civil society partners and a review of civil society reports1 reveal several strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the arena of civil society’s work on children’s and women’s rights, as well as significant differences between the various countries.

Civil society strengths In the proposed programme countries, CSOs addressing child rights and gender issues have strengthened their capacity considerably in the last decade. They show far greater capability to work with children and youth and to engage in lobbying and advocacy for child rights. The number of girls and boys participating in local clubs and associations has grown substantially in the target countries. In several contexts, CSOs are now collaborating in the monitoring of child rights2 and in joint lobbying for child sensitive policy and legislation, not only at country level but also at regional levels (such as ACPF).3 An example of CSOs that have been highly influential in driving policy change comes from Sierra Leone, where women’s groups and DCI-Sierra Leone played a key role in the adoption of three Gender Acts and the Child Rights Act 2007. Women’s rights organisations have also been working more closely together via strategic networks to effect legal and policy change. For example, the Malawi women’s rights network was instrumental in passing national domestic violence legislation. Using new communication technologies, CSOs are also becoming increasingly connected to and have become part of wider regional and global networks. Some CSOs have specialised in providing protection services (including psychosocial support) to girls and boys, such as child helplines, which have spread rapidly.

Civil society weaknesses Context analyses reveal that many CSOs lack basic infrastructure, have limited human and financial resources and insufficient management capacity.4 Secondly, many CSOs prioritised their roles as service providers and supporters of community mobilisation; whilst the more ‘political’ or governance-related work of influencing policy, monitoring legal/policy implementation and holding duty bearers to account has not always received adequately attention.5 This imbalance can partly be attributed to a general lack of sufficient advocacy and lobbying skills within CSOs around, for example, constructing positions on key issues, building coalitions of supporters, developing sound policy alternatives and negotiating with governments. Civil society’s policy initiatives may well lack a sound and robustly evidenced ‘analytical base’, while relationships between CSOs and institutions involved in policy research are generally rare or undermined by the dominant role played by northern ‘experts’. In addition, CSOs financial dependency on donors and, consequently, on donor preferences for quick and measurable results, can skew the range and type of activities in which CSOs engage.6 Thirdly, the values of children’s and women’s rights, gender equality and good governance are not always deeply rooted within civil society. Many CSOs are dominated by male leaders and their policies and programmes tend to ignore girls and may even reproduce existing gender inequalities in society. A fourth and related weakness is the relatively low participation rate of girls and young women in CSOs, both in terms of membership and governance. Due to girls’ ‘invisibility’, especially in decision-making positions, the interests of girls are not yet sufficiently represented by CSOs.7 Fifth, the accountability of CSOs towards their constituencies, in particular towards girls and young women, remains generally weak. Finally, levels of coordination and collaboration between CSOs are often low.8 Urban based organisations are often disconnected from local groups and organisations.9 In many countries, especially in post-conflict societies, there are few strong networks of CSOs and/ or umbrella organisations. Where they do exist, they tend to be dominated by (international) NGOs while nontraditional CSOs (such as sports associations, faith-based organisations and CBOs) are often underrepresented.

1. Such as the Global Survey of the State of Civil Society by CIVICUS (2007) and the country strategy papers of the EC of various countries. 2. See, for example, Country Context analysis of Bangladesh, Togo, Nepal and Nicaragua. 3. See, for example, Country Context analysis of Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone and Zambia 4. See, for example, country context analysis of Bangladesh, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Nepal, Malawi, Mali, Pakistan and Sierra Leone 5. See, for example, Country context analysis of Mali, Togo, Malawi, Mozambique and Pakistan. 6. See, for example, Country context analysis of Mali, Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique and Bolivia. 7. In relation to the lack of gender focus, lack of attention to girls issues and the limited spaces for participation and voice of girls and young women within CSOs themselves, refer, for example, to the country context analysis of Sierra Leone, Mali, Ghana, Togo, Bolivia and Nicaragua. 8. See, for example, country context analysis of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Ghana. 9. See, for example, country context analysis of Sierra Leone and Ghana.

5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy 13

10. See, for example, country context analysis of Ethiopia, Liberia, Nicaragua and Bolivia. 11. See, for example, country context analysis of Nicaragua, Pakistan and Bangladesh. 12. See, for example, country context analysis of Sierra Leone and Nepal. 13. See page 81 of the first phase MFS II application. 14. Girl Power and Potential: A joint programming framework for fulfilling the rights of marginalized adolescent girls. The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Adolescent Girls, 2008, pg. 2. 15. See, for example, country context analysis of Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Ghana, Zambia, Benin and Bolivia. 16. See, for example, country context analysis of Sierra Leone, Ghana, Bolivia and Pakistan. 17. See, for example, country context analysis of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mali, Togo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Nepal. 18. See, for example, country context analysis of Ethiopia, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Nepal and Nicaragua. 19. Adolescence is a time of crucial life transition (from girl to women, school to work, dependence to independence) that sets the stage for the rest of girls’ lives.

Instruments for strengthening civil society The Girl Power programme is designed to address these identified weaknesses of civil society – and their root causes - described above. It builds upon the existing strengths of partners and their current forms of cooperation, such as child rights networks and child protection systems, taking advantage of the opportunities that arise due to decentralisation and the opening up of political space. The programme deploys a comprehensive set of context-sensitive instruments to support partners in achieving the objective of civil society strengthening for girls’ rights and gender equality: • Capacity development is directed at partners and their constituencies in civil society. It is focused on building organisational capacity in order to increase their responsiveness and accountability to girls and young women; to help them develop innovative strategies to address gender discrimination and girls’ exclusion; to deliver gender-sensitive and responsive services; to become more successful in policy influencing and to collaborate better with others. Multi-stakeholder processes will be a key approach, aligned with facilitation, mentoring, exchanges and training where appropriate. • Networking and coalition building are being used as instruments to improve coordination and focused collaboration amongst CSOs. Through the linking of different categories of CSOs operating at various levels (child and youth organisations, girls’ clubs, CBOs as well as women’s organisations, NGOs, media and associations of professionals), the existing lack of coordination within civil society is addressed. • Research on gender equality and the situation of girls, carried out with local partners and research institutes, will contribute to enhanced (collective) learning and grounded evidence which will lead to better policy monitoring and influencing. • The facilitation of relationships between partners, their civil society constituencies and local and national governments using existing or newly developed mechanisms for voice and accountability. • Lobbying and advocacy with partners at local, national and regional levels will stimulate positive changes in the political context affecting CSOs’ operations. • Supporting awareness raising campaigns with partners to challenge social norms, values and attitudes within society which influence the achievement of gender equality and girls’ empowerment.

5.2.2b The objectives of the programme All Child Rights Alliancemembers recognize that gender equality and children’s rights are interconnected and that gender-based discrimination is both a cause and a fundamental consequence of child poverty. The joint Alliance mission - ensuring that all girls and boys can enjoy their rights and fully participate in the social, economic and political development of their communities – requires that we fight gender inequality and discrimination, adhering to the human rights principles frameworks as outlined, for example, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).13 Furthermore, we strongly believe that girls and young women are a ‘huge untapped potential’ for global human development and that investments in girls and women’s rights are critical for the achievement of sustainable and broad-based poverty reduction, as reflected in the Millennium Development Goals.14 In all programme countries, poverty and exclusion disproportionately affect girls and young women, a situation that has been exacerbated by the current economic downturn. Contextual analyses undertaken across 15 countries reveal that while some progress has been made towards gender equality, significant gender gaps remain widespread in all programme areas, leaving women and girls more vulnerable to poverty. Girls and young women are less likely to complete primary school and transition to secondary school15, less likely to be literate16; less likely to be part of a youth group or local council; more likely to be forced into an early marriage17, and more likely to be victims of violence, or to undergo sexual exploitation or trafficking.18 The girls and young women most affected share one (or more) of the following characteristics: 1) they belong to socially excluded and vulnerable groups; 2) they live in female or child headed households; 3) they live in remote rural areas or urban slums; 4) they lack adequate protection as for instance in the cases of domestic workers or trafficked girls and/or 5) their environment is affected by insecurity, vulnerability to conflict or HIV and AIDS. Country analyses also show that gender disparities often are intensified when girls enter adolescence (beginning from 10 years).19

5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy 14

Alliance Members and partner organisations identified three problem areas which together tend to reinforce girls’ discrimination and exclusion: gender based violence, educational exclusion and a lack of participation and representation in decision-making. Harmful practices such as early marriage, female genital cutting, gender-based violence and sexual abuse prevent girls from entering and completing

primary and secondary education as well as from accessing vocational training programs. Without access to literacy skills, relevant knowledge and life skills, girls and young women’s vulnerability to violence may increase.20 A retreat into the domestic sphere, coupled with the unequal division of labour at household level, can negatively affect girls’ future chances to develop employment skills and access better paid and more stable job opportunities. The relatively isolated position of many girls and women in the community and their economic dependency on others (fathers, husbands, male relatives) can further constrain their participation in private and public decision-making. Without strong female leadership and political representation, laws, policies and public services risk continuing to ignore girls and women’s interests and needs. Structural causes of girls’ discrimination and exclusion are tied to persistent gender-discriminatory socio-cultural norms and beliefs and localised social construction of gender roles. Such norms, values and roles shape the working of public institutions such as political decision-making bodies, education and protection services and the judiciary. In the majority of programme countries, laws, policies and services ensuring gender equality are either non-existent or inadequately implemented and enforced. Often, statutory laws prohibiting gender discrimination exist alongside contradictory (gender discriminatory) customary laws.21 In addition, governments’ budgets and investments in essential public services (sexual and reproductive health, education, vocational training and protection), may well be limited and lack a specific focus on (adolescent) girls and young women. There is a clear structural dimension in all programme countries of a lack of rights awareness and leadership of girls and young women. Wider socio-economic, political and cultural changes within society in the 15 programme countries are however gradually influencing current patterns of gender discrimination and inequality. Country analyses reveal some positive trends such as increased attention to, and public expenditure in, girls’ enrolment in primary education plus the expansion of social protection programmes. The decentralization of public services has brought opportunities for poor families and communities to participate in local decision-making. However, decentralisation does not always lead to improved governance. In many countries, corruption and clientelism have proven to be as pervasive at the local level as they are at the national level. In addition, due to rural poverty and migration, poor rural households are often fragmented; increasing girls’ vulnerability to HIV infection, gender based violence and forced early marriage. Girls and young women themselves are increasingly leaving their rural communities to find their place in the labour market. They are however more generally likely to become part of the flexible workforce, which is marked by insecurity, sometimes exploitative working conditions and easily discarded during economic downturns. This is particularly true for girls and young women who work in domestic service, the least regulated and protected sector. The three key problem areas (gender based violence, educational exclusion and a lack of participation) constitute the point of departure for the design of our programme. In identifying these areas, the Child Rights Alliance has taken into account the recommendations made by the UN Task Force on Gender Equality to accelerate progress on MDG3. The task force has identified 7 intervention areas22, of which we prioritise the following: (1) Strengthening post-primary education of girls; (2) Elimination of gender inequality in employment; (3) Increasing opportunities for political participation of girls and women; (4) combating violence against children.

20. In the countries where girl’ literacy is lowest, their chances of early marriage are highest such as in Mali where 15 year old girls have a 44% chance of being married, and Ethiopia where girls have a 43% chance of being married (NIKE Foundation, Mapping the Girl Effect, 2009, pg. 78) 21. See, for example, country context analysis of Malawi and Zambia. 22. The UN Task Force on Gender Equality has defined seven strategic areas: (1) Strengthening post-primary education of girls; (2) Guaranteeing universal access to sexual and reproductive health services; (3) Investing in infrastructure to reduce girls’ and women’s time burden; (4) Guaranteeing girls and women’s property and inheritance rights; (5) Elimination of gender inequality in employment; (6) Increasing opportunities for political participation of girls and women; (7) combating violence against children (Taking Action: Achieving gender equality and empowering women: UN Millennium programme, 2005). 23. On which we have signed an MoU with the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance and IMPACT consortium (see appendix e) and established a collaboration (see collaboration with the WASH alliance in Chapter 8 on Harmonisation).

Within these and based on the key findings of the context analyses, our added value as compared to (proposed) actions of national and international actors, the Child Rights Alliance has identified the following three objectives: 1. Reduction of sexual and gender-based violence against girls and young women; 2. Increased socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women by strengthening quality and access to education, with special focus on post-primary education, including vocational, financial and employment skills; 3. Increased socio-political empowerment of girls and young women by promoting their participation in private and public decision-making processes. Achievement of these objectives, and effective alignment to other programmes addressing girls’ rights and gender equality in sectors such as sexual and reproductive health and water and sanitation23, will contribute to the realization of Child Rights Alliance’s vision: a world in which both girls and boys are ensured their rights and develop to their fullest potential. 5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy 15

24. See further chapter 6 and appendix i. for our Theory of Change. 25. This is evidenced through regular programme consultations and participatory assessments with organised girls and boys such as Plan’s annual participatory program reviews, Free Voice’s focus group discussions and annual reviews of Kids News programmes.

5.2.2c The strategy and ownership of the programme The design of the Girl Power programme and the choice of strategies is a result of extensive consultation with a broad group of civil society organisations, including partner organisations at different levels, regional partners and representatives from governments and research institutes in all 15 programme countries. During this process Alliance Members and partner organisations, through their participatory programme monitoring mechanisms, have consulted the various target groups of the Girl Power programme. Based on the outcomes of these consultations and our understanding of how change for gender equality can be achieved (our Theory of Change24) we have selected three strategies. There follows and explanation of how each strategy is logically derived from the objectives of the programme and how ownership of the relevant target groups will be ensured. We believe ownership is truly realized if it is based on: (1) consultation with target groups in programme design; (2) proposed strategies and actions in accordance with target groups’ needs and wishes and (3) the influence of target groups on strategy development. Strategy 1: Civil society strengthening: gender based violence and socio-economic inequality can not be addressed effectively whilst girls and young women remain excluded from private and public decisionmaking. Their lack of voice and participation is, among other causes, a result of prevailing gender norms and persistent gender discrimination which inhibit girls and young women from developing the knowledge and skills necessary for participation and collective mobilisation. Civil society can play a pivotal role in strengthening girls and young women’s individual and collective agency, and in creating a more supportive environment for their participation in decision-making structures and broader civil society coalitions at all levels. CSOs may serve as a useful forum for representing and amplifying girls’ voices and to help them defend their interests in public decision-making arenas. This however requires the strengthening of civil society itself as well as enhanced commitment and capacity of CSOs to defend girls’ rights. The following principles were followed in order to ensure that targeted CSOs, including those of girls and young women, are the owners of their own capacity building process: • Consultations with girls’ clubs, child and youth associations, CBOs and NGOs during the design of the Girl Power programme; • Proposed actions meet girls’ and young women’s aspirations to organise, take part in CSO actions and decision-making and participate actively in local and national politics;25 • Choice for specific strategies and instruments (such as sport programmes, kids news programmes and child sensitive (peer-to-peer) methodologies) has been made in response to the needs of girls and young women for information, rights awareness and social networks; • Targeted CSOs will be able to influence the course of the programme. They are part of annual consultations and participatory assessments of partners and Country Steering Committees. Strategy 2: Direct poverty alleviation: access to psycho-social and legal support services and post-primary education (including vocational, financial and employment skills) are necessary in order to protect girls and young women from gender based violence and to increase their future employment opportunities. There is an acutely limited capacity of governments to provide accessible and girl-friendly education and protection services in post-conflict (profile 1) countries in particular. Low levels of technical, financial, organisational and institutional capacity have also been found in other programme countries, particularly affecting local service providers and the child protection sector. The programme will employ interventions with the strategy of direct poverty alleviation addressing the capacity constraints of local governments and local service providers. This includes the development and up scaling of innovative service provision models, such as integral child protection systems and the strengthening of institutional arrangements for effective service delivery. In post-conflict countries, it may be necessary to initially invest in the direct provision of education and protection services whilst seeking to gradually transfer capacities and responsibilities to government agencies. The capacity development interventions within this strategy are complemented by actions of awareness raising and rights education targeting communities, parents/ care-givers, girls and boys. These actions address the many currently gender-discriminatory or gender-blind attitudes and practices which currently limit girls’ access to services such as post-primary education.

5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy 16

Ownership by targeted government agencies and communities, including parents and girls and boys and young women, will be ensured through: • Consultations with communities, groups of girls and boys and local service providers during the design of the Girl Power programme; • Proposed actions, such as rights education and community mobilisation, meet the needs of poor communities to take actions to prevent violence and school drop-out. Development of innovative service delivery models, capacity building of technical staff and strengthened institutional cooperation between service providers, responds to the needs of local government agencies to carry out their entrusted tasks and responsibilities; • Targeted communities, parents, girls, young women and boys, together with local service providers, will be part of the annual monitoring and accountability of partners and Country Steering Committees. Furthermore, the programme promotes participatory mechanisms as an integral part of improved service provision, such as student councils in secondary schools.

26. KNN Mid-Term Evaluation Report (Indonesia), 2008 and Final Report on KNN (Peru), 2009

Strategy 3: Lobbying and advocacy: all the context analyses have revealed enormous shortcomings in laws and public policies aimed at girls’ protection, girls’ equal access to (post-primary) education and their participation in decision-making. In some countries, gender sensitive laws and policies are absent while in others relevant laws and policies are insufficiently implemented and enforced. Often, laws prohibiting gender discrimination and gender based violence exist alongside contradictory widely-practised customary laws. Legal and policy changes are needed in order to reduce gender based violence as well as promoting girls’ and young women’s access to education and to the spaces where decisions are made (family, community, civil society and state). Actions within the strategy of lobbying and advocacy are therefore an essential component of the approach of the Girl Power programme. Ownership by the target group of politicians, policy makers and leaders is ensured through: • Involvement of and cooperation with progressive and gender sensitive politicians and public leaders in the development of alternative law and policy proposals (such as existing coalitions of mayors promoting child rights). • Proposed actions within this strategy, such as exchanges among politicians and public leaders at different levels and between politicians and CSOs, enables political actors to build stronger ties with constituencies in civil society.

5.2.2d The influence of lessons learned on the programme During the preparation and design phase of the Girl Power programme (May to November 2009), all Alliance Members shared and discussed their programme findings and lessons learned. In the consultations in the 15 programme countries (January to March 2010), lessons learned by Alliance Members were discussed with partners and relevant stakeholders. In the development of the respective country programme, partners were asked to explain their choice of strategies with references to specific lessons learned and findings of project and program evaluations. Alliance Members checked the validity and relevance of proposed strategies and developed, on the basis of the country proposals, the main strategies of the Girl Power programme. The main lessons learned which have informed our choices of strategies are listed below. A representative example is given of each lesson learned.

1. Use of children’s news television and radio programmes to empower girls and improve citizen skills Specific news programmes directed at children contribute to enhanced political awareness and participation in public affairs. Kids News Network programmes supported by Free Voice and Plan Netherlands in Peru and Indonesia demonstrate that girls and boys are eager to access information and news which is easy to understand and nice to watch. Evaluations of these programmes26 have shown that the ‘use’ of news by children increases when more interactive and participatory methods are used, such as the involvement of youth correspondents and of schools and child clubs in the preparation of news items. In both countries, children expressed concerns and complaints about local issues and asked questions to responsible political leaders. Based on this experience, the Girl Power programme will use news programmes as an instrument to raise girls’ political awareness and to ensure that programmes are connected to existing girls’ groups and organisations. 5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy 17

27. Thematic evaluation on Universal Primary Education, Plan International, 2009.

2. Use of sport programmes to empower girls and improve their level of self-organisation. Evidence has shown that, through participating in sport programmes, girls acquire leadership and decision-making skills and expand their social networks. The experience of belonging to a group contributes to increased self-confidence and trust in the capacity to act together. Experience shows that in order to achieve these effects, sport programmes must be situated within a safe and supportive environment, in which (female) mentors, women’s organisations and gender sensitive CBOs play an essential role. Evidence of this can be found in the sport project implemented by Women Win’s partner MIFUMI in Uganda. MIFUMI not only supported 120 girls to become ‘gender and sports leaders’ of local girls’ groups (involving a total of 1920 girls across 4 sub-counties) but also reached out to parents and communities to build understanding and leadership in tackling underlying structures that perpetuate gender discrimination. The Girl Power programme will therefore combine the approach of stimulating girls’ empowerment and organisation through sports with actions (by partners in the local civil society such as CBOs, NGOs and media) aimed at transforming awareness and skills of communities and parents.

3. Develop vertical and horizontal linkages between CSOs to strengthen voice and accountability In its School Improvement Programs (SIP), Plan Nederland supports the capacity development of local child and youth organisations, CBOs and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) to help them voice their demands to school and (local) educational authorities. Evaluations of SIP programmes (Bangladesh, Ghana, and Ethiopia) have shown increased rights awareness of children and parents plus greater capacity to interact with teachers and school principals.27 However, these gains in themselves are not sufficient to create sustainable participatory practices. Two key lessons have been learned. Firstly, children and parents’ participation in school management and local decision-making is generally more effective when their initiatives are supported by different actors in local and national civil society such as other CBOs, religious groups, local media, national child rights NGOs and teacher unions. Secondly, interventions need to focus on voice and accountability simultaneously, rather than assuming that one automatically leads to the other. This requires that the voice and demands of CSOs are connected to relevant actors in state institutions, while strengthening the existing mechanisms of citizen participation and control (such as working with local development councils or participatory budgeting processes). Both these lessons learned have been integrated into the Girl Power programme. A key strength of the Child Rights Alliance is that its diverse range of civil society partners has the ability to reach out to different sectors and levels of civil society. Furthermore, part of the civil society strengthening and lobbying and advocacy strategies involve support to partners’ interaction with local and national governments.

4. Adopt a cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach to address violence against girls and boys Several Alliance Members (Plan Nederland, CHI, DCI-ECPAT and ICDI) have joined up to combat violence against girls and boys in Kenya (with a grant from the Millennium Fund). The development of an integral child protection system constitutes an essential element of this programme. A child helpline has proven to be a key player in the institutional development of such a protection system. Lessons learned from the initial programme phase show the importance of adopting a multi-stakeholder approach right from project concept stage. In Kenya, the helpline (Childline Kenya) managed to bring together all stakeholders (relevant government officials, local helplines, child rights networks, universities, telecommunications companies, NGOs, UNICEF, other donors and child rights activists) together to map available protection services, to brainstorm around the value of a child helpline and to engage in joint strategy development. This approach has resulted in a better understanding of the needs of children by all players and an increased commitment to take appropriate action and follow-up. The Girl Power programme will make use of these experiences working with local partners to build child helplines as corner stones of integral child protection systems.

5. Section 5.2.2 Objective and strategy 18

6. Section 5.2.3 Intended results

6. Section 5.2.3 Intended results 5.2.3a Intended results and effectiveness of the programme See appendix 3.

5.2.3b The connection between strategy and intended results of the programme To achieve equal rights and opportunities for girls and boys, change is required on four broad and interrelated dimensions: in laws, public policies and services (i.e. institutional level), in the beliefs and practices of communities and families (i.e. socio-cultural level), in civil society itself (civil society level) and in the capabilities of girls and young women (i.e. individual level). The kind of social change envisaged by the Child Rights Alliance is ultimately aimed at bringing about more equitable participation and distribution of power between girls and boys and men and women. An active and well organised civil society can play a pivotal role in this process, acting as a trigger to help generate profound social changes on all these dimensions. The programme’s output associated with girls clubs these desired outcomes reflect the expected changes within partner organisations and in the inter-organisational relationships between them, as well as between Alliance Members and their alignment and harmonization with other relevant stakeholders. The intervention logic of the Girl Power programme to achieve these results by 2015 is depicted in the figure below. INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

Equal rights and opportunities

Media organisations

Free Voice CHI Plan NL/ CO DCI ECPAT WW ICDI

childhelplines

NGOs

girls/ boys/youth organisations

CBOs

associations of professionals women’s rights organisations training and research institute

CIVIL SOCIETY LEVEL

SOCIO CULTURAL LEVEL

INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

To achieve the desired outcomes at each of these four levels, the Girl Power programme will use three main intervention strategies:

1. Civil society development (CSD) The CSD strategy will lead to a strengthened civil society which is effectively addressing girls’ rights violations and gender inequality. This outcome contains several components: 1) the enhanced participation of girls and young women in civil society; 2) the inclusion of girls’ rights and gender equality into civil society’s agenda; 3) increased coordination between civil society actors addressing girls’ rights and gender equality and 4) a more effective interface between organised civil society and the State to monitor and demand compliance of girls’ and women’s rights. These outcomes are to be achieved through: • Increasing partners’ capacity to analyse gender issues, mainstream those in their actions and to identify and actively involve marginalized girls and young women in their programming and decision-making. In addition, we support partners to develop and build on experience and good practice of accountability towards girls and young women. This will ensure girls’ influence on partners’ as well as it increases partners’ credibility to promote gender sensitivity and accountability among a wider group of CSOs; • Supporting partners which target groups of marginalized girls and young women to raise girls’ rights awareness, and develop their leadership capacity, social skills and networks, all of which can contribute to strengthening girls’ organisations and their broader engagement in other civil society initiatives; • Research into the specific conditions and barriers experienced by girls and young women and joint learning among partners and local research institutes, which will help partners to develop sound strategies for advocacy towards other civil society actors as well as government agencies. • Networking amongst a wide range of partners, such as national NGOs, women’s rights organisations, youth

6. Section 5.2.3 Intended results 19

1. Improved coordination between partners’ campaigns will increase coverage, a known condition for generating and sustaining sociocultural change.

associations, CBOs and media will help forge stronger links between CSOs and their local constituencies. The Country Steering Committees (CSOs), formed by partners, will play an important role in stimulating more effective civil society coordination and collaboration. • Supporting partners in their efforts to make effective use of existing participatory mechanisms for public accountability such as budget monitoring, parliamentary public hearings and local development councils. The involvement of media partners will support CSOs to perform a watchdog role vis-à-vis government.

2. Sustainable Economic Development and Direct Poverty Reduction (SED/DPA) : The SED/DPA strategy entails actions aimed at girls and young women’s empowerment (the individual dimension), gender sensitive norms, values and practices hold by communities (the socio-cultural dimension) and increased capacity of public service provision agencies (the institutional dimension). The outcome-level result of girls’ empowerment has two core components. Firstly, girls’ increased access to essential assets of (post-primary) education, vocational training and protection services. Second, girls’ ability to use these assets in order to freely pursue their ambitions (agency). The following actions contribute to these outcomes: • Capacity development and gender mainstreaming support to partners such as child helplines, Defence for Children/ECPAT protection centres, CBOs and NGOs specializing in (formal and non-formal) education. These partners assist relevant government agencies and their frontline staff (teachers, social workers, policemen, lawyers, judges, etc) to expand the coverage and quality of protection and education services. We will promote innovative models of service delivery and effective scaling therereof. In protection, this programme will work towards more integral, gender sensitive protection systems, which combine preventive and referral services, psycho-social counseling, legal support, parenting assistance and medical care. In education, our focus is on (the transition to) post-primary education and on girls’ vocational and technical skills development . • Support partners such as NGOs and CBOs to create safe spaces (through student councils, girls’ self-help clubs, and sport programmes) for girls, young women and boys. • Support partners such as CBOs, child rights NGOs and media organisations in the implementation of awareness-raising campaigns and rights education programmes targeted at community members, in particular leaders, parents and men and boys. Research and joint learning (for example through the Country Steering Committees) will help partners to raise the effectiveness of their efforts to change existing gender discriminatory norms and practices.1 The improved capacity of service providers to deliver adequate protection and education services, in combination with increases in the demand for these services – as communities and parents recognize and assume their responsibility to support girls’ access to education and to prevent violence towards them– will help girls and young women to gain access to these essential assets, as well as to develop their abilities and self-esteem to make meaningful choices. The empowerment of targeted girls and young women will also have a positive effect for a wide range of secondary beneficiaries, as the primary targeted girls grow to be able to act as leaders and agents of change within their own communities.

3. Lobbying and advocacy (LA)

6. Section 5.2.3 Intended results 20

Actions within the LA strategy target politicians, policy makers and public leaders at national and local levels. The outcome-level result of this strategy is increased responsiveness and accountability of national and local governments to marginalized girls and young women. This result includes three expected changes: (1) improved laws, policies and law enforcement related to girls and young women’s protection against violence, access to education and employment opportunities and to their participation in private and public decision-making; (2) an increased supply of public services for protection and education and (3) strengthened accountability of government authorities and service providers towards girls and young women. The following actions are planned to achieve these outcomes: • Support to partners’ lobbying activities for law and policy reform and importantly, their enforcement, will help address the problem in many countries of non-existent, inadequate or insufficiently enforced laws and policies protecting girls from physical and sexual violence . • Research on policy development, together with increased networking between local research institutions and NGOs engaged in child rights monitoring, such as national DCI/ECPAT sections, child helplines and professional associations, will help partners to develop sound and evidence-based proposals for policy reform. • Strengthening of linkages between regional partners – such as ACPF and FAWE in Africa and SACG in Asia – and partners in the programme countries. In some countries, the ability of civil society to directly lobby and pressure government is severely limited. By bringing in regional partners, joint learning on effective lobbying strategies can be enhanced whilst alternative ways to influence these governments can be explored and pursued, for example through the African Union and the African Peer Review Mechanism.

5.2.3c Baseline measurement of the programme The baseline study will be carried out during November and December 2010. Results will be available by the start of the Girl Power programme in January 2011. Baseline studies for the 15 country programmes, including the regional components, serve three purposes: 1. To generate information on the initial value of key indicators at project, programme and overall (CRA) programme level. This information will be the basis for measuring the progamme’s subsequent performance (achievement of output- and outcome-level results). 2. To generate information on the initial value of key indicators related to specific contextual variables which may influence the result areas of the Girl Power programme. This information will be necessary for monitoring the influence of contextual factors on the programme’s target groups (such as the spread of HIV/AIDS, the implementation of social protection programmes or changes in the political climate and relationships between ethnic groups in post-conflict countries). 3. To establish specific milestones based upon the initial value of key indicators, for monitoring the programme’s progress. Milestones refer to the expected changes occurring at the level of (individual) partners and country steering committees as well as to the key stages in the change processes affecting the programme’s different target groups. Milestones will be set in close consultation with CSC, partners and target groups.

2. For details on this refer also to MFSII application Phase I: section IV Organisational Check, 4.2.1a., 4.2.2.a. and (ii) section V Alliance Check, criteria 4.3.1. 3. Such as KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) in Amsterdam and SSRC (Social Science Research Council) in New York

Country baseline studies will build upon the respective context analyses conducted in 2010. Their design and implementation will be the result of a collaborative effort between CRA, Country Steering Committees (CSCs), partner organisations and target groups. Established international research institutes such as the New Yorkbased Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the Centre of Development Innovation in Wageningen will provide technical support to the Alliance, the CSCs, and partners. They will also engage with their own local research partners in order to produce high quality baseline studies in each country context and to advise the CSC’s in the analysis and interpretation of baseline data. All country baselines will generate information that can be directly linked to the results framework (see section 5.2.3a). In order to ensure comprehensive integration of such complex issues in the results framework we will use a variety of indicators which reflect both tangible variables, such as access rates to education, as well as ‘softer’ variables which measure less tangible aspects such as self-confidence of girls, and decision making power within the household and community. This implies a combination of qualitative and quantitative information, including surveys and perceptual studies, and the use of participatory approaches wherever possible. All data collected will be gender disaggregated (see also 5.2.4).

5.2.3d The programme must tie with the applicant’s (and co-applicants) capacity The members of the Dutch Child Rights Alliances have the organisational, financial and human resource capacity to successfully implement the Girl Power programme, both as individual agencies as well as an Alliance as a whole.2 Between them, Alliance Members have a total of 160 staff in the Netherlands, and several have an extensive international network as well (Plan, Defence for Children-ECPAT, Child Helpline International). With regard to financial capacity, the programme’s financial administration will be led by the finance department of Plan Nederland and we will make extensive use of the existing rigorous policies, procedures and systems for financial management within the Plan International network. The budgets for each Alliance Member are in line with the organisation and financial capabilities. All Members have demonstrated the capacity to handle grants from multiple sources, of a size comparable to the funding requested from MFS II. A part of the overhead budget is reserved to cover costs related to Alliance building. The resulting strengthening of the Alliance will further improve our capacity and generate cost optimization. With regard to human capacity, Alliance Members have significant knowledge and expertise in the programme’s key thematic areas. Plan has extensive experience of supporting local civil society organisations in implementing programmes around protection, economic empowerment and participation, using a rights-based approach. Child Helpline International and Defence for Children-ECPAT bring considerable expertise in integrated child protection systems which they also implement in partnership with Plan and ICDI in a Millennium Fund-supported programme in Kenya. Specific gender technical knowledge is available in Plan and Women Win and where required it will also be brought in through agreements with other capacity-building organisations.3 ICDI brings capacity-building skills in child development issues and Free Voice will provide technical capacity in relation to the use of local media in civil society development, awareness raising and advocacy. Women Win will contribute its extensive knowledge on the empowerment of girls and young women through the use of sport. 6. Section 5.2.3 Intended results 21

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation 5.2.4a Monitoring the intended results, ensuring contextual relevance A common feature of the Girl Power programmes in the 15 target countries will be a harmonised country planning, monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) system that generates both unique progress information per country and comparable country data that can be aggregated across countries to support assessment at outcome and impact levels. We will use the harmonised PM&E system to first collect programme output and outcome data at country level, and analyse them with reference to their specific country context. We will then combine the information generated by the 15 different countries to generate a regular snapshot of the performance of the Girl Power programme at the Child Rights Alliance level. The Child Rights Alliance will encourage programme learning. We will for example support initiatives to feed monitoring information into operational practices and exchange information between partners, countries and regions, both within the Child Rights Alliance as with related alliances (as pointed out in the MoUs in appendices d, e, and f.)

1. DAC Guidelines and Reference Series: Quality Standards for Development Evaluation, 2010 2. ‘Applying a Rights-based Approach: an inspirational guide for civil society.’ (Jakob Kirkemann Boesen & Tomas Martin) 3. Danida Technical Note 6: Gender-sensitive monitoring

Appendices c. Framework for accountability and M&E, alignment and harmonisation and capacity building d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance/SRHR Alliance/IMPACT Consortium f. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance/Together4Change Alliance/ACPF g. Child Rights Alliance Governance Model h. Child Rights Alliance Partnership Agreement

We will link the information generated by the harmonised PM&E system at country and overall levels to the Girl Power’s three strategic areas of intervention; differentiated by the institutional, socio-cultural and individual realms of society. At the end of the programme cycle, we will commission evaluations of the effect of the Girl Power programme on civil society organisations, and on the lives of girls and young women as final beneficiaries in the 15 target countries.

Monitoring In addition to providing information for operational guidance and accountability, monitoring also provides information for continuous learning. The monitoring system of the Girl Power programme will take place within the framework depicted in appendix c. and will begin with the baseline information collected prior to the programme’s start (see section 5.2.3c). Child Rights Alliance quality standards for monitoring and evaluation processes are in line with DAC quality standards as developed by the OECD in 20101. Additional inspiration for monitoring RBA and gender is drawn from documents such as “Applying a Rights-based Approach”2 and “Gender-sensitive monitoring and indicators”.3 Monitoring of the Girl Power programme will take place at three levels – project, country and Girl Power programme (overall) level. In appendix g. the structure of the Childs Rights Alliance is explained.

At project level • Implementing organisations collect monitoring data based on their specific project needs. An integral part of the design of the Girl Power programme is that the Alliance Members support their partners, including the Country Steering Committee (CSC), to improve monitoring practices and data gathering activities and make effective use of findings. • The implementing partner, CSC and Dutch Alliance Members (through the Dutch Steering Committee - DSC) sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning roles and responsibilities, including accountability. Implementing partners will be directly accountable to their respective Dutch Alliance Members; they will also report to their CSC. The Alliance Member and CSC will monitor the performance using reports, modern ICT technology and field visits where appropriate. Together, they will identify, discuss and address deviations from performance expectations through capacity building programmes. • In case project performance remains structurally weak or unaligned with overall programme objectives, despite the capacity building efforts undertaken, the DSC may enforce sanctions in line with the Child Rights Alliance’s sanction policy as described in the Partnership Agreement (appendix h.). • Frequency of reporting: quarterly financial reports and six-monthly progress reports.

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation 23

4. Refer to Governance Model for further details (appendix g. pg 6)

Appendices g. Child Rights Alliance Governance Model

At country programme level • The CSC is responsible for monitoring the performance of the country programme, particularly in terms of synergies between individual projects, alignment and harmonisation, and the development of civil society. It will also reflect on its own performance as a body for programme coordination and as a facilitator for learning. All CSC members will develop adequate PM&E capacity to fulfil roles and responsibilities as agreed in the MoU with the Child Rights Alliance. • The CSC will organise annual programme reflection sessions with all partners in the programme. Alliance Members and final beneficiaries (girls and young women) analyse country programme monitoring information and possibly suggest strategic and operational programme adjustments. The CSC may extend invitations to this annual programme reflection to other MFS II programmes/organisations and other relevant development agents to enhance synergy, complementarity, and harmonisation - as stipulated in the MoUs between the Alliance, CSC and relevant third parties. The DSC will provide a guiding framework for this annual programme reflection process to ensure consistency across countries. • The CSC will report to the DSC on developments regarding civil society organisations (CSO) involved in the programme; progress made in the three strategic areas of intervention; CSC performance regarding alignment, harmonisation and learning; plans for next year; and advice regarding changes required for programme improvement. • All country programmes will be subjected to a mid term review (MTR). The CSC will initiate and coordinate the Country MTRs, supported by the DSC if needed. MTR expertise can generally be organised locally. Central in the Girl Power programme is the strengthening of capacity in CSOs for strategic planning and effective programme implementation. MTRs are mainly internal exercises with a focus on learning. They will review and assess the effectiveness of the Girl Power’s capacity building efforts, identify successes and shortcomings and provide information for programme steering. MTRs will build on the annual programme reflection sessions and translate findings for new practice, either for individual partner organisations or for the country programmes as a whole. However, any country programme re-orientation will be a joint decision between all stakeholders involved, including the DSC. • A representative number of MTRs will be implemented by external evaluators in order to assess overall programme progress at mid point. • Frequency of reporting: annual narrative progress report and annual update on action plans. At Girl Power (overall) programme level • The DSC will coordinate the monitoring process across the 15 countries, supported by knowledge institutes, such as the Centre of Development Innovation in Wageningen and the Social Science Research Council in New York, and compile aggregated progress reports, based upon country progress information provided by CSCs including financial information. • The DSC will monitor CSC performance and country programme progress. Monitoring information will be made available from progress reports such as the individual partner organisation reports, CSC reports and country MTRs; and from participation in annual reflection sessions in the programme countries. The DSC may release additional support to strengthen the CSC in view of its roles and responsibilities, as agreed in the MoU between CSC and the Alliance. • The DSC will monitor the global and regional activities through progress reports submitted by regional partners to their partner organisation(s), members of the Alliance, and based on the country progress of the regional programmes as reported by CSCs. • The DSC will annually review its own performance regarding coordination, harmonisation and alignment, and the overall progress of the programme. The DSC will invite representatives of CSCs and Dutch and international organisations to participate in this review. • Frequency of reporting: once a year or as agreed with DGIS.

Monitoring of the Girl Power programme complies with the following basic principles:

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation 24

• Capacity building of CSCs and other CSOs aim for maximum devolution of monitoring responsibilities to the countries, in order to enhance programme ownership and strengthen the sustainability of results. The division of tasks between the DSC and CSC will be agreed upon annually per country, and will depend on the steering and management capacity of each CSC.4

• Participation of final beneficiaries in progress monitoring and assessment is structurally embedded in the Girl Power’s country PM&E system. Not only are girls and young women the best judges of the successes we achieve, but their participation also serves as a mechanism for empowerment, which is one of the main objectives of the Girl Power programme. To facilitate the principle of participation, participatory M&E methods and techniques form an integral part of the PM&E system; including methods such as Most Significant Change (MSC), self-assessment and others. For example, in each country 10-30 girls will be invited to give a regular update on-line of their experience with Girl Power activities and formulate questions for girls in other countries.5 They will discuss (on-line) the impact of the programme on their own lives. The information will be used as illustrations to reports. In those countries where it is not possible for the girls to interact on-line (lack of internet, computer illiteracy) a partner organisation will facilitate discussions and feed the information on-line. • Composite indicators will be used in baseline study, monitoring and evaluation. However, at country level the composition of such indicators may change according to the local context. This will be undertaken by the CSC with support from the Centre of Development Innovation (Wageningen) and the Social Science Research Council (New York), to ensure that they fit the country specific monitoring needs and still yield meaningful input to the DSC. • Additional management information will be generated by action research components embedded in most country programmes. Action research ensures a more comprehensive understanding of project reality and the situation of girls in a continuously changing environment, thus providing necessary information for enhancing project efficiency and effectiveness. • To increase efficiency, good practice and experience from the monitoring systems of partner organisations and Alliance Members will be used to monitor the Girl Power programme. Plan’s Programme Accountability and Learning System (PALS) will serve as a solid foundation. Qualitative and quantitative data will be gathered to answer performance questions in relation to specific information needs. Diverse monitoring practices, such as video registration, participatory video, MSC methods, and case studies may be used by some Alliance Members to further strengthen the Girl Power’s monitoring approach. The use of a wide range of existing quality systems and procedures makes linking and contextualising the Girl Power programme results to wider developments relatively easy. It will also help make monitoring efforts more effective, whilst doing better justice to the complexity of reality. • The country level PM&E system will make use of existing databases and data collection methods, including national statistics. • Appreciation and application of linking and learning approaches to development is central to the Girl Power programme. Each country will develop its own linking and learning capacity building trajectory, assisted by local and international research institutes. Local development expertise will be enhanced, and programme ownership emphasised. Part of the capacity building process will be the establishment of Action Learning Groups. These groups will identify specific challenges in the programme and carry out short action research with the aim to improve on-going project or programme implementation. • Linking and learning will be facilitated through web-based applications. Web space will be created to share monitoring and evaluation reports and to exchange views and ideas.

5. The privacy of the girls is protected and personal statements of the girls can only be used with their consent, always respecting the Child Protection Code. 6. ‘Guide to gender-sensitive indicators’ (CIDA, 1997. pg. 39) 7. ‘Gender and indicators (overview report)’ (A. Moser, UNDP, 2007. pg. 26). 8. ‘Resources, agency, achievements: reflections on the measurement of women’s empowerment, Development and change’ (N. Kabeer, 1999 pg. 436 - 464. 30.3:435-64) Appendices 3.1 Intended results “GIRL POWER: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women”

Key indicators and country specific indicators for monitoring and evaluation Monitoring and evaluation in a complex world, involving organisations in different countries where other development agents are sometimes striving in different directions, is a major challenge. Results only become meaningful in relation to the specific context they belong to, and comparison and aggregation of apparently similar results may not always be appropriate. To be able to aggregate and synthesise data we have identified key-indicators (see appendix 3.1). At country level, key-indicators are translated in country specific indicators. This is done by the CSC with support from DSC and the Centre of Development Innovation of Wageningen University. Furthermore, the three strategic areas of the Girl Power programme focus on issues like participation and empowerment. It is internationally agreed that such issues are difficult to measure and there is no consensus on the methods to do so.6 Participation and empowerment consists of many dimension and

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation 25

cannot therefore be captured by a single indicator.7 We will use Kabeer’s approach8 for the measurement of girls’ and women’s empowerment. This involves three inter-related dimensions: access to resources (the precondition for empowerment); agency (the ability to use these resources to bring about new opportunities) and achievements. Each dimension will be measured with several country specific indicators which together constitute the programme specific Girl Power Gender Empowerment Measure (GPGEM).

5.2.4b Evaluations of the programme The Girl Power programme is subject to a cycle of five years. Halfway through, a mid term review will take place, covering all 15 country programmes. In the fifth year the entire programme will be evaluated. Evaluations will be independent, objective, transparent, valid, and reliable. Local researchers and research institutes will play a key role wherever possible. All evaluation (and monitoring) activities will respect ethical norms and values implied by human rights conventions such as the UNCRC and CEDAW. In any evaluation activity the participation of stakeholders, including final beneficiaries is considered a key value, as is doing no harm. A broad range of methods and techniques, both quantitative and qualitative (case studies, MSC, participatory rapid appraisal), will be used for appropriate triangulation of data and enhanced validity of results.

The three key types of evaluations we will use are: End-of project evaluations All projects under the Girl Power programme will be evaluated as part of the agreement between an Alliance Member and its implementing partner. A broad selection of methods will be used; ranging from internal evaluation workshops involving key stakeholders, to more “traditional” and formal independent external evaluations. For projects involving more than € 100.000 per year, our aim is to have evaluations that meet the above mentioned internationally agreed OECD-DAC criteria regarding reliability and validity. In addition, each Alliance Member will ensure that by the end of the project cycle at least 75% of their MFS II financed investments is adequately accounted for. End-of project evaluations focus on the outputs, outcomes and impacts of a project. Implementing partners will use evaluation findings to strengthen their project management and implementation. These findings will be used in the evaluations of the country programmes and the overall Girl Power programme. The CSCs and DSC will ensure that all end of project evaluations are made available on the website for linking and learning. Country programme evaluations The aim of country programme evaluations is to assess the effects of civil society strengthening on equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. It will evaluate synergies between programme components as well as the influence of programme alignment and coordination by the CSC. All country programmes will be evaluated externally and will meet the Child Rights Alliance quality standards. Coordination and organisation is a prime responsibility of the CSC, although in liaison with the DSC. Country programme evaluations provide the bulk of the information required for the programme metaevaluation. In-country, evaluation findings will be used for further civil society strengthening initiatives.

7. Section 5.2.4 Monitoring, accountability and evaluation 26

Girl-power programme meta-evaluation The final external meta-evaluation will assess results and effects from all countries, including regional programme components, together. It will assess the effectiveness of the three strategic areas of intervention of the Girl Power programme in relation to the 7 strategic areas of intervention identified by the UN-taskforce on gender equity. More specifically, the meta-evaluation looks at the changes that occurred in the situation of girls and young women and assesses the contribution of the Girl Power programme to these changes. Moreover the meta-evaluation will identify trends in categories of countries, based upon for example, region, security situation, strong or fragile duty bearer structure, and state of civil society. Results will be linked to relevant MDGs (particularly MDG 3). The meta-evaluation will comply with Alliance’s quality standards.

8. Section 5.2.5 Harmonisation and complementarity

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs:

“Child Rights Initiative”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors:

UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

PAKISTAN NEPAL BANGLADESH MALI

NICARAGUA SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA

GHANA

BENIN TOGO

ETHIOPIA

MALAWI ZAMBIA BOLIVIA

MOZAMBIQUE

As pointed out by the Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (WRR)1, sustainable development cooperation requires country-specific knowledge and a country-specific approach. However, more is needed to ensure a common policy. All members of the Child Rights Alliance have vast experience working in an international context where many donors are actively engaged. In accordance with the Accra agenda, the Child Rights Alliance acknowledges its responsibility in harmonising donor efforts to maximise the effects of its programme. The Child Rights Alliance is actively involved in efforts to coordinate policies with multilateral agencies like UNICEF and UNIFEM. We have for example explored linkages with the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls (working in Bangladesh, Benin, Mali, Malawi – and Ethiopia and Liberia are being seriously considered as new priorities) in order to align actions as much as possible both on country level as on global level. In addition we also harmonise actions with like minded alliances as described in the MoU “a child rights initiative” (appendix d.) and complement actions with alliances, such as the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance and the IMPACT Consortium (appendix e.) and the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Alliance, in order to contribute to the maximum to the improvement of equal opportunities and rights for girls and young women. In appendices 4.1 to 4.15 the harmonisation and complementarity is described per programme country, considering other (Dutch) civil society organisations and alliances locally active; bilateral aid and other important donors; always considering the relevance of the programme within the context of national government policies. In appendix 4.16 we describe in more detail how alignment at global and regional level takes place.

1. “Minder pretentie, meer ambitie – Ontwikkelingshulp die het verschil maakt” (2010, Amsterdam University Press, pg. 189 – 193) Appendices 4.1 - 4.15 Harmonisation and complementarity for each country 4.16 Global activities – harmonisa tion and complementarity d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative Section 8, Criterion 5.2.5a e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium

8. Section 5.2.5 Harmonisation and complementarity 27

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency

1. Refer to chapter 10 on sustainability. 2. Refer to 5.2.6b for details on how the role and development of CSCs contributes to the efficiency of the programme.

5.2.6a Efficiency of the programme The investments in the Girl Power programme are based on the achievement of efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. To continually ensure efficiency and effectiveness, we measure outcomes at different levels and make sure the investments translate into the maximum possible benefits for the target groups. In order to create a sustainable programme we focus on the development of our local partners and create local structures to promote learning and collaboration.1 The Girl Power programme has an overall budget of € 100.200.000. We are requesting a MFS II contribution of € 90.000.000 and will cover € 10.200.000 by our own contribution.

Appendices 5.1 Budget – “GIRL POWER: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women”

Budget structure The budget (appendix 5.1) consists of 5 parts: 1. Budget per intervention strategy, per intended result and at outcome level (appendix 5.1.1); 2. Budget per year, per country, per intervention strategy, and relationship to MFS Funds – own funding (appendix 5.1.2); 3. Budget per Alliance Member (appendix 5.1.3); 4. Overview of overhead costs (appendix 5.1.4); 5. Cash Flow Forecast (appendix 5.1.5) We provide broad details on each of these four sections below: 1. Budget per intervention strategy, per intended result and at outcome level (appendix 5.1.1) This structure illustrates in financial terms how the intervention logic of the Girl Power programme is linked to the intervention strategies laid out by the Ministry (direct poverty alleviation; building civil society; and influencing policy). Details on the intervention logic and the structure of the Girl Power programme can be found in chapter 5 and 6 of this proposal. The division of the budget according to the intervention strategy, intended results and at outcome levels is the sum of expected costs per country programme. These programmes are a product of specific contextual analyses (see appendices 2.1 – 2.15 and chapter 6). Based on theses contextual analyses, our partners have selected the most appropriate interventions for the country context. 2. Budget per year, per country, per intervention strategy, and relationship between MFS Funds – own funding (appendix 5.1.2) Each specific country programme is accompanied by a detailed budget, developed according to the intervention structure of the programme, and clearly specifying investments per theme and at outcome level (target groups). Based on that, appendix 5.1.2 provides an overview of the expected costs per country and per year. Here the costs are again divided across the intervention strategies as defined by the Ministry. 20% of the programme budget is reserved for capacity building activities. Depending on the needs and ambitions defined in each programme country capacity building activities are integrated in their programme proposals. However, in all country programmes budget is reserved for the development of a Country Steering Committee (CSC). The CSC basic task is to create a space for all CSO’s involved in the Girl Power programme to meet, to get to know each other and to build a relationship of trust. Additionally, the CSC may develop further coordinating activities regarding coaching, training on organisational and institutional development and/or training on specific technical skills, by stimulating the mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise between partner CSOs. Ultimately the CSC will grow to become a platform for joint lobby and advocacy activities for the equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women.2 In addition to country specific budgets, 9% of the programme budget has been reserved for global activities. Global activities cannot be directly linked to a specific country, but are essential for the success of the programme. The budget reserved serves to finance activities to stimulate regional and global

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency 29

3. In the Girl Power Programme budget no funds are reserved for fund raising activities; In the particular case of financing overhead costs for Plan Nederland, the 9% is divided between the Plan Nederland organisation (7%) and Plan Country Offices (2%). As previously indicated, Plan Nederland will co-fund the Girl Power programme with € 10.200.000 of which € 10.000.000 is allocated as programme costs. This is a net contribution, of which the overhead contribution for Plan Nederland office is already deducted. In addition, € 200.000 (2%) is reserved as a contribution to the overhead costs at Country Office level. 4. “GIRL POWER:Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women” phase 1 application, pg. 38 - 40

linking and learning between partners and programmes, to execute joint studies and to integrate regional and global evaluations into the effect of the programme. It also covers lobby and advocacy activities towards regional bodies and organisations and capacity building with regional partners. 3. Budget per Alliance Member (appendix 5.1.3) In this appendix we present the budget per partner, as well as the anticipated funding profile. The Child Rights Alliance is investing € 10.200.000 of its own resources in the programme, which is also reflected in this overview. 4. Overview of overhead costs (appendix 5.1.4) The budget differentiates between programme costs (89%), overhead costs (9%) and alliance costs (2%). Programme costs are costs for grants to partner organisations, expenditure on behalf of partner organisations and tasks carried out by Alliance Members’ staff and consultants, either to support partners, or to implement projects. We identify two types of programme costs: partner support and program & project implementation: Partner support: expenditure intended to maintain or enhance the capacity of partners. • non operational: grants transfers for partner overheads, or for consultants paid by partners for staff training and organisational development. • operational: Alliance Members’ project officers’ salaries, travel, project administration. Programme & project implementation: expenditure on programme or project implementation • non-operational: grants transfers to implementing partners for (technical support for) all programs and projects defined under the country specific Girl Power programmes. This includes expenditure related to capacity building activities within the projects. • operational: Alliance Members’ project officers’ salaries, travel, project administration. Overhead costs3 are defined in accordance to the definitions of RJ 650 regulations: overheads are the operating costs, such as costs for publicity and communication, employee salaries, housing, office and general costs, and depreciation and interest costs. We allocate costs based on the model as defined by RJ 650 (Model 3 “Model toelichting kosten verdeling”).4 In this proposal we further divide overhead costs as programme management costs and support and administration costs per Alliance Member: Programme management costs are costs associated with strategic programme planning, programme management cycle, and internal policy work and external relations, whether by programme staff, finance staff or consultants, wherever based. • Strategic programme planning costs: salaries, travel and administration incurred by staff and consultants engaged in strategic planning, programme management, internal policy work and external relations for management purposes; • Programme financial management: salaries, travel and administration incurred by Alliance Members’staff and consultants engaged in the financial aspects of strategic planning and programme management. Support & Administration costs are the costs for activities within the Alliance Member organisation for management control and financial administration that are allocated based on the VFI recommendations as published in January 2008.

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency 30

Alliance costs (2% of the overall budget) are used for the management of the Child Rights Alliance. The Dutch Steering Committee (DSC) is charged with operational management, with specific tasks such as: • supervision of Alliance Members and CSCs regarding programmatic progress; • supervision of PME processes and results, preparation of joint reports, audits of co-applicants, financial and administrative management of the Alliance, prepare alliance meetings and secretarial tasks (eg. minutes, archiving); • manage communication with Ministry and co-applicants. This results in more alignment of programme activities, quality management, clear and effective communication lines and centralized administration;

• initiating audits, reviews and signalling problems during programme implementation. The tasks laid out above will contribute to the alignment of programme activities, quality management, clear and effective communication lines and centralised administration.5 5. Cash Flow Forecast (appendix 5.1.5) In stage the Phase I application, we presented a cashflow forecast (Phase I, appendix 10c). Here we present the adjusted Cash Flow Forecast, based on the final budget per year as laid out in appendix 5.1.3.

Efficient allocation of efforts within the Alliance Each member of the Child Rights Alliance contributes to the Girl Power programme through its expertise in specific themes and at levels of interventions. By joining forces we not only create synergy to maximise our intended results, but we also make efficiency gains by dividing tasks and sharing (office) space. The governance structure of the Child Rights Alliance specifically defines roles and responsibilities for each Alliance Member.6 In addition, the relevant project management processes of each individual organisation are synchronised in order to improve the flow of (financial and administrative) information.

5. Refer to 5.2.6b for details on how the role and development of CSCs contributes to the efficiency of the programme. 6. Refer to 5.2.6b for a brief description of the Alliance Governance model. The full version of the model is added as appendix g. 7. Refer to the MoUs among different alliances in appendix d, e and f 8. GIRL POWER: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women” phase 1 application, pg. 87 Appendices d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative. e. Memorandum of Understanding

Specific time saving measures at Alliance structure level: Initially, a Dutch Steering Committee (DSC) will be installed, consisting of representatives of each Alliance Member. The DSC is responsible for general and administrative tasks such as administration, accountability and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The DSC will be located in the Plan Nederland office, being the main applicant. Each Alliance Member takes up a coordinating role in their specific area of expertise, and provides the other members with relevant information linked to the Girl Power programme. Each Alliance Member is also responsible for relationship management with one or more CSCs. The information is shared on an online workspace, as well as all other (country specific) information and reports. Two of the 6 Alliance Members are seated at the ‘Kinderrechtenhuis” in Leiden, providing space for meetings, workshops, presentations etc.

Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium f. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / Together4Change Alliance / ACPF g. Child Rights Alliance – Governance Model

Specific time saving measures at the Alliance process level: All Alliance Members keep track of time to monitor and improve efficiency. Reports and analyses will be discussed in the DSC. All members will work to the same format for project description, reporting and evaluation, enabling the DSC to aggregate information in a clear and simple way. All CSCs will report on programme process in relation to each specific country context in a fixed format, again to simplify aggregation of information. Monitoring visits and other travelling will be aligned: instead of field visits by 6 Dutch organisations, the Alliance Member responsible for the specific country programme management will visit the relevant CSOs and projects. When required, she/he will be supported by a thematic specialist. This is how the Child Rights Alliance contributes to increasing harmonisation, alignment and managing aid for results, as set out by the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action. In addition to the efficiency reached through cooperation within the Alliance, we also emphasise the contribution to efficiency through alignment and harmonisation with organisations outside the Alliance. In the Netherlands several Dutch Alliances have agreed upon sharing experiences and conducting studies and/or evaluations jointly;7 and at programme country level we link up with relevant UN agencies where ever possible to improve analyses of the context and to harmonise the interventions implemented through the Girl Power programme.

Added value of programme expenditures for target groups We have identified four target groups in the 15 country programmes: 1) CSOs; 2) vulnerable girls and young women; 3) their parents, families and communities; and finally 4) national and local government agencies. Country programmes were developed as a result of interactive consultation with partners and target groups.8 In each detailed country specific budget the investments per outcome level are differentiated, linked to the respective target groups. The proposed programme budget generates a clear and direct added value for the involved CSOs as it sup-

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency 31

9. Please refer to appendix g. ‘Child Rights Alliance – Governance Model’ for details on the CSCs 10. In the Child Rights Alliance the Plan COs are the only ones present in all programme countries. Their presence in each CSC helps to organize the CSCs in a uniform way, as it is Plan’s daily practice to coordinate cooperation among local, national and even international partners.

ports capacity building activities. Programmes and budgets have been developed with the target groups and according to the programme intervention logic, providing the CSOs involved with a Management Information System (MIS) for planning and monitoring. In addition, the investment made in the development of CSCs results in a time and costs saving support structure: the CSC can feedback immediately on the progress made by partners organisations and if necessary provide support, instead of having to depend on the time and schedule of one of the Dutch Alliance Members. This will have a direct effect on the outcome for the final beneficiaries as eventual adjustments needed in the programme can be signalled sooner.

5.2.6b Verification of the programme’s efficiency Programme efficiency is one of the core values of the Child Rights Alliance. Strong CSOs are the best way to ensure efficient implementation of the programme and its continuity. In order to maximise efficiency we have developed an organisational structure and a set of processes that support a results driven approach. The structure also takes into account the focus on strengthening the development of local partner organisations.

Supporting the development of strong and independent partners An efficient programme requires a logical and effective management structure combined with strong local partners able to take up the required management role. The stronger the local partner organisation, the greater its ability to develop sustainable programmes. We recognise this characteristic and therefore focus on the development of professional and capable local partners. To support this process we will develop Country Steering Committees9 and decentralise reporting.

Results driven structure Managing the Alliance is a complex task since it consists of 6 Dutch members, 15 programme countries and over 90 local partners, who in turn cooperate in their own civil society networks. To ensure that all these parties work towards the same goals as effectively as possible an organisational structure has been developed that focuses on local steering, country responsibility and a clear definition of roles. The structure is briefly described below; for further details refer to appendix g.: • The local partner organisations (members of civil society) are the implementing organisations in 15 countries. They are responsible for the implementation of programme activities. They report to their own Alliance Member as well as to the local Country Steering Committee. • The Country Steering Committees (CSC) exist in each country and are formed by 3 – 6 representatives of local partner organisations and a Plan Country Office.10 This is an important instrument in managing the interdependencies of the programme and to assure local influence on policy development. The CSC reports to the DSC each year on the progress of the Girl Power programme in relation to the country specific context analyses. • The individual Alliance Members are the 6 Dutch civil society organisations working together under the umbrella of the Child Rights Alliance. Each Alliance Member has a defined role to play in the implementation of the overall programme, based on their specialism. Programme officers of each organisation will report on the progress of their specific local partner, both narrative and financially. • The Dutch Steering Committee (DSC) consists of one representative per Alliance Member. The committee is responsible for the overall monitoring and evaluation and receives progress report from each Alliance Member and from the CSCs, in order to present an annual aggregated report (narrative and financial) to the BoD and finally the Ministry. The DSC meets at least every three months. • The Board of Directors (BoD) is formed by one director per Alliance Member, authorized to make all decisions with respect to the Girl Power programme. The BoD meet every six months. • The applicant (Plan Nederland) is held accountable for reporting on the Girl Power programme to the Dutch Ministry and has therefore the final say in authorizing the narrative and financial reports for the Ministry.

Monitoring and reporting

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency 32

As mentioned above, each country programme is developed in close collaboration with partner CSOs, to assure a context specific and tailor-made intervention. While there is freedom in developing local structures and making adaptations to specific contexts, there is also a robust reporting process in place. As a point of departure, the budget and intervention structure of the programme are clearly linked to each other, providing all involved parties at each level (CSO, CSC, individual Alliance Member, and the DSC)

with the same basis for their MIS. We combine technical and financial information in mid-year and yearly reports, in order to accurately assess effectiveness and efficiency. Our PME cycle starts with an annual plan which is developed by each CSC (per country) and the DSC (for the whole programme). We explain the reporting process below (please refer to chapter 7 for more details regarding PME). The table below gives an overview of these different reports and their content. Report

Objective

Indicators

From

Yearly activity plan

Project planning

Activities, financial and project planning

Local partner

Alliance Member

Quarterly financial report

Expenditure report

Financial

Local partner

Alliance Member

Mid-year progress report

Project progress

Activities, financial and project planning

Local partner

Alliance Member (cc CSC)

Mid-year progress report

Programme progress and budget requests

Activities, financial and project planning

Alliance Member

DSC

Midterm evaluation

Project progress and expected effects

Expected effects, efficiency and outcome

(External) evaluator

CSC and DSC

Project reports

Overall programme reports Yearly activity plan

Programme planning

Activities, financial and programme planning

CSC

DSC

Yearly progress report

Country level progress

Output

CSC

DSC

Yearly progress report

Programme progress

Output, outcome, financial

DSC

BoD

Yearly progress report

Programme progress

Output, (outcome), planning and financial

Plan Nederland

Ministry

Midterm evaluation

Programme progress and expected effects

Expected effects, efficiency and outcome

External evaluator

CSC and DSC

As is evident from the table, monitoring information is generated throughout the programme and results are aggregated at each level in order to prevent high administrative costs. The term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;aggregated resultsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; refers here to the aggregation of financial data and the aggregation at output/outcome level on a few selected indicators; the assessment of impact cannot take place through the aggregation of monitoring data but requires more comprehensive evaluation.

Additional measures to increase efficiency In addition to the importance of cost effectiveness, guaranteeing the implementation of high quality activities will be key for the effectiveness and impact of the programme. Therefore the following contingency measures are being developed: 1. Target groups/beneficiaries of the programme will frequently be asked for their feedback and opinions and can report any irregularities or improvements; 2. Local partners report bi-annually to their Dutch Alliance Member. If progress is lacking or the quality of the activities is not in accordance with the investments made, the Alliance Member may intervene directly. Potential interventions include shifts in planning or budget transfers; 3. The CSC annually reviews country progress and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; based on input from the local partners - can propose programme changes, link partners, organise extra meetings or ask for help from local or regional partners; 4. The DSC reviews all country progress annually and can propose programme changes. This is however always done in close cooperation with the CSC; 5. The representative of the Dutch Alliance will participate at least once per year in a CSC meeting, to discuss, support and monitor the functioning of the committee and the relationships between the local partners.

9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency 33

11. Please refer to chapter 7, section 5.2.4a for further details

Appendices h. Child Rights Alliance – Partnership Agreement

6. The Board of Directors of the Dutch Alliance has a final say in all matters regarding the programme, however ultimate decision making is the responsibility of the main applicant -Plan Nederland- director. The Partnership Agreement (appendix h.) also provides provisions for action in the event of disputes within the Board of Directors. These different groups are informed by regular reports, field visits, audit reports, target group questionnaires, and evaluations.

Case: managing a project as a consortium After approval of the Millennium project “Fighting violence to ensure education for all” in February 2009, the consortium of Plan in the Netherlands and Kenya, Child Helpline International, Childline Kenya, Defence for Children - ECPAT, ICDI and IREWOC started implementation in April 2009. Although all organisations involved have worked together in one way or another, this was the first time a project was being implemented as a consortium. During evaluation, we ran into issues relating to the influence of government policies. At all levels (local, regional, national) active lobbying was taking place, but there were no concomitant shifts in policies. We therefore chose an alternative -and more participatory- strategy and invited a representative of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, who worked with the consortium for a whole week. The advantage of this approach was that one key stakeholder was involved and this made it easier to convey the relevant messages. This led to better results since the representitive -a key actor- subsequently became a supporter and advocate of the programme at the Ministry.

5.2.6c Timeline of the programme In order to assure delivery of the programmed results on time we will use project and country specific plans which state the timeline, required results and allocated resources for the entire project. Subsequently these project plans are broken down into annual plans. In appendix 3.1 key indicators are defined, which are translated in country specific indicators by the respective CSCs, supported by the DSC and the Centre of Development Innovation of Wageningen University. In addition, the implementing partner organisations report on these indicators to their Alliance Member and the CSC.11 We will agree upon a project plan with each partner. Part of this plan will be an overview of the required results and phasing of the activities. These plans are aggregated at country level by the CSC and monitored by the DSC. Consequently each partner reports on their progress both in output and budgetary terms, and in terms of planning. This results in a clear overview every six months of programme progress. The CSC and respective Alliance Members will identify, discuss and address deviations from performance expectations through capacity building actions. Should performance remain weak or unaligned with overall programme objectives, despite the capacity building efforts undertaken, the DSC may enforce sanctions in line with the Child Rights Alliance sanction policy. (See appendix h. ‘Partnership Agreement’)

Overall milestones of the Girl Power programme are: By the end of year 1 all CSCs are installed, including the approval of their capacity building trajectory. By the end of year 2 all infrastructure is installed (such as the setting up of child helplines), cooperation with media organisation is defined, child protection referral systems are structuralized. By the end of year 3 to 4 (joint) campaigns and lobby activities are running; all targeted girls and young women under theme socio-economic empowerment are participating in vocational training/micro entrepreneurship; and sustainability plans per country programme are presented (including fund raising, transference of activities to (local) governments). In year 3 the etire programme undergoes a MTR. By the end of year 5 the Girl Power meta-evaluation is presented. 9. Section 5.2.6 Efficiency 34

10. Section 5.2.7 Sustainability

10. Section 5.2.7 Sustainability 5.2.7a The programme results must be of a sustainable nature. Sustainability has been an important criterion for the design of the Girl Power programme. Specifically, it has influenced the selection of the programme’s approaches, strategies and activities. Parallel strategies in targeting different groups at the four interrelated results levels1 will reinforce one another resulting in greater chance of these benefits continuing and therefore contribute to sustainable change. For example, increasing gender sensitivity and enhancing the support provided by parents and communities to girls making the transition to secondary education, will help ensure girls’ continued attendance and completion of schooling. The programme design entails specific measures to ensure the sustainability of output level results (with partners) and outcome level results (with target groups). There follows an overview of the main measures for each of these categories.

1. Please refer to Chapter 6 and appendix 3: Intended results (criterion 5.2.3a). 2. Plan has conducted gender audits in Asia and Latin America in the past years and results have been translated in policy, programming (gender mainstreaming) and operations. Similar audits will be implemented in the Africa regions in the coming years.

1. Partners: This programme involved two key mechanisms to ensure that programme activities and results are sustainable for partners. First, we invest in partners’ organisational capacity by supporting their process of organisational development (OD). A partner organisation’s requirements to become a strong actor capable of addressing gender discrimination and inequality depend on individual characteristics (such as identity, mission, and governance), needs and wishes, and any specific weaknesses it currently faces. The OD processes will therefore be tailor-made, participatory and will locate the specific target group of girls and young women, whose rights and needs the organisation wants to meet, at the centre. The resulting OD plans may address several areas including governance structures, the management of external relations, technical skills and capacity, human resource management, financial management and resource mobilisation. The mainstreaming of gender across the organisation and its policies, strategies and programmes will be a crucial component of all supported OD plans. Through policy dialogue, field visits, partner exchanges and gender audits2, the Alliance Members will monitor partners’ progress in developing their gender mainstreaming capacity. The active involvement of women’s organisations, research and knowledge institutes with specific gender expertise, groups of girls and young women and other partner organisations will contribute to strengthening partners’ commitment to fully incorporate gender and girls’ rights in the relevant aspects of their institutional practice. OD plans will contain targets and milestones which will be monitored yearly. Important targets will include the growth of partners’ resource base, accountability processes particularly to girls and young women and the effectiveness of relationships with other actors in civil society, the state and the donor community. Secondly, we will invest in processes of institutional development between in-country partners while also involving regional partners. In each country, partners will be involved in a Country Steering Committee (CSC), which will serve as the main platform for joint learning and sharing of good practices, for coordination and alignment of strategies and harmonisation with other relevant stakeholders and platforms of civil society. Through the CSC, we will assist and support partners to identify opportunities for greater specialisation while ensuring that each partners’ actions fully contribute to the common goals of realising girls’ rights and gender equality.

2. Target group of civil society organisations (civil society level): The programme contains several activities within its strategy of civil society development to ensure the sustainability of the results aimed at civil society. The creation of strong linkages and networks among CSOs, concentrated around a common agenda of girls’ rights and gender equality, is key to developing sustainable capacity improvements in civil society. Stronger inter-organisational relationships between and among different levels of civil society will provide local CSOs, such as girls’ and youth clubs and organisations and CBOs, with better access to knowledge, resources and opportunities to influence policies. Furthermore, they will enable larger, national-level CSOs to better connect their programmes and advocacy actions with the needs and initiatives of their local constituencies. Within the networks of CSOs promoted by the programme, three main actors will be brought on board to play a pivotal role. These are: firstly, the (membership based) organisations of women and girls who (are able to) directly represent the voice of margin-

10. Section 5.2.7 Sustainability 35

3. For example, in some countries existing networks of mayors committed to the promotion of child rights can be important allies in the promotion of girls’ and women’s rights. 4. For adolescent girls, vulnerability to sexual violence on the way to or within school is so significant in some countries that parents will keep girls at home in order to protect them (Because I am a Girl, the State of the World’s Girls 2009, p. 71, Plan International). Various studies also directly link violence in schools with high drop-out rates and damaged self-esteem of pupils, such as research on corporal punishment conducted in India and Nepal (The Global Campaign to End violence in Schools, Campaign Launch Report 2009, Plan International).

alised girls and young women. Secondly, national and local institutes engaged in (gender related) research, knowledge transfer and communication, who can ensure knowledge generation and information on girls and gender issues, to be used by CSOs for policy monitoring and the development of policy alternatives. Thirdly, the programme promotes linkages between national and local CSOs and regional actors. The latter are particularly important as they can sustain cross-country monitoring on girls’ rights and gender equality as well as apply existing international mechanisms for lobbying and influencing national governments. Developing sustainable capacity of (local) civil society organisations also requires better resource mobilisation skills. Therefore, this programme contains strategies and activities to develop and enhance these skills, for example by disseminating good practice around the increasing of internal resources (membership contributions) and by stimulating cooperation between CSOs for the development of joint programme proposals for governments, donors and private sector.

3. Target group of national and local governments (institutional level): A strong and active civil society is the best guarantee for sustainable results at institutional level (increased accountability and responsiveness and increased supply and quality of public services to protect and educate girls). This programme includes an explicit strategy of lobbying and advocacy, targeting national and local politicians and policy makers, including specific measures aimed at achieving lasting results at institutional level. The programme design starts from a recognition that governmental institutions need to be involved in the programme from the start. Within the target group of government authorities, we will specifically support those (local) politicians and public leaders who have shown to be willing to promote social change for girls’ rights and gender equality. With the support of strong networks of progressive politicians, the desired legal and policy reforms can be better sustained.3 In addition, the programme will support both local government authorities and CSOs to use existing mechanisms of citizen participation and monitoring or, where appropriate, experiment with newly created mechanisms for participation and accountability. In relation to governments’ provision of public services, the programme will invest in the capacity development of government staff involved in the management and direct delivery of protection and education services. We test innovative models for service delivery in these sectors (such as innovative integrated child protection systems) that are cost-efficient and can be replicated and can scaled up by involved government agencies. Ownership of government in the process is key in our approach to ensure sustainability. Therefore, during the planning, implementation and monitoring of the interventions (within the strategy of direct poverty alleviation) governmental agencies will be actively involved in the programme.

4. Target group of communities, families and parents (socio-cultural level): The Girl Power programme contains a wide range of actions aimed at promoting behavioural and attitudinal changes among communities; including parents, men and boys and (cultural and religious) leaders. These include awareness raising campaigns and activities via the media (using radio and television); rights education and community mobilisation initiatives via existing committees such as CBOs and the provision of services such as parenting assistance provided by helplines; and other NGOs specialised in child protection. The involvement of men and boys and of important cultural and religious leaders will be key to the generation of sustainable changes in norms, values and practices. Specific attention will be paid to the organisation of boys and men who are (more) willing to challenge gender stereotypes and beliefs.

5. Target group of girls and young women (individual level):

10. Section 5.2.7 Sustainability 36

Ensuring a holistic approach to investments in girls’ and young women’s education, protection and selforganisation (for participation in private and public decision-making) will help ensure that results in each of these individual areas are more sustainable. Ensuring protection against violence (at home, school and community) will help girls and young women to access (post-primary) education and to avoid drop-out.4 Girls who stay in school and achieve higher educational levels are less likely to become victims of harmful practices such as early marriage and female genital cutting. In addition, a gender sensitive education raises girls’ and young women’s self-confidence and the chance that they will earn greater income and economic independence in later life. These assets have shown to be of fundamental value for girls’ participation in relevant decisions. Over the long term, achieving girls’ socio-economic and political empowerment now will have lasting effects for future generations, since evidence has shown that educated mothers tend to have less children, lead more healthy lives, enjoy greater economic opportunities and invest more in the education of their children.

11. Applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature

11. Applicant’s signature Applicant’s name /

Plan Nederland

applicant of the Alliance

Name of authorised representative

Mr. Tjipke Bergsma

Date

June 18, 2010

Place

Amsterdam

Signature

11. Applicant’s signature 37

12. Compulsory appendices

12. Checklist of compulsory appendices

1 Thematic summary by country Section 3: Management summary, section

2. Contextual analysis for each country Section 4: Contextual analysis Criteria 5.2.1a, 5.2.1b, 5.2.1c

West Africa 2.1 Benin – contextual analysis 2.2 Ghana – contextual analysis 2.3 Liberia – contextual analysis 2.4 Mali – contextual analysis 2.5 Sierra Leone – contextual analysis 2.6 Togo – contextual analysis

47 53 59 65 71 77

East and Southern Africa 2.7 Ethiopia - contextual analysis 2.8 Malawi - contextual analysis 2.9 Mozambique - contextual analysis 2.10 Zambia - contextual analysis

83 89 95 101

Asia 2.11 Bangladesh - contextual analysis 2.12 Nepal - contextual analysis 2.13 Pakistan - contextual analysis

107 113 119

Latin America 2.14 Bolivia - contextual analysis 2.15 Nicaragua - contextual análisis

125 131

Global 2.16 Global activities – contextual análisis

137

3. Overview of intended results for each programme Section 6: Intended results, Criterion 5.2.3a

3.1 Intended results -

“GIRL POWER: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women”

139

12. Compolsury appendices 39

4. Harmonisation and complementarity for each country

Section 8: Harmonisation and complementarity, Criteria 5.2.5a, 5.2.5b, 5.2.5c

West Africa

4.1 Benin – harmonisation and complementarity

4.2 Ghana – harmonisation and complementarity 4.3 Liberia – harmonisation and complementarity 4.4 Mali – harmonisation and complementarity

4.5 Sierra Leone – harmonisation and complementarity

4.6 Togo – harmonisation and complementarity

East and Southern Africa

4.7 Ethiopia – harmonisation and complementarity 4.8 Malawi – harmonisation and complementarity

4.9 Mozambique – harmonisation and complementarity 4.10 Zambia – harmonisation and complementarity

Asia

4.11 Bangladesh – harmonisation and complementarity 4.12 Nepal – harmonisation and complementarity

4.13 Pakistan – harmonisation and complementarity

Latin America

4.14 Bolivia – harmonisation and complementarity

4.15 Nicaragua – harmonisation and complementarity

Global

4.16 Global activities – harmonisation and complementarity

5. Budget for each programme

Section 9: Efficiency, Criterion 5.2.6a

5.1 Budget – “GIRL POWER: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women”

12. Compolsury appendices 40

5.1.1 Budget per intervention strategy, per intended result at outcome level

5.1.2 Budget per year, per country, per intervention strategy, and relation MFS Funds – own funding 5.1.3 Budget per Alliance Member 5.1.4 Overview of overhead costs

5.1.5 Cash Flow Forecast

147

147 151 155 159 163 167

171 175 179 183

187 191 195

199 203

207

211

211 211 213 214 215 216

1. Thematic summary by country

1. Thematic summary by country country/theme

1) Elimination of violence against girls

2) Socio-economic empowerment of

3) Socio-political empowerment of

and young women

girls and young women

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• DCI Benin

• Right to Play

• AEJT Benin

• ABAEF

• ESAM

• FAWE

• Association of Women Jurists of Benin

• Action Aid International

• Association of Women Jurists of

West Africa

Benin

(AFJB) • Action Aid International • Brigade for the Protection of Minors

• Women Leaders' Network Couffo (REFLECO) • CBOs in 19 communities

(BPM)

Benin (AFJB) • Women Leaders' Network Couffo (REFLECO) • Media Foundation West Africa

• Close

• CBOs in 19 communities

Ghana

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• The Ark Foundation

• DCI Ghana

• The Ark Foundation

• DCI Ghana

• ABANTU

• DCI Ghana

• AMPCAN

• EAGLE-EWEC

• AMPCAN

• CRRECENT

• FAIR

• CRRECENT

• GCRN

• CBOs in 4 districts

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• ANPPCAN Liberia

• DCI Liberia

• FAWE Liberia

• DCI Liberia

• CBOs in 5 districts

• DCI Liberia

• CBOs in 4 districts

Liberia

• CBOs in 5 districts

• LIWOMAG • CBOs in 5 districts

12. 1. Thematic summary 41

country/theme

Mali

1) Elimination of violence against girls

2) Socio-economic empowerment of

3) Socio-political empowerment of

and young women

girls and young women

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• GDCom

• APAFE

• PERD

• Caritas

• ENDA

• GRDE

• FAWE

• Right to Play

• APDEF

• BICE

• GDCom

• CBOs in 2 rural regions and 1 urban

• ENDA

• FAWE

• CBOs in 2 rural regions and 1 urban

region

Sierra Leone

region

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partner

Southern partners:

• DCI Sierra Leone

• One Familiy People

• One Family People

• Kroobay Women

• CBOs in rural and urban areas of 2

• DCI Sierra Leone

• Girls Sport Initiative

provinces

• CBOs in rural and urban areas of 2

• CBOs in rural and urban areas of 2 provinces

provinces

Togo

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• DCI Togo

• WAO Afrique

• AEJT

• WAO Afrique

• FAWE

• CARD

• AEJT

• PAFFED

• ODIAE

• FAWE

• Handicap International

• Allo 111

• Forum for African Investigative

• Abantu for Development

• Eagle Productions and Kids News Network • CBOs in 80 communities

12. 1. Thematic summary 42

Reporting • CBOs in 80 communities

• CBOs in 80 communities

country/theme

1) Elimination of violence against girls

2) Socio-economic empowerment of

3) Socio-political empowerment of

and young women

girls and young women

East and Southern Africa

Ethiopia

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• ANPPCAN

• ACPF’s (CLPC)

• FAWE

• DDCI-Ecpat Ethiopia

• ANCF/CLPC

• FAWE

• CBOs in 2 urban areas and 7 rural

• FSCE

districts

• CBOs in 2 urban areas and 7 rural districts

Malawi

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO)

• Malawi Human Rights Youth Network

• Malawi Human Rights Youth

• CBOs in 6 rural districts

Mozambique

Network

• CBOs in 6 rural districts

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• Fundação para o Desenvolvi mento da

• Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo

• Fundação para o Desenvolvi mento

Communidade (FDC) • Linha Fala Criança (Mozambican Child Helpline) • Rede da Criança • Rede contra Abuso de Menores (Rede

para Povo (ADPP) • Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE),

da Communidade (FDC) • CBOs in 8 rural districts and 1 urban area

• CBOs in 8 rural districts and 1 urban area

CAME) • CBOs in 8 rural districts and 1 urban area

Zambia

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• Children in Need Network (CHIN)

• Young Women Christian Association

(YWCA) • Victim Support Unit & Child Protection Unit • NOWSPAR • CBOs in 3 districts

(YWCA) • Forum for the Advancement of

(YWCA) • CBOs in 3 districts

Women Educationalist of Zambia (FAWEZA) • CBOs in 3 districts

12. 1. Thematic summary 43

country/theme

1) Elimination of violence against girls

2) Socio-economic empowerment of

3) Socio-political empowerment of

and young women

girls and young women

Asia

Bangladesh

Programme: GIRL POWER Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015 Southern partners: • Aparejeyo Bangladesh • Shariatpur Development Society (SDS) • Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association (BNWLA) • Nari Uddug Kendra (NUK) • Association for Community Development (ACD) • Bangladesh NGO Network for Radio and Communication • Bangladesh News Network. • CBOs in 10 rural districts and 10 urban zones

Nepal

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• CWIN Nepal

• Sahamati

• Maiti Nepal

• SIDS

• Shakti Samuha

• VWCC

• Shaki Milan Kendra

• TEWA

• Empowering Women of Nepal

• EWN

• AAWAJ

• CBOs in 1 district

• Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre (LACC) • VWCC • CLOIN

Pakistan

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners

Southern partners:

• Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal

• Society for the Protection of the

Aid (LHRLA) • Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) • Pakistan Pediatric Association • Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) • Bedari • CBOs in 3 provinces

12. 1. Thematic summary 44

Rights of the Child (SPARC) • CBOs in 3 provinces

country/theme

1) Elimination of violence against girls

2) Socio-economic empowerment of

3) Socio-political empowerment of

and young women

girls and young women

Programme: GIRL POWER

Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015

Southern partners:

• Crecer

• Chasqui Educatic

• Capacitación Derechos Ciudadanos

• Defensa del Niño Internacional (DNI)

• Centro de Promoción de la Mujer

Latin America

Bolivia

• Fe y Alegría – Bolivia • Servicio de Capacitación en Radio y Televisión para el Desarollo (SECRAD) • CBOs in 21 rural districts and 3 urban districts

Gregoria Apaza • Centro de Investigación y Promoción

(CDC) • CBOs in 21 rural districts and 3 urban districts

Educative (CIPE) • Universidad Católica Boliviana “San Pablo” • CBOs in 21 rural districts and 3 urban districts

Nicaragua

Programme: GIRL POWER Duration: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2015 Southern partners: • Casa Alianza • Asociación Tesis • Instituto de Promoción Humana • CBOs in 7 districts

12. 1. Thematic summary 45

2. Contextual analysis for each country

2.1 Benin Contextual analysis NIGER

BURKINA FASO

ATAKORA

BENIN GHANA NIGERIA

TOGO

ZOU

OUME MONO

ATLANTIQUE

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 6.416.000

2.1 Benin Contextual analysis I Introduction Benin is a small country which shares its borders with Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. Its population is an estimated 8 million people, of which 48% are children under 16. Women represent 51,4% of the total population and 22,7% of households are headed by women. Benin has an estimated population growth of 2,7% and faces a rapidly growing population of school age children. According to the 2009 UNDP Human Development Index, Benin ranks 161 out of 182 countries globally and remains one of the poorest countries in the world.1 Both rural and peripheral urban areas suffer from extreme poverty and a lack of infrastructure with over a third of the population living below the poverty line. Rural urban migration is also rapidly accelerating. Corruption is a significant problem, impacting people’s lives in numerous ways and existing at many levels.2 The Gender Development Index for Benin is 0.492.3 In 2008, only one in five Beninese girls was enrolled in secondary school, as opposed to nearly half of all boys.4 Household and childcare responsibilities, early marriage and pregnancy, and low expectations of economic returns impede girls’ participation in the country’s wider social and economic spheres. Girls’ lack of access to education and poor performance and retention has created an intergenerational cycle of illiteracy. Girls and young women are often the first to suffer from malnutrition, sexual exploitation and violence during periods of crisis or conflict despite the legal framework that is in place.5 These trends suggest that the Millennium Development Goals related to reproductive health and gender equality are unlikely to be achieved by 2015. Additional investments and efforts are required to: (a) provide high-quality reproductive health services; (b) carry out outreach measures among poor and vulnerable populations; and (c) eliminate gender disparities and inequalities and address harmful traditional practices.6

II Target Group analysis Geographic area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Mono-Couffo, Zou, Atacora, Oueme Plateau, Atlantic-Coast

200 CSOs, 5.000 families, 19 communes and 15.000 girls and young women through media activities

Approximately 1 million girls and young women

1. hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/ cty_fs_BEN.html 2. uk.oneworld.net/guides/benin/ development 3. Human Development Index Report 2009, UNDP, Gender Development Index Benin 4. UNICEF Benin 5. the Government of Benin has ratified the UNCRC, the ACRWC, Convention 138 and Convention 182 of ILO, the CEDAW and several other legal instruments such as the national law on sexual harassment, reproductive health, child trafficking, the Law on Female Genital Mutilation and the Code of Persons and Families and the Strategy Paper on Child Protection. 6. UNFPA Benin 7. Poverty causes some girls to become ‘’vidomègon”, a term used to describe children who have been sent away from home to live with other families - a common practice across Africa. Today, they are a source of cheap domestic labour and find themselves unable to attend education (see: www.frontlinesms.com) 8. www.frontlinesms.com www.ushahidi.com

The target area of the programme consists of the regions of Mono-Couffo, Zou, Atacora, Oueme Plateau, Atlantic-Coast which show high levels of poverty and have been chosen because of the disparity in the numbers of boys and girls in education. For example in Grade 3 (at the end of the first cycle) the ratios of boys to girls are approximately: Mono-Couffo: 11 boys to 3 girls, Zou-Collines, 2 boys to 1 girl, Atacora-Donga 7 boys to 2 girls, Ouémé Plateau; 7 boys to 3 girls, and Atlantic - Coast: 7 boys to 4 girls. Within these regions the program will target girls aged 10-18 in 19 districts/communes. There are approximately 50.000 girls per district, resulting in the Girl Power Programme reaching almost 1 million girls with sensitization, awareness raising and protection from abuse in schools. The programme will particularly focus on the promoting the rights of out-of-school girls, disadvantaged girls, abused girls, illiterate girls, “vidomègon”7, girl labourers and girls at risk from trafficking or drug abuse. The programme will directly target organizations of parents, teachers, local authorities, police, traditional and religious leaders with initiatives to improve their knowledge of child rights and gender issues, and their capacity to use information and communication technologies, such as FrontlineSMS and Ushahidi8, to protect the rights of the girl child.

III Problem analysis on micro/meso /macro level Violence against girls and young women At the micro level, many adolescent girls remain unaware of their rights and with little knowledge of the life skills they need to exercise their rights. This may result from low levels of literacy, exposure to violence, insufficient financial resources, a lack of confidence and insufficient autonomy in matters that affect them directly. Poor families often fall into the trap of traffickers who convince parents to send their 12. 2.1 Benin Contextual analysis 47

9. U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 10. UNICEF Benin 11. genderindex.org/country/benin

children to work in cities and beyond Benin’s borders. According to a 2007 study by the Department of Family and National Solidarity on trafficking, of over 40.000 children aged 6-17 who are trafficking victims living in Benin, 86% are girls.9 At the meso level, harmful (traditional) practices inhibit girls’ development. Yet guardians of tradition, often prominent civil society members, are often not held accountable to the government or community leaders. Consequently, there is pressure on girls from their surrounding society to conform to submissive roles. At the macro level, while the government has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women (CEDAW) there is no specific law against violence against women in Benin. There are also few facilities for female victims of violence and abuse, little punishment of perpetrators, low technical and physical capacity of duty bearers, and insufficient implementation of the legal instruments that do exist.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women Girls and young women face a multitude of issues that hinder their (post)-primary education. At the micro level, parents have a poor perception of the importance of schooling for girls because of cultural pressures and girls’ own often low self esteem. Girls are generally involved in household chores after school while boys may be offered more time to study. Families often claim they are unable to cope with expenses related to the education of girls. Many children must travel long distances to the nearest school or training centre, which poses a particular hurdle to girls’ attendance.10 Further obstacles for girls to successfully attend school include a lack of female showers and toilets within schools; school timetables requiring girls to go out after dark; sexual harassment by teachers; early and forced marriages; and a lack of educated female role models to inspire girls to go to school. At the meso level, there is weak capacity of CSOs to ensure effective supervision of activities to promote post-primary education at the community level. At the macro level Benin’s educational system faces a shortage of trained teachers (especially female teachers) and well-constructed schools. Teachers’ strikes have disrupted efforts to enrol and retain students.

Socio-political position of girls and young women At the micro level, women in Benin culturally possess the obligation to feed the family and care for the children, but have little say in other social or political matters. Women make up 80% of the agricultural workforce but very few are landholders. In addition, income they earned may be taken away by their husbands or the husbands’ families.11 At meso level, there is insufficient involvement of religious and traditional leaders in advocacy on the rights of the girl child. At the macro level, although the government ratified the UNCRC and developed a Children’s Code, children and especially girls generally do not participate in civic affairs.

IV Background Analysis Social, economic and political background Girls and young women in the selected districts often face gender based violence, limited access to education and power imbalances. Some causes include the prevailing traditional culture, low duty bearer capacity, including that of State agencies, acute and pervasive poverty, particularly in rural areas and the most remote corners of the country. CSO networks (of youth, journalists and religious and political leaders) have played an active (advocacy and lobbying) role in the passing of legislation. They have mainstreamed population, gender and reproductive health issues in local sectoral policies and programs, particularly in the national poverty reduction strategy. This took place through policy dialogue, national capacity-building efforts and advocacy activities. However, more effort is needed to improve the utilization of data and to build capacity at the grass-roots level.

Role and SWOT of local civil society

12. 2.1 Benin Contextual analysis 48

The role that civil society plays in empowering women and girls, changing harmful practices and effecting socio-economic and policy change is crucial. A SWOT analysis carried out by the Child Rights Alliance showed that civil society, especially local NGOs and CBOs lack capacity (human resource, logistics, finance), and need to be strengthened to establish a clear and robust institutional framework and to build their organizational capacity. Government and Ministries often have less influence than traditional leaders, and there is widespread corruption in Benin.

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

CSOs can influence policy and are well regarded

weak human resources, logistics, finance

Opportunities:

Threats:

Use of rights based approach Political will and enabling environment Existing government programs Growing use of social networks/ ICT

Not enough data on the thematic areas Lack of funding and political instability Different administrative procedures at CSO level

Alliance partners and intended effect of intervention Facilitated by the Plan Country office, 9 local and international NGOs have come together to work with local CSOs to make girls and young women players in their own development. The Benin Alliance partners are: • The AEJT Benin, a child rights organization whose purpose is to improve the living conditions of children and young workers. • ABAEF, an organization that has observer status at the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples. The organization works towards the full development of the child, the woman and family. It carries out training on human and child rights, self-development and life skills. • Right to Play, an expert in the holistic development of children and young people through sport and play. As part of this programme they will support civil society, children and youth, and especially girls, to strengthen life skills, be aware of HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health, and develop selfesteem, leadership and self confidence. • ESAM, an NGO specializing in research on child trafficking, abuse and the sexual exploitation of children. It coordinates the CLOSE network, which prepares alternative monitoring reports on child rights and conducts training on the Rights of the Child. • FAWE, which works for the promotion of girls’ education and gender equality in education in Africa. FAWE has expertise in the development of strategies: policy advocacy, and community advocacy for girls’ education. It promotes the inclusion of gender in school curricula, the empowerment of girls through the TUSEME (development of life skills practice) project and provides literacy support to women. • The Association of Women Jurists of Benin (AFJB), which works for the realization of the rights of women. It promotes gender equality and provides paralegal training. To achieve its objectives, the AFJB runs support centres that provide legal information, particularly in family law. AFJB will provide legal advice in this programme, as well as training and support to paralegals and assistance to victims for prosecution where necessary. • Action Aid International, an international NGO with expertise in the areas of early childhood education, inclusive education and education for girls and women. • Women Leaders’ Network Couffo (REFLECO), a network of women working for the promotion of women’s rights and empowerment. It also has experience in educating mothers in girls’ education. It will contribute to the promotion of post primary education for girls in areas of programme intervention. • Media Foundation West Africa (MFWA - Benin Office), a regional network of media practitioners. Free Voice partner MFWA is well connected with media which specializes in content production for children and youth; empowerment through actor training and the production of multi-media news services targeting the young (KidsNewsNetwork). • Also the Brigade for the Protection of Minors (BPM), a specialized agency of the Ministry of Interior participates on the Alliance. Its function is to protect children against all forms of violence and enforce their rights. It supports child victims and contributes to the elimination of violence against girls. In this programme, the BPM will install advanced centres in remote areas aimed at the protection of children in general and girls in particular. This is important because the child helpline that was established in 2003 is not widely known or accessed outside Cotonou.

12. 2.1 Benin Contextual analysis 49

12. www.frontlinesms.com 13. www.ushahidi.com

V Multi-actor analysis Benin’s Government has developed a Stratégie de Croissance pour la Réduction de la Pauvreté (SCRP) that includes pro-poor measures for economic growth. Important measures in this are free primary education and promotion of micro-credit. It also has adopted a national gender policy, which has a plan of action ending in 2025 to reduce disparities in gender.

International donors Benin is dependent on donors/partenaires techniques et financiers (PTFs) support. Key donor as are the World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank, the EC, USAID and bilateral support from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and, China. In addition to the PTFs, Benin receives support from UN agencies coordinated by UNDP. The Girl Power programme will complement the “Empower” programme implemented by Care International, which raises awareness about sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and women’s rights as well as providing services to victims of SGBV. It is funded under the Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJEI). The Girl Power programme is not a duplication of this project since it focuses on strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations while “Empower” interventions target local authorities. The Alliances’ Girl Power programme will also build on an innovative Plan pilot project in two districts implementing a FrontlineSMS12 and Ushahidi13 mechanism as a way of reporting, tracking and responding to violence against children. A recent workshop found that this project establishes valuable information and communication flows between different actors – including youth. As such, it can add value to local structures and initiatives, and potentially be sustainable and scaled up to a national level in Benin and possibly other countries. At the national level, close collaboration will be made with the Center for Social Protection (CPS), and the Ministry of the Family (both of whom are responsible for responding to cases of child abuse/child rights violations in their varying forms). These centres and networks of ANPPCAN and FAWE are important as they have the potential to influence policy.

Corporate partners, research and academic institutions At regional level, the coalition will partner with the African Child Policy Forum, FAWE, ANPPCAN, the AU, and ECOWAS where applicable in research, policy advocacy and sharing information pertaining to the protection and development of children.

VI Tailor-made programmes The Alliance’s goal is to achieve a situation where girls and boys without exception: enjoy protection against all forms of violence; have inclusive equitable access to quality post primary education; are actively involved in inclusive processes of decision making that affect them; and achieve their full potential. The Child Rights Alliance will strengthen civil society organizations and national NGOs to hold duty bearers to account for their commitments to the rights of girls and young women. They will do this using a child centered approach that encourages children, parents, teachers, and their communities to engage actively in developing their own narratives, texts and approaches to address violence against girls.

Expected results At the end of the programme, the Child Rights Alliance expects to have contributed to the development of a) an integrated child protection system; b) the increase in the enrolment and retention of girls in post-primary education; and c) increased participation of girls in decision making processes and their participation in leadership.

12. 2.1 Benin Contextual analysis 50

At the institutional level: The main strategy for the Alliance is to work with partners and institutions active in the areas of gender, child protection, child rights and life skills that have extensive and successful experience in these areas. These organizations will in turn have the capacity to lobby for policy and practice change at national, district and community levels. The Child Rights Alliance will learn and share experiences in the planning, implementation and evaluation stages throughout the project’s life span. Where capacity is lacking, the Alliance’s northern partners will work together to provide technical backstopping in research and quality programming.

At the socio-cultural level: • The Alliance will strengthen the capacity of civil organizations through: organizational capacity building, exchange visits, social mobilization campaigns, resource mobilization and strengthening data collection and research systems. Socio-cultural changes: Changes in attitude and practice regarding violence against girls and women, importance of girls’ education acknowledged. • The programme will focus on changes in behaviour and attitudes among family members, which will increase acceptance of girls in community activities. It will involve parents, traditional leaders and other duty bearers through their direct participation in discussions and reflections conducted on gender issues. It will also strengthen the capacity of mothers through training and support to 200 associations of Mothers of Children (AMEs) and village savings associations on the management of micro credits, rights of the child, monitoring and support of school girls. • The programme will also train children’s clubs in child rights, life skills, advocacy, the development and implementation of radio programs, media strategies and community mobilization to address violence against girls. At the individual level: • The programme aims to support individual girls through the children’s clubs and AMEs by training in child rights and life skills as well as functional literacy for out of school children. The programme will also provide appropriate assistance to girls, and especially the most vulnerable, to continue education and develop skills to participate in public life and achieve economic independence. • The programme will use an innovative approach of “literacy through the arts” where, experienced Benin theatre and puppet troupes will work with hard-to-reach children and communities to choreograph and produce local productions that reflect the oral and written traditions of the specific community as well as its development and children’s rights priorities and requirements. This approach will improve girls’ literacy as well as nurture drama, script writing and ICT skills among CSOs, teachers and children. • The whole programme will be supported by a strong research component from the African Child Policy Forum, ANPPCAN and FAWE. These organizations will combine efforts, gather data and information, exchange best practices and evaluations. In the third year of the programme, the progamme’s experiences and lessons learnt will be exchanged with other programmes and partners through an international conference.

Elimination of Violence against girls and young women Civil society organizations are technically and financially supported to implement actions to promote child protection. The Alliance will support civil society organizations to: • Work with government to enforce existing laws and policies that protect girls and young women, and advocate for the implementation of the Family Code and anti-trafficking laws. • Organize structures in the communities (e.g. child protection committees, AMEs, etc), to address harmful social-cultural norms and traditional practices. The Alliance will assist in setting up reporting and referral systems at community level using child help line, FrontlineSMS and Ushaidi. • Establish systems of reintegration of victims of child trafficking • Strengthen the capacity of traditional and religious leaders, to advocate for girls’ and young women’s rights • Support the development of girls and young women through linking civil society organizations with providers of vocational and skills training, life skills and reproductive health training, child media and “literacy through the arts” initiatives.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women In order to strengthen civil society to adequately address the problems of post-primary education and access to the labour market for girls and young women, the Alliance will work with civil society organizations to: • Support 5.000 families to keep their girls and young women in school to facilitate the transition from primary to secondary school; • conduct two campaigns to mobilize civil society to see the value of post-primary schooling for girls with support from Athlete Support Ambassadors and female role models; • train 1.000 girls and young women in vocational skills that respond to local market demand; • conduct gender training for school administrators, teachers, District Education Officers and members of parent teachers associations.

12. 2.1 Benin Contextual analysis 51

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women The Alliance will work with 200 civil society organizations to increase the visibility and representation of girls and young women in public decision making by: • Providing girls and young women with opportunities to gain enhanced life skills (leadership, assertiveness, decision making, etc) and participate in political, socio-economic activities; • encouraging radio and TV networks to promote children’s rights through content production targeting youth and debates; • organizing biennial festivals and sporting competitions linked to child rights using arts, media and new technologies to raise awareness about the dangers of trafficking.

SWOT analysis of the programme

12. 2.1 Benin Contextual analysis 52

Strengths • Strong and competent Alliance • Effective strategies • Goodwill by state actors

Weaknesses • Not all documents are in French • Different administration procedures between members of the alliance

Opportunities • Existing legislation and government structures • Enabling environment • Existing rights based programs

Threats • Insufficient funds • Resistance of traditional leaders • Inadequate data • Political instability

2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis BURKINA FASO

SISSALA WEST

WA WEST

BENIN

COTE D’IVOIRE

TOGO

GHANA

EAST AKIM AKUAPIM NORTH

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 6.549.000

2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis I Introduction Ghana has an estimated population of 23 million. About 28% of the population lives below US$1,25 a day. The majority of these poor are women from the politically marginalised and poor northern and upper regions.1 Approximately 51% of the population is below the age of 19.2 Poverty is a key factor in child rights abuses and neglect in Ghana.3 Historically, there has been low spending on social programmes for poverty reduction. Only 2,0% and 2,8% of GDP was spent on health and education respectively in 2003. In 20054, Ghana began implementing its Poverty Reduction Strategy II, but the impact is uncertain. Although extreme poverty fell from 27% to 18% from 1999 to 2006, little or no progress was made in promoting women to salaried jobs (8,6 percent compared to 26,9 percent of men in 2005/2006)5. Gender equality and discrimination are exacerbated by poverty, and the repercussions are manifold:6 preference for sons over daughters, limited opportunities for girls and young women in education and work, and gender-based violence. Women rarely participate in decision making positions, and account for only 11% of parliament and 10% of district assemblies.7 Ghana ranks 63 on the 2007 gender equality index (from 58 in 2006).8

II Target group analysis Geographic area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Upper West Region: Sissala West district Wa West district

40.000 Girls/young women (direct), 50.000 parents/ communities/leaders, 40 CSOs (NGO/CBO/child led org. etc), 20 Government agencies at national, district and local level (Community Councils, District Assemblies, DOVSUs, District Level Agencies for Social Welfare, District Level Departments of Ministry of Education), Traditional leaders (Queen Mothers, chiefs)

135.000 girls/young women (25.000 girls in Sissala West; 23.000 in Wa West; 36.329 in Akwapim North; and 52.000 in East Akim)

Eastern Region: Akwapim North East Akim

1. HDI Indices, http://hdr.undp. org/en/media/HDI_2008_EN_ Tables.pdf 2. Ghana Population Census 2000 3. ‘Child Sexual Abuse in Schools’ (Plan, 2009); Brown study on Sexual Abuse in schools in Ghana (2002) 4. ‘Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II) (20062009)’ (National Development Planning Commission, Republic of Ghana, November 2005) 5. National Poverty Headcount (www.ghananewsagency. org/s_social/r_12259/ss.com, Feb, 2010 6. ‘Ghana Country Gender Profile’ (African Development Fund, 2008) 7. EC/UN partnership on gender equality for development and peace, www.gendermatters.eu 8. http://www.weforum.org/pdf/ gendergap/rankings2007.pdf 9. ‘Child Rights Situation Analysis 2010’ (PLAN Ghana, 2010) 10. Source: http://www.africanchildforum.org/Documents/ Community.pdf

In Sissala West, the main ethnic groups are Sissala and Dagaaba. In these areas, poverty is extensive and negative traditional cultural practices often lead to female genital mutilation, early marriage, and gender based violence. School drop-out rates and female illiteracy rate are high. In rural and poor Wa West, girls and young women mainly belong to the Dagaaba, Waala and Brefor tribes. The female population faces similar issues as Sissala west, and rights violations like kidnapping for marriage often occur. Opportunities for participation, economic empowerment and education are very limited. In Akwapim North, girls mainly belong to the Akwapim Twi, Kyerepon and Guan tribes. Although educational opportunities are better than in the Northern districts, many girls here also drop out of school. In East Akim, girls and young women mainly belong to the Akyem, Ewe, Fafran, Dagartis and Krofos tribes. Their problems are similar to those faced by girls and young women in Akwapem North.

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level In 2009-2010 southern partners conducted a contextual analysis and identified the following three major problem areas, which will be addressed in our Girl Power Programme Ghana: 1) violence against girls and young women; 2) the weak socio-economic position of girls and young women; and 3) their low degree of socio-political participation.

Violence against girls and young women At the micro level, negative traditional practices hamper the human rights of women. There is limited awareness of child rights, and girl’s basic rights are often ignored.9 Adolescent girls and young women face violence regularly, but have limited support. As a consequence, male to female violence is largely tolerated and often condoned.10 Families often pressure girls and women not to report abuse cases in order to protect the image of the family or to keep marriages intact. At the meso level, adolescent girls (12-21 years of age) in all four districts do not have access to adequate social protection systems and services. National laws and policies protecting girls and young women from violence do not filter down to the district and community levels. The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Units (DOVVSU) do not

12. 2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis 53

11. For example: National Gender and Children’s Policy, Ministry of Women & Children’s Affairs 2004 12. idem 13. Ghana Demographic Health, Ghana statistical Service/ Ghana Health Service, Survey 2008 14. TVET Sector Mapping for learn4work Dutch Schokland Programme on TVET, HR Akplu, JY Amankrah, 2008 15. Ghana Statistical Services, (2005) 16. National Youth Policy, 1999, Ministry of Employment & Social Welfare Ghana. http:// www.youth-policy.com/policies/Ghana%20National%20 Youth%20Policy.pdf 17. Affirmative Action Policy 1998 and National Gender and Children’s Policy, 2004.

operate at the community level and remain out of reach for victims of violence. There are gradations in this, with such services being the least available in the two Upper West districts. At the macro level there are several policies and measures in place that in principle should safeguard the protection of women and girls.11 However, due to human and financial constraints, and perhaps also because of a lack of urgency felt by the (predominantly) male politicians and civil servants, the Government of Ghana has not yet been effective in implementing these policies and measures.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women At the micro level, there is little awareness of the long-term benefits of education for girls amongst families and communities. With girls and young women expected to be married off, education is a low priority. Many rural girls migrate to the cities seeking employment and are often exploited.12 Girls and young women often face sexual harassment from their superiors. Additionally, schools are poorly equipped, with insufficient teachers and learning materials, and a lack of toilet facilities. At the meso level, district level, it can be seen that girls drop-out, or in fact never attend the high schools (if such high schools are available at all). Very few of them have the opportunity to attend vocational skills training centres that are set up in every district. At the macro level, 31% of adults have never been to school in Ghana. There is a significant gender gap in education with almost twice as many females (2,7 million) as males (1,4 million) never attending school.13 This gap is highest in vocational and technical training. In public TVET institutes female enrolment is less than 30%.14 This gaps occurs in large part because of socio-cultural norms, where courses are perceived as preparatory for ‘male jobs’; negative attitudes in some teachers and a general lack of dormitories for female students. For those who graduate, there is a lack of job opportunities and the youth lack start-up capital to set up their own businesses. Unemployment is highest (17-19,5 percent), among the 15-24 year age group.15

Socio-political position of girls and young women At micro level and meso levels, girls and young women are generally excluded from decision-making processes. This is especially acute in the Upper West Districts where women’s leadership is often not socially tolerated or accepted. The school system across the country is also ill-endowed with participatory systems that nurture democratic skills among children. It is more pronounced for girls, as the school environment is perpetuating gender based discrimination. At macro level the government has begun to take the importance of child and youth participation into consideration and has developed a draft National Youth Policy16 which calls for participation by young people, including girls/women, in all decisions affecting them. The major challenge is how to make adults receptive to this, as in Ghanaian society wisdom is traditionally thought to be the domain of men.

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background

12. 2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis 54

Customary law and cultural traditions are the main factors inhibiting women’s rights, especially in poor, rural areas. The government is unwilling and/or incapable of challenging these traditions, and is not generally receptive to NGOs efforts to lobby for such change. An often un-coordinated approach amongst civil society vis-à-vis lobbying government has also hampered effectiveness. Parents cannot keep their daughters in school because they need them to work. Since girls obtain less education they are less likely to move out of poverty. The government has initiated several programmes to stimulate economic empowerment for women, but their impact has still to be assessed. NGOs have initiated micro-credit and other programmes to empower the poor, usually with a specific focus on women but their impact is unclear and most of Ghana’s citizens remain poor. The government, civil society and the private sector have not been effective either jointly or separately in addressing this problem. Although Ghana’s constitution has several favourable laws and clauses in place re: child protection and specifically that of girls, girls education and girls participation, in practice they have achieved little/ nothing, especially in poor, rural areas, because of a lack of public resources. In recent years the government has introduced several schemes and policies to stimulate vocational skills training, girl’s (political) participation and protection and the prevention of secual and gender based violence.17 These are promising initiatives that need massive financial and programmatic backing. Increased effectiveness could be achieved if there was greater alignment between government, civil society and private efforts. In our programme, Girl Power Ghana we will try to do just that.

Role and SWOT of local civil society The Ghanaian and Dutch partners organised a 3 day workshop in March 2010, to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of civil society in addressing the issues faced by girls. There follows a summary of the findings generated by this workshop. Strengths: • Strong, well-rooted CSO gender movement • CSOs highly committed to poverty eradication, with a broad support base • CSOs are effectively connected with Government of Ghana resulting in policies for poverty-stricken areas • CSOs contribute to gender empowerment and provide basic services to local communities • Commitment of many CSO volunteers (urban and rural)

Weaknesses: • Weak networking structures among CSOs and limited policy engagement • Low professional competencies among some CSOs (e.g. strategy, problem analysis, transparency issues) • Donor dependence sustainability issue • CSO concentration in the urban areas • Gender equity (e.g. in leadership) an issue for many CSOs • Low capacity to hold government and private sector accountable • No national CSO regulatory framework • Majority of CSOs urban based, difficulty of connecting with grass-roots (cultural divisions)

Opportunities: • Increasing acknowledgement of Civil Society in its socio-economic development role • Increasing engagement with CSO by Government of Ghana • Growing cooperation with CSO by International NGOs • CSO reputation strong at grass-roots level, as alternative channel for services, voicing and participation • Links CSOs with national and local media

Threats: • Government of Ghana weak in enforcing legislation and implementing policies for the marginalised • Suspicion / perception of CSO corruption • Limited political backing for CSOs (which implies greater interference risk)

Alliance partners and intended effect of intervention On the basis of relevant complementary track-records and experience in the selected districts, the following Ghanaian NGO partners were selected to constitute the Ghana Child Rights Alliance: Plan’s partner is ABANTU, an NGO with strengths in preparing and mentoring selected young women for leadership roles; CRRECENT, an NGO with a focus on research and policy development for child rights; and AMPCAN, an NGO active in child rights promotion at the grass root level. Defence for Children International Nederland - ECPAT’s and CHI’s partner is DCI Ghana, an NGO that provides socio-legal services, counselling, legal representation to children and child rights advocacy. ICDI’s partner The Ark Foundation is an NGO with experience in advocacy for women and child protection, capacity building of gender focused CBOs, and a track-record in setting up safe houses for battered women and girls; Free Voice’s partners are GCRN, a network of community radio producers that give voice to the marginalized; and FAIR - preparing selected high-potential young women for a career in investigative journalism and EAGLE-EWEC – who work for empowerment of selected young women by actor training and soap production. The expected results of our Girl Power programme in Ghana are: • A broad, strong alliance of Ghanaian child rights organisations, better able to coordinate and implement efforts to improve the rights and opportunities of girls; • Thousands of Ghanaian girls and young women in the targeted districts better protected against violence, with more access to quality ECD and vocational skills training services, and better able to participate meaningfully in society; • At the institutional level we expect our intervention to have an important positive impact on child protection, ECD and vocational skills training services and institutes; • Via intensive awareness raising and lobby and advocacy activities, we also expect to have a significant impact on certain traditional customs and beliefs that hold women back.

12. 2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis 55

18. http://siteresources.worldbank. org/GHANAEXTN/Resources/ CASGhana.pdf

V Multi-actor analysis The Ghanaian government Ghana has committed to ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment by signing a number of international agreements (CEDAW 1981, 2004 Solemn Declaration). Relevant government policies are: The governmental Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS): Specifically mentioned within the GPRS are expanding enrolment at post-primary levels; promoting gender parity in secondary school enrolment; improving the quality of teaching and learning at all levels; and improving the relevance of post-basic education. Another focal area is enhancing representation and participation by women with clearer accountability for gender equality outcomes across government departments and local authorities. Our Girl Power Programme clearly will play a complementary role in achieving these intended results. National Gender and Children’s Policy 2004: The overall goal of the policy is to mainstream gender concerns into the national development process to improve the social, legal/civic, political, economic and cultural conditions of the people of Ghana, particularly women and children. The policy framework recognises the critical role of other stakeholders in the achievement of the goal and calls for the establishment of a Multi-Sector Steering Committee to be coordinated by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) and led by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. National Youth Policy, 1999: Many civil society actors agree that Ghana’s Youth Policy present, but that implementation has been slow. The Girl Power programme will contribute to several of the Youth Policy’s aims, such as stimulating empowerment and creating equal opportunities and rights for young people (in our case: girls), and promoting sports. Our Alliance will work closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports. These policies are the responsibility of MOWAC, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Manpower Development, Youth and Employment. The Ghana Child Rights Alliance has established good relationships with these partners.

International donors Key bilateral donors are Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, and USA. Multilateral donors include the African Development Bank, EU, FAO, IFAD, ILO, Nordic Development Fund, UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO. China and India have also introduced cooperation programmes.18 See appendix 4.2 for details. Royal Dutch Embassy The Royal Dutch Embassy is an active actor in the defence of the equal rights of women and will be involved in the implementation of programmes aimed at reducing domestic violence. In policy dialogue the Embassy will focus on reproductive health, domestic violence and their links with HIV/AIDS control (with particular attention to young people). In these areas the Child Rights Alliance will align its programme with the Embassy’s programme. European Union (EU) The EU’s Country Strategy 2008-2013 defines several relevant cross-cutting areas of focus which will benefit the Girl Power Ghana programme: private sector development and local employment; decentralisation, to improve delivery in rural areas and to increase local accountability; democracy, good governance, human rights, the rights of the child, the rights of the disabled and the rights of indigenous peoples; civil society and non-state actors — both for service delivery and social accountability; gender equality; and decent work principles, notably regarding child labour. World Bank The World Bank is assisting the Government of Ghana in its attempts to reach the MDGs. Part of its strategic focus is on increasing educational access for children in poor districts. Support is mostly via the government and there is no specific focus on gender. There is little overlap between World Bank activities, and those of the Child Rights Alliance.

12. 2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis 56

Department for International Development (DFID) The Child Rights Alliance will collaborate with DFID in support of its gender objectives, which include: achieving gender parity in schools; increasing women’s participation in governance structures; reducing gender based violence and discrimination against women; and improving the impact and quality of policy decisions affecting women. Other (inter)national NGO’s active in the same field The NGO ActionAid encourages women to be involved in political issues. They support women who wish to contest local and national level elections. ActionAid organises annual confidence-building girls’ clinics, bringing girls from all communities together. Other civil society organisations that work in Ghana to improve the situation of girls and women include YARO, SAVE Ghana, PAWLA, Christian Mothers, FAMWAG, Plan Ghana, UNICEF, CHALICE, SNV, RAAP, Young Men and Young Women Christian Association (YMCA, YWCA), which focus on youth vocational skills training, and Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), JICA, ORAP, World Vision, and CWSA. There are also numerous Community Based Organisations such as youth development groups and self-help groups and associations.

VI Tailor-made programmes At the micro level, the programme will help bridge gaps in existing child protection systems by strengthening the response capacity of protection institutions to gender-based violence. The programme will help to improve girls’ and young women’s participation in issues that affect them and create opportunities for their access to quality vocational education. The programme will improve protection, participation and economic access at the individual level for girls and women. At the meso level, all key players and actors will be able to work together to effect positive and lasting change in addressing negative issues in the culture and traditional practices of their communities that affect women and children in selected communities in Ghana. At the macro level, the programme will help support the enactment of relevant legislation to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and, at the same time, strengthen organisations and institutions at the community, district and national levels.

Elimination of violence against girls and young women Specific Objectives: The reduction of violence against girls in 4 selected districts of Ghana and the improvement of child protection services within those districts; awareness raising around existing legislation that supports the elimination of all forms of violence against girls and young women amongst relevant CSOs, communities and institutions; 40 CSOs with increased professional capacity to organise a crosssection of women and girls within their jurisdiction to provide in-depth information on socio-cultural values that limit girls’ and women’s empowerment; CSOs will with community mobilisation and leadership skills and equipped to document accurate information on SGBV. Expected result: By December 2015 achieve a 20% decline in reported cases of violence against girls in the districts of Sissala West, Wa West, Akwapin North and East Akim.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women Specific Objectives: strengthened capacity of 20 civil society groups in the four districts to support post primary education for girls and young women and support girls and young women groups in schools and communities which promote education and economic empowerment; collaboration with government and private sector to increase labour market access for young women; formation of young women’s groups like cooperatives, saving and loan groups or other socio-economic empowerment groups. Groups will be linked with existing micro finance institutions/services. Expected results: By December 2015 increase by 25% the enrolment of girls and young women in the targeted districts to post primary education; and 10% of employment for girls who graduated from postprimary education in the targeted district.

12. 2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis 57

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women Specific objectives: strong capacity of relevant CSOs on girls’ rights programming, research and advocacy by forming and strengthening CSO networks in the four districts. The programme will train CSOs in how to enable girls and young women to organise themselves and to participate in the affairs of the 4 districts. The programme will also support CSO platforms to engage duty bearers in girls and young women’s participation issues; and support the inclusion of marginalised girls and young women in decision making. This will be done through awareness campaigns and a monitoring framework for issues affecting girls and young women. Expected result: By December 2015, 40.000 girls and young women aged 6-21 are participating in society in the districts Sissala West, Wa West, Akwapin North and East Akim.

SWOT analysis of the programme

12. 2.2 Ghana Contextual analysis 58

Strengths • Proposed interventions and strategies tackle the root causes of gender inequality • Results are sustainable • Strong history of cooperation

Weaknesses • Ambitious results and strategies with limited resources • Not all partners have a gender focus

Opportunities • Diversified experience and expertise amongst partners within the country; • Cooperation with Ghana Child Rights Network; • Good moment to work with other child and women’s rights initiatives.

Threats • Focus on girls is unusual and may be considered contentious at national and community levels; i.e. sociocultural norms • Economic circumstances may deteriorate, forcing largescale migration from targeted districts; • Cooperation between alliance partners may remain “window dressing”, lessening impact and efficiency.

2.3 Liberia Contextual analysis

GUINEA

SIERRA LEONE

LOFI GRAND CAPE MOUNT GBARPOLU COTE D’IVOIRE

BOMI MONTSERRADO

LIBERIA

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 4.999.000

2.3 Liberia Contextual analysis I Introduction Liberia was in an almost constant state of civil war for 14 years, from 1989 to 2003.1 Peaceful elections in 2005 and the inauguration of the first female head of state in Africa in 2006 ushered in a period of hope and high expectations for Liberia’s recovery and development after decades of poor governance and destabilization. However, years of conflict and mismanagement have left Liberia one of the poorest countries in the world. GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world and estimated at just US$190.2 More than one third of the population of 3.793.000 people, and an even higher proportion of the country’s children, live on less than $1 a day.3 The state of basic service provision country-wide remains still far below pre-war levels. Girls in particular are becoming increasingly vulnerable as they enter adolescence, leaving them with limited socio-economic opportunities and confronting issues such early marriage, gender-based violence, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), HIV/AIDS, and teenage pregnancy.4 Given the very limited government capacity, CSOs play a major role in both supporting the Government of Liberia to deliver on its obligations to its citizens and in holding the State accountable according to the national and international protocols and conventions to which it is a signatory.5

II Target Group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Bomi, Lofa, Gharpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Montserrado

50.000 direct beneficiaries, (girls, parents, service providers) 200 CSOs, 5 government institutions, 77 programme communities

170.000 girls and young women.

1. ‘Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2008’ (World Bank and IMF, 2008) 2. Idem 3. ‘Human Development Report 2009 (UNDP, 2009, pg 183) 4. Source: Population Council: www.popcouncil.org/ta/very. html 5. PRSP, County Development Agenda, Resolution 1325, National Plan of Action, National Rape Law, National Educational Law, UNCRC, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, CEDAW, MDGs, Resolution 1820. 6. Since 2006 Plan Liberia has been working with the government of Liberia focusing in 5 different counties-supporting programs in education, health, microfinance, gender and child media. 7. UNICEF Liberia 8. NACROG 2006 9. Idem 10. www.unicef.org/sowc09/docs/ SOWC09-Panel-3.7-EN.pdf

The programme will target 50.000 school age girls (10.000 girls per year, in five years), disadvantaged girls, abused girls, disabled girls, commercial sex workers, orphans, girls living on the streets, child labourers, and girls at risk from trafficking or drug abuse. Despite progress since the ending of civil war hostilities, gender continues to play a decisive role in determining access to resources and services. Women and girls continue to have limited access to education, health and judicial services, consequently severely curtailing their participation in the wider economy. Women and girls continue to miss out on participation in decision-making at all levels of society. For this reason, adolescent girls are the main target group of the Girl Power programme in the selected counties. The five districts targeted are: Bomi, Lofa, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount and Montserrado.6 According to Liberia’s 2008 Poverty Reduction Strategy, Bomi is one of the poorest regions in the country in terms of socio-economic indicators. In Lofa and Gbarpolu the situation of girls is precarious, with up to 39% (aged 15–19) having experienced sexual and gender based violence (SGBV),7 which is a major contributing factor to high teenage pregnancy rates and consequent education drop-out rates. One survey found a teenage pregnancy rate of 68% among girls aged 15 to 19 in Lofa.8 Montserrado country has the highest population density in Liberia; the district of Grand Cape Mount is one of the most under-developed areas in the country, with 51% of girls and women having never attended school, and the majority of the population relying on subsistence agriculture for survival.9 The practice of FGM/C is widespread across all five counties.

III Problem analysis on micro/meso/macro-levels Violence against girls and young women

SGBV is unfortunately accepted as an integral part of gender relations in Liberia. Despite progress made women and girls in Liberia still suffer from a culture of violence that has its roots in the brutal civil war during which SGBV was used repeatedly as a weapon of war. At micro level, an adolescent girl in Liberia has a high risk of suffering rape (the most frequently reported crime, with girls aged 10–14 the most frequent victims of rape).10 Societal norms which reinforce patriarchal structures with gender norms that dictate women and girls to be passive, exacerbate the issues.

12. 2.3 Liberia Contextual analysis 59

11. Liberia signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on 26th April 1990 and ratified the UNCRC on 4th June 1993 and its optional protocols. A Children’s Law Act which will domesticate the UNCRC in Liberia was passed by the House of Representatives in April 2009, and is awaiting concurrence by the House of Senate to become active. Liberia is also a signatory to the African Common Position for Children with its declaration and the attached Call for Accelerated Action, the CEDAW. Liberia is a signatory to the optional protocols on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (2000), and the Minimum Age of recruitment of Children in Armed Conflict (2000) signed on 22nd September 2004. 12. UNMIL human rights report 2009 13. Poverty Reduction Strategy Liberia 2008 14. http://www.unicef.org/ sowc09/docs/SOWC09-Panel3.7-EN.pdf 15. http://www.unicef-irc.org/ publications/pdf/tj_chapter6. pdf 16. http://www.womenscampaigninternational.org/countries/liberia/

There needs to be greater awareness at community and district level of both SGBV and the harmful traditional and cultural practices that perpetuate violence against women. At meso and macro level, the legal framework and related policies, laws, and programmes to support the fulfilment of children’s rights, including legal frameworks against rape, are now in place. However, they tend to be poorly implemented or not implemented at all. There is a need to increase awareness around the legal framework at all levels.11 For example, United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNML) reports that there is still a general lack of awareness within society and amongst police officers regarding the penal law provisions for rape.12 Hundreds of criminal court cases in relation to SGBV were stuck in the courts as the judicial system worked to clear years of backlogged criminal cases. Consequently, prosecution levels of SGBV related cases are low, resulting in long delays in cases being heard and low levels of perpetrators being punished. A special court to deal with SGBV cases has been set up but referral systems at district level still need to be strengthened, and awareness raised among the population. The government has formed the National Gender Based Violence Task Force13, as well as a GBV Secretariat within the Ministry of Gender and Development. However, planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation processes are not supported by gender responsive data and analysis.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women According to the Minister of Gender and Development, an adolescent girl living in Liberia is unlikely to have been to primary school (the net primary school enrolment for girls stands at only 39%); is very unlikely to go on to secondary school (just 14% of girls of secondary school age are enrolled in secondary education); is at high risk of being illiterate (24% of adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 in the country).14 At the micro level, girls often suffer from low self esteem, due to ingrained traditional beliefs around boys’ superiority, plus harmful traditional practices such as FGM/C and early marriage. At the meso level, CSOs need to strengthen their capacity to hold government accountable for example in the implementation of the Children’s Act, UN resolution 1325 and other relevant laws. Culturally in Liberia, the socialization process victimizes girls because they are considered the weaker sex. Spending valuable resources such as money to pay for further education is considered a waste because girls are expected to get married and be supported by their husbands. At community level there is a lack of awareness of children’s rights, a school environment that is not friendly or safe for girls, a lack of qualified teachers and disparity in the number of female and male teachers, a lack of vocational and skills training opportunities and low participation of girls in community structures as well as a gender imbalance in community leadership. At the macro level, in terms of the impact of the Free Compulsory Primary Education Policy and the National Policy on Girls’ Education, there has been a marked improvement in girls’ enrolment. However there remains a major disparity between boys and girls at post-primary level.

Socio-political position of girls and young women At the micro level, children, especially girls are not consulted in matters that affect them. At meso and macro levels, the Liberia Children’s Parliament is the recognized national platform for children’s participation. Its role is to participate in advocacy about the importance of the principles of child rights and their realization. However the Children’s Parliament is mostly comprised of children enrolled in school, meaning that out of school or otherwise marginalised children are not represented. There has however been systematic involvement of the children’s Parliament in the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC); the challenge now is to ensure that the recommendations of the TRC are implemented and that protection frameworks for children are integrated more widely into the Liberian social, political and economic spheres, leading to concrete benefits for children.15

IV Background Analysis Socio-economic and political background

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Liberians came together in November 2006 to elect the first African female head of state, Ellen JohnsonSirleaf. Since the election of Johnson-Sirleaf, unprecedented numbers of women have assumed leadership positions. Women comprise 17% of the Senate, 12,5% in the House of Representatives, 31% among junior and senior ministers and 33% among local government officials.16 Liberia has developed a vibrant women’s rights movement in the past decade. One of its defining moments occurred when thousands of

Christian and Muslim women banded together to pray for peace and demand it from their aggressors, successfully ending the bloody civil war.17 CSOs such as ANPPCAN, FAWE, the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFFEL), the Women’s NGO Secretariat (WONGOSOL) and the Women’s Peace Network (WIPNET) are leading CSOs that have shown concrete results in advocating for the implementation of legislation and policies favourable to girls and women in Liberia. Advocacy and lobbying from civil society organisations led to the passing of the Rape Bill, and the Inheritance Bill into law, as well as the crafting of the Girl Education Policy and the National Gender Policy. The Children’s Bill makes it mandatory for child rights issues to be promoted through the national and local media. Government ministries and civil society organisations possess the structures and generally the willingness to engage. Liberian civil society has a critical role to play in ensuring the continued successful transition to democracy and CSOs must be able to work jointly to tackle attempts by the government which some parts of civil society consider to be constraining civil society space.18 However, during the SWOT analysis it became clear that civil society, especially local NGOs and CBOs lack capacity (human resource, organisational logistics, finance) plus a clear institutional framework. Strength • able to advocate and influence policy • confidence of the public

Weakness • weak human resources, logistics, finance

Opportunities • enabling environment • funding • support from communities

Threats • donor fatigue • security • corruption

17. www.praythedevilbacktohell. com 18. World Movement for Democracy, civil society in Liberia 19. ‘PRSP Liberia 2008’ (Government of Liberia)

Facilitated by the Plan country office, local organisations have formed a Child Rights Alliance to address the issues analysed above. Local partners of the Alliance have been selected particularly because of their experience and capacity in gender sensitive and right based planning implementation; plus their capacity in Monitoring and Evaluation, civic education, IEC material development and access to a broad based network. They are very well placed to strengthen civil society not only at the community level but also at district and national level. FAWE Liberia will bring both technical implementation expertise and strong understanding of and relationships with target communities FAWE is a Pan African Organisation which is bridging the gender gap in education and supports Education for All (EFA). ANPPCAN Liberia aims to promote education as basic right of children, to combat the worst forms of child labor and to promote child protection at national and local levels. ANPPCAN is well-known in Liberia for its advocacy around children and youth issues. It brings to the alliance innovative ideas in turning challenges into opportunities to ensure that girls’ full potentials are realized. DCI Liberia is a child protection institution located at the community level and which works to promote the rights of the child. It will provide awareness raising, advocacy, community mobilization, counseling, and training for the targeted groups. LIWOMAG is a Liberian women’s media group that advocates for girls and women in the media. LIWOMAG was selected due to its access to the national and local media. LIWOMAG will contribute largely to the children’s media aspect of the programme. Alliance partners CHI and Women Win will participate with local partners in order to strengthen child protection networks including a confidential helpline for children, and to invest in innovative strategies using sport as a medium to strengthen existing initiatives Free Voice and its KidsNewsNetwork will be the process managers of the media component for the Child Rights Alliance, in collaboration with regional media development specialized institutions and in-country media networks, media houses and media practitioners.

V Multi-actor analysis Liberia Government In 2008, Liberia developed its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and enacted reforms to place it on track for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) Completion Point in 2010.19 The PRSP outlines plans to address youth unemployment, decrease the number of youth living under the poverty line, decentralize initiatives to encourage youth employment, and encourage the active participation of youth in creating employment opportunities. However, these goals are yet to be achieved. There is a need to strengthen girls and young women’s capacities to actively participate in decision making

12. 2.3 Liberia Contextual analysis 61

programmes and influence. The Alliance is well placed to add value to existing government programmes such as the National GBV Action Programme, the Liberia Educational Trust Programme for girls, the National Youth Policy, and the National Gender Policy which promote the rights of children to be protected against violence, and to have access to education.

International donors Major donors such as USAID and the World Bank concentrate on establishing a stable democracy, changing the culture of impunity, systematic corruption and poor governance, closing gaps in access to quality education and health care, expanding economic opportunity through agricultural enterprise and natural resources management, and helping to rebuild essential infrastructure and sources of renewable energy. UNICEF and UNIFEM are important partners at the UN level.

Other international NGOs active in the same field Save the Children is supporting primary education through it’s ‘Rewrite the Future’ programme but is not focusing on post-primary or vocational training for girls. The Liberia Child Rights Alliance will work closely with its Northern partners in the Netherlands, and the UN system in research, influencing policies and action programmes.

Corporate partners, research and academic institutions At regional level, the alliance will partner with the African Child Policy Forum, FAWE, ANPPCAN, the AU, ECOWAS, and the Mano River Union where applicable in research, policy advocacy and to share information pertaining to the protection and development of children. At the national level, close collaboration will take place with the National Child Protection Network, the National GBV Task Force, the National Child Labour Commission, and the National Child Rights Observatory Group. These networks, including the ANPPCAN and FAWE networks all have the potential to influence policy. The alliance will learn and share experiences in the planning, implementing and evaluation stages of the programme’s lifespan. Where capacity is lacking, northern partners will work together to provide technical backstopping in research and quality programming. The programme will ensure effective communication, transparent interaction, and a common understanding of and determination to build upon the value added by all partners involved in demonstrating accountability and ownership.

VI Tailor-made programmes The goal of the Girl Power programme in Liberia is to strengthen civil society organisations in five districts, with a specific focus on 1) eliminating violence against girls and women; 2) increasing the socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women; and 3) increasing the socio-political empowerment of girls and young women. The proposed program is particularly relevant to the context of Liberia since state agencies are still fragile, and capacity needs to be developed to support national recovery and development.

12. 2.3 Liberia Contextual analysis 62

Within the next five years, the programme aims to: • implement innovative activities targeting children, men and boys, policy makers, service providers, duty bearers, traditional, religious and local leaders as well as grass root civil society organisations and to put prevention and response mechanisms in place; • achieve institutional change: mobilizing five counties on the existing laws and policies which exist to ensure girls and women’s empowerment, amending customary laws that support harmful cultural practices and strengthening reporting and referral system at community and county level; • change socio-cultural norms and practices: a ‘Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey’ will show changes in attitude towards violence against girls and women, gender training will be conducted for 10.000 school administrators, teachers, County Education Officers, District Education Officers. • strengthen individual agency: building the capacity of 10.000 girls and young women in rights promotion, enhancing the skills of 10.000 girls and young women, enabling them to participate in political, socio and economic activities. • achieve that girls and young women have the capacity to avoid abuse and have access to justice; nondiscriminatory attitudes and values have been fostered at the level of individual girls, boys and families. • strengthen Civil Society: 200 girls and women’s groups will be supported, data collection and research

systems will be strengthened to inform government policy and to track progress. We will promote policy dialogue on gender issues and provide Training of Trainers for local NGOs and CBOs.

20. http://www.uneca.org/adfv/ docs/Report_Consultation_ Liberia.pdf

Elimination of Violence against girls and women Integrated Protection systems are very important for the fulfilment of the rights of women and children in Liberia. Therefore, the strategies being used to strengthen civil society are the following: At the institutional level: Working with government to enforce existing laws and policies that protect girls and young women, advocacy and lobbying for the passing of the Children’s Act into law and its implementation. At the socio-cultural level: Organise structures in the communities (child welfare committees) to address social-cultural norms and harmful traditional practices and to provide a reporting and referral system at the community level; strengthen the capacity of traditional leaders, men and boys to advocate for girls’ and young women’s rights, create new innovative platforms to reach community through linking media, sport, school clubs, women’s associations, confidential child helplines, child rights and protection institutions, and research institutes for awareness raising and changing gender based attitudes. At the individual level: strengthen the capacity of girls and young women through vocational and skills training; strengthen “safe spaces” initiatives such as using sport as a strategy to advance girls’ rights and develop leadership.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women In order to strengthen civil society to adequately address the problems of post-primary education and access to the labor market for girls and young women the following strategies will be used: At the institutional level: Support in-service training of female teachers; Review the current vocational and technical training policy. At the socio-cultural level: Conduct Gender training for school administrators, teachers, County Education Officers and District Education Officers and Parent Teachers Associations. At the individual level: Support families to keep girls and young women in school in five counties to facilitate the transition from primary to secondary school; provide training on business skills and income generation for young women and well as providing internships and or small loans.

Socio-political empowerment Liberia’s youths, especially girls, are most affected in a society in transition and also have the potential to be the most powerful agents of change. As such, they could either sustain peace or generate further instability in the country.20 The Girl Power programme presents an important opportunity for civil society, national government and the international community to cooperate in rebuilding a post-conflict country in a way that addresses the inequalities in society and assists adolescent girls in reaching their full potential. In order to strengthen civil society to work jointly in addressing the problems of a lack of visibility and poor representation of girls and young women in public decision making, the following strategies will be used: At the institutional level: Ensure understanding and full support of the Children’s Act and its implementation. At the socio-cultural level: Strengthen girls and young women’s groups in leadership, participation and decision making; Support the Children’s Parliament and children’s clubs in decision making processes and accessing media outlets in the programme’s counties. Children in the 77 programme communities will benefit from awareness raising and protection from abuse in schools. Use of (local) radio will expand outreach to parents, teachers, local authorities, police, traditional and religious leaders. Capacity will be developed in the form of increased knowledge and changed attitudes and practices in relation to the rights of the girl child. The programme will involve boys and men through their involvement in child rights clubs, child welfare committees and children’s parliaments, as well as through radio programmes targeting youth. At the individual level: Support girls and young women with enhanced life skills and enable them to participate in political, socio-economic activities. Strengthening networks, establishing forums and developing the capacity of CSOs and local authorities

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involved in the programme will result in a strong functional Child Protection and Referral System. Institutional sustainability will be promoted through strong collaboration with local authorities and local structures in and around schools. The whole programme will be supported by a strong research component, which is the main area of expertise of ACPF. Together with ANPPCAN and FAWE these organisations will join forces, gather data and information, exchange best practice and conduct/commission evaluations. In the third year of the programme shared learning of relevant information about progress in the other countries of the Child Rights Alliance in Africa will be exchanged through an international conference.

SWOT analysis of the programme

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Strength • partnership, • competence, • proven track record, • commitment to gender equity, • local understanding

Weakness • Information sharing, • Capacity, human, logistics, finance

Opportunities • donor attention, • political goodwill, • legal instruments in place, • social and environmental support

Threats • gradual UNMIL withdrawal, • pending presidential elections, • traditional and cultural harmful practices, • poverty

2.4 Mali Contextual analysis

ALGERIA

MAURETANIA

MALI

SENEGAL MOPTI

BAMAKO

NIGER

SEGOU

BURKINA FASO

GUINEA

COTE D’IVOIRE

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 3.444.000

2.4. Mali Contextual analysis I Introduction The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country with an estimated population of 12,7 million and a growth rate of 3%. About 90% of the population is Muslim and less than 10% are Christian or Animist. Mali has improved its social and economic policy performance during the past decade. Despite various adverse shocks, such as exposure to drought, sound macroeconomic management has produced real GDP growth averaging 5% per annum from 1994 to 2006. Yet poverty remains widespread and despite the government’s efforts to increase access to basic services, human development indicators remain low1, Mali currently ranks at the bottom of the Human Development Index.2 Women represent 52% of the rural population and 77% of women live below the poverty line. The Gender-related Development Index for Mali of 0.353 indicates the existing large disparities between men and women.3 Women continue to have a lower social, economic and political status and position. According to the 2009 Human Development report 34,9% of men and 18,2% of women older than 15 years are literate. Gross enrolment figures are also disproportionate: 51% for boys and 37,5 % for girls. Women’s representation in political decision-making at national and communal level is also extremely low (around 10%) despite a decentralisation process intended to increase the participation of all groups. Migration of adolescent girls to towns has recently become a great concern of child rights. Good quality data on this complex phenomenon, however, are still quite scarce and only few organisations are working in this area.

1. ‘Social protection to tackle child poverty in Mali (ODI Project Briefing no.25), (Pereznieto, P. 2009), 2. Human Development (Index (HDI) 2009 3. ‘Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2007/2008) 4. Population Council (2006) 5. Demographic Health Survey (EDS4) 6. IOM ( May 2010) www.iom.int/ jahia/mali 7. Demographic Health Survey (EDS4)

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Bamako capital city Segou region Mopti region

2.000 migrant girls, 20 civil society organisations 500 employers and landlords. Government: Ministry of Youth & Sports, Ministry of Social Development, MCWCF

400.000 girls/young women in Mopti and Segou Region and Bamako.

During the 1995 UN Beijing Conference (‘The situation of Women in Mali‘), it was stated that female migration from rural areas to the cities was an increasingly popular solution for poor women, with or without children, in search of better opportunities. Since 1995, an increasing number of girls between 15 and 19 years from rural areas and neighbouring countries have come to work in Bamako, Segou and Mopti.4 It is estimated that numbers in this age group are steadily increasing (from 26% to 32% in 2006). In addition, migration of younger girls (12-13 years) to urban areas has also been observed.5 These young women from mostly rural areas, largely illiterate and unaware of their rights, seek to establish financial security as maids and find themselves exploited by the households that employ them. NGOs and associations of maids demonstrate that these women without labour-contracts are poorly paid or not paid at all which amounts to a form of slavery. Also, some are subject to sexual abuse from their boss or family members of the house. The (migrants) girls have little access to services and information on sexual and reproductive health. 43% of these (mainly unmarried) girls have their first child before the age of 19, mostly unrecognised by the father.6 The Girl Power Programme targets strategically selected local CSOs, government institutions (including schools), private sector organisations, community organisations and traditional leaders in Bamako city, Segou and the Mopti region which are responsible for the rights of migrant girls in either the area of origin or arrival. The programme targets migrant girls; organising them and training them as peer educators and mobilisers. The targeted group consists of about 2.000 migrant girls, who can visit drop-in centres and can benefit from other direct support services. Girls in Mopti, Segou Region and Bamako will obtain indirect benefits as the causes of rights violation and inequality will be addressed at both ends of the migration chain and their effects mitigated. Two age groups can be distinguished among the target population:7 • Young girls between 10-14 who leave voluntarily or involuntarily to earn money for the family. Poverty drives parents to send their children away, dispite the risks involved.

12. 2.4 Mali Contextual analysis 65

8. ‘Population Council analysis of UN country data’ (2002, www. popcouncil.org) 9. ‘State of the World’s Children,’ (2009, UNICEF) 10. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) 2008 11. ‘A Profile on Gender Relations: towards gender equality in Mali.’(SIDA, March 2004) 12. Fédération Internationale des Ligues de droits de l’Homme. (FIDH, 2006)

• Girls between 15-19 years who decide themselves to (usually temporarily) leave the village with or without the permission of their father. The girl may want to escape forced marriage, the limited possibility to continue school or to earn money and build up assets (which is impossible for a woman in the village) and may be influenced by her peers and mass media (social pressure). In the area of origin both groups are victim of a lack of recognition of the right of participation, early marriage and acces to primary and post-primary school. In particular girls aged 10–14 are likely victims of stigmatisation (‘bad morale’) as men/community are afraid to lose control over their sexuality. In the target area, girls in both categories suffer from a lack of choice in terms of work (mainly domestic work, tailoring / hairdressing, apprenticeships) and have poor negotiation skills towards their employees; and a lack of protection against physical or sexual violence. Girls aged 15–19 years are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and trafficking.

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level Violence against girls and young women At micro level, the physical integrity of migrant girls is generally not recognised in their home villages (forced early marriage is widespread; FGM/C, physical and sexual violence is seldom acted upon). FGM/C is not forbidden and practiced today at the age of 4 in all regions of Mali, in both urban and rural areas and by most ethnic groups with a prevalence of 89%. As migrant girls arrive at the destination, they are particularly at risk of physical and sexual violence by employers or targets for traffickers. Access to justice is minimal in all legal regimes as well as access to health and family planning services as male family members need to give permission. Unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion and HIV infection are among the many realities that migrant girls have to face. At meso level, district government institutions do not have a good reputation in terms of providing services to adolescent girls in case of violence or request for family planning. Blaming the victim is common practice among government officials. Allocation of resources for protection services at communal level is rare. At macro level, there is no appropriate or effective legal and policy framework to protect women and girls and thus also migrant girls against violence. Marital age is fixed at 18 years but not implemented.8 Customary law and the Sharia play a dominant role in the lives of most adolescent girls.9 The Basic Law (1992) on the Labour Code does not address the issue of girls/women domestic workers.10

Socio-economic position of girls and young women At micro level, the aspects of gender discrimination and impoverishment in rural areas drive young girls in particular to urban migration in search of economic activity or refuge. This form of migration contributes to the child poverty cycle, because it keeps the girls out of the education system. To compound this position, women in most ethnic groups cannot own property under customary law, reducing their possibility to accumulate assets if they remain in the village.11 At meso level, local and district government services have little motivation and capacity to address the particular socio-economic interests of adolescent girls. Post-primary and vocational training facilities in district capitals are usually limited and too expensive for girls to access. In addition, no provision is made for girls to access non-traditional professions. Specific reasons for migration differ per region. In the region of Kayes, early marriage levels and the practice of FGM/C are higher than the national level and might increase migration. The rice growing area of Segou made this region a purveyor of economic exploitation of children and might urge girls to look for better opportunities elsewhere. In the region of Mopti is an area of child trafficking and sexual exploitation. At macro level, the state does not provide in scholarships to enable families to cope with costs of education. There is no incentive system for parents to keep their daughters in school. In addition there is a lack of postprimary education facilities in cities for migrated girls to benefit from.

Socio-political position of girls and young women At micro level, as discussed above, some girls decide to leave their village without the approval of their male relatives. They do so at the risk of being stigmatised and socially excluded. Other girls are forced to leave. In addition many girls are also leaving because of the threat of forced marriage. In their new environment migrated girls have little or no say and as such are excluded as citizens. At meso and macro level, in rural areas, women are still seen as property of men and often don’t know their rights and entitlements,12 a situa12. 2.4 Mali Contextual analysis 66

tion which is not helped by low levels of literacy. Consequently, women are also poorly represented in political and public life. Malian women represent only a tenth of the members of Parliament. While adult women are under-represented in local and national government, adolescent girls have no voice at all in public affairs.

IV Background analysis Socio-economic The status and position of women in Mali is being threatened by the rise of conservative Islam. Gains made during the last decades are rapidly lost. Gender discrimination is preserved by strong socio-cultural factors. Current cultural attitudes that consider women inferior make equality between men and women difficult to achieve. The incidence of rural-urban migration is as common as in other countries, especially among (young) women. Two important push factors for female migration are a lack of economic opportunities and gender discrimination socio-cultural. The lack of economic opportunities has been exacerbated by declining agricultural outputs and recent economic recessions in combination with high population growth.

Political background

13. ‘A Profile on Gender Relations: towards gender equality in Mali.’(SIDA, March 2004) 14. SNV and CEDELO decentralisation Mali - putting policy into practice. (KIT Bulletin 362, 2004) 15. www.ml.undp.org/bgender. htm 16. ‘A Profile on Gender Relations: towards gender equality in Mali.’(SIDA, March 2004) 17. ‘Civil Society and the Governance of basic Education.’ (Mali Country Field Study, Suzanne Cherry, 2007) 18. World Bank - PRSP Mali. www.web.worldbank.org

The State does not have the necessary institutional, organisational and operational capacity to implement policies and legislation. The transfer of competences, following the process of decentralisation, is a new form of collaboration between the national government and decentralised authorities. However, the result is often only a deconcentration of responsibilities from the centre with weak capacity levels at district and local level rather than empowering local authorities to develop tailor made programmes.14 As a result, district and local authorities are not yet sufficiently equipped to ensure the participation of civil society and community members. Government officers often still invoke religious and customary practices to justify its inaction to initiate reforms to end discrimination against women. Although the government has invested effort in improving the legal status of women and girls, discriminatory texts and non-recognition of rights still persist.15 Women are legally disadvantaged by the current Family Law (Code de la Famille). The women’s movement and human rights organisations have strongly pushed for a new Family Law since 1996, but conservative Muslim organisations have successfully prevented its approval. Women’s and girls’ lives are currently being governed by several, partially overlapping and contradicting rights regimes: statutory, Islam and customary.16

Role and SWOT of local civil society Mali has a relatively young but vibrant civil society.17 However, it is highly dependant on external donor funding. The majority of CSOs, particularly the ones in rural areas, focus on project implementation and do not engage in ‘political’ activities. A few larger NGOs at national level have the capacity to engage with the government and influence policy making. Generally, however CSO’s do not have sufficient capacity to hold the government accountable or to influence decision-making processes.18 With respect to the empowerment of women and girls, several CSO umbrella organisations exist at the district and national level. In terms of Child Rights and Wellbeing, the Malian Coalition for the Rights of the Child (COMADE) has contributed to the development of the Law for Child Protection which was adopted in 2002. Currently this Coalition is involved in the process of getting the Code of Persons and Family adopted. However, COMADE has limited capacity to coordinate, strategically plan and represent all Child Rights related NGOs. In addition, CONAFE (The African Coalition of Child Rights) is based in Mali alongside the Coordination of Women’s Associations and NGOs of Mali (CAFO) which promotes implementation of CEDAW and adoption of the Code of Persons and Family. These CSOs and coalitions are important in the struggle to advance women and girls rights in Mali. The concerns and interests of migrant girls, however, are not explicitly represented by any of them. Strength • Faith Based Organisations have the potential to positively influence norms and values related to girl migration • Syndicates/networks have the ability to mobilise trade unions, promote human rights and social protection, and are powerful vis a vis the state

Weakness • Causes and effects of migration of girls are contested issues and defending the rights of migrant girls may not easily be embraced by some CSOs

Opportunities • Several coalitions, umbrellas and media organisations that work on women and children’s rights already exist and can put the rights and interest of migrant girls on their agenda

Threats • Conservative Islam organisations are becoming more influential, thereby reducing freedoms of women and girls and putting their existing rights in jeopardy

12. 2.4 Mali Contextual analysis 67

19. ‘Civil Societyy and Aid Effectiveness - An exploration of experience and good practice.’ (Advisory group on C.S. & Aid Effectiveness, 2008) 20. ‘World Bank Civil Society Engagement Review of Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006.’

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention The Mali Alliance facilitated by the Plan Country Office is a combination of organisations working on capacity building at community and national level: At community level GDCom works on protection and advocacy regarding violence against children and early marriage; Caritas shelters pregnant migrant girls, mediates between father and parents; FAWE works on income generating activities and literacy programmes; BICE supports young mothers and children in difficult circumstances. At national level organisations working under this programme are APAFE, ENDA and Right to Play. These partners implement lobbying and advocacy activities as well as train relevant government officers and decision-makers on UNCRC, child protection and health issues. Alliance building, networking and synergy is a strength of PERD and GRDE. PERD (Reflection Group on the Rights of the Child), is a network of 19 Malian organisations. It strengthens the capacities of members and conduct advocacy activities. GRDE is the Child Rights Reflection Network, composed of about 20 organisations, both local and international, as well as governmental services. Half of the Alliance organisations is member of the GRDE (APAFE, BICE, RtP and ENDA). In addition, media partners will be involved, since in Mali radio is the most popular form of media: 50,8% of women and 81,3% of men listen to the radio at least once a week. The programme will incorporate media providing training and producing content targeting girls and young people in general, or giving voice to the target group, by creating icons and peers. Collectively, the partners can address the most important challenges identified, notably the lack of coordinated activities to improve the situation of migrant girls and ensure their rights.

V Multi-actor analysis Mali Government Few governmental organisations are working on the issues related to migrant girls. In 2007, the Mali government organised a National Consultation with the main CSO umbrella organisations. The process brought together regional, district and national consultations representing CSO, government, and donor representatives. It provided an opportunity for CSOs and donors to better coordinate their efforts and to raise government’s awareness of the vibrancy and diversity of Mali’s civil society. However, gender discrimination and more specifically the problems and needs of migrant girls and young women are not yet priority issues.

International donors The Action Plan for the Implementation of the Paris Declaration gave donors the opportunity to reorganise thematic groups. This included the creation in February 2008 of a 14-member Thematic Group on Civil Society,19 with the mandate to coordinate and facilitate dialogue between government, donors20 and civil society and to coordinate and harmonise dialogue with and support for CSOs among the donors. A draft code of ethics for dialogue has been developed which sets out a permanent mechanism that includes annual meetings on global challenges, similar to the national consultations, for all CSOs and donors, and two to three meetings per year on specific issues identified by the thematic groups. In addition, a tripartite commission has been agreed to design and fund a capacity development program for CSOs. This will be an important entry point for the programme to raise awareness of the issues facing migrant girls.

Other (inter)national NGO’s active in the same field The Association for the Promotion and Defense of the Rights of The Child and Women (APDEF) aims to empower women to defend their rights, and to fight against all forms of discrimination in their legal, cultural and socio-economic development. They conduct training activities in the field of educational policy, dissemination and explanation of legal texts and in the updating of legal texts relating to women (including the Family Code) and in micro finance to empower women economically. They also provide legal clinics: places where women are informed about their rights, receive free legal advice and can acquire legal recourse in case of need. They are present in Segou, Koulikoro and Bamako. Since the Mali Alliance has no partner experience in legal aid assistance for migrant girls, collaboration with APDEF will strengthen the programme.

12. 2.4 Mali Contextual analysis 68

RIOV is the network for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) that includes 40 CSOs, state institutions, communities and faith based institutions. It currently integrates and implements the component relating to OVC within the Global Fund. It works with migrant girls in the context of the fight against STIs and HIV/ AIDS. The project partners are already linked with the RIOV in the context of social inclusion.

Corporate partners, research &academic institutions A lack of data and research will provide an opportunity to inter-African organisations like African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), ANPPCAN and FAWE to engage, as data collection and exchange of best practices will be shared and discussed during a conference after three years of implementation. This will be done in collaboration with local research institutes.

Added value Many organisations work in Mali on Child Rights and against the Discrimination of Women and Girls. However, there is little focus on migrant girls. This Alliance has selectes CSOs with the capability to focus specifically on the themes of migrant girls. Training in the effective use of local and national media as an awareness raising and sensitisation tool, specifically with productions targeting youth, girls and young women, will increase effectiveness. Three Alliance partners are experienced in lobbying and advocacy at national level, which gives the programme extra power to secure sustainability.

VI Tailor-made programmes The overall objective of this programme is to contribute to the realisation of rights for migrant girls and reduce their inequality in three chosen areas in Mali. The focus therefore is on their rights to protection, education and participation.

Elimination of violence against girls: Expected Results Civil society level: The organisations defending of rights of the child, will be strengthened in their advocacy capacity. CSOs in the communities of origin of migrant girls will be made aware about child rights. Youth clubs and other relevant CSOs will be trained in games and sports techniques for advocacy/social mobilisation. Institutional level: Legislation and policies will be in place supporting the elimination of all forms of violence. Where needed, training will be provided to governmental institutions to extend national and international legal instruments to protect children and to adopt and adjust new laws and policies. A referral system for child protection will be facilitated by networking and capacity training in protection. And the Quick Reference Guide and workshops to exchange good practice and experience will be run. Community level: The values and attitudes of society will be re-orientated to be non-violent and nondiscriminatory through information and awareness campaigns, followed by advocacy for the extension of national and international legal instruments to protect children in the community. Individual level: The human capital and social development of girls and young women will be increased by activities to develop life skills and improve reproductive health.

Socio-economic empowerment for girls and young women: Expected Results Civil society level: The capacity of CSOs to lobby and advocate for the socio-economic rights for migrant girls will be increased enabling civil society to hold the government and authorities accountable for violations of girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rights and to monitor procedures undertaken at government level. Institutional level: Girls acces to secondary education and employment opportunities will be achieved through training of the responsible authorities; the development of courses in secondary education taking into account the needs of girls; development of support programmes (including scholarships) for girls; strengthening government authorities to lobby for a quota of girls and young women in recruitment training in the private sector and encouraging employers to increase the number of female workers in their sectors. Socio-cultural level: Sensitisation of communities (parents, tutors, leader) supported by media campaigns on girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education and the need to decrease school dropout. Individual level: The human and social capital of girls and young women will be increased by strengthening the networking of girls from the same village who are economically active, by strengthening the skills of girls in mobilising and managing resources and by supporting organisations implementing income generating activities.

12. 2.4 Mali Contextual analysis 69

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women: Expected Result Civil society level: Establishment of a platform for regional synergy on action for migrant girls. Increase technical and organisational capacities of locally-elected officials to consider the concerns of girls in social, economic and cultural development plans of the district. Increase knowledge among CSOs on child rights, local values and national and international standards and legislation. Build capacity of CSOs in legal and administrative solutions regarding violations of the rights of girls in the three project areas. Institutional level: Authorities to respect and adapt legislation in favour of girls’ participation in decision making (at a national and regional local) Socio-cultural level: CBOs with increased capacity to provide a platform for the participation of girls in the areas of project intervention. Individual level: Supporting the platform of Girls and strengthening the capacity of its members to develop life skills and leadership skills. Girls will be used as peers in their communities of origin to empower other girls.

SWOT analysis of the programme

12. 2.4 Mali Contextual analysis 70

Strength • The few organisations working with migrant girls are all included in the Alliance. • Presence of supportive programmes of others (e.g. Unicef).

Weakness • Lack of specific and sufficient expertise amongst the partners.

Opportunities • Inclusion of private sector is challenge • Existing youth radio programme that will be incorporated in the program

Threats • Weak structure of media organisations and its content

2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis

SENEGAL

SIERRA LEONE FREE TOWN WESTERN AREA MOYAMBA DISTRICT

LIBERIA

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 6.561.000

i g

2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis I Introduction Sierra Leone has made significant progress since the end of its devastating 11-year civil war (1991-2002) but still faces considerable development challenges.1 The country enjoys peace and security. Focus has progressively shifted from addressing post-conflict emergency needs to poverty eradication and development. In 2004 decentralized governance and democratic local government were reinstated. Presidential and parliamentary elections took place in 2002 and 2007 and local council elections in 2004 and 2008. Annual economic growth of 6%-7% was achieved in 2003-2007. It remains however, one of the poorest countries in the world. On the Human Development Index it ranks 180 out of 182 countries.2 Poverty is widespread. 70% of the population live below the poverty line and 26% exist in extreme poverty.3 It is still far from meeting the MDGs’ targets. The child and maternal mortality rates are amongst the worst in the world. Public services delivery is weak. Economic growth declined to about 4% in 2009 primarily due to the global crisis, which has curtailed financial flows to the country from trade, investment, remittances and aid. Unemployment levels are high. Youth unemployment is estimated at 70%, heightening the risk of social unrest. The poor status of power distribution and roads is holding back development across all sectors. Inequality in particular is jeopardizing development: women and girls, and young people of both sexes continue to be socially excluded.

1. ‘European Community Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programme for the period 2008-2013’ (European Commission & DFID, Sierra Leone 2007); ‘Sierra Leone Human Development Report; 2010’ (UNDP, 2010); 2. ‘Human Development Report’ www.hdr.undp.org (UNDP, 2009) 3. ‘PRSP Sierra Leone’ (World Bank and IMF, 2005, pg. 25) 4. Human Development Report (UNDP, 2009, pg 184) 5. ‘The MDGs in Sierra Leone’, (UNDP, 2009) http://www. sl.undp.org/mdgsl.htm; ‘Sierra Leone Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2007) 6. ‘The State of the World’s Children’ (UNICEF, 2010, pg. 29) 7. ‘Sierra Leone Integrated Household Survey 2003/04’ (Government of Sierra Leone, 2004)

On the Gender-Related Development Index Sierra Leone ranks 152 out of 155 countries.4 Promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls, within the framework of MDG 3, is recognized as a key intervention area in Sierra Leone to reduce poverty and improve human development.5 Consequently, the Sierra Leone Girl Power Programme’s has been designed with the goal of promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women, through strengthening the capacity of civil society to give girls and young women a voice to bring about change and influence policy.

II Target groups analysis Geographical areas:

Target groups:

Final beneficiaries:

Western Area (rural and urban areas); Moyamba District in Southern Province (rural and urban areas).

82.300 girls and young women including those with physical disabilities; 200.000 parents/ communities/leaders; 100 CSOs; 60 governmental institutions.

46.000 girls and young women including those with physical disabilities living in Moyamba District; 185.000 girls and young women including those with physical disabilities living in Western Area.

Sierra Leone is a state party to UNCRC and CEDAW but poverty, gender inequality and discriminatory cultural practices continue to undermine women and child rights.6 Its total population is estimated at 6 million, with 45% below age 15 and over 60% below age 35. Over half the population is female.7 The bulk of the population lives in rural areas but migration to urban areas is rising. The capital Freetown, in the Western Area, is the largest city with a population of over 1 million. Poor girls aged 10-17 are vulnerable because parents expect domestic and financial assistance from their daughters at this stage. The numbers of physically disabled girls and young women are high. They suffer additional discrimination. Our partners have identified three major problems: violence against girls and young women; the socio-economic position of girls and young women; and their socio-political position (see below). These problems are pervasive and not predominant in certain regions or districts or chiefdoms or amongst specific ethnic groups. Government action however, is concentrated on the Northern Province and the Eastern Province. The programme focuses therefore on the Western Area and Moyamba District in the Southern Province.

12. 2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis 71

8. Statistics Sierra Leone, www.statistics.sl 9. ‘The MDGs in Sierra Leone’ (UNDP, 2009) www.sl.undp. org/mdgsl.htm; ‘The State of the World’s Children’ (UNICEF, 2010); ‘NGO Complementary Report on Implementation of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography in Sierra Leone’ (Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone, 2009); ‘SL-PRSP II 2008-2012’ (World Bank 2008). 10. Idem 11. PRSP-Sierra Leone 2008-2012 (World Bank); PRSP Sierra Leone 2005-2007 (Worldbank) 12. ‘The MDGs in Sierra Leone’, (UNDP, 2009) www.sl.undp. org/mdgsl.htm; ‘The State of the World’s Children’ (UNICEF, 2010); SL-PRSP II 2008-2012; ‘Sierra Leone Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2007) 13. ‘Human Development Report 2007’ (UNDP) SL-PRSP II 2008-2012. 14. See e.g. Sierra Leone: Key Facts (DFID, 2009) 15. Idem

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level Violence against girls and young women8 At micro level, girls and young women are at risk of violence in the home, at school, in places of work and in the community, including physical and mental abuse, sexual abuse, sexual and economic exploitation, hazardous work, trafficking for the purposes of prostitution and forced labour. Physically disabled girls and young women are even more vulnerable. Over 90% of females aged 15-49 are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) which is widely practiced (95-98%). 62% of girls marry before age 18 and 27% before age 15.9 The Child Rights Act 2007 legislates age 18 as the minimum age for marriage but local by-laws continue to set lower ages. A 2008 Unicef survey found 85% of interviewees reporting experience of domestic violence.10 In a survey by Plan Sierra Leone, 59% of girl respondents reported sexual abuse by teachers.11 However, the extent of violence against girls and young women remains under-recorded and under-reported, with a culture of silence surrounding it. This is attributable partly to a largely patriarchal society and discriminatory socio-cultural norms and values, but also to the fact that many girls and young women are not even aware that such acts are prohibited. At meso/macro level, the government has instituted a range of laws and other measures as protection for girls and young women against all forms of violence. These include: the Child Rights Act 2007, the Domestic Violence Act 2007 and the Teacher Code of Conduct 2009. They have not been followed up by adequate implementation, enforcement and popularization by the responsible public authorities at national, district, chiefdom and community levels, largely due to limited capacity. Impunity is a problem, leading to increased violence. Though improving, access to justice remains a challenge in general and even more so for girls and women. In instances where cases are reported, convictions rarely follow. There is no effective child protection system in place which has the required institutional capacity and procedures for the identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of abuse cases. Child protection services which do exist, are characterised by weak and fragmented delivery, with governmental institutions and NGOs both contributing in not always clear and systematic ways. Local Child Welfare Committees are mostly weak or defunct. Over 52% of children are not registered at birth. The key reasons are lack of knowledge of the process, the costs involved and lack of birth registration facilities in communities.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women At micro level, the share of women in the labour force (formal and informal) is 53%.12 Literacy rates (for those aged 15 and above) stand at 26,8% for females and 50% for males.13 Education is key to socioeconomic empowerment. However, female completion rates of post-primary education remain low, with poverty and discriminatory socio-cultural norms and values being the main limitation factors. Poor girls aged 10-17 are particularly vulnerable because of socio-cultural expectations around domestic and financial assistance from daughters at this age. They are at risk of child marriage and exploitation. Other barriers to accessing education include high levels of adolescent pregnancy, physical disability, unsafe schools, risk of sexual harassment and abuse, a lack of accessible educational provision and the range of hidden costs that education implies. In many cases, although inconsistent with the national Education Act 2004, local by-laws prevent pregnant girls from attending school.14

12. 2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis 72

At meso/macro level, the Education Act 2004 requires all children to complete basic education, defined as six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school. It has not been followed up by adequate enforcement and implementation. Government programmes granting free tuition, fee subsidies, payment of examination fees and promoting girl child education have led to greatly increased enrolment rates at primary level. Nevertheless, girls’ primary school completion rates and entry rates into secondary school remain low. The net primary school completion rate for girls is 28%. Their secondary school completion rate is 15%.15 Sierra Leone suffers from inadequate supply of educational provision, with an insufficient number of (equipped and furnished) schools, high pupil-teacher ratios and significant overcrowding at primary level. Quality is a significant issue, with shortages in both teaching and learning materials and in qualified and trained teachers (particularly female). There is little provision for the special needs of physically disabled children and very limited access to early childhood care.

Socio-political position of girls and young women At micro level, girls and young women in Sierra Leone are frequently excluded from decision-making processes at all levels, in the home, at school, in the workplace, in the community. This is primarily due to entrenched discriminatory socio-cultural norms and values. Child participation is a relatively new concept for Sierra Leone. However, groups such as the Children’s Forum Network, a national advocacy group established by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs in 2005, are now emerging.

16. ‘The MDGs in Sierra Leone’, (UNDP, 2009) www.sl.undp. org/mdgsl.htm; ‘The State of the World’s Children’ (UNICEF, 2010); SL-PRSP II 2008-2012; ‘Sierra Leone Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2007) 17. ‘Human Development Report 2007’ (UNDP) SL-PRSP II 2008-2012.

At meso/macro level, one of the most important political issues in contemporary Sierra Leone remains women’s under-representation in politics and the public sphere. Between 2002 and 2007 women constituted 14,5% of those in parliament, 14,3% in cabinet positions, 9,6% in top civil service positions and 13,3% in ambassadorial positions.16

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background17 Discriminatory socio-cultural norms and values continue to perpetuate inequality which is jeopardizing development. Three groups are affected: women and girls; youths of both sexes; and disabled persons. Relevant policies, laws and other measures have been adopted to address gender inequalities and violence. But they are ineffective due to lack of adequate implementation, enforcement and popularization at national, district, chiefdom and community levels, including the crucial task of harmonizing customary laws with national law. This is linked to the limited financial, human and technical capacity of government and its institutions at all levels, across all sectors, affecting good governance and accountability. Public services delivery is weak. The judiciary is weak affecting access to justice. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs reports that it does not have sufficient budget.

Role and SWOT of local civil society Within this context, civil society has a crucial role to play. Several civil society organizations (CSOs) are engaged in varying interventions relating to child, gender and/or disability issues, in varying parts of the country, including awareness raising, advocacy, lobby, support for children’s and youth groups, and services like child socio-legal support, skills training, scholarships, micro finance support. There have been successes in influencing policy. Women’s groups were influential in the adoption of the three Gender Acts 2007. Our partner Defence for Children International - Sierra Leone (DCI-Sierra Leone) was influential as regards the adoption of the Child Rights Act 2007, and was involved in the development of a National Referral Protocol for child protection service provision in 2009, together with other NGOs and UNICEF. The Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone was established in 2007 and consists of 19 NGOs including DCI-Sierra Leone and Plan Sierra Leone. This coalition is involved in the alternative reporting process to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. However, in general civil society is weak and fragmented and has limited ability to hold the government to account. Action to promote girls’ and young women’s rights is lacking, with little or no interventions on issues like access to post-primary education, participation, protection, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, discrimination of disabled girls and young women.

Strengths: • Many CSOs across entire country with wide range of membership; • Engagement in activism and public campaigns; • Growing influence on policy; • Growing number have a rights based approach; • Establishment of Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone in 2007.

Weaknesses: • Low participation levels of women and girls; • Limited action on girls’/young women’s issues and in communities; • Limited sustainability and capacity; • Lack of coordination and clear focus; • Minimal work with private sector; • Distrust between urban and rural CSOs.

Threats: • Status as fragile state and risk of social unrest especially among young men due to high unemployment levels.

12. 2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis 73

18. ‘Sierra Leone - European Community Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programme for the period 2008-2013’ (European Commission & DFID, 2007) ‘Sierra Leone Country Brief’ (World Bank 2010) SL-PRSP II 2008-2012.

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention The programme’s goal is to ensure equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women in Sierra Leone, through strengthening the capacity of civil society to give girls and young women a voice to bring about change and influence policy. The envisaged role of civil society will be: to include and represent the voice of girls and young women; to be advocates for change; to serve as intermediary between girls & young women and the government and facilitate interactions; to serve as a pressure group to influence policy; to monitor UNCRC and CEDAW implementation; to hold government accountable; to complement efforts by government; to raise awareness among girls and young women about their rights and empower them to demand them; and to raise awareness at all levels. The programme is designed to address the clear need to strengthen the capacity of civil society to fulfil this role effectively, and work together in a strategic, coordinated, rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach. It involves well positioned partners. The local partners of Plan Sierra Leone have expertise in awareness raising and advocacy in the areas of education and protection against violence. ICDI’s partner One Family People has expertise in disability issues; awareness raising and advocacy; disability sensitive schools and social services; training of teachers and other service providers; skills training; provision of orthopedic and prosthetic support. Defence for Children-ECPAT’s partner DCI-Sierra Leone has expertise in child/girl rights; UNCRC and CEDAW; awareness raising, advocacy and lobby; monitoring and reporting; training of service providers including law enforcement officials and legal professionals; child socio-legal support; child protection. It is the coordinator of the Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone and is active in various networks. Partners of Child Helpline International, Women Win and Free Voice contribute to strengthening protection through helplines and by incorporating innovative sport and media strategies to promote girls’ and young women’s rights. They include Kroobay Women and Girls Sport Initiative, using sport to build life skills and address gender based violence. The Plan country office acts as a facilitator of the process.

V Multi-actor analysis Sierra Leone government18 The Government of Sierra Leone is required to fulfill its obligations under the UNCRC and CEDAW to respect and ensure equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. In the last five years relevant policies, laws and other measures have been adopted to address the powerful gender inequalities identified here, as well as the prevalence of sexual and gender based violence. However, scant resources have been allocated for implementation, a situation which needs to change. Some clear opportunities have arisen for the Alliance to engage with Government. For example, this programme’s three strategic areas are in line with the aims of Sierra Leone’s Second Poverty Reduction Strategy 2008-2012 (PRSP II) in the areas of education, social/child protection, gender and promoting economic opportunities for youth. The government’s education plan 2007-2015 includes the aim of reducing gender disparities in access to primary and secondary education. The programme’s added value is that it aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society to fulfil its role to promote the implementation of UNCRC and CEDAW, including by influencing policy and holding government to account. See further appendix 4.5.

International donors See appendix 4.5.

Other (inter)national NGO’s active in the same field The Woord en Daad/Red een Kind Alliance and the HIVOS Alliance work to generate economic empowerment through stimulating entrepreneurship. Cordaid’s ‘Conflict Transformation programme’ includes an intervention on child protection. The contextual analysis by the Child Rights Alliance in Sierra Leone shows that NGOs have rather fragmented interventions on child, gender and disability issues. It demonstrates that attention for girls’ and young women’s issues is lacking, and the need for strengthened capacity as well as improved coordination and cooperation (see III Background analysis). The programme’s added value is that it addresses these gaps and needs, and is aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society to be effective, and work together in a strategic, coordinated, rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach to promote equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. See further appendix 4.5. 12. 2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis 74

VI Tailor-made programmes The Sierra Leone Girl Power Programme’s goal is to promote equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women, through strengthening the capacity of civil society to give girls and young women a voice and to bring about change and influence policy. In particular, it aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations to be effective, and work together in a strategic, coordinated, rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach to promote girls’ and young women’s rights. This includes strengthening the capacity of the Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone to comprise thematic networks, including a network on equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women led by our partners (see III Background analysis). The programme focuses on three strategic areas:

Elimination of violence against girls and young women Expected Results: To contribute to the elimination of violence against girls and young women, through strengthening the capacity of civil society to promote the implementation of their right to protection against all forms of violence. Specific objectives: • Promote child rights implementation for 6.000 teenage girls (in and out of school) in selected communities in Western Area and Moyamba District in Southern Province, through awareness raising and advocacy. • Reduce child rights violations by improving the reporting and response mechanisms in 12 schools and communities in Western Area and Moyamba District in Southern Province. • Organize and support 15 civil society organizations and three networks to undertake joint child protection initiatives in Western Area and Moyamba District in Southern Province. • Promote the development of a child protection system with capable institutions and adequate procedures for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women Expected Results: To increase the socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women, through strengthening the capacity of civil society to promote the implementation of their right of access to postprimary education and socio-economic opportunities. Specific objectives: • Increase access to post-primary education for 6.000 teenage girls, including 500 physically disabled girls, in selected communities in Western Area and Moyamba District in Southern Province, through provision of five secondary schools and youth recreation centres. • Increase access of 500 young women in selected communities in Western Area and Moyamaba District in Southern Province to micro-finance services. Much of the infrastructure was destroyed during the civil war. In order to rebuild the state, external support for service delivery should be channeled through the government. But due to current serious shortages, a relatively small part of the programme provides for five secondary schools and youth recreation centres, as well as micro-finance services. Moreover, these schools aim to act as safe, and gender and disability sensitive ‘model schools’ for the inclusion of girls and physically disabled pupils.

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women Expected Results: To increase the socio-political empowerment of girls and young women, through strengthening the capacity of civil society to promote the implementation of their right to participate in decision-making processes at all levels. Specific objectives: • Increase participation of 30% of final beneficiaries in decision-making processes. • Promote young women’s right to hold public office/position in selected communities in Western Area and Moyamba District in Southern Province. 12. 2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis 75

SWOT analysis of the programme The table below contains the main results of the SWOT analysis of the programme conducted by the Child Rights Alliance in Sierra Leone.

12. 2.5 Sierra Leone Contextual analysis 76

Strengths: • Responds to lack of civil society action on girls’ and young women’s rights; • Builds on partners’ strengths and creates synergies; • Responds to need to strengthen civil society’s capacity to hold government accountable, and undertake action at community level; • Has a comprehensive, strategic, rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach; • Strengthens cooperation and coordination.

Weaknesses: • Partners have low participation of women and girls; • Partners are not engaged with private sector; • Distrust between urban and rural CSOs.

Opportunities: • Government demonstrates recognition of the value of civil society; • Child and gender issues are prioritized in SL-PRSP II 2008-2012; • Establishment of National Committee on GBV in 2007; • Development of National Referral Protocol for child protection service provision in 2009.

Threats: • Status as fragile state and risk of social unrest especially among young men due to high unemployment levels.

NIGER

2.6 Togo Contextual analysis BURKINA FASO

BENIN

TCHAOUDIO TCHAMBA SOTOUBOUA ESTMONO

BLITTA

GHANA

TOGO

NIGERIA

LOME

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 5.828.000

2.6 Togo Contextual analysis I Introduction Located on African’s west coast, Togo has experienced socio-political and socio-economic stagnation for the last two decades. In the early 1990s a military coup ended experiments in multiparty democracy and returned the country to a dictatorship. Consequently, Togo was cut off from most major sources of multilateral and bilateral aid until political change in 2007, including democratic elections. The EU subsequently normalized relations, with the World Bank and IMF following suit in 2008. In that year the Togolese population was estimated at 6,46 million: with 98 males per 100 females and 60% being aged under 25.1 In 2006 62% of the population lived below the poverty line.2 According to the IMF however the incidence of poverty has probably increased subsequently by 8,4%, due to a rise in food prices and severe floods in 2007 and 2008.3 As a result Togo is a member of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group and ranked 159 out of 182 on the 2009 Human Development Index (HDI). At the current rate of progress Togo is unlikely to achieve the MDGs by 2015.4 The UNDP Gender-related development index for Togo is unavailable, however according to the 2009 Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Togo ranks 78 out of 102 non-OECD countries.

1. ‘UN Population Division, World Population Prospects’ (2008, www.esa.un.org/unpp) 2. ‘Standardized Questionnaire on the Basic Indicators of Wellbeing’ (IMF Country report no 10/30, 2006) 3. ‘Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper’ 2009-2011 (IMF, 2010, pg 2) 4. ‘Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys Round 3 (MICS3)’ (Unicef 2006); ‘Togolese government, Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire’ (QUIBB),(Togolese Government 2006 pg 9) 5. ‘Social Institutions & Gender Index’ (SIGI), http://genderindex. org/country/togo pg 9

The condition of women in Togo has improved over the last couple of years, but progress has been stalled by traditional constraints and by the fact that Togo remains one of the poorest countries in the region. Girls and young women face severe discrimination within the family context. Their physical integrity is not sufficiently protected and violence against women is a serious problem. They face heavy discrimination in regard to ownership rights, and several restrictions undermine their civil liberties.5 However, the government recently harmonised relevant international treaties UNCRC, CEDAW, ACRWC, ILO Conventions 138 and 182, UNTOC in a national Children’s Code and national policies on child protection and gender equality. The PRSP 2009-2011 in addition specifically focuses on promoting gender equity, improving the education and training system and reducing inequalities between young boys and young girls in regard to decision-making. Civil society played a major role in the drafting of the PRSP; WAO Afrique, PAFFED and FAWE, now partners of the Child Rights Alliance in Togo, actively participated in the process and AEJT and other children’s groups were also consulted. After the presidential elections of March 2010, it is expected that the county’s economic reform programme which started with the outgoing government will continue.

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Maritime region (Lomé capital), Plateaux region (Est Mono district), Centrale region (Blitta, Soboutoua, Tchaoudjo and Tchamba districts)

5.000 girls/ young women, 80 communities/ suburbs of Lomé, 6 NGO networks of FODDET; 80 CBOs, 2 Ministries (Education/ Social Affairs)

20.000 girls/ young women

The final beneficiaries of the programme are girls and young women aged 10-21 living in the Maritime region (Lomé capital), Plateaux region (Est Mono district) and Centrale region (Blitta, Soboutoua, Tchaoudjo and Tchamba districts). The Centrale region is the second poorest region of Togo, and the Maritime and Plateaux regions accommodate almost half of the country’s poor due to demographic factors.6 The socio-economic status of girls and young women in these regions is troubling; they experience significant discrimination – particularly as regards access to education, employment and decision-making positions, and they suffer from socio-cultural barriers which afford them a devalued status and inferiority. The programme will focus particularly on: psychological and economically vulnerable school girls in their teens, girls who are vulnerable to harmful traditional practices, girls without parents (orphans), handicapped girls and out of school girls, including working children and those in conflict with the law because of prostitution. To reach these groups the programme will target: NGOs who are member of

12. 2.6 Togo Contextual analysis 77

6. 7. 8. 9.

MICS3 MICS3 2008, World Bank, Genderstats MICS3

the NGO Forum for the Defence of the Rights of the Child in Togo (FODDET) and CBOs such as religious organization, women’s organizations, children’s clubs and village and neighbourhood development committees (CVDs, CDQs) and the coordination between them; the Ministries of Education and Social Affairs; religious leaders, traditional chiefs and leading community actors; as well as the girls and young women themselves.

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level Violence against girls and young women Violence against girls and young women is a serious problem in Togo. At micro level, girls and young women often face severe violence in their homes and at school, in particular sexual harassment from family members and teachers. The cultural practice of early marriage contributes to the profile of sexual violence. 28% of women get married for the first time before the age of 18 and 5% before the age of 15, such marriages are not recognized by law. Currently, 16,2% of girls between 15 and 19 years of age are married.6 In addition, girls and young women commonly face risks of trafficking and sexual and economic exploitation. Child labour remains widespread, with 29,4% of children aged between 5 and 14 performing economic and domestic activities unfavourable to their personal development. Girls especially are trafficked for sexual exploitation to urban areas or abroad to Benin, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.7 At meso level, child protection mechanisms are fragile and civil society places a lower social value on girls, seeing them as suitable for sale and attaching a strong stigma to rape, leading victims to seldom press charges and perpetrators going unpunished. At macro level, the government has ratified the relevant international treaties and adopted the Children’s Code and a new law against child trafficking, but implementation/enforcement remains weak. The national economic crisis and a fall in prices of agricultural products in Centrale and Plateaux regions has increased poverty levels meaning that the risks for poor girls in engaging in commercial sex are higher.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women The socio-economic position of girls and young women in Togo is also seriously compromised by their lack off educational access and attainment. At micro level, many girls are kept home to perform household duties or because school is considered an unsafe environment due to sexual harassment by teachers. Once in school, domestic duties such as fetching water and wood often fall to girls. The practice of early marriage and sexual violence in addition have a direct impact at girls’ school performances as married and pregnant girls are not allowed to attend school. At meso level, gender stereotypes, also persistent in women’s position within society, are reinforced by school text books and the absence of female teachers and role models, and educational services do not well reach programme areas. At macro level, in 2008, 53,7% of women aged 15 or over were literate compared to 76,6% of men. The primary completion rate for girls is 51,3% and 71,3% for boys. The ratio of girls’ to boys’ enrolment in secondary school is 52,6%.8 To address the imbalance between girls and boys, the Government has reduced by half school fees for girls, which led in 2009 to free primary education for all. However, between 1991 and 2000 the budgetary allocation to education fell by 45%. The effects of this remain, with children in 2010 having to walk long distances to schools and overcrowded classrooms. The quality of alternative educational programs including vocational training stays behind as well.

Socio-political position of girls and young women

12. 2.6 Togo Contextual analysis 78

Generally speaking, women and girls in Togo have little voice in decision-making. At micro level, cultural issues constrain their participation, with children generally not consulted at the family, community or school level and girls constrained from speaking to men. Once 18 and old enough to vote, 23% of young women face difficulties in obtaining voting cards due to a lack of birth registration.9 At meso level, on the whole children, especially girls do not participate in decision-making structures, however, some positive developments can be mentioned. One of the national civil society networks, FODDET, includes the association of working children and youth, which is represented in the FODDET board of directors by a girl. This boosted many CSO members to conduct local actions to increase the participation of children and especially girls according to the principles of participation and non-discrimination. Also the approach Children for Children which involves children in all stages of programme planning has been successful in promoting effective participation and leadership. Children are organized in clubs to also inform their

peers and special focus has been placed on girls. At macro level, although the government ratified the UNCRC and adopted the Children’s Code in 2007 which includes the right to participate, no specific policy or action plan on child participation has yet been adopted. However the preliminary draft of the Code itself was reviewed by children and 4 out of 7 of their propositions were included in the final document adopted by the National Assembly. This consultation process was initiated and facilitated by the members of the Child Rights Alliance in Togo.

10. ‘Civil Society Index Report for Togo’ (CIVICUS, 2006); SWOT analysis by the Child Rights Alliance in Togo (2010 April) 11. ‘Concluding observations on the Second period report of Togo’ (UNCRC, 2005)

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background Togo’s economy has been severely affected by the surge in global food and fuel prices as well as an episode of heavy flooding in the summer of 2008, which severely affected key transport infrastructure and damaged agricultural output. The global recession in 2009 has contributed to further delay in the economic recovery, leaving many more families in poverty. Because of social norms and values around the girl child, many girls have been withdrawn from school to save costs. Togo has experienced nearly two decades of socio-political conflict, mismanagement of public resources and a lack of external assistance, combined with poor governance record and weak administrative capacity. The government has ratified international human rights treaties and adopted a Children’s Code (2007), as well as developing national policies on child protection and gender equality. However, the education system remains very weak and child protection mechanisms are nearly non-existent. NGOs are often central to service delivery, and are generally considered more effective than the state in meeting the needs of marginalized groups. Although the presidential election of 2010 was declared free and fair, political instability remains a threat.

Role and SWOT of local civil society10 Civil society actors as noted played a major role in the drafting of Togo’s PRSP and are active in basic service delivery. In recent years, CSOs who work on child rights have become organised into nine thematic networks which include education, violence and child participation. These networks group together under one umbrella NGO Forum for the Defence of the Rights of the Child in Togo (FODDET). This NGO Forum has been particularly successful in developing the alternative (shadow) report to the UNCRC and advocating a Children’s Code as recommended by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child11, resulting in the Code’s adoption in 2007. The education network has also been active in the progression towards free primary education in 2009; its proposed modules on violence free schools are now integrated into the national teacher training programme. In addition, CSOs established partnerships with the media to raise awareness and promote the rights of children and women with the active participation of children themselves. Strength • commitment; • willingness among CSO to work together in networks and forums like FODDET, FONGTO, UONGTO and COSC.

Weakness • populations’ lack of awareness around the role of civil society due to experience of a long dictatorship; • weak human, organizational and institutional capacities; • weak representation and inclusion especially marginalized girls/young women.

Opportunities • building synergies; sharing resources; and linking & learning through NGO networks; • PRSP opens door to decentralization and effective participation of CBOs.

Threats • strong links between some political parties and CSOs; • political instability.

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention The following CSOs have committed to join forces under this programme Alliance: DCI Togo, who work on social and legal support for child victims of gender based violence, social mobilization and lobbying; WAO Afrique, a member of ECPAT, who has experience in providing child protection training, awareness raising and lobbying; AEJT, a member of AMWCY, who focus on the identification and mobilization of their peers to return to school; FAWE, a well-respected pan-Africa organization of women who have significant experience in engaging teachers and other professionals in the development and implementation of gender sensitive training, creating girls clubs and lobbying; PAFFED, who work to support women to

12. 2.6 Togo Contextual analysis 79

12. ‘Accelerating efforts to advance the rights of adolescent girls’ (UN Joint Statement, March 2010) 13. Togo/EC Country Strategic Plan 2008-2013

raise and educate their children in dignity through mentoring clubs and community outreach; CARD and ODIAE, who focus on the economic empowerment of girls and young women and action research; and Handicap International, who specialize in working with disabled children. On the media side partnering with Free Voice: the Forum for African Investigative Reporting, who train young women for a career in the media; Abantu for Development, who focus on women leadership development and empowerment; and Eagle Productions and KidsNewsNetwork, who produce girl power focused media content. CHI will partner with local organisations to contribute to strengthening the child helpline ‘Allo 111’ and the Plan country office acts as a facilitator of the process. It is expected that these combined efforts will result in strengthened members of FODDET, especially the networks concerned with the issues of violence and sexual exploitation (ROMAESE), trafficking (RELUTET), vulnerable and working children (RESAEV), child participation (RAFT), children in conflict with the law (RODECL), and the media (RJEDT), to more effectively co-ordinate in tackling discriminatory social-cultural norms and values, and in holding the Togolese government to account in relation to their commitments around violence against girls and young women. Additionally, the programme should contribute to the empowerment of a range of groups, including faith-based organizations such as OCDI, ICCB and CARITAS, women’s groups, children’s groups, Village Development Committees (CVDs) and Neighbourhood Development Committees (CDQs). The programme will also contribute to the implementation of laws and policies such as the Children’s Code and associated national policies on child protection and gender equality through advocating the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and its Regional Directorates, as well as other institutional bodies such as the Ministry of Social Affairs, Promotion of Women and Protection of Children and Elderly Persons. It is hoped that interventions will also lead to attitudinal and behavioural change around gender including through engaging the (local) media in sensitization campaigns and peer exposure.

V Multi-actor analysis Togolese government The Government of Togo has demonstrated a serious committed to the development of the country through the drafting of its first full PRSP for 2009-2011 aiming to achieve an effective and sustainable improvement in people’s living conditions by tackling the root causes of poverty. The PRSP places a particular emphasis on the discrimination of girls and young women, proposing to promote gender equity and equality through education; through the facilitation of women’s access to decent jobs and leadership positions; by promoting gender issues in the human rights arena; and by strengthening the institutional framework for implementing the national gender equity and equality policy. The PRSP also focuses on strengthening local governance and grassroots development support mechanisms to ensure the effective participation of grassroots organizations in the poverty reduction process. As part of this initiative, the Government intends to revitalise and strengthen Village Development Committees (CVDs), Neighbourhood Development Committees (CDQs) in Lomé, as well as the different committees at the prefecture and regional level.

International donors In terms of multilateral institutions, the World Bank, IMF and UNDP are active in Togo. Agencies such as the ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM and WHO work jointly and recently agreed to intensify their efforts on the realization of the rights of adolescent girls.12 UNICEF particularly supports the government in providing education and health services to children and particular attention is placed on internally displaced children and children victim of trafficking and exploitation. Togo’s largest donor is the EU, supporting good governance and economic and institutional reforms, economic resurgence through infrastructural support, macroeconomic support and support for civil society initiatives.13 French cooperation (AFD) has also been active in both project and budget support.

Other (inter)national NGOs active in the same field Actions of the government are further supported by other international NGOs like Save the Children Sweden and Terre des Hommes Lausanne. Terre des Hommes specifically supports actions against traf12. 2.6 Togo Contextual analysis 80

ficking and exploitation, the organization manages an ongoing project for the prevention of child trafficking and for the rehabilitation and reintegration of victims. Save the Children also supports activities against exploitation as well as other forms of violence and abuse, health, education and strengthens civil society to defend the rights of children. CARE supports small economic activity development, education, child trafficking, and capacity building of networks. Handicap International and Liliane Fonds focus on children with a handicap and SOS Children’s Villages supports vulnerable children in education and protection.

Added Value The main added value of the proposed project is its holistic approach. UNICEF for example carries out education programs in different parts of the country but only focus on primary level. The proposed program will support the transition from primary to secondary education and subsequently to the labour market particularly for girls. It will also address the violence against girls which closely correlates with their educational opportunities. Most importantly, the Child Rights Alliance in Togo will strengthen CSOs and local structures to support the decentralization process and to hold government to account. It also strengthens the coordination between CSOs for exchange, learning and advocacy. The proposed program targets areas in which the Child Rights Alliance in Togo has experience, is active and which do not overlap with the other actors mentioned. Save the Children supports the members of FODDET too, but activities were carefully harmonized. See also Appendix 4.6 Togo – Harmonisation and Complementarity.

VI Tailor-made programs Elimination of violence against girls and young women In order to achieve the objective of reducing violence against girls and young women the programme, at the civil society level, will strengthen relevant members of FODDET to analyze and monitor the situation of gender based violence; to raise awareness and mobilize people; to lobby; network and coordinate activity. Grassroots development support mechanisms like the Village Development and Vigilante Committees will also be strengthened in their efforts to prevent violence and protect victims. At the institutional level, the Child Rights Alliance in Togo and other CSOs will conduct lobbying and advocacy activities around the implementation of the children’s code, the law against child trafficking and the national policy for child protection. Government decision makers and parliamentarians will be key advocacy targets for messages around importance of child protection. Within the communities and schools the socio-cultural level will be addressed by starting communications to break the culture of silence including through (local) media and media content production targeting children. At individual level girls and young women will be informed about their rights and their self esteem and leadership skills will be strengthened. It is expected that these strategies will lead to a more powerful civil society with a more in-depth understanding and overview of gender based violence, capable of monitoring SGBV issues at all levels and demanding real government action for child protection, and successful in lifting taboos and changing people’s perceptions which will ultimately lead to reduced violence against girls and young women.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women To achieve the objective of socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women the programme, at the civil society level, will strengthen relevant members of FODDET as well as grassroots development support structures in analyzing and monitoring the socio-economic situation of girls and young women; raising awareness and mobilizing people; lobbying; networking and coordination; intensifying cooperation with the media and promoting journalism careers for young women. At the institutional level partners will lobby for free secondary education, improved school infrastructure and gender-sensitive education to ensure that the different needs of girls and boys are taken into account within educational provision, as well as building officials’ capacity to implement these changes. In addition partners will advocate for improved access to vocational training for girls and equal access to employment and the labour market. At the socio-cultural level gender stereotype roles of women and men will be challenged and at the individual level female entrepreneurship will be promoted and supported. 12. 2.6 Togo Contextual analysis 81

It is expected that these strategies will lead to an influential civil society capable of transforming traditional role models with regard to household work and female economic opportunities, as well as strengthening government and holding it accountable under its commitments regarding equal access to gender sensitive post-primary education, including vocational training. Ultimately, this should lead to a more equitable distribution of economic power between women and men.

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women To achieve the objective to empower girls and young women to participate and speak out, the programme, at the civil society level strengthen relevant members of FODDET to analyze and monitor the socio-political situation of girls and young women; to raise awareness and mobilize people; to lobby; network, and coordinate activity. They will be especially strengthened to include children, especially girls, in their organizations as well as to support children, especially girls, in creating clubs and committees to support participation in decision making at different levels. To support this process the programme includes, at the institutional level, lobbying for policies promoting child participation, the implementation of the national policy on gender equality and educational modules on gender and participatory approaches to decision making. At the socio-cultural level, the programme will promote female leadership and children’s right to express themselves freely and at individual level girls and young women’s self esteem will be strengthened. Cooperation with media will also be intensified and specialized training for young women in media content production will create peer examples and at the same time channels for young people to express themselves. It is expected that these strategies will contribute to a leading civil society capable of transforming the Togolese society into one that nurtures the energy and creativity of children and young people including girls so that they can actively take part in shaping their environment and the world they live in.

SWOT analysis of the program Strength • Experienced partners at all levels • Strong existing cooperation between partners • Existing NGO networks

Weakness • Potentially difficult to unite and coordinate between all CSOs

Opportunities • gender sensitive PRSP • current political environment

Threads • fragile democracy • slow state decision making processes

The main strengths of the programme are the high levels of partners’ experience in the proposed areas of work, their strong links at community level, their advocacy expertise, the networks of co-operation between them and the existing structures within civil society. Challenges to be faced include the multitude of civil society organizations, which may make it difficult to unite and coordinate between them. Participatory and pro-active programme management should help minimize any resulting negative impacts. The gender sensitive PRSP and the current political environment constitute real opportunities and a valuable entry-point for this programme, despite its implementation in a period of still-fragile democratic reforms and slow state decision-making. In addition the technical and institutional capacities, program management expertise and linking & learning skills of the Child Rights Alliance in Togo will be strengthened to further the impact.

12. 2.6 Togo Contextual analysis 82

2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis

ERITREA

DIJBOUTI AMHARA

ADDIS ABABA

OROMIYA

SUDAN

ETHIOPIA

SNNPR

SOMALIA KENYA

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 5.291.000

2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis I Introduction The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) is composed of nine regional states and two city administrations, with a population of almost 74 million; of which 50,5% is male and 49,5% female.1 With an average annual real GDP growth rate of 5,5% in the decade ending in 2005, the Ethiopian economy has been one of the fastest growing non-oil and mineral economies in Sub-Saharan Africa,2 although real GDP per capita still remained very low at US$181 in 2006/07.3 The percentage of people below the poverty line was estimated as 38,7%.4 Half of Ethiopia’s population is composed of children under 18 years of age.5 They are estimated to constitute 42% of the proportion of people below the poverty line.6 One in every 13 Ethiopian children dies before reaching the age of one, while 1 in every 9 does not survive to their 5th birthday7. On average 30 to 40% of the development spending has been financed by external sources.8 There have been encouraging results in significantly reducing the overall burden of diseases, and substantial progress and effort in the fight against specific major infections such as HIV, Polio and Malaria. Overwhelming poverty remains the underlying cause of the violation of children’s rights to survival and development.9 Children who live in extreme poverty often experience violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination. Poverty, in combination with attitudes to gender roles, is the main cause for the high drop-out rate of girls in schools. Although a number of pieces of legislation have been enacted in Ethiopia to protect the rights of children in general, there is no single and comprehensive policy that deals with the issue of violence against children, nor does a violence free education policy exist.10 The Gender related Development Index for Ethiopia of 0.403 indicates that large disparities between men and women exist.11

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final Beneficiaries:

2 sub cities in Addis Abeba, 3 districts in Amhara, 3 districts in Oromia, 1 districts in SNNP

6.300 girls and young women 300 CBO’s, 126 schools 126 communities

Approximately 980.000 girls and young women (included through media campaigns)

1. ‘National Census’ (nat. census (2007, Ethiopia) (www.csa. gov.et) 2. ‘Ethiopia Country data Profile’, (World Bank (2006) (www.web. worldbank.org)2006) 3. ‘Ministry of Finance and Economic Development’ (MoFED Ethiopia, 2007) 4. ‘Human Development Report’ (UNDP 2008) 5. ‘National Census’ (CSA, 2007, Ethiopia) 6. ‘Household Income Consumption and Expenditure Survey (HICES) and Welfare Monitoring Survey (WMS)’ (MoFED, 2006) 7. ‘Demographic Health Survey (DHS)’ (Ethiopia, 2005) 8. (MoFED, 2006, MoFED.) 9. ‘Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2009) 10. ‘Education Sector Development Programme (ESDP) Ethiopia 2007, third phase (2005/20062009-2010) 11. ‘Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2009) 12. ‘Education Statistics Annual Abstract 2000’ (E.C. 2007-2008) 13. ‘Survey on Child Labour in Ethiopia’ (CSA, MoLSA and ILO 2001) (www.ilo.org) 14. ‘The State of Child Poverty in Ethiopia’- Background paper prepared fot the Third International Political Conference on the African Child, (Getashew Adem. 2008)

School enrolment and completion rates are lower for girls than for boys. The Net Enrolment Ratio for Grades 9-10 in Amhara is 14,4% for boys and 14,4% for girls; in Oromia it is 15,6% for boys and 11% for girls; in the SNNPR it is 19,7% for boys and 10,9% for girls; and in Addis Ababa it is 36,2 % and 32,1% for boys and girls respectively.12 According to a national survey13, 85% of children were engaged in some kind of productive or household activities. Most child domestic workers come from extremely poor families, and the majority of them are girls. Many have been abandoned, orphaned, or come from single parent families, and many trafficked girls end up as domestic servants. In addition, they are subject to exploitation and susceptible to physical, verbal, psychological (emotional) and sexual abuse. Violence also manifests itself in the form of harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), early marriage, rape and abduction. As a result of a weak social security system, children are regarded highly for the economic value they have as sources of additional labour, and for the social protection that they provide in old age and in times of sickness. In contrast to this high regard, children are seldom treated with sensitivity, consideration or respect in their everyday life.14 The Girl Power programme focuses on achieving gender equality, given the vulnerable position of girls and young women. Priority in the programme will be given to Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR, as well as the capital city Addis Ababa, where urbanisation increases female poverty. The programme will directly target civil society such as local CSOs, CBOs, families, PTAs, regional education bureaus, education offices, and schools. By engaging these actors, the programme uses the educational environment as an entry point to reach its target group. At the same time, the programme will seek to ensure sustainability by strengthening the capacity of community structures and using media as active agents of change, promoting and ensuring the rights of girls and young women.

12. 2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis 83

15. ’The African Child Policy Forum’ , Violence Against Girls Within Homes in Africa (2006) 16. ‘Violence against Girls in Africa: A Retrospective Survey in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, Addis Ababa’ (The African Child Policy Forum, 2006) 17. ‘The African Report on Child welbeing (Adelis Abeba, ACPF, 2008) 18. ‘The State of Child Poverty in Ethiopia’- Background paper prepared fot the Third International Political Conference on the African Child, (Getashew Adem. 2008) 19. Christian Relief Development Association, 2008

III problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level Violence against girls and young women At micro level, the majority of children in Ethiopia are exposed to some form of physical, sexual and psychological abuse in the home and community. Violence against girls and young women manifests itself in the form of harmful traditional practices such as FGM/C and forced and child marriage including abduction and rape. The average prevalence of FGM/C stands at 74%. In an Ethiopian study of 227 married women, 60% said they were abducted before the age of 15 years15, while one in every two girls married before the age of 18 years and 30% reported that they have been raped.16 The abduction of minors, where men consummate the marriage with rape, is socio-culturally permitted in some rural parts of Ethiopia, despite the outlawing of abduction. At meso level poverty; cultural attitudes/practices; a lack of awareness about alternative ways of disciplining children; the slow response to reported violence by the justice system; and problems related to law enforcement are major causes that contribute to the prevalence of violence against children in Ethiopia. The inequalities engrained in the society engender violence against the girls and women and encourage boys and men to perpetrate it. Girl’s and young women’s exposure to and experience of violence increases the likelihood of health and behavioural problems and may encourage them to perpetuate a cycle of abuse. At macro level, the government’s main policy document, the Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), gives minimal focus to violence against children in general, and girls in particular. Ethiopia has ratified the UNCRC, ACRWC as well as the CEDAW without any reservation and has put into place appropriate legal and policy frameworks to protect children against abuse. However, these documents are not translated and circulated to the different regional states of the country. Although these instruments are domesticated by the constitution, their implementation is unlikely to materialise unless stakeholders are aware of them. Ethiopia has not yet passed the birth registration law which is pending in the parliament.17 The Government of Ethiopia has performed well in areas relating to addressing corporal punishment, improving juvenile justice system, national plan of action for survival, protection and development of children and a government body for coordinating the national strategy for children. The Criminal Code outlaws physical, sexual and psychological violence against women and girls entailing grave penalty. Harmful traditional practices such as FGM/C, early marriage, harmful practices on the newly born, trafficking of children, abduction of young women and sexual violence of any kind are also outlawed. The Revised Family Code, Article 216, places the child under the care of both the guardian and the tutor to offer the child proper care. Poverty hampers the realisation of children’s rights. In general, duty bearers are unaware of their obligations to respect and promote the rights of children.18

Socio-economic position of girls and young women.

12. 2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis 84

At micro level, the reasons for gender disparity are complex and multi-faceted traditional beliefs, cultural practices and attitudes to gender roles, such as whether education improves or reduces a girl chance of marriage, contribute to reducing enrollment and completion rates at school. Parents may also object to educating their girls on grounds of fears of rape going to and coming from school, or the costs of sending a girl to school. If families continue reluctant to sending their daughters to school, the resulting gender imbalance may make schools less girl friendly. Schools are part of the broader social fabric and lack sufficient awareness of and interest in girls’ education. A constitutional provision prohibits the corporal punishment of children in schools, but is still practiced in schools. At meso level, CSOs in the country have contributed significantly in promoting good governance. However, as shown in a CRDA report19, interventions focusing on girl and young women (96 out of 2.046) are very limited in addressing the magnitude of the prevailing violations of the rights of children and many CSO/ NGOs operate on a small-scale/limited scope. At macro level, a key success for Ethiopia was the integration of school fee abolition into the PRSP 2002. However, given the high opportunity cost in rural areas, the absence of school fees may not be sufficient to improve school enrolment in the long run. Tuition fees aside, various charges are still retained under the

control of school management committees. The level of charges and exemptions vary: sometimes school suffered cash flow problems following the abolition of school fees due to delays in disbursement from upper administrative level. As most children are living under the poverty line, any kind of payment at schools will deter parents from sending their children to school. Poverty coupled with lack of a policy framework for compulsory education, free of opportunity costs, has deprived many children of their right to education with girls predominantly the first to be kept at home. The gross enrolment rate in primary education (grades 1-8) in Ethiopia is estimated at 95,6 % (90,5 % for girls and 100,5% for boys)20 but the quality of education remains a key challenge. High dropout rates, coupled with high repetition rate have remained additional challenges for primary education and are higher for girls than boys. Average repetition rate for girls for grade 4 to 8 stood at 8.4% while it is 4.1% for boys. For secondary school for every 100 boys in grades 9 or 10 in secundary school, there are only 65 girls; for every 100 boys in grades 11 and 12, there are only 48 girls.21

20. 2008.Education Statistics Annual Abstract 2007-2008 21. 2008.Education Statistics Annual Abstract 2000 E.C., 2007-08

Focusing on improving the situation of girls and young women is not only necessary given the magnitude of the violation of rights and the difficulty Ethiopia is facing to meet MDG3 by 2015, addressing the underlying problems of this group also will bring about a powerful intergenerational effect. The Ethiopian Alliance partners have expertise and experience in addressing the problem and have points of entry to reach this vulnerable group already in the selected areas.

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background The factors perpetuating gender disparity are complex and multi-faceted. Social factors such as the need to build trust and legitimacy and provide positive role modelling within the community, the support of non-formal and formal leaders such as traditional leaders, elected community officials, religious leaders and respected individuals are critical in changing gender stereotype attitudes and values. Overwhelming poverty remains the underlying cause of the violation of children’s rights to survival and development. In 2009, the Ethiopia Government required CSOs to re-register according to a new legislatory framework, if they intended to continue working towards the promotion of human rights, and/or the capacity building of law enforcement bodies and the judiciary. To register as local CSO, 90% of funding must be raised from local sources. This required many NGOs to change their strategies, as raising local funds is extremely difficult. Yet, many CSOs working for child and women’s rights have re-registered and continue implementing their programmes. The government welcomes all kinds of interventions that ensure the wellbeing of children and women such as strengthening community level interventions and CBOs such as women and youth associations and capacity building of local government structures. This could be taken as an opportunity for CSO’s.

Role and SWOT of civil society Strength • CSO’s/NGOs have contributed significantly in promoting good governance • Ethiopian civil society has been successful in pressurising government to adopt laws against gender-based violence, women’s access to land, credit facilities and other rights of women; and children’s access to justice

Weakness • Most CSOs lack financial resources, infrastructure, trained human resources, and management capacities

Opportunities • Emerging awareness among NGOs to work on girls’ rights

Threats • The government does not have enough capacity to implement the education policy in which gender equity is one of the priorities and/or the prevailing violations of rights of girls • Renewed registration procedure for CSOs raises new operating challenges and whether further changes help/ hinder CSO’s are risks at this point in time 12. 2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis 85

Alliance partner and intended effect of intervention The Plan country office acts as a facilitator of the programme process with the Ethiopian Alliance partners. The participating organisations are The Africa Child Policy Forum (ACPF) with extensive expertise in (policy) research, advocacy and policy dialogue; in legal and psychosocial services and capacity building to judiciary, court and enforcing bodies. Its Children’s Legal Protection Centre (CLPC) promotes children’s access to justice in Ethiopia and is the only centre in the country providing an integrated service (legal and psychosocial services) to children and their families; Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) has long experience in girls’ empowerment and gender responsive pedagogy. The organisation has supported the government to create gender-responsive teacher colleges which have been used as gender-mainstream model throughout the country; Association for Nation Wide Action for Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANNPCAN) with experience in child protection; public awareness raising; advocacy in child rights and in building the capacity of the relevant institutions for child protection at the community level. ANNPCAN establishes children’s clubs and trains children to participate in project preparation, implementation and M&E; Forum for Street Children (FSCE) with rich experience in diversion methods for children in conflict with the law using the community elders as a bridge to settle disputes. It also founded a Child Resource Development and Database Centre that provides information on commercial sexual exploitation and other child protection issues; DCI/ ECPAT who has expertise in research and advocacy to create a dialogue on policy issues for child pornography and sexual exploitation which will strengthen civil society organisations like the Forum for Street Children. The local partners of the Alliance Members Child Helpline International (CHI), Women Win and Free Voice will also participate in the Ethiopian programme, with the aim of strengthening child protection networks including a confidential helpline for children, and invest in innovative media and sport strategies to strengthen existing initiatives working with adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia. Some local partners - such as the Ethiopian Radio & Television Agency (ERTA) - have already been identified and participated in the creation of the Ethiopian programme while others will be identified during the course of the programme. The coalition of partners will work on strengthening capacity of civil society enabling them to represent girls and young women; address the issues around violence, (post-primary) education and lack of voice; challenge social-cultural norms and values regarding these themes and hold governments accountable for these problems. FAWE is expert in the educational field and gender, advocacy on national and regional level will be role of ANNPCAN and ACPF. CHI will assist in the establishment of a local child helpline, while FSCE and Women Win will create safe places and room for discussions at community level. These partners complement each other by combining their different expertise and experience. The approach of the programme focuses on the capacity to sustain initiatives at community and school level, and to build on existing best practices where possible.

V Multi-actor analysis Ethiopian Government Since the ratification of the UNCRC in 1989, very limited and segmented initiatives in the field of child participation were established by the Government. A notable government programme in the area of child participation is the establishment of children’s parliaments throughout the country with the supervision of the Institute of Ombudsman and the Ministry of Women Affairs. This structure has enabled children to participate in the development of child positive disciplining guidelines. The Government also set up Child Rights Committees at national level that extend to the local administrative woredas (districts), as well as Kebeles (neighborhoods). Coordinated and monitored by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, these structures are responsible for promoting, protecting and ensuring children’s rights. There is no single and comprehensive policy that deals with the issue of violence against children that serves as a general directive regulating the child protection system. Many of the policies and guidelines do not give due attention to comprehensively protecting children from violence. The programme aims to establish and coordinate initiatives and agreements with relevant government institutions, stimulating implementation of laws and policies.

International donors 12. 2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis 86

UNFPA supports the training of health providers in providing long term methods of contraception and strengthens capacity in management information systems. With the aim of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, a key thrust of UNFPA’s work is to support non-physician clinicians in providing emergency

22. UNFPA 2009

obstetric care. UNFPA has assisted the Government in setting up training in five universities for master’s degree programs in emergency obstetric care as well as a national capacity building programme in five schools of midwifery. With UNICEF, UNFPA has initiated a programme to address the vulnerability of youth to HIV/AIDS. UNFPA also concludes that more attention is needed to implement strategies developed to improve gender equality and reduce gender-based violence.22 Potential areas of cooperation and achieving additional and added value for the programme will be sought during regular consultations.

Other Civil Society Organisations Civil society has played a pivotal role in promoting children’s access to justice, supporting capacity in the justice system to create a child friendly system and structures, conducting assessments to assist the government in identifying the gaps between law and practice and providing legal and psychosocial services to victim children or children in conflict with the law. Nevertheless the renewed registration procedure for human right organisations hampers further development. Although national and district authorities control all CSO’s activities and should make sure that no duplication of efforts occurs, at the same time effective and coordinated empowerment of civil society is hindered. The youth movement plays a fundamental role in ensuring that the rights of the children are upheld. Youth are therefore involved in activities that prevent and protect children form abuse and violation of their rights. The women’s rights movement in Ethiopia has been severely hindered in the last two years due to the re-registration of CSOs. There are however, strong women’s rights organisations left in Ethiopia who succeeded to proceed working around these challenges. The Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA), with a membership of 35 women’s organisations, has played a vital role in various processes to sustain understanding and engagement of women’s organisations and gender equality advocates in national development processes. NEWA originated as a collective effort of CSOs in the preparation of the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), that incorporated, as one of the pillars, the National Action Plan for Gender Equality (NAP-GE). The PASDEP recognises gender as a human right issue, a poverty reduction and development goal in its own right and as a means to ensure the attainment of the MDGs. We will collaborate with these organisations and include them in the networks and girls protection system.

Added value of Ethiopian Alliance partners In the selected districts, several partners of the Child Rights Alliance are already to addressing problems of girls and young women, but quality and impact of the programmes will be improved by collaboration, alliance building, networking and learning and linking. ANPPCAN is one of the leading organisations promoting children’s role in media. The Ethiopia chapter of ANPPCAN runs a psychosocial and legal aid programme for impoverished young girls who are at high risk of commercial sexual exploitation. The programme operates in three sub-districts of Addis Ababa and includes skills training and facilitation of employment opportunities. ACPF’s Children’s Legal Protection Centre (CLPC) is established in Addis Ababa and Jimma. FAWE is strongly involved in teachers training and gender issues and has the added value of working in several African countries (as ANPPCAN as well). FSCE gives shelter to ECPAT, who is working on research and advocacy for national level on child abuse. FSCE is also partner of other Dutch NGO’s, but involved in different activities, which might be linked up with this program in the coming years.

VI Tailormade programmes Considering the relatively disadvantaged position of girls and young women, the overall objective of the programme is enhancing achievements in gender equality the selected districts: to strengthen the civil society organisations in 4 regions and focus on eliminating violence against girls and women and on increasing the socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women by raising the retention and completion education rates of girls. The analysis of the country context clearly indicates the close similarity of root causes. In addressing the issues of education, economic empowerment and capacity building of civil society, for example, the root causes of participation are also addressed. Moreover, the goal of the programme (strengthening civil society) is relevant considering the absence of strong women’s and child rights organisations. Consequently, the programme works with women and youth associations which address one of the root causes for lack of participation. Strengthening of networks, establishment of forums and capacity building of CSO’s and local authorities

12. 2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis 87

involved in the programme will result in a strong functional Child Protection and Referral System. Institutional sustainability will be strengthened through collaboration with local authorities and local structures in and around schools. The programme will be supported by a research component, the main expertise of ACPF and ECPAT. Together with ANPPCAN and FAWE these organisations will combine efforts, gather data and information, exchange best practices and evaluations. In the third year of the programme relevant programme information about the progress in the other countries of the Child Rights Alliance in Africa will be exchanged through a conference on girls and violence.

Elimination of violence against girls and young women Civil society level: Women’s associations, saving groups, and out-of-school clubs are trained in counseling and paralegal support; protection and rehabilitation centres are established and strengthened; networking on child protection among PTA’s, women associations and CBOs is strengthened; child helplines are established and strengthened; children’s clubs and councils are established and strengthened and interlinked. Institutional level: Gaps in laws and policies with respect to violence against girls and young women are clearly identified; law enforcement and judiciary institutions are trained on victim friendly treatment of girls and young women; existing national child protection networks are strengthened; teachers and staff of education institutes are trained on gender responsive pedagogy and mentoring. Socio-cultural level: Community members are aware of gender based violence and discrimination, through (mass) media campaigns; new innovative platforms are created to reach communities by linking media, sport, school clubs, women’s associations in their efforts to raise awareness and stimulate positive attitude changes regarding gender equity. Individual level: Parents and caregivers are trained on skilful parenting and positive disciplining; “safe spaces” for girls are created through live skills programmes in schools, girls clubs and sport programmes; access for girls to vocational training and income generating activities is improved.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women Civil society level: The networks to exchange information and knowledge on service delivery and lobbying the government are strengthened; skills for research & assessment to identify policy and practice gaps are improved; tools to sensitise the community on girl education and vocational skills are developed and put into practice; local forums to discuss existing local employment opportunities for girls are established. Institutional level: Gender sensitive school environment is created; the educational system and training centres are capacitated on gender responsive pedagogy; networks with micro finance and micro entrepreneurship organisations are established. Socio-cultural level: New innovative platforms are created to reach communities by linking media, sport, school clubs, women’s associations in their efforts to raise awareness and stimulate positive attitude changes regarding gender equity; girls and women as role models (sport, art, professionals) in different fields is promoted. Individual level: “Safe spaces” initiatives such as TUSEME – “Let’s speak out programme”, life skills and leadership development actions are strengthened; school clubs such as discussion clubs, sport clubs, drama, debate are stimulated to increase girl participation.

SWOT analysis of the programme

12. 2.7 Ethiopia Contextual analysis 88

Strength • Partners are able to cooperate with local communities but also with government on all levels • Partners have proven track record in working with communities, capacity building and lobby & advocacy

Weakness • Collaboration with UNICEF has been weak until now • Strong governance of Ethiopian authorities

Opportunities • Further collaboration with other Dutch Alliances working in Ethiopia • Strengthen CSO’s aimed at capacity building and advocacy and lobbying to counter-act operating challenges rights based organisation now face

Threats • Competiting issues (economic or agricultural) might be given priority by government • Elections and political situation including NGO registration

2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis TANZANIA

NORTHERN

ZAMBIA

Lake Nyasa CENTRAL

MALAWI MOZAMBIQUE

SOUTHERN

ZIMBABWE

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 5.033.000

2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis I Introduction: Malawi is among the least developed and most densely populated countries in the world.1 With a population of 13 million, over 52% (2005) live below the poverty line (US$0.50 per person per day), and over 22% live in ultra poverty (less than US$0.31 per person per day).2 The Gender Development Index for Malawi is 0.4933. With 12% of the adult population living with HIV/AIDS, and a life expectancy of 53 years, there are many challenges for Malawian society.4 While women constitute 52% of the population, they are unable to effectively contribute to the social, economic and political development of Malawi. With a society deeply-rooted in traditional roles, many negative beliefs continue to hamper their lives. Moreover, the divide between rural and urban areas in terms of access to information, services and education pose significant challenges to women’s progress. Inroads have been made: in 2006, the Malawian Parliament passed domestic violence legislation to address gender-based violence. However, poor coordination and implementation fails to trickle down to all levels, and women and young girls live under the direction of the male figures in their lives (traditional leaders, fathers, brothers and husbands). 26% of all children between the age of 5 and 14 were subject to child labour in the period between 1998 – 2004.5 Child marriage remains an issue, revealing stark contrasts between rural and urban areas, with 38% of urban children between the age of 5 and 14 subjected to it, and 53% from rural areas.6

1. United Nations World Prospects Report (2004 revision) 2. Malawi Integrated Household Survey 2004/05 3. Human Development Report, 2009 4. Unicef Country Statistics (http://www.unicef.org/ infobycountry/malawi_statistics.html) 5. Idem 6. Idem

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Lilongwe, Kasungu Mangochi, Zomba Karonga, Rumphi

62.250 girls and young women, 72 women’s groups, 30 formal CSOs, CBOs, Parents, Traditional leaders, 240 schools, Teachers, government staff at different levels

400.000 Girls and Young Women

The target group of this programme include 62.250 girls and young women in Lilongwe, Kasungu, Mangochi, Zomba, Karonga and the Rumphi. Two districts, Zomba and Mangochi, are in the Southern Region of Malawi while Karonga and Rumphi districts are in the Northern Region of Malawi. The target groups have been chosen because poverty-related problems affect girls and women most in the shortterm, as well as larger society in the long-term. Despite some progress in advancing women’s rights, gender continues to play a decisive role in determining access to resources and services. Women and girls continue to have limited access to education, health services and judicial services, which has severely constrained their participation in the economy. Women and girls have been missing out on opportunities and participation in management and decision-making at all levels of society. As such, vulnerable girls and young women from poor families, girls and young women with disabilities, girl orphans and girls and young women with little or no education will be targeted by this programme in the selected six districts. The selection of these groups has been based on a problem- and stakeholder-analysis, and on partners’ proven expertise in these areas, thus bringing the greatest opportunities for effective interventions. In rural areas, girls and women are especially prone to violence and discrimination. Net primary school attendance rates differ greatly between urban and rural areas. Traditional leaders have a big influence in rural areas on attitudes and practices in society and community level and by targeting them as agents of change the programme aims to deeply influence cultural values and practices that are harmful to girls and women, and therefore contribute to a society where girls and women have equal rights and opportunities.

12. 2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis 89

7. The Prevention of Domesetic Violence Act (2006) 8. Malawi is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). 9. The Policy and Investment Framework of the Ministry of Education, Early Childhood development Policy, Orphans and vulnerable Children Policy, the Gender policy, and a joint programme of work by Ministry of Health (2004-2010). 10. The Act was tabled for discussion in May 2010 11. Women in National Parliaments (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2010)

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level While Malawi has developed several progressive measures to address the women rights, during the past decade, haphazard implementation, poor resources and lack of awareness continue to impinge on the lives of women. The main problems relate to poverty and its repercussions: limited or no access to power, gender equality and prospects of self-sustenance. Protection, education and participation are very important for the fulfilment of the rights of adolescent girls in Malawi.

Violence against girls and young women At the micro and meso levels, there is in general little awareness of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights among parents and the community at large. Forced early marriage of girls remains widely practiced, especially in rural areas. Domestic violence, while now legally prohibited,7 is widespread and often viewed as a family problem. Village heads and other traditional leaders have little knowledge of the impact of sexual and gender based violence. Girls and young women do not know where to go for help as there is a lack of youth friendly health services, and police are not gender sensitive. Girls and women are not empowered to stand up for their rights. At the macro level, Malawi has acceded to a number of conventions that promote the rights of women and children.8 However, the Malawian Constitution continues to define children as persons less than 16 years of age, in contradiction to the UNCRC, which sets the age of a child under 18 years of age. There are national plans for gender and young people in Malawi to further childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights, there are disparities between men and women remain.9 Men continue to have more opportunities than women and access to higher paying jobs. There are currently efforts to develop the national plan of action for children. This exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development at the auspices of UNICEF.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women At the micro and meso levels, there are high drop-out rates among girls in schools. Girls and young women are not encouraged to attend and complete their education. With limited resources, paying for their education is simply not an option for parents, as their daughters are expected to get married and be supported by their husbands. And so the cycle of male-dependency continues. The consequences are that their profile remains low and their voices are not heard. At the macro level, Malawi has implemented various national and education related plans and strategies, however budgetary allocation for education (ideally, 26% of its national budget) remains low if it is to achieve universal primary education as stipulated in the Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Government has adopted many relevant policies and has modified laws and regulations to eliminate or reduce provisions that discriminate against girls and women. However, the structures and systems for implementing and enforcing new policies and s are often weak and lack broad support in the community.

Socio-political position of girls and young women At micro and meso levels, some mechanisms were put in place to try and improve the participation of girls, such as free education. However, there are hidden costs attached to education which still prevent poor families from sending their girls to school. Traditions and culture in Malawi do not encourage girls to speak out. Girls and young women have few women role models to look up to and few opportunities to meet, discuss and decide on issues that concern them. Discriminatory customs relating to inheritance make female headed households particularly vulnerable. At macro level equality is guaranteed in the constitution, however legislation such as the Wills and Inheritance Act continues to discriminate against women.10 This legislation has been reviewed and awaits Parliamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consideration. Few women achieve high office or prominent positions in public life or business. For example, in 2004 only 14% of parliamentarians were women. However, recent developments have seen the representation of women increased in the 2009 general elections to 21%11 of parliamentarians, mainly due to the 50:50 campaign that was steered by civil society. As can be seen from the above mentioned problems, the existing legal framework is not being implemented or enforced as expected and there is a number of gaps which need to be addressed in order to achieve equity for women. 12. 2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis 90

12. Malawi; The World Factbook (Central Intelligence Agancy, 2010) 13. Idem

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background Despite having rights as girls, obstacles exist that impinge on the fulfilment of those basic rights. Schools are generally not very gender sensitive and existing gender policies are not being implemented. As a result, girls’ educational attainment has remained low; their health, especially reproductive health, has been poor; they lack training in most vocational skills; and, generally, their participation in development activities has been very minimal. As explored above, early marriage remains common practice in Malawi. Nearly 90% of the population engages in subsistence farming.12 Financial wealth is generally concentrated in the hands of small elite. Malawi has undertaken economic structural adjustment programmes supported by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors since 1981.13 In 2005, the IMF approved a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for Malawi. In 2006, Malawi successfully reached the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, resulting in debt relief from multilateral and Paris Club creditors. The Government of Malawi has been a multi-party democracy since 1994. In 1998, the Local Government Act established a system of local governance which devolves the responsibility for development to 29 District Assemblies. The Act allows for 5% of the national budget to be made available to the districts, but these funds have not always been transferred. The capacity of local government to carry this out effectively and the ability of communities and civil society to engage fully in decision making are still very limited.

Role and SWOT of local civil society Strengths: • Capacity for project management; • Ability to network and collaborate; • Presence of NGOs at the grassroots level; • Sound governance structures with good systems and procedures.

Weaknesses; • Inadequate resource and resource mobilisation skills; • Lack of human resources; • Inadequate skills in certain programming areas (i.e. lobby and advocacy);.

Opportunities: • Civil Society networks which facilitate work, MCCHR for example; • Political will: Malawi is a signatory to most charters; • There is visibility of CSOs in Malawian structures (media, government); • Media and beneficiaries know where to go to.

Risks: • Civil society is reactive to issues without considering their roles and responsibilities and those of the government; • Civil society works against deadlines while government works at its own pace which result into delays in achieving objectives.

Alliance partners and intended effect of intervention Facilitated by the Plan Country Office, several organisations have come together to adress the issues analysed above. The Malawian partner organisations participating in the programme bring long standing expertise and experience to be used at the different levels of the project, which forms the rational for the coalition. Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) is a community based organisation running programmes since 1997 to empower youth, women and children, combating the spread of HIV infection, mitigating the impact of AIDS and promoting democracy and human rights for socio-economic development. It runs a confidential child helpline with Child Helpline Counsellors who counsel on all personal and health issues relating to youth and children, reproductive health, sexual and gender based violence, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. YONECO has been using sports for development in its interventions since 2000. YONECO is a member a number of networks like Council for Non Governmental Organisations in Malawi (CONGOMA), Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organisation (MANASO) and Human Rights Consultative Committee. Malawi Human Rights Youth Network (40 members) - is an umbrella organisation established in 2002 for human rights youth NGOs in Malawi working in the fields of democracy, human rights, good governance and peace building. It is also registered with the National Youth Council of Malawi as a youth network on human rights.

12. 2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis 91

14. Government of Malawi. (2006) Malawi Growth and Development Strategy 2006-2011.

Important issues for it are civic education, networking, human rights awareness raising, life skills development, advocacy, youth participation and HIV/AIDS mitigation. Dutch Alliance partners Women Win and Free Voice also participate with local partners in the Malawi programme, with the aim to invest in innovative strategies of media and sport to strengthen existing rights based initiatives working with adolescent girls and young women in Malawi. Some local partners have been identified while others will be identified during the course of the project period based on the particular strategies and objectives.

V Multi-actor analysis Malawi government The Government of Malawi introduced free primary education in 1993, increasing the enrolment rate of boys and girls in schools. However, the quality of education in Malawi is low due to several factors including violence in schools, high number of students as compared to teachers, low teachers’ salaries and limited access to higher education. Malawi has also developed a National Strategy to Combat GenderBased Violence (MDHS 2004). In addition, a Prevention of Domestic Violence Act was enacted in 2006. Moreover, the Government has established relevant councils, commissions and Ministries to address the women’s and children’s rights. However, due to lack of human resource capacity and budget, the reach of these organisations to poor communities is limited. Malawi’s economic and development strategies have been captured in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) 2006 – 2011, the aim of which is to ‘reduce poverty through sustained economic growth and infrastructure development’.14 The emphasis of the strategy is to balance investment in the economic and social sectors. This builds on the lessons learnt from the implementation of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy (MPRS) of 2002 and the Malawi Economic Growth Strategy (MEGS) of 2004. Despite all these efforts, the Malawi government needs to increase resources to various sectors such as health and education and have mechanisms in place to ensure that girls also benefit from public services. The government must also ensure that existing laws and policies, like the Social protection policy and the Gender policy, are being implemented to ensure equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. Our Alliance will unite with Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC – a national human rights institution created by the Malawi Constitution and operationalised by a statutory Act that is guided by the Paris principles) and the Law society as well as other relevant organisations such as the NGO Gender Network to form a strong lobby and advocacy platform to increasingly hold the government accountable to its promises.

International donors The Alliance will cooperate and coordinate with other key donors in Malawi like DFID (UK Department for International Development) who is specifically aiming to promote gender equality through support in four focus areas: reducing maternal mortality; achieving parity in girls’ and boys’ primary school completion rates; increased access to local level justice for women and better gender monitoring through national monitoring systems. NORAD, USAID and UNICEF are other key donors the Alliance will work with.

Other (inter)national NGO’s active in the same field

12. 2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis 92

A number of civil society organisations in Malawi such as Women and Law in Southern Africa Research Trust (WILSA), Women’s Lobby organisation, Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC), Youth Network and Counselling (YONECO) and Society for the Advancement of Women (SAW), Women Lawyers Society and Plan Malawi is currently addressing many of the problems described in the problem analysis. In order to make a real impact and to be seen as a significant force, their capacities need to be strengthened and their activities need to be better coordinated. There is a NGO Gender Coordination Network that coordinates the efforts of various civil society organisations addressing gender issues in the country, but it lacks adequate human resource and financial support. The Child Rights Alliance will link its work with such organisations as the NGO Gender Coordination Network, WLSA-Malawi and Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement, directly and through the umbrella organisation Council for NGOs in Malawi.

The Child Rights Alliance will explore the existing best practice of radio/television formats from its alliance partners to address the issues of girls and young women in Malawi. One of the Alliance Members - Free Voice - has done a media scan of television broadcasters in Malawi with the goal of selecting a broadcaster that is willing and capable of broadcasting a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s news bulletin. State-run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is the main national broadcaster with two radio stations while TV Malawi (TVM) is the main TV broadcaster already identified.

Corporate partners, research &academic institutions The alliance will explore the opportunities to partner with the corporate sector in order to create job opportunities for girls and young women. YONECO has a partnership with TNM Malawi which is supporting the confidential child helpline with free air time.

VI Tailor-made programmes The overall objective for this programme is to strengthen civil society to ensure the rights of girls and young women to full and equal participation in social, economic and political development of society. Three strategies will be followed in order to address the structural causes that lead to the problems identified above; 1) eliminating violence against girls and women; 2) increasing the socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women; and 3) increasing socio-political empowerment of girls and young women. At civil society level: the alliance aims to unite and strengthen CSOs so that they have adequate capacity to address gender-based violence, barriers to girls and young womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s empowerment and are able to encourage and empower women to participate. This will be done by creating platforms for CSOs to facilitate networking and collaboration, by building capacity on gender and rights approaches, raising awareness on the different barriers girls and women encounter, developing guidelines for CSOs that they can use and coordinate lobby and advocacy efforts for the full domestication of CEDAW and UNCRC. At socio-cultural level: the alliance aims to address and reduce harmful traditional factors that perpetrate gender based violence and are keeping girls and young women from being socio-economically and politically empowered. This will be done by raising awareness on the negative impact of some traditional practices have on girls and women, by training of traditional leaders, healers and other community structures on human rights, by engaging the community through strengthening and formation of community structures to discuss and report cultural factors and by building capacity of community structures on addressing gender barriers and formation of additional community forums for girls and women. The alliance will create new innovative platforms to reach community through linking media, sport, school clubs, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s associations, confidential child helplines, and child rights and protection and research, for awareness raising and changing gender based attitudes. The alliance will encourage communities to invest more resources on girls and young women and empower community structures to demand the allocation of more resources from government and others on socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women. At institutional level: the alliance aim to advocate to government structures to review the gaps in the implementation of agreed international and national instruments on women and children and lobby government and micro-finance institutions for the enforcement of laws and regulations on gender based violence, for the integration of affirmative action that will facilitate girls and young women to participate in decision making and be able access loans. This will be done by facilitating opportunities for CSOs to come together to discuss lobby and advocacy strategies, and by strengthening the networking between state and CSOs for increased lobby and advocacy opportunities. CSOs will be capacitated to liaise and engage with government on the status of bills and laws that enhances participation among girls and young women and engage government for implementation of motions passed by child parliamentarians. The alliance will also build capacity with relevant government structures to improve access to services like the victim support units and youth friendly health services.

12. 2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis 93

At individual level: the alliance aim to ensure that more girls and young women feel safe, know and exercise their rights, complete school, are accessing financial resources and actively participating in decision-making positions/structures. This will be done by raising awareness in communities so that girls and young women understand the importance of accessing post-primary, tertiary and vocational training, know about reporting mechanisms, see the merits of youth friendly health services, have opportunities to participate and contribute to decision-making for accessing loans at community, district and national level. Clubs and forums will be formed where girls and young women can discuss and encourage each other and be exposed to women role models in positions of influence. Capacity will be built for women and girls to participate in forums that enhance/promote their ability to contribute to decision-making and activities will be implemented that raise the awareness of affirmative action policies.

SWOT analysis of the programme

12. 2.8 Malawi Contextual analysis 94

Strengths • Alliance have the experience and presence at grass root level • Partners have some capacity on gender based violence • The partners have a history of working with each other • Good balance amongst partners (complementary)

Weaknesses • Very little experience working with the corporate sector • Lack of national gender specific data

Opportunities • Legal framework in place • Lobby for adoption of National Registration Bill, which will make mandatory the registration of all births, and the Penal Code Amendment Bill which will ban corporal punishment

Threats • Political context • Financial, fuel and food crisis

2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis TANZANIA

COMOROS ZAMBIA

CABO DELGADO

AW I NAMPULA

MOZAMBIQUE MANICA

SOFALA

ZIMBABWE

MADAGASKAR

IMHAMBANE GAZA SOUTH AFRIKA

MAPUTO

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 6.714.000

2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis I Introduction After achieving independence from Portugal in 1975, Mozambique’s civil war lasted for more than 15 years, ending in 1992. It left the country economically, socially and politically devastated, earning it the unenviable status of being the poorest country in the world. After eighteen years of democracy and successful post-war reconstruction in Mozambique has experienced significant improvements in many areas. The economy is growing rapidly at the fastest rate of the continent. While governance and political freedoms remain in need of improvement (low voter turnouts, corruption, fraud), a democratic electoral system is in place and functioning, with judicial reforms being introduced to make it even stronger. The country rates as ‘average’ internationally in terms of civil liberties and freedom of the press.1 Although Mozambique’s impressive economic development is expected to continue in the coming years2, it currently still ranks 172 out of 177 countries on the UN Human Development index.3 Many MDG’s are far from being met.4 Large inequalities exist between rural and urban populations in terms of poverty and access to services. About 58% of children, who make up half of the population, live below the poverty line.5 Despite improvements, disparities remain in enrolment and retention levels in primary education.6 Against this backdrop, young women and girls often face double discrimination caused by poverty and gender inequalities. According to the UNHCR in 2007, the major rights violations of Mozambican women include: 1) early and forced marriage; 2) polygamy; 3) lack of property ownership; 4) the vulnerable situation of widows; and 5) lack of awareness of rights and limited access to justice.7

II Target Group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Maputo (Maputo), Gaza, Sofala (Caia, Nhama-tanda), Cabo Delgado (Ancuabe), Inhambane (Jangamo, Homoine), Nampula (Nacala), Manica

70.000 girls & young women 7.000 boys and young men 200 NGOs, CBOs, and women & girls associations Media and journalists 200 (Primary) schools 450 Teachers 200 School councils 3.000 Parents & caregivers, and Community leaders 5 Ministries (Education and Culture, Interior, Justice, Health, and Women & Social Affairs)

500.000 girls & young women

1. Freedomhouse.org rates Mozambique’s political rights at 3 in 2009, and 4 in 2010 (1 is most free, 7 least free) and Civil Liberties Score: 3 (in 2009 and 2010) 2. World Bank predicts an average annual growth of GDP from 2008-2012 of 4.6% (Mozambique at a Glance, World Bank 2009: http://devdata.worldbank.org/AAG/moz_aag.pdf)) 3. Human Development Index 2009. 4. Multi Annual Strategic Plan Mozambique 2008-2011’(Royal Netherlands Embassy, pg 3) 5. Childhood Poverty in Mozambique: a Situation and Trends Analysis’ (UNICEF, Olivia Wils et al, 2006) 6. Country Programme Action Plan 2007-2009 Between the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations Children’s Fund’(UNICEF, 2006) 7. ‘Women’s Rights in Mozambique: Duty to end illegal practices’ (International Federation for Human Rights May 2007, n° 474/2) 8. UNICEF (2006). ‘Country Programme Action Plan 20072009 Between the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations Children’s Fund’ (UNICEF, 2006, pg 7)

The north-central provinces of Zambezia and Nampula are the most densely populated and home to about 45% of the population. The estimated 4 million Makhuwa are the dominant group in the northern part of the country. The Sena and Ndau are prominent in the Zambezi valley, and the Tsonga and Shangaan dominate in southern Mozambique (Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane). Inhambane province is dominated by the Chopi. The selection of these groups has been based on a problem- and stakeholder-analysis, and on partners’ proven expertise in these areas, thus bringing the greatest opportunities for effective interventions. The final beneficiaries of this programme are 500.000 girls and young women. Poverty related problems affect girls and women most significantly throughout Mozambique. In rural areas, women are especially vulnerable to violence, and endemic discrimination. Net primary school attendance rates differ greatly between urban and rural areas (e.g. 90% in Maputo City compared to under 50% in the densely populated Nampula.8

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro-levels The key issues faced by the final beneficiaries of this programme relate closely to poverty, gender inequality and its repercussions: limited or no access to power, equity and prospects of self-sustenance. Young women and girls in Mozambique often find education, protection from physical and emotional harm and discrimination, and a public voice very difficult to access. The President of Mozambique’s sign-

12. 2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis 95

9. Established in Constitution, Art 36 10. Southern partner Linha Fala Criança receives frequent reports on teachers demanding sexual and/ or housework “services” in exchange for school marks. From November 2009 until April 2010, 22.000 calls were received, of which 846 were about child abuse. 11. Programme Action Plan 20072009 Between the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations Children’s Fund’ (UNICEF, 2006, pg 7)

ing of the new Family Law in March 2005 was a moment for celebration for Mozambican women and girls: at this point, the status of women was legally redefined, and marriage laws were overhauled. Mozambique has a legal framework in place, which provides for gender equity9 and child rights. However, these laws are currently insufficiently implemented and customary laws often prevail.

Violence against girls and young women The root causes of gender-based violence at the micro level include widespread social and cultural acceptance of domestic and sexual violence hampering the rights of women. A stereotypical view of masculinity and femininity prevails, leading to imbalanced power relations between men and women. Parents of school-age children often do not demonstrate a sense of urgency to change these existing practices and norms. Child marriage (18% of the girls marry before 15 years of age) originating from poverty and illiteracy, can result in a significant experience of domestic violence for many girls and young women. Because of its widely accepted practice of child labour, especially in rural areas, child trafficking remains a challenge for Mozambique. Women and girls, often with promises of employment or education, are trafficked from rural to urban areas of Mozambique, as well as to South Africa, for domestic servitude and / or commercial sexual exploitation purposes. At the meso level, limited coordination of services throughout the country curtails awareness raising about gender equality. At macro level finally, a major lack of human and financial resources for the implementation of international treaties and laws around gender equality, a lack of cohesion in the implementation of national laws, and insufficient enforcement of protection mechanisms caused by only limited institutional support contribute to the perpetuation of the problem.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women At the micro level, causes of the limited access to education for girls and young women include a lack of clear role models for women, the widespread social and cultural belief that locates women in the domestic sphere, the belief that a girl’s absence from home often means two fewer hands to assist with household work, and a lack of understanding by parents of the long-term value of sending their daughters to school. Moreover, pregnancy, especially that arising from premature marriage (see also above), often curtails any efforts to go to school. Limited access to education, especially for girls in rural areas, is exacerbated by schools which are often far away from home. Sending daughters to school is often a risk: with violence and abuse in schools rampant, girls are often subject to further mistreatment.10 Child labour is a common practice in rural areas, with children working on farms, as domestics or in prostitution. While child labour is legally prohibited under 15 years of age, this legislation is not generally or widely implemented. With low literacy levels, women often have access to only lower-paying employment. Rural culture also prescribes domestic/ farm work for women; paid jobs are for men only. With few women leading lives that demonstrate the power of change, the cycle of male-domination continues. At the meso level, some key causes leading to the low socio-economic position of women include the limited number of schools, the long travel distances between home and school in rural areas, and inadequate facilities and services for girls. At the macro level, causes include the so-called “access shock”: the influx of students has outpaced the quality and quantity of available school housing, learning materials, and number of trained teachers, plus there is a very low teacher-pupil ratio.11

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women Girls and young women often don’t belong to groups or associations. At all levels (macro/meso/micro level), the lack of female leadership, is caused by low esteem of women, who are regarded as having primarily a domestic role. Moreover, they remain unaware of their rights. Many women and girls are economically dependent on male family members, limiting their access to resources and inhibiting their decision-making authority.

IV Background analysis Socio-economic and political background

12. 2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis 96

The impact of HIV and AIDS in Mozambique has created a significant number of orphans and femaleheaded households. With more mouths to feed and limited resources, girls and young women often need to work to provide for their families. Opposition to change is evident at all levels of society, and is often

articulated as a way to defend the Mozambican way of life. Outdated notions of where a woman belongs prevails, especially in rural communities. Laws and national policies do not per se discriminate against children or women. However, awareness and enforcement of these laws is generally very limited. Women’s organisations have noted that generally, women in rural areas have very little idea of their rights. Female illiteracy perpetuates this situation. The formal legal system has a total of 240 judges for a total population of over 18 million. Just 10% of community tribunal representatives are women. This is of significant concern given that the community tribunals often base their rulings more on customary law than on modern civil and penal law.12 Government, which has traditionally been highly centralised, is currently implementing a programme of decentralisation.13 However, limited human capacity severely constrains the implementation of state policies aimed at tackling the causes of poverty. National development programmes cannot be managed effectively due to shortages of financial and human resources.

Role of CSOs and SWOT analysis CSOs in Mozambique have generally a very limited capacity to manage significant programmes. They also struggle to be fully transparent, accountable and responsive both to the Government and their governing bodies and clients in their operations.14 There are however several civil society organisations that champion the rights of girls and women, including Liga dos direitos humanos, the Women’s Coalition, MULEIDE, FDC, Rede Came and Rede da Criança. These organisations have contributed to reforming existing legislation, structures and services with a view to improving girls’ and women’s standing and rights in Mozambique. Strengths • Ability to liaise between duty bearers and rights holders through capacity building and advocacy efforts • Expertise in carrying out research and raising issues with duty bearers • Successful implementation of programmes and campaigns related to heath, education and sanitation15 Opportunities • Recognition of the need to join forces and have done so in the civil society forum G20, Poverty Observatory and other bodies • CSOs have raised relevant issues into debate and influ-

Weakness • Generally low levels of capacity and organisation, neither autonomous nor politically articulate • Activity limited mostly to service delivery in bridging the gap re: Government’s lack of

12. Women’s Rights in Mozambique: Duty to end illegal practices’ (International Federation for Human Rights, May 2007, n° 474/2, pg 11. 13. ‘Action plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty 2006-2009 (PARPA II)’ (Government of Mozambique, 2006) 14. ‘Country Programme Action Plan 2007-2009 Between the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations Children’s Fund’ (UNICEF, 2006, pg. 8) 15. Abdul Ilal (2008). ‘Mozambique: An independent analysis of ownership and accountability in the development aid system’ (Abdull Ilal, 2008, p.46) 16. Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Program for the period 2008-2013’(Republic of Mozambique – (European Community, 2007, pg.8) 17. ‘Mozambique: An independent analysis of ownership and accountability in the development aid system’ Abdul Ilal, Trocaire/CAFOD/Eurodad, 2008, pg.45/46)

capacity to deliver basic services16 Threats • Risk of being influenced by existing patronage system in the political environment. • Generally high donor dependency.

enced the formulation of GoM and donor policies17 • The legal environment is generally favourable to civil society involvement. The media environment is also opening up, allowing for greater space for voice

Alliance partners and intended effect of intervention Facilitated by Plan’s Country Office, several organisations in Mozambique have joined efforts to design and implement the girl power programme. These include: Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Communidade (FDC), Linha Fala Criança (Mozambican Child Helpline), Rede da Criança, Rede contra Abuso de Menores (Rede CAME), Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo (ADPP), Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), and a media partner with a nationwide scope which will be selected later. These organisations have extensive networks and are actively involved in broader developmental processes. Many are known for their well-informed and critical stance, and ability to - constructively critique ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality and improve child protection, identifying both the existing capacity of key players but also gaps and limitations. The Dutch Alliance members expect to contribute to reaching programme goals in various ways. Child Helpline International will work with local partners to establish a child helpline so that girls and young women possess a confidential mechanism to share their problems and acquire solutions. ICDI will support the strengthening of protection and care systems for children, building the capacity of partners to analyse and tackle the gender responsiveness

12. 2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis 97

18. For a full discussion on linkages between the proposed programme and other initiatives in Mozambique, please refer to appendix 4.9 Harmonisation and complementarity. 19. ‘Mozambique: An independent analysis of ownership and accountability in the development aid system’ Abdul Ilal, Trocaire/CAFOD/Eurodad, 2008) 20. The secretariat of which is based in FDC, one of the primary partners of the alliance. 21. Ibid. 22. Closer linkages between the work of Hivos and the current alliance will be explored in more detail during the second half of 2010.

of child protection and education services and improve the meaningful participation of girls and young women. DCI-ECPAT will provide training and awareness-raising in child rights and gender equality. Free Voice will support the development of independent, reliable and accessible radio and internet based news programmes for children.

V Multi-actor analysis18 Government The Government of Mozambique was working towards coordinating and harmonizing external aid long before the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.19 Currently, in addition to the fundamental role played by key ministries - including Education and Culture, Women and Social, Justice, and Health - a range of non-governmental, multi- and bi-lateral organisations are active in the fields of protection, socio-economic empowerment and the socio-political participation of girls and young women.

International donors Bilateral agencies play a crucial role in the gender equality agenda in Mozambique. These include: the Embassy of The Netherlands (which has experience in harmonisation efforts and supporting civil society coalition building, particularly in Nampula), GTZ (which supports efforts to improve basic and vocational education), DFID (which engages in donor coordination and the promotion of gender equality in education), and USAID (particularly the agency’s Africa Education Initiative-Ambassador Girls Scholarship Program). The Royal Netherlands Embassy, according to their MASP, has a regional focus on micro level linkages with field sites (Nampula province), an area which this programme supports through its focus on province-level activity. However, the Royal Netherlands Embassy has made the strategic choice to phase out its support to education. Here, the added value of the Child Rights Alliance is that is has continuous attention for that aspect, combining education with other ways of empowerment.

Local players Civil society - united in the ‘G20’, a civil society forum20 - is becoming increasingly organised in the sense of harmonizing efforts to hold government accountable for its commitments to poverty reduction (as set out in the PARPA/PRSP)21. Child Rights Alliances partners are involved in several other key networks, at national, provincial and district level. Rede CAME22 for instance, is a national consortium of NGOs working in the field of children’s rights, whilst the Child Protection Network unites a range of organisations focusing more specifically on child protection issues. Both bodies will be involved in the programme and are expected to offer important entry points for aligning program activities.

Added Value The combination of media, child helplines and organisations supporting child protection in a wide range of ways (from advocacy and lobbying to ‘hands-on’ services in communities) is expected to allow for a more comprehensive and coordinated tackling of the key problems and gaps identified here. Programme coverage will be generally greater than that of many other comparable programmes because of the broader geographical presence of partners.

V Tailor-made programs The programme’s long term vision is to support the creation and development of a society without violence, where all can enjoy their rights, with equal opportunities to make choices, have their voice heard, access education and engage in meaningful work.

Elimination of violence against girls and young women Through the programme we will strengthen capacity for lobbying and advocacy; support multi-sectoral cooperation to ensure continuity of care and protection; raise community awareness of (changes to) family law and inheritance rights, and reduce the impact of SGBV. 12. 2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis 98

Civil Society Level: Strengthen the ability of civil society to raise awareness of existing/new laws and services; increase partners’ awareness of the prevalence and causes of violence against girls and women and appropriate strategies to tackle and address this in their work, and establish mechanisms to improve M&E and accountability (to communities etc.). Institutional Level: Promote the protection of girls and young women through improving existing regulations and law enforcement; support the tabling of GBV-related issues in parliament with the support of child and youth deputies; improve existing referral systems; and ensure that 60% of national response mechanisms are child friendly; improve the capacity of key institutions responsible for realization of girls and women’s rights, such as the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Health, Women and Social Action and Education, and Finance; address weaknesses of key institutions (relating to technical capacity, internal structure and coordination), and build on strengths and opportunities as identified by the programme. Socio-Cultural Level: Sensitize traditional leaders, members of traditional courts, Church leaders, influential individuals, girls and young women, boys and (young) men, parents regarding human rights (principles), and the benefits of more equitable relationships and structures and increase their ability to recognize and respond to suspected cases of violence including those against girls and (young) women. Individual Level: increase girls and young women’s awareness of their rights and means to protect and realize these rights through existing legislation and protection services in Mozambique, and ensure 50% of girls and young women in the targeted districts are free of violence.

23. Including laws on promotion and protection of child rights; against trafficking of people, with particular focus on women and children; on minor courts; against domestic violence, and Family Law.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women Civil Society Level: develop women’s professional and savings and loans networks at community and district levels Institutional Level: support private-public partnerships to increase the access of women to micro-credit; improve gender responsiveness of pre/in-service teacher training and education; and identify and challenge barriers to the successful transition of girls to higher education Socio-Cultural Level: Decrease women’s economic dependence on men. Individual Level: increase access of girls and young women to good quality education and professional training; improve women’s access to financial, professional, informational resources and engagement in socio-economic decision-making bodies.

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women Civil Society Level: increase the capacity of media and CSOs to (jointly) advocate for gender equality in political processes; implement effective advocacy campaigns to increase socio-political participation of girls and young women, secure greater equity and efficacy in allocation of government resources. Institutional Level: improve female engagement in decision making processes and increase the number of women in leadership positions; train gender units in government bodies, lobby for the inclusion of a minimum percentage of females in consultative councils Socio-Cultural Level: increase the number of girls and young women engaging in decision-making processes; strengthen the position and voice of women at different levels (family, community, institutional, media. Individual Level: support active citizenship by girls and women; support existing and new female leaders to serve as role models; and encourage girls and young women to define and achieve their aspirations. The context of Mozambique presents a number of important entry points for the proposed programme, including: new and existing gender and child friendly legislation which provides a basic regulatory and policy framework but which suffers from weak implementation/limited enforcement23, a vibrant and visible Civil Society Child Rights Network (ROSC), increasing freedom of and access to the media, growing experience within the aid community of harmonisation (and potential for civil society to build on this), and women in prominent positions at national level who are able to work to ensure that gender related issues are on the social and political agenda.

12. 2.9 Mozambique Contextual analysis 99

As a result of the programme, influential individuals and female role models are expected to act as agents of change and be empowered to promote gender equality. Girls and young women will be better able to define and realize their particular aspirations and actively partake in socio-political processes as a result of among others, more gender responsive education, enhanced opportunities for participation at various levels and mentoring by (female) role models.

SWOT OF PROGRAMME

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Strengths • proposed interventions and strategies tackle the root causes of gender inequality • results are sustainable

Weakness • Ambitious results and strategies with relatively few financial resources to realize them • Mozambican partners are interested and active in different geographic areas, running the risk of there being less integration and linking of services

Opportunities • CSOs can work together to hold government accountable; • Diverse experience and expertise from the country, region and the Netherlands; • Rights Network (ROSC) currently being put in place. • Use the celebration of Women’s Day to carry out large scale campaign on gender awareness and open up debate through use of media

Threats • Focus on girls is unusual and as such may be considered contentious • NGOs have traditionally focussed on service delivery and have relatively little experience with rights based approach, advocacy and capacity building

2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis TANZANIA

DR CONGO

MANSA

ANGOLA

MALAWI CHIBOMBO

CHADIZA

ZAMBIA

MOZAMBIQUE

BOTSWANA

ZIMBABWE

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 5.323.000

2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis I Introduction Zambia is a landlocked, fertile and mineral-rich country which shares borders with eight countries. Rainfall is lowest in the south and east where periodic droughts occur. Copper mining is the country’s main economic activity, representing almost 65% of export earnings.1 Consequently, the country’s economy has been negatively affected by the sharp drop in global copper prices in 2009. Administratively, the country is divided into 9 provinces and 72 districts with Lusaka being the capital city. The Movement for Multi-party Democracy has been in power since 1991. In 2008, the total population of Zambia was estimated at 12,5 million, split roughly equally between the sexes, with 55% of the population aged 18 or younger.2 The average family size is 7,3; with annual population growth of 1,63 %.3 Current life expectancy at birth is 42 years, down from 49 in 1970,4 with HIV and AIDS being the main cause of this decline. Although prevalence rates have fallen nationally, they have increased substantially in Mansa and Central Provinces since 2001. 64% of Zambians are classified as poor (51% extremely poor) and the proportion and number of poor people in rural areas continues to increase. Zambia is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most urbanized nations with almost 50% of the population living in urban areas or concentrated in urban zones along the main mining/transport routes, with rural areas having relatively low population density.

1. ‘CIA World Handbook’ (2008 estimated) 2. ‘Population Projection Report’(CSO, 2009) 3. 2009 estimated, down from 3.2% p.a. in the ’70s and ’80s, mainly because of the impact of AIDS. (CIA World Handbook) 4. ‘The State of World’s Children Report’ (20090 5. ‘Human Development Report’ (UNDP, 2009) 6. www.childinfo.org/files/ESAR_ Zambia.pdf 7. Among Bemba (the most widely spoken language) speaking youth only 14% have less than 4 years of education, but this figure rises to 20% for Luvale speakers and 30% for Nyanja speakers. (EFA Monitoring report 2010)

Zambia is a highly patriarchal society, with women’s participation in decision-making, economic activity and education severely challenged. A Gender and Development Index for Zambia of 0.473 indicates that large disparities between the status of men and women exists5 in relation to access to resources, decision making, political representation etc. Policy pronouncements on gender by successive government have so far failed to translate into operational activities, with cultural norm perpetuating inequities and inequalities. A 2008 Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council noted a series of human rights violations in Zambia, particularly concerning the rights of women and children. Youth and women’s participation remains a critical issue in Zambia.

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Chadiza, Mansa, Chibombo

17.060 girls and women below 25 years, 100 CSO/CBOs and 10 networks, 100 schools 150 traditional leaders, 12 governmental institutions, 145 juridical professionals

Total 251.266 girls and young women, Chadiza: 41.482 Mansa: 90.120, Chibombo: 119.664

The final beneficiaries of this programme will be girls and women (up to 25 years) who are the most vulnerable to human rights violations in Mansa, Chibombo and, Chadiza districts. These girls and young women are targeted because of the levels of acute poverty and vulnerability in these rural areas. In Mansa and Chadiza, record child mortality rates remain approximately 30% higher than the national average. More girls are now starting school, but they have a higher dropout rate than boys, particularly in rural areas. A young girl in urban Zambia is 3 times more likely to attend secondary school than her rural counterparts (net attendance rates of 38 and 12 percent respectively).6 Children from Eastern province and Mansa remain particularly deprived in terms of educational access, and educational enrolment and retention rates amongst minority language groups are particularly low.7 In these rural areas, particularly for girls, school participation competes with domestic and economic demands such agriculture and herding or mining. Water provision and management at domestic and community levels are usually the preserve of women and girls. There are an estimated 1,3 million working children in Zambia and nearly all of these live in rural areas. About 64% of working children aged 10-14 years work away from home. In Mansa, child labour manifests itself through children working at market places, in fields, as child prostitutes and as carers to

12. 2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis 101

8. NAC MTR 2008 9. Plan Survey Report on Violence in Schools in Chibombo District 10. Survey Report on Violence in Schools in Chibombo District (Plan) 11. International Services for H.R. (2006) Human Rights Committee 90th session Zambia 3rd Report 9-10 July 12. 2007, Ministry of Justice, State party report on CEDAW 13. UNICEF,org 2008 14. UNIEF, Idem, pg 30 15. See also for example JHU work with mobilising local resources for health http://www.jhuccp. org/africa/zambia/nhc.shtml

younger siblings. Prostitution is increasingly providing a means for survival especially in borders areas of Mansa district. Teenage pregnancies are a major issue, at a rate of 40% of the number of girls enrolled in school per annum.8 Chadiza and Mansa have a high incidence of child marriages as a result of the cultural practice of initiation ceremonies. There is a high incidence of child sexual abuse in Chibombo.9

III Problem analysis on micro/meso/macro level Violence against girls and young women At the micro/meso level in homes and in schools children experience violence through physical and humiliating punishment, sexual and gender-based violence, bullying, and gang violence. Corporal punishment against children is too often socially accepted and viewed as a form of discipline, and in many communities in rural Zambia cultural and social norms are not sufficiently protective or respectful of children. Violence against children is frequently underreported due to prevailing cultural norms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; e.g. a traditional communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refusal to acknowledge the existence of such incidents.10 At the macro level, Zambia uses a dual legal system with customary and statutory law existing side by side. Customary law varies widely throughout the country according to the tribes and traditions attached to it. Under customary law, many discriminatory practices against women are legal. In many cases, the judges who preside over local court proceedings do not have formal legal qualifications and are frequently unaware of developments in human rights law that need to be considered in the application of customary law or judgments that are not fully in accordance with statutory law. There is also lack of a comprehensive and coordinated national response to issues of protection. Child sexual abuse is outlawed in Zambia11, with severe criminal penalties, including life imprisonment or capital punishment but perpetrators of such crimes do not seem to be deterred due to the high level of corruption among law enforcement officers. The proportion of girls who are subjected to sexual abuse is generally higher than the boys. Statistics show that sexual violence against girls and women has risen fivefold in the last four years to more than 1500 rape reported cases.12

Socio-economic position of girls and young women Primary school attendance/enrolment rate is 80% in Zambia,13 marginally higher for girls compared to boys, but lower in rural areas. At the micro level, in rural areas, poverty, distance from school and the impact of the rainy season contribute to late enrolment, affect attendance and contribute to dropping out.14 Gross enrolment for secondary education is 41% for boy and 38% for girls. Child labour is both a cause and consequence of poverty and has a negative impact on human capital development through impeding education particularly for girls. In other instances, many girls are trafficked from their villages to go and work in urban areas as domestic workers where their living conditions are appalling. Poor access to credit and business support by youth and caregivers means that at a time when young people want to make a significant economic contribution, there are no pathways for them to do so. At the meso level communities have mobilized resources for construction of schools, ECCD and health centers and management of water points and some have established community support structures to address child protection issues. But most programmes remain highly dependent on donors to provide resources. For greater ownership and sustainability of interventions there is a need for community capacity development and strengthening in local resource mobilization and project management.15 At the macro level, while the government has made substantial investment in education and removed school fees, challenges still exist in access to and the quality of education. Access to education, particularly for girls, is hampered by hidden school fees, limited school places and long distances to schools. Opportunities for girls and young women on the labour market remain low, they lack adequate skills or vocational training because access opportunities are lacking and/or they are missing basic education.

Socio-political participation

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At the micro level, ordinary citizens in Zambia have few opportunities to influence policy making and participate in local level decision-making and there are no effective mechanisms to hold public servants and public institutions accountable. Issues include limited accessibility to platforms for children to air their views and cultural constraints that prevent children from expressing themselves in the presence of adults. In addition, the social economic status of girls and women in communities is very low and is reinforced by negative social cultural norms that do not encourage the involvement of women and girls in important decision making. Children are perceived as an indicator of wealth. This is especially the case

regarding the girl child, who tends to be regarded as having commercial value in terms of bride price. This denotes that children tend to be seen as property belonging to someone who has rights and decision making power over them.16 At the meso level, there are inadequate support mechanisms to respond to child rights issues, and a gap between grassroots and national level interventions. The implementation of the Government’s decentralization policy has been hampered by inadequate financial resources and weak capacity in planning and management, both of government staff and elected representatives at provincial and district level. Political processes generally focus on the largesse of the elected representative, with little real accountability to constituencies.17 At the macro level, the Zambian government has been committed to developing a sound legislative environment to ensure that the welfare and interests of girls and boys are promoted and protected. Zambia is a state party to international conventions, including the international UNCR, CEDAW, ACRWE and as well as the SADC Protocol on Gender. However, resource availability and weak political and social accountability are major constraints and these international treaties are not codified into domestic legislation in Zambia. Legislation around child rights is hindered by weak enforcement and implementation.

16. Women and Law in Southern Africa (1997). The changing family in Zambia. Lusaka, Zambia. 17. Evaluation Report on Child Justice (Muntigh, L, 2005) 18. Zambia’s inequality index is much higher than neighbouring Malawi and is the second worse of low HDI countries. 19. ‘Zambia Millennium Development Goals, progress report’ (2008) 20. Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Zambia, The fifth and current National Development Plan (20042010) (www.sarpn.org.za) 21. ‘Evalutation Report on Child Justice (Muntigh, L, 2005)

IV Background analysis Zambia is a highly inequitable society and overall figures and averages mask a range of inequalities- most starkly the disparities between rural and urban areas.18 MDG targets on hunger, universal primary education, gender equality, maternal health, and HIV and AIDS are said likely to be achieved by 201519. The country has articulated its long-term development objectives in the National Vision, striving “to become a prosperous middle income country by the year 2030.’20 The Vision was intended to focus on growthoriented sectors to create employment and income opportunities for the poor. However critics suggest that growth in the construction and mining sectors has been at the expense of the more pro-poor, labour intensive agriculture sector. Transparency International ranked Zambia 99 out of 180 countries in the 2009 Corruption Perception index, but describes corruption in Zambia as ‘rampant and systemic’. It has been reported that only 6% out of the total government budget is allocated to rural based programmes. In 2006 a national child policy was developed for which the national plan of action is currently being finalized. Also, the Zambian Government has developed a comprehensive framework to address issues around child labour, including the employment of young persons and children’s act in 2004 (aligning the country with the requirements of the ILO convention 182).

Role and SWOT of local civil society Both government and civil society have independent coordinating mechanisms to promote policies and programmes in the interest of children and forums exist in which government and civil society work together.21 Often, this takes the form of the government-constituted platform anchored in the local councils, namely the Resident Development Committees. At national level the linkages are built through networks of organisations with a similar purpose and goal. However, the implementation of CSO programs in Zambia is generally still fragmented, and better harmonisation is needed to avoid duplication of activities and to redistribute the generally heavy concentration of work in urban areas. There is also a need to establish a comprehensive and coordinated national response to issues of child protection.

Strength • CSO’s are widespread and found in nearly all districts around the country and cross section of population; • Highly influential in driving policy change.

Weakness • Coordination between NGOs/civil society is quite weak and there is duplication of efforts; • The INGO’s are dominant in terms of programme intervention, with little focus on strengthening local NGO capacity; • Donor requirements are constraints to harmonization of CSO’s.

Opportunities • Enabling environment for CSOs to operate (Democratic government); • Goodwill of donors; • Existing networks.

Threats • Lack of political commitment; • Lack of understanding between CS and government; • Lack of knowledge and understanding and/or respect for human rights, trickles down into society/community level. 12. 2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis 103

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention The Plan country office is the facilitator and coordinator for the Zambia Child Rights Alliance with the following partners: • An umbrella body for local NGOs, FBO’s and CBO’s working in the field of children’s rights and welfare has been established known as Children in Need Network (CHIN). The network works in the areas of capacity building of member organisations in child rights programming, research & advocacy, knowledge development & information and governance. They are also recognized by the Government as the focal organisation monitoring and reporting Zambia’s progress in addressing the UNCRC. • Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) promotes gender equality and equity, works for the realisation of child rights, provides counselling to abused children and women, as well as training in child counselling, and shelter to abused children and women. It focuses on women’s human rights, advocacy and awareness campaigns on child rights and sexual abuse. It also supports victims of abuse to report cases to the police; organise medical help and seek legal redress. YWCA is recognized by the government and the public as the champion of sexual and gender based violence. They are currently the lead organisation managing the Child Helpline operations for Zambia. • Forum for the Advancement of Women Educationalist of Zambia (FAWEZA) is a membership NGO with the mandate to advocate for policies and programmes that promote gender equity at all levels of the education system in Zambia. FAWEZA is an advocacy NGO and has successfully advocated for policies and programmes that have improved girls’ participation in education as well as for the removal of negative cultural practices around girls’ and women’s rights. • Victim Support Unit & Child Protection Unit, these units provide legal protection for victims of sexual violence and abuse. They are tasked with handling cases of physical or sexual abuse, including child abuse, violence against girls and women. Dutch Alliance Members Free Voice and Women Win will also participate with local partners in the Zambian programme, with the aim of investing in and linking up innovative strategies of media and sport for advancing girls’ rights to strengthen existing initiatives with adolescent girls and young women in Zambia. Some local partners have been identified (such as NOWSPAR) while others will be identified during the course of the project period, such as local partners of DCI-ECPAT.

V Multi-actor analysis Government The Government’s introduction and implementation of the ‘re-entry policy’, allowing the re-admittance into school of girls who fall pregnant, has enabled more girls to continue at school. The Government is determined to increase school access through the construction of new schools, both primary and secondary, as observed in the latest increase in the 2010 education budget. Zambia has developed a strategy for human rights education in the school system, including education and sensitization campaigns for children, school authorities, teachers and other caregivers but budget constraints have delayed implementation. The Government has also introduced the Equity and Gender Component to address gender and development issues. A gender-based violence bill is currently under review by various stakeholders with the aim of ensuring that cases of violence against women are dealt with in a systematic manner. Relevant Government Departments including the Ministry of Justice have established a Gender in Development Division for gender sensitive policy reforms. The Government through the Department of Social Welfare has initiated District Committees, consisting of all stakeholders involved in child protection and child support. (including the judiciary, DEBS office, District Health Office, National Registration, ZANIS, PLAN, CARE INT., POLICE Child Protection Unit and Victim Support Unit). Victim Support and Child Protection Units have been established within the structures of the Zambia Police Service which address gender based violations and child protection issues respectively. A Child Justice Forum has also been established that brings together government and civil society organisations in the implementation of juvenile justice programmes, in an effort to enhance the appreciation of human and child rights,

International donors The programme will also work with other international organisations such as: Care Zambia-providing emergency relief, health, water and sanitation, education, food security and adressing Gender Based Vio12. 2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis 104

lence; World Vision Zambia - a child centered organisation promoting child participation and protection programs through emergency relief, working with stakeholders to improve health and education services, water and sanitation, food security programs; UNICEF: which focuses on supporting initiatives addressing children’s rights and which has been instrumental in child’s rights reform process.

Other (inter)national NGO’s active in the same field Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have collectively lobbied government to put in place laws, policies and programs that protect and respond to the needs of children including universal birth registration, anti-corporal corporal punishment legislation, frameworks to combat violence against children, gender based violence and HIV and AIDS prevention and control measures. The NGO Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) promotes country wide women’s empowerment and works on enhancing women’s and children’s rights to protection and participation. It also coordinates and provides support for organisational development to other civil society organisations. Working with the NGOCC will enable both improved coordination and the strengthening of individual organisations. These includes Operation Young Vote, a youth organisation encouraging the socio economic empowerment and the political participation of young people; Young Women in Action, a youth organisation promoting and advocating for young women’s leadership; Zambia Civic Education Association, an organisation providing civic and political education and encouraging civic participation in political processes. Zambia has also a strong network of women’s rights organisations focusing on adolescent girls and lobbying the government for policy change. Through Women Win, UNIFEM and its country offices and women’s rights organisations such as NGOCC, we will aim to link women’s rights organisations in Zambia to the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance.

Corporate partners, research &academic institutions Research institutes will be involved, with the remit to increase the visibility of the themes of the girl power programme, to identify possible inter-issue linkages and to provide support on monitoring and evaluation. These include the University of Zambia and Zambia Open University, for research and to raise the issue publicly of child rights violations. With regards to corporate partners, Zambia National Commercial Bank, has a Corporate Social responsibility program targeting children in schools.

VI Tailor-made programme The overall objective for this programme is to strengthen civil society to ensure the rights of girls and young women in order that they secure full and equal participation in the social, economic and political development of Zambian society.

Elimination of violence against girls and young women Expected results at: • Civil society level: The role of girls and young women will be strengthened within civil society through the establishment and strengthening of 10 networks and fora where they can discuss and make decisions on issues that affect them; capacity of 15 CBOs is strengthened on sexual and gender based violence (SGVB) issues; CBOs and CSO will establisch joint planning, monitoring & evaluation processes. • Institutional level: Existing networks will be strengthened for more effective collaboration and partnerships in addressing SGVB issues at all levels; 20 CSO’s will be trained and collaboration in their advocacy towards government for the harmonization and local codification domestication of international laws. • Socio-cultural level: Positive cultural practices that improve the welfare of girls and young women are promoted through lobbying and awareness raising campaigns towards 100 chiefs and other traditional leaders. • Individual level: 145 professionals are trained in gender sensitivity, supporting their services for victims of violence; girls and young women are aware of their rights, and they are strengthened to advocate for their rights and report cases of abuse. 12. 2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis 105

Socio-economic empowerment for girls and young women Expected results at: • Civil society level: The capacity of 25 CSOs is strengthened and they include women in their governance and decision making structures; CSOs are equipped to advocate for and to hold government accountable for the rights of women and girls; the coordination and collaboration capacity among the relevant CSOs is strengthened and ensures resource redistribution and effective use of available governmental resources for the fulfilment of women’s and girls rights; at least 7 CSOs coordinate their efforts to lobby government for the increase of educational infrastructure and budgetary reallocation to rural areas. • Institutional level: Civil society networks are strengthened to ensure accountability among duty bearers, including the corporate sector, to fulfil their responsibilities when it comes to equal opportunities for girls and boys; policies regarding gender sensitive and vocational education for girls are improved; The capacity of at least 12 governmental institutions is in policy development, service delivery and corporate engagement is improved. • Socio-cultural level: Communities are informed on the importance of and right to education for girls and their abilities to contribute in decision making through awareness raising campaigns; the public in general is made aware of existing laws that prohibit early marriage, property grabbing and other harmful practices. • Individual level: Girls and young women are aware of existing opportunities for vocational technical education, the value of secondary education and possibilities for microcredit loans; girls and young women are aware and make use of youth friendly health services.

Strategic area 3: socio-political empowerment; Expected results at: • Civil society level: The capacity among 20 CSO’s to include and promote girls and young women’s participation in decision making at all levels is strengthened; the 20 CSO’s are able to map, monitor and report on gender equity. • Institutional level: Five governmental institutions and systems that support women and girls participation are strengthened; CSOs lobby and monitor for the effective implementation of existing government policies that promote political empowerment; (the need for) new laws and policies to ensure the participation of girls and young women in decision making are promoted. • Socio-cultural level: The awareness of 150 traditional leaders in order to create a supportive environment for the participation of girls and young women in community structures is raised. • Individual level: Girls are empowered to participate in activities and initiatives through the establishment of a mentorship programme for and by girls and women; girls are enabled to speak up, through clubs and forums, and claim services from relevant duty bearers.

SWOT- analysis of the Programme Joint planning and review meetings will be a key factor in promoting programme ownership and also the development of Memoranda of Understanding that clearly outline partner roles and responsibilities, thereby guaranteeing equality and mutual accountability. The participation of CHIN and YWCA within this partnership will provide member organisations with a link to other organisations for information sharing. There will also be opportunities for joint field visits within the three target districts. The range of projected research studies and project evaluations will also provide opportunities for shared learning and possible replication.

12. 2.10 Zambia Contextual analysis 106

Strength • Partners are experienced and have strong relationship with community and government • Experiences from other regions can be used

Weakness • Lack of experience when it comes to partnering with corporate sector • Alliance needs to grow and needs time for that

Opportunities • Experience of Plan Zambia in similar EC-project

Threats • Not all NL alliance partners have found Southern partners yet • Government policies could change

2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis BHUTAN NEPAL PANCHAGARH

NILFAMARI LALMONIRHAT KURIGRAM

THAKURGAON

INDIA

DINAJPUR

BANGLADESH RAJSHAHI DHAKA

GAZPUR

INDIA SHARIATPUR

MYANMAR

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 4.820.000

2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis I Introduction Bangladesh has an estimated population of 162,2 million, including 65 million children. About 63 million people live on US$1,25 per day (UNICEF, 2009).1 Bangladesh ranks 146 on the Human Development Index (out of 182 countries).2 Poverty declined from 57% to 40% from 1991 to 2005, but 63 million people continue to live below US$1.25 per day (UNICEF, 2009).3 Poverty is a key factor in the violation of children’s and women’s rights, and is compounded in rural areas, where 75% of the population live. GDP growth has averaged at over 6% during the past five years.4 As Bangladesh has a rapid population growth rate, the actual number of poor is likely to increase, and a growing divide between rich and poor and urban and rural populations is expected to worsen.5 Discrimination against women is common in both public and private spheres.6 There are few women in decision-making positions and women generally are paid lower wages than men. Maternal mortality rates remain extremely high,7 despite significant improvements over the past 20 years. Domestic violence is a daily reality for many women and dowryrelated crimes are reported to be increasing. Bangladesh’s GDI value is 0.536.8 The GDI value is 98,7% of the HDI value (of 0.543). Out of the 155 countries with both HDI and GDI values, 100 countries have a better ratio than Bangladesh’s.

II. Target group analysis Geographical areas:

Target groups:

Final ries:

Seven districts in Northern Bangadesh: Thakurgaon; Panchagarh; Kurigram; Dinajpur; Nilphamari Lalmonirhat and Rajshahi. Three districts (Kishorganj, Shariatpur and Gazipur) and 10 zones of Dhaka City, Corporation under Dhaka division in Central Bangladesh.

2.500 communities where 62.500 direct beneficiaries (girls/young women) live, including their parents, 250 CSOs 1.500 duty bearers

7 million children, women and men.

1. Unicef (2009), Country Statistics, http://www.unicef.org/ infobycountry/bangladesh_ bangladesh_statistics.html#58, 24/12/09 2. Human Development report (2009) 3. Unicef (2009), Country Statistics, http://www.unicef.org/ infobycountry/bangladesh_ bangladesh_statistics.html#58, 24/12/09 4. http://data.worldbank.org/ indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG 5. Bangladesh Country Case Study: Citizens’ Voice and Accountability Evaluation, July 2008, Oxford Policy Management 6. Human Rights Watch, World Report (2009) 7. WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2008 – 2013, Bangladesh 8. Human Development report (2009)

beneficia-

The programme’s target group is 62.500 girls and young women in 11 districts aged 10-25, in northern and central Bangladesh and Dhaka City area. The final beneficiaries include 7 million children, women and men in the country. The programme is designed to influence communities, parents and relevant duty bearers at the local, district and national levels to reduce the incidence of violence against young girls and women, and to support their reintegration into society. The programme will also work with 250 civil society organisations: 1) to understand the causes and nature of violence against women and girls; 2) to gain knowledge of the existing legal frameworks; 3) to lobby for the implementation of laws in place to address violence against girls and young women; and 4) to coordinate advocacy efforts on these issues before duty bearers. The northern districts were selected because of the low levels of HDIs, and the relatively higher incidence of violence against women and girls (including cross border trafficking). Geographical remoteness means that most poor residents face obstacles in obtaining any type of rights-based services or knowledge. Fundamentalism is a major threat to the protection of girls and young living in these areas. The central districts have been selected because the majority of residents are poor labourers with a high mobility to the central city.

III. Problem analysis at the micro/meso/macro-levels In 2009-2010, Bangladeshi partners conducted a contextual analysis and identified violence against girls and young women as the main problem area to be tackled through this programme. At the micro level, adolescent girls face a range of barriers to accessing and participating in education, finding work, taking part in sports activities, accessing quality health services, having free time, and fulfilling their roles as active citizens. Parents often remove their daughters from school because of pressure

12. 2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis 107

9. Child Poverty and Disparities in Bangladesh, UNICEF, 2009 10. Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey Report on Children, UNICEF and Government of Bangladesh, 2005 11. Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey Report on Children, UNICEF and Government of Bangladesh, 2005 12. Landmark study on domestic violence, WHO 2005 13. Idem 14. Eve teasing is a form of abuse through letters, telephone calls, cell phone calls, SMS, cartoon, writing on walls, sexual implications, indecent gesture, teasing through abusive language, stalking, joking etc. See UNDP (2009), About Bangladesh, http://www.un.org.bd/bgd/ index.html 22/12/09 15. Laws on Gender Based Violence, Report by Dutch embassy Bangladesh staff and workshop of Ministers of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and NGO’s, practitioners, diplomats, May 2009. 16. Child Poverty and Disparities in Bangladesh, UNICEF, 2009 17. Laws on Gender Based Violence, Report by Dutch embassy Bangladesh staff and workshop of Ministers of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and NGO’s, practitioners, diplomats, May 2009 18. Laws on Gender Based Violence, Report by Dutch embassy Bangladesh staff and workshop of Ministers of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and NGO’s, practitioners, diplomats, May 2009

of early marriage or restrict their movement because of potential harassment during their travel to/from school or other public places. During adolescence, many girls are at extreme risk of dating and courtship violence, rape, harassment and exploitation at school and in the workplace. Early marriages remain a challenge within families, where 36% of girls in rural areas marry before age 15 and 27% of girls in urban areas.9 Girls, especially those between 14 and 17 years old, are more likely than boys to commit and attempt suicide.10 Girls suffer most from insecurity, sexual harassment and acid throwing.11 The proportion of women who have suffered physical, sexual, or both types of violence is 53,4% in rural areas, and 61,7% in urban areas.12 A higher percentage has been subjected to psychological abuse.13 At the meso level, existing social structures with patriarchal norms and social taboos inhibit the rights of girls and young women. Sexual abuse prevails in the domestic sphere, in schools and in the workplace. It is often associated with shame and families prefer to keep it private. Eve teasing limits girls’ mobility and security, especially in cities and is gradually spreading all over the country.14 Domestic child labour where girls and women are employed as domestic workers with few options for legal recourse is widespread. Girls are prevented from seeking legal redress by family pressure and an attempt to prevent disclosure of facts to save the family’s honour.15 Existing services are scattered and not generally child-centred as they are not holistic (medical, legal, psycho-social). The information and awareness levels around child rights are generally low, resulting in few accountability requests being directed at duty bearers. Social protection mechanisms and legal frameworks are not generally in place nor practiced to safeguard against violence and abuse. Early marriage is widely socially and culturally accepted despite the Child Marriage Restraint Act (1984) which prohibits marriage for girls under 18 and boys under 21. There are still marked gender disparities in literacy, school enrolment and drop-out rates. Only 36% of all children have been covered by the birth registration program.16 Law enforcement and the implementation of national policies including the National Children policy of 1994 are not noticeably prioritised. Corruption is commonplace and women frequently report that the police refuse to accept complaints of gender based violence or fail to investigate them adequately.17 At the macro level, full harmonisation of national laws with international standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is still lacking. The same is true of most child rights laws, including the 1974 Children Act, which has never been updated. The Draft Domestic Violence and Prevention Act (2010) is an important step in the process, as the first piece of legislation which addresses violence at the family level. A “Guideline” for Sexual Harassment Offences (prepared under the auspices of the University Grant Commission) failed to be adopted by the Education Ministry, but was applied by the Bangladesh High Court in a case brought forward by Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) in early 2009.18

IV. Background analysis Socio-economic and political background After its independence in 1971, Bangladesh became a parliamentary democracy. After the lifting of the state of emergency in December 2008, the political situation remains highly unstable. Implementation of national policies and laws by the district and local governments is weak. Accountability mechanisms are few and lack adequate gender awareness. Significant examples of national legislation and action plans have been put in place or are being prepared – including the National Plan of Action for children (2005-2010), the National Policy for the Advancement of Women (1997), the Birth and Death Registration Act (2004); the Draft Domestic Violence and Prevention Act (2010). Although such laws provide part of the broader legal framework for protecting and promoting women’s and girls’ equal rights in the public sphere, inconsistencies amongst laws remain, and there remains a level of approval and acceptance within society that perpetuates a situation where girls and women continue to face considerable injustices in the home and in family life, and in public spaces, undermining their rights to equality.

Role of local civil society

12. 2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis 108

There are no recent mapping reports of civil society in Bangladesh, however, according to the NGO Affairs Bureau, there were 2.412 registered NGOs in 2009 and the number of broader CSOs totals 261.962 (Bureau of Statistics). CSOs (including NGOs) provide a large proportion of services to the poor. Some of these NGOs are very large (BRAC, Grameen) and operate independently. There is, however, a generally

agreed absence of a united vision and mission and poor internal coordination and networking amongst CSOs. While CSOs promote human rights and legal protection, they often face shortcomings in terms of human resources, governance and internal coordination. Due to the extremely sensitive nature of speaking out on the rights of girls and young women, CSOs are sometimes reluctant to compromise their relationships with communities and government. Several networks have been formed to raise a united voice against violations of the human rights of girls and young women, but they have been unable to sensitise policy makers and to mobilise duty bearers in establishing legal protection systems that focus on gender equality. Despite this backdrop, however, CSOs have the potential to promote effective and gender-sensitive child protection systems and hold national, local and judicial authorities accountable to rights’ violations. CSOs have generally strong relationships with rights holders, and have provided legal, medical and psycho-social support to girls and young women survivors’ of violence and abuses. Strengths • Strength in number of rights-based organisations and collective resources • Representative of marginalised groups in society • Recognised by government and general public

Weaknesses • Lack of coordination and cooperation in holding duty bearers accountable • Low number focused on girls rights • Low institutional capacity • Some reluctance amongst CSOs to speak out

Opportunities • Information sharing is easier through modern communications • Reporting mechanism for UNCRC and Special Representative Violence against Girls provide incentives to improve situation of adolescent girls • Cooperation between specialised CSOs will bring more child-centred protection and enhanced accountability by duty bearers

Threats • Continued political instability • Continued weak governance including high corruption incidence

19. Partners include: Aparejeyo Bangladesh; Shariatpur Development Society (SDS), Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association (BNWLA), Nari Uddug Kendra, Association for Community Development (ACD), Bangladesh NGO Network for Radio and Communication and Bangladesh News Network

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention Throughout 2010, the Alliance worked with target beneficiaries to formulate this programme. With a strong commitment to improving the lives of girls and women, combined with their expertise in awareness building, child-rights and gender rights, the Alliance is well-placed to lead the way in implementing long-term systemic change.19 The goal of the Bangladeshi Programme is to ensure equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women, through the elimination of violence against girls and young women. Nari Uddug Kendra and BNWLA engage in policy advocacy on women’s rights and violence against girls and women. SDS, Aparajeyo Bangladesh and ACD provide survivor support through shelter homes, legal support and child helplines. Bangladesh NGO Network for Radio and Communication and Bangladesh News Network are media partners with a specific focus on the empowerment of civil society, including women, though the use of media. The local partners of Plan all have expertise in awareness raising and advocacy in the areas of education and protection against violence. All Bangladeshi Alliance members are experienced in human rights and gender sensitive programming.

V. Multi-actor analysis Bangladeshi Government Bangladesh is committed to poverty reduction and has signed up to the Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The current Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2009 - 2011 and the National Plan of Action for children (2005-2010) are reflections of the commitment of the government of Bangladesh to the girls and young women of the country, as are the resource commitments in place. While the impact is noteworthy, Government’s focus on the preventative nature of violence and abuse is generally lacking. Bangladesh ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and acceded to the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (with reservations). Bangladesh is a member of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) combating violence against women and gender inequality. 12. 2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis 109

20. Bangladesh Country Case Study: Citizens’ Voice and Accountability Evaluation, July 2008, Oxford Policy Management 21. Refer to the MoU of Alliances: A child rights initiative in appendix d.

International Donors In addition to the Netherlands, Bangladesh has many international donors, amongst them the IDA, ADB, Japan, UK, EU, US, Canada, Denmark. Funding is generally geared towards governance, service delivery and disaster relief. 20 Support for the women’s rights movement and elimination of violence against girls and women is considerably lower. Notably, Oxfam Novib funded a campaign “We Can End Violence” in Bangladesh which focused on coastal areas, and not in this programme’s targeted districts.

Other international NGO’s and CSO’s active The Alliance partners have mapped their major programmes to find linkages and areas of cooperation. They have also mapped activities by other stakeholders active in Bangladesh on gender equality, girls and young women’s rights and protection at all levels to identify linkages and gaps. Contextual analysis by our partners shows that NGOs have generally rather fragmented interventions on gender rights. The analysis indicates that attention for girls’ and young women’s issues is lacking, and that there is a need for strengthened capacity as well as improved coordination and cooperation (see III Background analysis). The Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and IMPACT Alliances have interventions concerning the elimination of violence against women. The Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance has interventions concerning media management for women.21 Our programme’s added value is that it addresses these gaps and needs, and is aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society to be effective, and work together in a strategic, coordinated, rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach to promote equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. Alliance partners are represented in various INGO/NGO networks that support gender sensitive and rights-based programmes: Nari Uddug Kendra and BNWLA are involved in policy advocacy regarding violence against girls and women. Nari Uddug Kendra is closely linked to the Bangladesh Women’s Foundation, which supports women’s initiatives focusing on human rights, gender equality and connecting rural women to the national women’s movement through its network of 1.300 local women’s organisations in 64 districts in Bangladesh.

VI. Tailor-made programmes The goal of the Bangladeshi Girl Power Programme is to eliminate violence against girls and young women. Its the four strategies are to: 1) increase the capacity of rights holders to protect against gender based violence; 2) increase the awareness and sensitisation of duty bearers regarding the rights of girls and young women; 3) strengthen civil society organisations’ influence on policy through lobbying and advocacy activities; and 4) improve legal protection systems for girls and young women. We aims to address violence against girls and women by lobbying and advocating for the strengthening of rights-based laws before the government and courts, and by providing innovative services to the final beneficiaries. The strategy will lead to a strengthened civil society with an in-depth understanding and overview of gender based violence. A successful programme will change people’s perceptions of the role of girls and young women, which will ultimately lead to reduced violence against them. The programme will be preventative in nature, so that the next generation of Bangladeshi girls and young women are fully apprised of their rights, and live in a society which prioritises gender equity.

Expected Results

12. 2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis 110

Civil society level: establish pools of opinion leaders; orient policy makers on gender equity legislation; train CSOs to monitor the participation of girls and women in different decision making forums; strengthen CSOs to run campaigns on changing cultural norms and values, including innovative use of sports, protection services and media; engage duty bearers through theatre; track duty bearers’ performance in decision making forums via Report Card; strengthen confidential child helplines; sensitise journalists (electronic, press) and media houses; increase fellowships for journalists to support creation of films and programmes. Institutional level: create a caucus of MPs sensitised on girls and young women’s issues; conduct research on laws and policies; review customary laws and practices; establish and link safe houses for girls and young women to police and courts for safe custody and victim support centres; advocate for care and protection through referral system; dialogue with local government (UP) and local CSOs.

Socio-cultural Level: reduce violence and discrimination against girls and young women; organise a convention on rights of girls and young women; increase positive attitudes about girls and young women’s role in society; raise awareness amongst local government and socio-cultural groups to increase young women’s participation in socio-cultural events. Individual Level: improve and strengthen trainings on life skills, sports as confidence builders, negotiating skills, leadership and livelihood skills for girls and young women; conduct feasibility mapping on institutional services, marketing linkages, livelihood and job training for girls and young women; increase the number of male duty bearers and young men with positive attitudes towards girls.

SWOT analysis of the programme Strengths • Alliance members bring diverse expertise and capacities • Programme not aimed at direct service delivery • Partners’ advocacy expertise at the community level

Weaknesses • Alliance forming will take time • Lack of coordination • Lack of consensus about causes of the problem • Lack of a clear and agreed vision

Opportunities • Addressing violence is a key barrier to the social, economic and educational development of girls and society • Increased collaboration with other Dutch Alliances working in Bangladesh • Alignment with national agenda as reflected in PRSP and MDGs

Threats • Key stakeholders may feel threatened by gender equity programme • Geographic areas are remote, with an underdeveloped infrastructure and prone to natural disaster

12. 2.11 Bangladesh Contextual analysis 111

2.12 Nepal Contextual analysis

CHINA

NEPAL KANCHANPUR SURKHET KASKI BANKE

KATHMANDU MAKAWANPUR SINDHULU MORANG

INDIA

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 5.920.000

2.12 Nepal Contextual analysis I Introduction Nepal is one of the poorest countries in South Asia, ranking 144 on the 2009 Human Development Index. Thirty-one percent of the Nepali population lives below the poverty line.1 Poverty is compounded by ethnic and caste disparities, and is concentrated among the lowest social strata (almost half of all Dalit live in poverty) and in rural areas. Nepal is still recovering from an 11-year armed insurgency2, suffering severely disrupted formal and informal governance structures and social networks.3 Nepal’s population is 28 million, and 45% is under 18. Over 45% of the population is unemployed, half of whom are youth. The Nepal Labour Force Survey 2007-2008 reports that the proportion of femaleheaded households has increased from 14% in 1998 to 22% in 2008. A key factor for this is male outmigration from rural to urban areas and to other countries, in search of work. With physically absent fathers and working mothers, children are left vulnerable to myriad violations such as sexual abuse or economic exploitation.4 Many Nepali children are engaged in harmful work.5 Over half of the 2.6 million working children in Nepal are girls.6 There is high mobility of people moving into India and the prevalence of girl trafficking in Nepal is astounding. It is estimated that between 7.000 and 10.000 girls - between the ages of 9-16 are trafficked each year from Nepal to India.7 Poverty and inequality in Nepal go hand in hand. Recognising this, numerous development strategies have targeted social inclusion as a goal, as identified in Nepal’s PRSP/Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-07) and its three-year interim plan (2008-2010). Nepal is currently governed by an Interim Constitution 2063 B.S. [2007 A.D.], which defines the rights of children and women as fundamental and outlines the right against gender-based discrimination and violence. In April/May 2010 National Development Action Committee8 and Constitutional Assembly meetings were held on the new constitution and development plans.9 While Nepali women are now acknowledged in the constitution to have many basic rights, negative traditional ideas continue to infringe on the rights of women at all levels.10 The MDG Progress Report for Nepal 2005 and subsequent MDG progress reports suggest that violence against girls and women is endangering the achievement of MDG3. Neonatal deaths increased from 40% in 1987 to 60% in 2001.11 The mortality rate is still higher for girls than for boys. There has been stunted progress in the education sector, and it is unlikely that Nepal will achieve MDG2 on primary education. Gender disparity is prominent in almost all sectors and Nepal scores 112 out of 155 countries on the GDI.12

1. World Bank, Nepal at a Glance, http://devdata.worldbank.org/ AAG/npl_aag.pdf, 2009. 2. A Comprehensive Peace Accord was signed on 21 November 2006. 3. According to estimates by the Asian Development Bank. 4. An estimated 127,000 were employed in the Worst Forms of Child Labour (ILO, 2001). 5. About 34% of children in the age group 5-14 are engaged in labour in Nepal; 13% in the age group 5-9 and 53% in the age group 10-14 (National Labour Force Survey, 2007-2008). 6. Beyond Beijing Committee, Report of the Girl Child: National Consultation, Kathmandu: 4, 2007. 7. Regional Synthesis Paper for Bangladesh, India and Nepal: “Combating trafficking of women and children in South Asia.” (Asia Development Bank, April 2003) 8. The National Planning Commission is the advisory body for formulating development plans and policies of the country under the directives of the National Development Council. (www.npl. gov.np) 9. Algemeen Ambtsbericht Nepal, pp. 15-20, Directie Consulaire Zaken en Migratiebeleid Afdeling Asiel, Hervestiging en Terugkeer Den Haag, April 2010. 10. Idem pg. 65. 11. MDG progress report 2005. 12. Gender Development Index for Nepal, UNDP, Human Development Report-Nepal, 2009.

With a strong commitment to improving the lives of girls and women, combined with their expertise in awareness building, child-rights and gender rights, our partners in Nepal are well-placed to lead the way in implementing long-term systemic change (see section IV ‘background analysis’).

II Final Beneficiaries - Analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Kathmandu, Makwanpur, Kaski (Pokhara), Banke (Nepalgunj), Kanchanpur, Surkhet, Morang and Sindhuli districts

392.000 girls and young women in 8 districts 70 CSOs, government agencies in each district (Women Dev. Office, DDCs, VDCs), personnel from law enforcing agencies

490.000 women and children in 8 districts

The target group of the programme theme on elimination of violence are 392.000 girls and young women in 7 districts. An additional 98.000 boys will also benefit from this programme. The total number of final beneficiaries is 490.000 young women and children. The 7 districts (Morang, Makwanpur, Kathmandu, Kaski, Banke, Surkhet and Kanchanpur) have been selected because they are recognised as centres of child trafficking, economic exploitation - such as the former-Kamaiya (bonded labourers) - or sexual exploitation.

12. 2.12 Nepal Contextual analysis 113

13. WHO/UNAIDS (2008), NCASC (2007), ‘UNGASS Country Progress Report 2006-2007.’ (pp 2-5, March 2008) 14. ‘District development Plan of 2066/67’, District Development office (Sindhuli.DDC, 2009) 15. Of the total population, 31% is categorised as marginalised, 8% as highly marginalised, 17% as disadvantaged and 12% as Dalit. 16. NGIP, 2007 17. EC CSP Nepal, 2007-2013. 18. See also section on ‘Women’ in ‘The position of specific groups’, (pp.65, Algemeen Ambtsbericht Nepal, April 2010).

Other commonly reported forms of violence against girls in these areas are child marriage, harmful work and domestic violence. Many districts have large numbers of vulnerable communities and high rates of landlessness (Morang, Banke, Makwanpur) and several share a southern border with India (Kanchanpur, Banke, Morang), leading to a large number of return migrants with HIV/AIDS.13 The programme theme on economic empowerment will be implemented in Sindhuli district, which ranks 34 out of 75 districts in terms of HDI, and 50th in terms of the gender empowerment indicator.14 Nearly 67% of its population is categorised as being disadvantaged15 and only 39% of women above 6 years of age can read and write.16 The target group consists of 44.000 children, with a focus on marginalised girls and young women. This includes 20.000 girls and young women who will participate in women’s groups, 20.000 children who will benefit from the life-skills educational programme, and 4.000 children in child club activities. The final beneficiaries are approximately 114.000 women, men and children in the communities.

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level Social problems and tensions are continuously increasing as Nepali women, marginalised groups and the poor come face-to-face with the discrimination that pervades the patriarchal Nepalese social system.17

Violence against girls and young women Girls are worse off than boys at all levels: more girls work; more girls are trafficked; more girls suffer from abuse and violence. In the educational sphere, girls are often sexually abused by male teachers and pupils at school. ‘Badi and deuki’ practices - whereby young girls and women are prostituted and dedicated to gods and goddesses - are found in the target areas in western Terai. Marginalised girls are vulnerable to the sex industry in an effort to increase the family income. Early marriage is prevalent although reported cases are limited, with only 48 cases reported in 2008 (CWIN, 2008). The marriage of adolescent girls aged 15-19 years is nearly three times higher (34%) than that of adolescent boys (12%). Child marriage is closely linked with the practice of dowry, and girls and women are often victims of various forms of associated violence. Bonded labour prevails in the target districts. According to a survey conducted by the Friends of Needy Children (FNC) in 2009, there are 6.095 ‘Kamalari’ (Tharu bonded labour girls) in five districts in the country. Unofficially, the number may be as high as 10.000. The survey reveals that 13% of the Kamalari girls are between 5-10 years old, 59% are between 11-15 year old, and 28% are over 16 years old. The number of children in conflict with the law is increasing. In 2004, over 730 juvenile cases were reported in the district courts (KSL, 2004). Only 26 districts have child-friendly juvenile legal systems. These children are vulnerable to various human rights violations. Root causes of gender-based violence at the micro level include: existing social structures and accepted beliefs; a stereotypical view of masculinity and femininity; tolerance of violence against women;18 and economic dependency of women on male family members. For instance, a woman victim of domestic violence often depends on her perpetrator for survival. At the meso level: few services are available for women experiencing violence. For instance, only 15 districts have centres for the rehabilitation of women victims of violence and few local police stations have special cells for women. At the macro level: a lack of human and financial resources to implement existing national human rights’ laws and international treaties to which Nepal is signatory. For example, although there is a Supreme Court Order on corporal punishment, there is no explicit law prohibiting it. Low public awareness on existing laws hinders the realisation of children’s rights.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women Lack of education and vocational training excludes women from the labour market. This leads to restricted employment or income generation options.

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The main causes for girls’ inability to access education at the micro level include: lack of awareness; parents give boys more educational opportunities. At the post-primary levels, household poverty, migration of parent(s), absence of primary care givers and the need to work to support self and/or family also prevent girls’ school attendance. Earnings by girls and young women are often controlled by their family members, mostly adult males.

At the meso level, there is a lack of incentive to promote education of girl children, including a lack of qualified female teachers. Poor physical accessibility and poor infrastructure (for example, no working toilets) in schools, contribute to denial of girls’ right to education. Despite their potential, women and families do not pool their economic advantage. Women in Sindhuli district indicated that areas they live in (mostly rural) lack basic physical, human and instituional infrastructure required for production and marketing of agricultural products. At the macro level, there is a high concentration of women in the care economy which prevents them from fully engaging in the labour market. Unsafe working environments also pose barriers for women’s entry into the labour market. Discriminatory preference of men in recruitment is common.

19. UNICEF reports that children are out of school for almost one third of a year due to reasons of displacement, fear of violence and abduction and school closures (State of Women and Children in Nepal, UNICEF 2006).

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background Nepal faces challenges in including the voices of all groups in the development of national policies, as well as in changing negative beliefs that hamper the rights of women and young girls. The decade of armed conflict, strikes and road blocks has shattered Nepal’s fragile economy, leaving already poor families with even fewer opportunities for a decent livelihood. Strikes and protests by various groups across the country have contributed to insecurity and an escalation of violence. Despite some improvements in public security, violence and lawlwesness in certain areas (such as the Terai) has had a negative impact on children’s education.19 Nepal’s history of caste discrimination and social marginalisation also causes immense disparities. Conventional practices and beliefs, patriarchal power relations and neglecting to include all Nepali society impede change. The role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nepal has been significant in supporting vulnerable groups. They are key to providing the government with technical support.

Role and SWOT of local civil society Nepalese civil society is diverse and takes on many roles, including a) watchdog – monitoring laws, policies and regulations; b) partner – assisting in the development of policies; and c) filling in gaps in the child protection system – running schools, health care centres, victim rehabilitation and care centres, etc. Several CSOs form part of networks to improve the rights of girls and young women. Most local and national CSOs emerged out of movements and are guided by a ‘rights framework’. The following is a SWOT analysis by Nepali partners: Strengths: • Experience in advocating before the government for adherence to international conventions which secure the rights of children and women • Experience in drafting and lobbying for the enactment of several pieces of Child Rights Legislation, including the National Plan of Action on Children • Visible and respected in communities • Experience in promoting gender equality in target locations and amongst government officials

Weaknesses: • Lack of financial resources, infrastructure, and management capacities • Inexperienced in working with the private sector • Human resources are overburdened, understaffed and/or under trained

Opportunities: • Demand and commitment for the protection of girls by society at large • Availability of technical expertise within the alliance, at regional and Dutch levels to provide assistance and further build partners’ capacity

Threats: • Fragile state may result in weaker judiciary systems. CSOs may lose power/legitimacy as they will not able to ensure justice to victims • Economic crisis may lead to increased trafficking of girls and young women • Possibility of a national declaration of emergency and the subsequent curtailing of rights will reduce the “space” to work

Alliance partners and intended effect of intervention The following civil society organisations commit themselves to joining forces to protect and empower girls and young women in a more holistic manner: CWIN Nepal, experienced in lobbying, and a child protection and participation expert; Sahamati, specialised in training NGOs in Sindhuli district on co-

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20. Please refer to appendix 4.12 Nepal – harmonisation and complementarity for a more elaborate analysis of actors relevant to the programme.

operative management; SIDS, an experienced women’s empowerment network; VWCC, experienced in working with local indigenous groups, self-help groups and women’s groups from Sindhuli district; Maiti Nepal, experienced in trafficking prevention, and the rehabilitation and integration of survivors; Shakti Samuha (Power Group), where survivors help other survivors to ensure their rights; Shaki Milan Kendra, HIV/AIDS survivors work for the care and protection of trafficking survivors affected by HIV/AIDs; Empowering Women of Nepal, works with women in remote and mountain areas to improve the lives of disadvantaged women; AAWAJ (The Voice), works to facilitate community support mechanisms to reduce violence and discrimination against children; and Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre (LACC) works to end all forms of discrimination and violence against Nepali women and children through the protection and promotion of their rights. In addition, Plan Nepal has an extensive network of community-based organisations to implement the programme. These partners have extensive networks and are actively involved in broader developmental processes and (civil society) networks. Most are led by women leaders. This collective effort is expected to result in strengthened dialogues, to better address negative social-cultural norms and values. The Alliance will hold the national and local governments accountable.

V Multi-actor analysis Nepali Government The Government of Nepal is committed to the sustainable development of the country and to human and child rights, as drafted in its Three-Year Interim Plan and, prior to this, in its PRSP/Tenth Five Year Plan. The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has formulated National Plans of Action for Children (2004/05 -2014/15). Additional national plans of action and programmes are being implemented by the District Child Welfare Boards in all districts of Nepal. District Development Committee (DDC) and The Women’s Development Office (WDO) are implementing gender-based programmes at district levels.

International Donors As stated in the European Union’s Country Strategy Paper (2007-2013), the EU supports many initiatives in close consultation with Nepalese authorities and other donors, such as the World Bank. These include: (I) stability and peace building; (II) education for all; (III) trade facilitation; and (IV) economic capacity building. This cooperation strategy is in line with Nepal’s approach to development. The Interim Government is receptive to donors’ sensitivities regarding accountability, transparency and combating corruption. Human rights issues have been placed firmly on the agenda and a majority of donors support Nepal’s human rights and governance institutions. Several agencies such as UNICEF, UNIEFEM, ILO, UNDP and international child rights organisations (such as Save the Children, OXFAM/Nepal and World Vision) offer opportunities for integration, collaboration and linkage with women focused projects/programmes.20

Other (inter)national NGO’s active in the same field The women’s rights movement in Nepal is very strong and has had success in passing legislation supporting women’s rights to live free of violence and to inherit property, among others. However, legislation is rarely enforced and traditional practices of placing women as second class citizens and domestic violence remain commonplace. Organisations such as Tewa and Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) work to increase the self-reliance of Nepali women, thereby improving, for example, income generation and the health of women and their children. Women Win will continue working through their strategic partnership with Tewa and EWN within the Child Rights Alliance to promote equal rights and opportunities for women and young girls, in practice as well as in legal documents.

Added Value of Programme The added value of the proposed project lies in its holistic approach. The proposed programme intends to support Nepal’s Three Year Interim plan. Each programme partner will target areas in which they have experience, and which do not overlap with other actions. Most importantly, programme partners will focus their interventions on strengthening civil society organisations and local structures, key to the programme’s success. 12. 2.12 Nepal Contextual analysis 116

VI Tailor-made programmes CWIN Nepal along with Plan Nepal and various specialised Nepali civil society organisations form the “Child Rights Alliance Nepal”. The Alliance focusses on the interlinkage between the protection and socialeconomic empowerment of girls and young women. The Child Rights Alliance Nepal aims to strengthen CSOs in the following: 1) eliminating violence against Nepali girls and young women through the building and strengthening of existing protection mechanisms at grass-roots level; and 2) combating gender discrimination by equipping girls and women with the socio-economic tools needed to achieve gender parity.

Elimination of violence against girls and young women Civil Society Level: Strengthen 5 civil society organisations per district to respond to gender-based violence and discrimination; strengthen civil society organisations to support government implementation of gender rights’ policies; establish and strengthen National Child Rights Resource and Training Centre for the collection and collation of data on violence against children so that 5.000 civil society members have access to this information and knowledge. Institutional Level: Establish and strengthen 7 child helplines to ensure that 15.000 children have access to confidential services; establish one Legal Aid Desk for 3.500 children and young girls in 7 districts; advocate for amendment, formulation and effective implementation of child friendly and gender sensitive laws and policies by 2015; and work with South Asian Regional Organisations in advocating for children’s rights and specifically, the girl child. Socio-Cultural Level: Raise awareness among the public and girls to promote non-violent and non-discriminatory values and attitudes in society; sensitise 500 professionals on girls’ issues; form/strengthen a network of boys and men in each district to fight against violence; form 20 Child Rights Forums in every district; increase awareness through 260 episodes on National TV and 6.500 episodes of radio programmes in coordination with Free Voice; and develop sports and adolescent education programmes to increase girls’ self-confidence, via the formation/strengthening of 175 adolescent forums per district in coordination with Women Win. Furthermore, liaise with the Dutch Child Rights Alliance and South Asia Level on awareness-raising efforts. Individual Level: Promote, establish and strengthen effective and gender sensitive community-based child protection and monitoring mechanisms, including the strengthening of five existing Child Protection Committees per district; develop Child Protection Committees to monitor rights’ violations, in coordination with Plan Netherlands, CHI and Defence for Children-ECPAT; promote child participation in strengthening and/or establishing child clubs in schools and 20 Child Rights Forums in every district; support the social reintegration of survivors of HIV/AIDS and Trafficking in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Surkhet by 2015.

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women Civil Society Level: Organise 20.000 young women into 15-30 self-help groups and develop 800 savings and credit cooperatives owned and managed by young rural women to access financial and non-financial services; organise advocacy/lobby campaigns on women’s rights with like-minded organisations; launch functional female literacy sessions for 6 months; support district level networks through trainings, exposure visits and interactive sessions with other stakeholders; implement trainings in coordination with the government district agricultural development office to support families to reduce risks and encourage them to provide in their livelhoods; and document and disseminate best practices of programme interventions. Institutional Level: Advocate with the government for better opportunities for youth by 2015 in promoting legislation and policies supporting post-primary education for girls and their access to employment opportunities; engage in lobby/advocacy campaigns on women’s rights, gender equality and enforcement of laws and policies; promote women’s participation in community based organisations such as community forestry, irrigation, producer groups and school management committees; support radio programmes through FMs and develop information materials and distribute to promote gender equity in the programme area.

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21. The programme presented here (including the SWOT analysis) is largely developed by the programme partners and final beneficiaries and builds on the basic proposal developed during Phase I (which is also based on inputs from Nepali partners).

Socio-cultural Level: Create awareness about women’s economic rights and promote gender equality in employment by organising 300 community-based gender equality training sessions for men and women, providing 20.000 adolescent girls and boys with a CEDPA-modelled adolescent life skills education package for nine months by 800 centres; provide orientation on rights-based approaches; support cooperatives to organise Women’s Rights Day annually in each district; provide Behavioural Change Communication sessions on gender equality, women’s legal rights, political, socio-economic, child rights and sexual rights. Individual Level: Provide economic opportunities and market access to women for their economic independence; develop/strengthen 20 agricultural markets where producers sell vegetables to wholesale buyers in joint collaboration with the district Agricultural Development Office, District Chamber of Commerce and vegetable wholesale buyers; establish 12 agro-farm forestry projects to support landless and highly excluded groups such as Dalits; provide technical support and training on agriculture, animal husbandry, non-timber forestry, fishery, marketing, compost making, dairy and Seri-culture to families in the district; provide legal aid to approximately 60 young women who have been victims of different kinds of abuse, exploitation and violence.

SWOT analysis of the programme21 Strengths • Partners are willing to act together in an Alliance (Country Steering Committee) • Programme builds on CSOs working on child protection and economic empowerment issues, and on government priority areas. (e.g., the economic programme is based on a highly successful intervention in Makwanpur) • CSOs have strong representation in government child rights committees • The programme has a comprehensive and integrated approach: although focused on girls and young women, it includes activities for adolescents and young men • CSO Network and Alliances established at different levels (national, districts and VDCs/community) to promote child rights

Weakness • CSOs lack financial resources, infrastructure, human resources and management capacities • CSOs are more concentrated at district and regional levels, and should reach the most vulnerable children, girls and young women • Shelter and child care homes are poorly-run • Minimal work with private sector • There is insufficient data and research on issues on cases of violence against girls and young women • The economic programme has limited initiatives for men though they are also equally poor and deprived

Opportunities • Government recently approved the Child Helpline Number (1098); extension of helplines throughout the country is viable • Child protection policy and zero tolerance policy in process for finalisation. Once approved, there is need to work on implementation across Nepal by CSOs

Threats • Political instability and escalation of violence • Economic crisis • Fragile state may result in a weaker judiciary system. CSOs may lose power/legitimacy as they will not be able to ensure justice to victims from judiciary system

Currently, there is an inclusive political environment in Nepal committed to reaching marginalised people. The Government has an action plan focused on the protection and promotion of vulnerable girls and young women. Likewise, the economic empowerment of young people is likely to form part of the new constitution. Particularly the District plan of Sindhuli reflects commitment for women’s empowerment and calls for joint action and collaboration of the government, NGOs and civil society to realise it.

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UZBE KI ST A N KY RGY ZSTA N

2.13 Pakistan Contextual analysis TUR KMENI STA N

TAJIKISTAN

CHINA

PESHAWAR

AFGANISTAN

PUNJAB

PAKISTAN

IRAN INDIA

KARACHI

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 3.528.000

2.13 Pakistan Contextual analysis I Introduction Pakistan is located in South Asia and has an overall population of 163.76 million.1 Women constitute 48% of the total population2 out of which 24% (18.87 million) fall in the age group 10 to 19 years.3 In recent years Pakistan has made significant economic progress. However, the energy and food crisis, high inflation, high trade and fiscal deficit and falling savings and investment rates have all contributed to a recent relative fall in GDP. Economic growth has however increased disparities between regions and rural-urban areas, particularly in recent years. The country continues to have a combined literacy rate of 49.9%4 while the female literacy rate is much lower. With regards to poverty, 60% of Pakistan’s population live on under $2 a day, and some 22,6% live under $1 a day.5 The HDI rank of Pakistan is 141st out of 182 countries.6 Poverty in Pakistan has historically been higher in rural areas and lower in the cities. Out of the total 40 million living below the poverty line, 30 million live in rural areas. The Gender Development Index for Pakistani women is 0.532.7 Out of the 155 countries with both HDI and GDI values, 152 countries have a better ratio than Pakistan’s.

1. Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision 2. Economic Survey 2009 3. Pakistan Demographic Survey 2003 4. UNDP Situation Analysis Pakistan 2008 5. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/ indicators/103.html 6. Human Development Index Report 2009, UNDP 7. Human Development Index Report 2009, UNDP, Gender Development Index Pakistan 8. Data from the Ministry of Local Government, 2009

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Peshawar district in North West Frontier Province, Chakwal, Vehari and Multan in Punjab province and Karachi district in Sindh province

50.000 (girls/young women); 2.000 communities; 250 CSOs (NGO/CBO/child led org. etc); 1.600 duty bearers including district administrators, local government administrators, Ministry workers, judicial officers including police, etc)

The direct beneficiaries are 5 million girls of 10-19 years who live in five districts, including two cities, in three provinces who will directly benefit from the programme.

These geographical areas were selected because of the strong working basis that the Child Rights Alliance partners have already developed within them, combined with the serious issues that girls and young women face in these districts. In Chakwal, access to secondary education for girls is seriously lacking, exposing them to early marriage and domestic violence. Similar problems are faced by girls in Vehari, where there is a relatively high prevalence of early marriages. Literacy rates among women in these rural areas are an average of 19% as compared to 46% in more urban areas. In Multan, relatively severe violations including honour killings and rape are regularly reported, as well as a relative high numbers of violence cases against minority groups, including women and girls. Girls and young women in Peshawar as the capital city of the relatively very conservative North West Frontier Province have much less access to protection services – if available at all – as compared to other provinces. In Karachi, trafficking of girls and young women is a key problem, as well as other protection issues including domestic violence, which are related to the urbanised setting.

III Problem analysis on micro/meso/macro-level In Pakistan, girls and young women are one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of society with low representation in all spheres. Protection from harm and violence is a major issue for many girls. Physical and sexual abuse is a common but taboo subject that is almost never reported. Many girls in Pakistan start facing discrimination from the start of their life. Many more are not registered at the time of their birth as compared to boys (birth registration rates are generally low at 35,6 %8). As girls grow up and reach puberty issues of early marriage arise, often confining girl children within the home and limiting their confidence and self esteem. Due to the absence of mechanisms to redress gender based violence, the generally poor quality of services available, a fragmented legal protection framework, often non-cooperative attitude of policy decision makers and key influencers, a lack of human and financial resources and professional skills, plus weak monitoring and evaluation systems, many girls are faced with protection issues and find themselves deprived of the right to education.

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9. Early Marriage, Child Spouses, UNICEF, Innocenti Research Center, 2001 10. Rapid Assessment CDWs ILOSPARC 2004-05

Violence against children, especially against girls and young women, including physical, psychological and emotional violence, is almost never reported. In part, this is due to the relatively high incidence of violence within the home. While national statistics are not available on domestic violence, qualitative studies and media coverage indicate its existence. Honour killings of women, rape and violence are reported in local newspapers daily. Girls are either married off at an early age (a survey of adults 25-29 years old revealed that 37% of the girls were married before the then legal age of 16)9, or made to help out with household chores or looking after younger siblings when mothers go out to work in the fields. The use of children as domestic workers is the most pervasive form of child labour in Pakistan, which mostly affects girls. As an invisible form of labour which takes place behind closed doors, the issue puts girls at high risk of exclusion, abuse and exploitation. A Rapid Assessment10 carried out in the provincial capitals and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in 2009 found that education levels among domestic workers were low, only 36% had ever attended school and 72,3% had no livelihood skills. Working conditions indicated long working hours, multiple duties and very low wages and with only slightly more than 50% getting a weekly day off and 15% of children had no days off at all. 31,9 % reported physical abuse; verbal abuse was more common with 55% of the children responding as having experienced it. There are various root causes of violence against girls and young women. At the micro level, girls and women lack awareness of their rights. Information and awareness-raising of the government and other stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; services for girls (and also their families and communities) are limited. At the community level there is a lack of awareness of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights, a school environment that is not generally friendly or safe for girls, a lack of qualified (female) teachers, a lack of vocational and skills training opportunities and relatively low participation of girls in community structures. Social structures in the communities where the girls and young women live, including patriarchal norms and social taboos, remain challenging. Parents and relatives of victims often hesitate to report cases of child abuse, especially when girls are involved, due to the stigma attached. The taboo on breaking the silence about the practice of rights violations of girls and young women and other harmful traditions hinders open discussion of the issues or sharing of knowledge. High rates of illiteracy may deny access to written information where it might exist. At the meso level, even when cases of violence against girls and young women are reported, the level of protection services for girls and young women who have experienced violence is still very low. If services are available these are often scattered and not child-centred as they rarely cover the various dimensions of protection at the same time (medical, legal, psycho-social). At the macro level, laws are in the process of being harmonised with international conventions including the UNCRC and CEDAW, for example a new law against domestic violence was passed in 2009 and a comprehensive new Child Protection Bill is under government review. However, these processes are lacking pace and priority (the review of the Child Protection Bill has already taken two years) and the implementation of laws and related policies is generally weak. The Ministries involved have limited financial, material and human capacity, outreach and lack coordination. Even when child abuse cases are reported and brought to justice, the judiciary are often not gender-sensitive and child friendly. At the level of civil society, generally there are low expectations and knowledge of the role that young women and girls can play. CSOs need to strengthen their capacity to hold government accountable; for example, in the implementation of child protection policies and the integration of UNCRC and CEDAW obligations into national laws and policies. Physical, psychological and emotional violence, discrimination and harm against children and youth, especially girls, is prevalent in Pakistani society and there is a general silence around the issue of gender based violence.

IV Background analysis

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Pakistan faces major socio-political challenges in its efforts to complete the transition to a civilian government with strong democratic institutions and effective governance. Despite the economic growth in the past 10 years regional disparities remain considerable between the relatively wealthier eastern provinces and the western provinces, and between the relatively poorer rural areas and urban areas. Sectarian violence and religious conservatism are increasing especially in the North West Frontier province area and Karachi which are challenging the Central governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts on social reforms. The Mid Term Development Framework 2005-2010, the operational plan for reducing poverty in Pakistan, acknowl-

edges gender issues, emphasising the integration of women across all sectors. However, the significance of power structures in the creation and maintenance of social exclusion and poverty remains strong. In addition, poor governance remains a key issue and has a negative impact on social service delivery. The social and cultural context of Pakistani society is predominantly patriarchal. Men and women are spatially divided into separate worlds. Home is defined as a woman’s sphere while men dominate the public. Pakistani girls and women lack socio-economic status because of negation of their roles as producers and providers. Women and girls are the custodians of honour of the family. Sexual abuse of girls results in the dishonouring of the family and can lead to negative consequences throughout their lives. Boys are given better education and are equipped with skills to compete for resources in the public arena, while girls are imparted domestic skills to be good mothers and wives. Girls especially in rural areas have little learning opportunities to emerge as empowered individuals playing an important role in decision making within their family and at community level.

Role and SWOT of local civil society Pakistan’s civil society has grown significantly in the past two decades. Its traditional focus has been on human rights, especially minorities and women, and on social development in rural communities. Recently it has focused on the rule of law, representative government and democracy as a universal social value. While activism in these areas has grown, traditional associations, like labour unions and student groups have declined. There are about 76.000 registered civil society organisations, but many are non-operational or operate as charities. The role that civil society can play in empowering women and girls is important. However local NGOs and CBOs generally lack capacity to work for policy change and the implementation of human rights due to lack of detailed information on rights issues and/or skills to train, advocate and lobby and interact with the duty bearers and media. They also generally have a weak institutional framework and organisational capacity and lack a united vision and mission. Moreover few are currently focusing on the issues and rights of adolescent girls. CBOs which focus on human rights, development, women’s rights and children’s rights have formed networks and Alliances to raise a united voice against the violations of girls and young women’s rights, but they have as yet failed to effectively sensitise policy makers and to mobilise duty bearers in establishing effective legal protection that enhances gender equality. However, the government is generally receptive to CSOs in ensuring people’s rights, and there is high level of engagement in terms of requesting support to implement various policies, laws and programmes.

SWOT of Civil Society Strengths • Strong in numbers and resources • Represent many sectors and groups of society

Weakness • Weak institutional capacity • Lack of cooperation and coordination

Opportunities • Positive attitude of government and public towards CSOs • Increased focus on adolescent girls

Threats • Continued political instability • Increasing religious conservatism

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention To counter the challenges described and to build further on proven experience and effectiveness, a selection of local CBOs have formed an Alliance, facilitated by the Plan Country Office, to focus on the strengthening of adolescent girls’ rights and empowerment, with each partner contributing specific components according to their expertise and geographical presence. Moreover, Alliance partners will support each other in building capacity and synergising efforts for community child protection surveillance mechanisms which will link up to existing child protection systems. Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid has extensive experience in identifying, defending and protecting the human rights of children. It is a well-known and respected organisation, which is also at the helm of Pakistan’s child helpline. It uses data on the issues affecting children as reported to the child helpline to advocate at the national, regional and local levels for the strengthening of child protection systems. Pakistan Paediatric Association will contribute to link up the legal/psychosocial elements of the existing child protection mechanism to the health system. SPARC (Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child) specialises in advocacy around child rights, supported by awareness raising, research, capacity building and service delivery. It

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will undertake research and strengthen CBOs’ UNCRC monitoring capabilities. Bedari (working or protection and promotion of women’s and girl’s human rights) will attribute to the strengthening of community-based surveillance systems and awareness raising campaigns on gender based violence. Plan’s local partners have a strong presence at community and district levels in three districts and work on school improvement and child protection programmes. Dutch Alliance partner Women Win will also participate with local partners in the Pakistan programme, with the aim of introducing and investing in innovative strategies using sport to advance girls’ rights in existing rights based initiatives. Some local partners have been identified through women’s funds active in the region but others will be identified during the course of the programme period. At the regional level, linking and learning, the exchange of relevant programme information and combined advocacy between all three countries of the Child Rights Alliance in South Asia (Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh) will be supported though the sub-regional structure of the South Asian Coordination Group (SACG). This interagency body comprising of INGOs and UN agencies (including UNICEF, UNIFEM and UNHCR) is committed to the follow-up actions of the UN study on Violence against Children (VAC), particularly through advocating governments for their increased commitment. There are ongoing efforts to ensure empowerment of the CSOs in South Asian countries for their more consistent inclusion in these processes. Also within this structure, a sub-regional conference on Violence against Children will be organised, with a specific focus on girls, as a follow-up of the UN Study on VAC and in cooperation with the office of the Special Representative of the Sectretary-General on VAC.

V Multi-actor analysis This programme fits coherently with the Pakistani government’s commitments on child protection and Education For All. Pakistan has implemented a number of measures to introduce child protection mechanisms under the Federal Ministry for Social Welfare, which is in charge of policy making and implementation, as well as coordinating the implementation of the UNCRC. The National Commission for Child Welfare and Development (NCCWD) has been set up under the Ministry as the advisory body to the Government with provincial chapters and district commissions. There are currently three child protection centres set up by NCCWD (one in Lahore, one in Quetta and one in Islamabad) to support victims of abuse. Yet these centres do not yet have the required technical and human resources to operate effectively and expand into other areas. The Child Rights Alliance will be working complementarily to this government initiative as it will support CSOs and local governments to strengthen child protection mechanisms in five (other) districts and link to existing governmental child protection systems. Pakistan has a separate National Plan of Action (NPA) for Child Welfare, child labour, and the abolition of bonded labour; however corresponding policy and legislation are yet to be approved by Parliament. A Child Labour Resource Centre has been established by the government with support from International Labour Organisation to strengthen the capacity of the Department of Labour to tackle the child labour problem, including domestic labour, effectively. The Ministry of Women’s Development formulated the National Policy for Development and Empowerment of Women in 2002. It specifically contains a section on violence against women indicating key policy measures for ending violence. In line with this police, in 2009 a new law on Domestic Violence was passed. A further relevant government programme is the “Child Protection and Empowerment of Adolescents” supported by UNICEF. This programme focused on protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation and violence and discrimination with the emphasis on prevention. It provided technical assistance to the Government at Federal and Provincial levels; for example in the drafting of child protection law, as well as support up to district level through pilot projects that can be scaled up. The Alliance will build further on the strengthened capacity and knowledge generated by this programme, strengthening the focus on adolescent girls and linking it up with the work of relevant CSOs.

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Pakistan is committed to the Education for All (EFA) National Plan of Action which promises universal primary education for boys by 2010 and for girls by 2015. The Government’s Education Sector Reforms programme is supported by UNICEF and collaborates with other partners to develop and implement policies, procedures and mechanisms to reduce the number of girls out of school by at least 30 percent, particularly in those rural districts where girls’ enrolment lags far behind than that of boys, and

to promote effective, high quality learning in schools that are child-friendly and attentive to the needs of girls and boys alike. As part of supporting the government’s intervention on education for all, many civil society organisations have projects and programmes in primary education; however, there are only a limited number of organisations going beyond the primary cycle. The Alliance will focus on increasing access for girls to post primary education. For this purpose, the Alliance has identified several CBOs working on non formal education for girls and will link with them to work on complementing the role of other organisations and government departments to increase the post primary education.

International donors and other (I) NGOs The United Nations organisations in Pakistan work together in the One Programme Approach, of which relevant programme components are: the Empowerment, mobilisation and protection of poor and vulnerable groups; and Education. The European Commission and Asian Development Bank support the facilitation of access to justice and strengthening legal assistance for vulnerable groups, including women. In Pakistan international NGOs that work on children’s rights include Plan, Save the Children, and the Aga Khan Development Network. The latter concentrates on strengthening education, especially early and primary education. Save the Children has started an education programme in several districts in Baluchistan province, with the support of the Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE), concentrating on improving access to and quality of education and school management. The Child Rights Alliance will relate to this programme including on advocacy matters whilst concentrating its programme on improving access to post-primary education for girls in two districts in Punjab province and linking this to the child protection programme in these districts. National NGOs like the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, SPARC, Sahil, Rozan and others are mainly involved in advocacy, capacity building and research and have been playing a major role in addressing and advocating on the issues of children and have brought issues to the forefront of debates in media as well as by the government. Most partners have been involved in advocacy and other initiatives on child protection and education and this programme will further strengthen work ongoing in this area while focusing on protection and education of girl adolescents as its priority. The programme will also link with existing relevant research programmes of universities, especially departments of anthropology, social work, gender studies and education and will involve students in conducting research on issues of child protection as well as post primary education.

VI Tailor-made programme The programme will focus on improving the prevention of and protection against gender-based violence, including stimulating post-primary education for girls. Indirectly many more girls, boys and their families and communities will benefit as advocacy will take place around various issues ensuring that more and better integrated prevention of violence and protection services are available for girls. The programme aims to actively enhance the resilience and participation of adolescent girls and young women in their own protection at the individual, institutional and community levels. The Alliance will work towards the creation of a more “child safe” environment internally and externally – where girls and young women are respected, protected, empowered and active in their own protection, have access to protection services and to justice and where supporting civil society organisations and government professionals are skilled, confident, competent and well supported in meeting their protection responsibilities through clear policies, procedures, and good practices. Also in two districts, Chakwal and Vehari, the Alliance will work on improving the participation of girls in post-primary education, which will both enhance their future socio-economic participation and help prevent early marriage and related violations of rights.

Elimination of Violence and socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women The major strategic focus of our programme is to contribute to the elimination of violence against Pakistani girls and young women in five districts by: • Capacity Building: Strengthening existing local groups/CSOs to enable them to deal with issues of the protection of girls and access to post primary education. These will include School Management Committees, community groups and organisations, and girls/women forums where they exist. For building the capacity of the CSOs there will be regular sharing of information and learning with the wider CSO community. Other expert professional organisations who work to build capacity such as

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lawyers, psychologists, health professionals and teachers will also be involved to develop capacity in demanding accountability from the government and other key actors. Girls groups will also be formed to support each other in gaining confidence and encouraging others to also come up and get education as well as raise their voice on issues of protection. The programme will also work to strengthen CSOs’ abilities to use the strategy of sport for advancing girls’ rights and creating “safe spaces” for girls to develop assets (social, human, physical), access resources (institutional, economic), and create opportunities for civic participation and leadership. • Strengthening of child protection mechanisms and linking up to governmental child protection system: Child Help line services along with support services for counselling, legal aid and facilitation in pursuing the case will be provided and strengthened. Cases will be referred to appropriate child protection departments. Non formal education models will also be replicated in selected districts while at the same time community organisations will be strengthened to ensure a safe environment for girls to go to schools through linking them with the transport unions for starting safe transport for girls to and from schools and other strategies. • Research, documentation of the experience and lessons learnt and dissemination to others: Research will be based on data generated through the Help line, Hospital health committees and CRC committees in various districts. The journalists who will be trained under this project will develop case studies on the key issues involved. The CRC committees will report on the implementation of the CRC commitments by the government and their findings will form the part of alternative UNCRC reporting. Research related to education will involve exploring successful models of NFE and then replication of these models in the project. The documentation of the process and success will be disseminated to policy makers as well as other stakeholders for the purposes of replication of successful examples. • Advocacy: Based on the knowledge generated through research and through documenting the good practices and lessons learnt, policy advocacy will take place at appropriate levels with the relevant government departments. Moreover successful examples of advocacy at community, union council or tehsil level will also be shared with the other districts and adoption of good practices will be encouraged. This will be take place both for education and protection related activities line community surveillance system, successful SMCs and their work to enhance girls access to education. The Alliance will collaborate with the Press Freedom Alliance partner Pakistan Press Foundation who will train journalists and media professionals around child rights and child protection issues to enhance effective and respectful media coverage as part of advocacy work. • Awareness raising on the rights of the girls to protection and education: Through the use of media, IEC material and awareness sessions with the communities negative socio cultural norms within communities will be highlighted and positive practices will be encouraged through the use of success stories that will emerge within the project or will be taken from any previous experience of any of the partners. Furthermore, the creation of new innovative platforms to reach community through linking media, sport, school clubs, women’s organisations, confidential child help lines, and child rights and protection and research, for awareness raising and changing gender based attitudes will be used.

SWOT of the Programme

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Strength • Builds on partners’ strengths and creates synergies • Program partners’ strong advocacy expertise • The program has a multi-dimensional and rightbased approach • Program partners have strong track record in program areas

Weakness • Partnerships locally within Alliance still forming and will take time • There are insufficient comprehensive data and research on issues and cases of violence against girls and young women

Opportunities • The program is in alignment with Pakistans’ national agenda and policies on child protection • Program can contribute to implementation of newly adopted law against domestic violence

Threats • Political instability and escalation of violence in general and highly volatile situation in one of the program areas (Peshawar)

2.14 Bolivia Contextual analysis

BRAZIL

BOLIVIA PERU

LA PAZ

COCHABAMBA

SANTA CRUZ

ORURO

CHUQUISACA

PARAGUAY

POTOSI TARIJA ARGENTINA

ARGENTINA

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 5.751.000

2.14 Bolivia Contextual analysis I Introduction Bolivia has one of the highest concentration of poverty and socio-economic inequality of Latin America, with 37,7% of its population living in extreme poverty and a human development index of 0.687.1 Poverty is concentrated in rural areas with 63,9% of the population living in extreme poverty.2 Of the total population of more than 10 million, women and girls are most affected by inequality and poverty, especially those from indigenous descent and living in rural areas. With the inauguration of Evo Morales as President in 2006, Bolivia is led for the first time in its history by a representative of the majority indigenous groups, whose party states a strong commitment to moving forward the poverty and inclusion agenda, thereby enhancing the prospects of a reversal in inequality levels. After the ratification of a new constitution in 2009, Bolivia is currently in a state of profound and complex change, characterized by difficulties in finding consensus, institutional weakness at different levels and institutional and legal uncertainty. Bolivia is on track to reach most of its MDG targets by 2015.3 To ensure this, however, poverty reduction will need to be accelerated with an improved income distribution, and a focus on the needs of the excluded population through well-targeted, efficient programs.4

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

24 municipalities in the Departments of Chuquisca, La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosi, Tarija and Santa Cruz

468 Communities, 49.000 families, 644 CSOs (NGO/CBO/child led org. etc) 475 governmental institutions, journalists and other media workers

68.000 girls/young women

1. ‘Interim Strategy Note Bolivia. pg. 4 (World Bank, 2009) 2. Idem. pg. 4 3. ‘Fifth MDG Progress Report’ (UDAPE, 2008) 4. ‘Interim Strategy Note Bolivia.’ pg. 5(World Bank, 2009) 5. Human Development Index 6. The selected municipalities have an average HDI of 0,57 (National: 0,68), Child and adolescent development index of 0,50 and Municipal Gender Gap Index of 0,72 (Source: PNUD 2006-2008) 7. ‘Dossier de estadísticas sociales y económicas.’(2008,INE); ‘4 Millones de Actores del Desarrollo’(Bolivia, PNUD, UNICEF, Plan Internacional Inc. 2006); ‘Informe de Desarrollo Humano Bolivia.’ (PNUD, 2006); ‘Bolivia Encuesta Nacional de Demografía y Salud, Informe Preliminar.’ (2008, INE) 8. ‘Country Strategy Paper Bolivia 2007-2013’ (2007, EU)

The programme in Bolivia will reach 68.000 girls and young women in 24 municipalities (21 rural municipalities and 3 urban districts) in 7 departments of the country selected by our partner organisations in the country based on their low HDI,5 child and adolescent development index and high gender gap index.6 The selected areas have high concentration of indigenous populations (71,3%) with high incidences of poverty and social exclusion.7 Finally, in the selected municipalities at least 2 of the Alliance Members have existing programmes (with the exception of two municipalities where only Plan is currently active). The programme will target girls and young women, since these groups are most significantly affected by poverty, inequality, social exclusion and violence. Bolivia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Latin America. Serious disparities persist in access to school and school attendance, with women completing only an average of 2.5 years of education. Illiteracy rates among indigenous women in rural areas are double or sometimes triple the national average.8 Women’s access to the employment market and their participation in decision-making at family and community level are low. Incidence of intra-family and other forms of sexual violence is high. To ensure that the target groups of girls and young women are reached effectively, the programme will work to strengthen 644 civil society groups and organisations, 475 public institutions, 49.000 families and 468 communities.

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level Despite improvements, the rights of Bolivian girls and young women to survival and development, protection and participation are still far from being realised. In rural areas in particular, girls and young women may well experience the violation of their rights right from birth, resulting in a downward spiral of poverty, inequality and social exclusion. Consequently, this programme focuses on three strategic areas where little progress has been made in addressing violations, and where government, communities and civil society have not yet provided appropriate answers.

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9. ‘Por el Derecho a una Vida Escolar sin Violencia.’ (Voces Vitales, 2009) 10. www.sns.gov.bo/snis/(Sistema Nacional de Información en Salud, /2008) 11. ‘Dossier de estadísticas sociales y económicas’(2008, INE) ; Ministry of Health Bolivia. Encuesta Nacional de Salud. (2008.) 12. ‘The State of the World’s Children’ (UNICEF, 2009) ‘Mid-term evaluation Learning for Life program.’ (Plan International Bolivia, 2007) 13. ‘Dossier de estadísticas sociales y económicas’ (2008, INE) 14. ‘Informe de Desarrollo Humano Bolivia.’ (2006. PNUD. ) 15. Dossier de estadísticas sociales y económicas(INE, 2008); www.sns.gov.bo/snis (Sistema Nacional de Información en Salud, 2008) 16. Idem. 17. ‘Resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de la Adolescencia y Juventud,’ (UNFPA, 2009)

Violence against girls and young women At micro level, many girls and young women continue to be victims of violence, abuse and discrimination. Girls suffer more than boys from exclusion (60%) and racial discrimination (34%) and equally so from verbal abuse (59%) and physical violence (37%).9 Young women (15-24 years) report also high levels of psychological (42%) and physical/sexual abuse (30%). During 2008, 2.129 cases of domestic violence were reported by the health services in the 24 municipalities of the target area. Of the victims, 88% were women.10 One out of four women has been subject to physical violence by their partner.11 The causes of gender-based violence include the ongoing justification, by both women and men, of violence as an integral element of education, upbringing and (family) relationships, as well as a lack of knowledge of integrated child care practices, and excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs. Other factors include a lack of awareness around protection rights and the available mechanisms of (legal) protection. At meso level, municipal governments and other public institutions often lack effective policies, and programs to protect girls and young women from violence. The capacity of specialized agencies to reach out to rural areas and to address reported cases is very limited. Health and education institutions lack both the regulatory frameworks, resources and the commitment to detect, denounce and report (suspected) cases. Staff may be withheld from acting of fear of retaliation. At macro level even though the legal context is generally favourable to women and children, the existence of a dual legal system (formal and customary) and the current transitional stage of the country have made for gaps in legal and regulatory frameworks. Civil society organisations’ capacity to advocate for a stronger juridical framework is limited. Also, media organisations do not adequately cover issues related to violence and abuse of girls and young women, nor do they enhance sufficient public debate within society. Instead of fulfilling a watchdog function, media often contributes to perpetration of gender-based stereotypes.

Socio-economic position of girls and young women At micro level girls in Bolivia have similar opportunities to access primary education as boys. However, school dropout level is high and educational quality is generally poor. Official figures state that over 80% of children complete primary education (76% in the target areas). Other studies have found as little as 41% of children completing basic education, only 14% of whom achieve adequate levels of language and maths.12 Fewer girls than boys manage to complete primary education, and the gender gap widens after primary education. By the end of secondary education, the gender gap is -5.2%.13 In the target area, only 26% of all young women complete secondary education.14 After leaving education, young people and especially girls encounter few opportunities to find employment, with unemployment being highest in the under 35 age group. Young women living with a partner are more often unemployed than young men.15 Of the young women with paid jobs, only 11% work in professional or technical jobs (25% of employed men). Unsurprisingly, working women earn significantly less than men, and the gap has been widening since 1999.16 Causes of the low level of socio-economic participation of girls and young women are multiple and interrelated. Girls and young women lack knowledge of their rights to (secondary) education and socio-economic participation. Opportunity costs of post-primary education may be prohibitive and the perceived value for girls is often low. Early pregnancies are a frequent cause of dropout. A lack of self-confidence and entrepreneurial skills can limit girls’ opportunities for socio-economic participation. Young women are likely to be assigned domestic roles and reproductive roles that leave them little time and opportunity to participate in the labour market. At meso level and macro level awareness of girls’ rights to post-primary education is limited. Departments of health and education have successively failed to improve access to secondary education for girls. Geographical factors often exclude girls from secondary education, with girls from rural areas tending to stay at home because of the risks of travelling to far-away schools. Schools tend to be unsupportive of pregnant girls, often refusing to enrol them. Alternative forms of post-primary education, like vocational training, are scarce. Curricula and pedagogical practices tend to reinforce traditional gender roles. 12. 2.14 Bolivia Contextual analysis 126

Socio-political participation At micro level, participation of girls and young women in decision-making within their families, communities and society is limited. A study shows that only 6% is aware of their right to free expression and 57% is disinterested in participation in some form of social organisation or in adopting leadership roles (41% of young men).17 Girls and (young) women may inadvertently themselves perpetuate and reinforce norms and values. Their role in decision-making at the household level may be limited by their lack of contribution to household income. Language and lack of literacy skills also constitute barriers to participation.

18. ‘Observatorio de la Igualdad de Género.’ www.cepal.org/oig/ (CEPAL, 2009) 19. ‘Servicio de Información y Análisis de la Gestión Municipal’ (2008) 20. ‘De la Movilización al impacto. Índice CIVICUS de la Sociedad Civil en Bolivia.’ (CIVICUS, CRS y CIPCA, 2005),

At meso and macro level, girls and women are generally not perceived as political actors. Leadership and decision-making roles in social organisations are generally occupied by men. Although the current national parliament is 28% female, women remain underrepresented in executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and in municipal councils, just 13% of representatives are women.18

IV Background analysis Social, economic and political background Bolivia currently finds itself embedded in a complex and profound experience of social and political change. A lack of consensus, institutional and legal uncertainties and a generalized weaknesses in institutional capacity at different levels have all contributed to the challenges facing girls and young women described above. The process of change also led to shifts in power relations, notably advances in the emancipation of indigenous minorities and their organisations. There is moreover strong political will and commitment to promote participation and social inclusion, particularly amongst minorities. With the 2008 approval of the new constitution, Bolivia is also experiencing a process of juridical transition. Consequently, gaps and contradictions are apparent in the legal and regulatory frameworks around children’s and young women’s rights. However, the process of legal transition also offers a significant opportunity for civil society – including Alliance partners - to engage in the formulation of new laws and regulations. Municipal governments’ capacities to provide girls and young women with access to quality basic services (health, education, protection) have been severely limited by the sanction of freezing their financial accounts due to a cited lack of proper financial accountability. In December 2009, 18% of municipalities had their accounts blocked for this reason, and in 2007, only an average of 77,8% of municipal budgets had been spent.19

Role and SWOT of local civil society Civil society in Bolivia is generally active and effective in addressing social issues and concerns (through collective actions and/or non-partisan political action) and in working to empower citizens. Its ability to mobilize is strong, particularly in times of social conflict. Membership levels of civil society organisations are high. However, there is continued under-representation of particular social groups, including women and the poor, in leadership positions. There is a lack of co-ordination and partnership, and communication between civil society organisations is limited.20 Strength • Capacity to influence the development of public policy • Existence of a wide range of CSOs including local, national and international NGOs, CBOs, trade unions, women movement, coalitions for children’s rights, gender observatory etc.

Weakness • Limited number and coverage of CSOs working on child protection issues • Tendency of CBOs to justify corporal punishment of women and children • Few of the target municipalities provide space for children and youth to participate in decision-making

Opportunities • Constitution opens new spaces for organization and free expression • Changes in local leadership

Threats • Reduction of development cooperation funding on which CSO are dependent • Existing high level of political tensions and potential conflict.

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21. National Plan of Integral Community Development of children, childhood and adolescents. 22. National Human Rights Action Plan. 23. National Plan for Equal Opportunities. Women constructing a new Bolivia to live well. 24. Child and youth friendly municipalities. 25. Federation of Municipal Associations 26. National Ombudsman 27. Federation of Rural Women Bartonlina Sisa. 28. These municipal public services for the promotion, protection and defense of the rights of the child offer integrated psycho-social and legal support to children and youth victims violence, abuse, child labor or prostitution. They moreover engage in information dissemination, sensitization, prevention and surveillance.

Alliance partners and intended effect of intervention Several organisations have come together to prepare this context analysis and program proposal facilitated by the local office of Plan in Bolivia. The organisations participating in this process are Crecer, Capacitación Derechos Ciudadanos, Defensa del Niño Internacional, Chasqui Educatic, Centro de Promoción de la Mujer Gregoria Apaza, Fe y Alegría, Centro de Investigación y Promoción Educativa, Universidad Católica Boliviana and Servicio de Capacitación en Radio y Televisión para el Desarrollo. These organisations have been selected for their commitment to and expertise in child rights and gender equity and women’s empowerment. They jointly possess extensive knowledge and experience in the target areas, understanding profound insight in the demands of civil society organisations, proven skills in lobbying and advocacy at multiple levels, a range of successful and replicable methodologies and models, the ability to work co-operatively with municipal governments, access to broad-ranging communication channels and tools, and many years of experience working at grassroots level (families and communities). In addition, Alliance Member Women Win will also participate with local partners in the Bolivian programme, with the aim to introduce and invest in innovative strategies of using sport to advance girls’ rights in existing rights based initiatives working with adolescent girls and young women in Bolivia. Alliance Member Freevoice will strengthen Kids News Radio. By adequately informing girls and boys and raising awareness, Kids News will contribute to empowerment process. All participating organisations have contributed to both the relevant analysis and programme design, bringing for example their own individual contextual analyses to a joint programming workshop in La Paz in April 2010. The expected result of their combined actions through the proposed programme is a strengthened civil society in Bolivia, which works to actively promote an environment in which girls and young women enjoy the same opportunities as boys and young men to participate in society, politics and the economy so that they can fully develop their potential and enjoy dignified lives without violence.

V Multi-actor analysis Bolivian government The most important development frameworks in Bolivia relevant to this programme are the Plan Nacional de Desarollo Integral Communitario de la Infancia, la Ninez y la Adolescencia (2009 – 2013)21, Plan Nacional de Accion de Derechos Humanos (2009 – 2013)22, Plan Nacional para Igualidad de Oportunidades – “Mujeres Construyendo la Nueva Bolivia para Vivir Bien”23, Municipios Amigos de la Ninez y la Juventud24 and the Ministry of Education’s initiative forming student councils. While these plans provide a framework for addressing the main challenges for girls and young women in Bolivia, there is very limited capacity for implementation within governmental institutions at local level. The proposed programme will support the Government in the implementation process by introducing replicable cost-effective interventions, and by developing the capacity of public and civil society organisations at municipal level to implement such plans and priorities.

International donors The Finish development cooperation supports a rights-based municipal governance project. We work in coordination with the National Ombudsman office on this project developing a theoretical-conceptual framework for rights-based municipal governance, preparation of the intervention strategy preparation as well as its implementation in 14 municipalities. Plan signed agreements with the National Training Centre (CENCAP) and local universities to strengthen municipal human resources. In addition, the EU supports 19 local networks involving municipal governments, health and education districts, justice operators, and adolescent and adult leaders on a project for the prevention of domestic violence against women. The Dutch development cooperation support a project to increase the capacities of municipalities to deliver quality education while the UK support a pilot of a methodology for young people to assess the quality of municipal, public services. These different projects will strengthen capacities of municipalities and help to improve conditions for CSOs to interact with local governments in the realization of the goals of the Girl Power programme.

Other (inter)national NGOs active in the same field 12. 2.14 Bolivia Contextual analysis 128

Civil society organisations (CSOs), at national level, are active in monitoring and reporting on the UNCRC and Human Rights (with emphasis on women). Several CSOs are preparing proposals for lobbying and

advocacy to influence the process of formulation of new legal and regulatory frameworks aligned with the new constitution. The Federacion de Asociaciones Municipales25 and the Defensoria del Pueblo26 are working with Plan on rights-based models for municipal governance. At the local level, a range of national and international NGOs are working to strengthen the capacities of youth and women for social, political and economic participation, such as the Federacion de Mujeres Campesinas Bartonlina Sisa27. Plan, Unicef and Vision Mundial are also working to strengthen and support the Defensorias Municipales de la Ninez y Adolescencia28.

29. Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (Cement Industry) 30. Asociación de Concejalas de Bolivia = Asociation of Female Muncipal Council members. 31. Vital Voices: a local NGO whose mission is to create “classrooms of peace”

Corporate partners, research &academic institutions Corporate social responsibility is still very weakly developed in Bolivia and few potential corporate partners exist. The most relevant might be SOBOCE29 who destines 10% of profits to social programs among others in supporting young people to setup microenterprises. This might offer some opportunities for the socioeconomic empowerment component of our program. Gender- related research is progressing in Bolivia. ACOBOL30 has recently conducted a quantitative and qualitative study of the current situation of female municipal council members in the country, including the level of participation of women and the political violence that they use to suffer. Plan has a formal partnership with the Ombudsman office and Voces Vitales31. As part of this partnership several studies have been conducted on school violence. These studies showed that the school violence is closely related to domestic violence and gender-based discrimination.

Added Value The proposed programme adds value to these initiatives by seizing the opportunities presented by the recent governance and political change process to provide a coherent platform for civil society to contribute to the formulation of new legal and regulatory frameworks on violence against girls and young women. It will enable more coordinated and effective monitoring of the observations and recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and support the implementation of a national vocational education strategy for girls. The Girl Power programme also adds value by improving gender mainstreaming across e.g. municipal governments and local NGOs, where commitment to and understanding of gender equity is often superficial, and by strengthening the technical capacities of partner organisations for e.g. lobbying and advocacy.

VI Tailor-made programmes Elimination of violence against girls and young women The programme intends to generate a supportive environment where girls and young women can fully exercise their rights, facilitated and supported by strong and committed government institutions and civil society organisations. This objective stems from to the observed failures of government institutions, families and communities to effectively protect girls and women from violence; of civil society organisations to hold these and other duty bearers to account; and of girls and young women to organise themselves and claim their rights to protection from violence. Expected Result: Girls and young women in the target area live in a supportive environment where they can fully exercise their human rights, with guarantors (authorities) and stewards (civil society) who recognize and defend those rights. Specific results include: • In the 24 target municipalities exist sustainable networks and alliances with the capacity to offer help and support to girls and young women victims of violence. • Observatorios Sociales to hold national and local governments accountable for the implementation of policies regarding the elimination of violence against girls and young women with strenghtened capacities. • Relevant national governmental initiatives extended to the target areas. • Programme implemented for improving human and social capital in communities, with an emphasis on rights and values, as a mechanism to help eradicate gender based violence. • Young women mobilized to organise space for discussion, analysis and defence of their rights and to develop initiatives to eliminate all forms of gender based violence. • Journalists trained on child rights issues. 12. 2.14 Bolivia Contextual analysis 129

Socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women The programme addresses additionally the low level of female participation in post-primary education, and consequently low levels of socio-economic participation. The programme intends to equip girls with competences and knowledge that empower them to secure dignified jobs. Expected Result: Girls and young women in the target area with improved competences, knowledge and opportunities that empower them to secure dignified jobs. Specific results include: • CSOs with improved capacity to lobby for the inclusion of young women in local socioeconomic development planning within the 24 municipalities of the target area. • Families and communities in the target area showing increased sensitivity towards the right to education for girls. • Development plans of the 24 municipalities in target area include plans and activities directed at economic empowerment of girls and young women. • Municipalities in target area implementing policies and actions to promote post primary education and access to employment for girls and young women. • Alternative models of post-primary education for girls in rural areas developed and implemented with participation of private sector.

Socio-political empowerment of girls and young women As analysed above, girls and women are often scarcely represented in decision-making that affects their lives – at levels from the family and community level up to national government. The programme responds to this situation by promoting the socio-political empowerment of girls and young women by improving their access to decision-making spaces at family, community and municipal levels. Expected Result: Girls and young women in the target areas have access to appropriate spaces, developed and enhanced relevant policy frameworks, to participate in decision-making on issues that affect their lives. Specific results include: • Capacities of 1.300 young female leaders strengthened and their increased participation in decisionmaking at community and municipal level. • 240 male leaders of CSOs and local government with increased sensitivity towards gender equality and applying this in their organisations. • Improved alignment of relevant customary and formal legislation. • CSOs in target area with strengthened capacity to plan, implement and evaluate appropriate activities in relation to municipal development plans and annual operational plans with a gender perspective.

SWOT-analysis of the programme

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Strength • Utilization of successful and easily adaptable methodologies and models of intervention • Partners are able to enter into management cooperation with local and central government agencies • Partners are able to successfully utilize channels of (mass) communication • Partners have proven track record in working with families and communities

Weakness • Dispersed/fragmented approaches and experiences of partners • Adequacy of strategies in (peri)urban and rural realities not yet proven

Opportunities • Political will and commitment to democratic values, participation and social inclusion; • Juridical and political change (process of transformation of the state, including decentralization, legal mechanisms and governance models) • Presence of other actors and potential Alliance members in target areas.

Threats • Transition of legal state structures; governance (formation of municipal councils) of new municipal authorities • Restructuring of government agencies (for example the possible abolition of the vice ministry of equality of opportunities) • new scenarios that may limit activities for NGOs and civil society organizations.

2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis HONDURAS

REGION AUTONOMISTA ATLATICO NORTE

EL SALVADOR

NICARAGUA

CHONTALES MANAGUA

Lag o de N ic a ra g u a

COSTA RICA

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CITY ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 6.216.000

2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis I Introduction Nicaragua is the second poorest country of Latin America, with the youngest population (46% of its 5.4 million inhabitants being 18 years or younger.1 By 1990, Nicaragua was one of the most highly indebted and economically unstable countries in the world, and by 1993 half of all Nicaraguans were living in poverty.2 In 2001, Nicaragua adopted its first Poverty Reduction Strategy and as a result benefited from significant debt alleviations under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative. Democracy continues to be weak with only 21% of Nicaraguans reporting themselves as satisfied with the working of the political system.3 One of the immediate challenges for the country’s development is to make effective use of the evolving demographic composition; most notably an increase in the economically active population from 58% to 66% in 2020.4 The position of women is especially difficult with a maternal mortality rate of 92/100.000 of whom 1/3 are adolescents. Nicaragua scores 0.684 on the Gender Development Index which puts it at 88 of a total of 136 countries.5

II Target group analysis Geographical area:

Target group:

Final beneficiaries:

Managua Department: Distritct V, Villa El Carmen and San Rafael del Sur. Department Chontales: Juilgalpa, Santo Domingo,La Libertad Atlantic Coast: Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte

2.800 girls and young women and their families, 49 formalised CSOs 2.520 Informal community groups and committees , 70 governmental institutions, journalists and other media workers

60.000 girls and young women (direct) 1.000.000 girls and young women (indirect)

The target group of this programme is girls and young women6 in poor rural and urban areas who are vulnerable to violence and abuse. Specifically, the direct target group are 2.800 girls and young women living in 7 (mostly rural) districts. In addition, over 1 million girls and young women throughout the country will be reached with communication campaigns and awareness raising activities.7 These municipalities were selected by our Southern partners based on high levels of poverty; social vulnerability, low educational levels and high incidence of violence, particularly sexual abuse. Additional criteria are the organisational presence of the Alliance members and the lack of existing programmes focused on girls and young women.

1. ‘Gestión del conocimiento para la equidad de Género, Observatorio de Género.’ (PNUD, 2006) 2. Worldbank Country briefing (2010) 3. Latinobarometro (2004) 4. Revista Envío. Acevedo, Adolfo (2008) 5. idem 6. Girls are considered to be in the age group of 10-15 year and young women between 15-25 years of age. 7. These are: Puerto Cabezas in the Atlantic Region; Juigalpa, La Libertad and Santo Domingo in the department of Chontales and Distrito V, Villa El Carmen y San Rafael del Sur en the department of Managua. 8. ‘Estudio diagnóstico contra la niñez y adolescencia en las zonas de trabajo de Plan.’ (Plan Nicaragua, 2004) 9. ‘Estudio sobre situación de la violencia en niños y niñas.’ (Plan Nicaragua, 2004) 10. Idem 11. ‘Estudio Diagnóstico Violencia contra la Niñez y la Adolescencia.’ (Plan Nicaragua, 2004) 12. Fondo para el Logro de los Objetivos del Milenio 13. Análisis Situacional de los Derechos de la Niñez. (Plan Nicaragua, 2010)

The department of Managua presents high levels of social vulnerability with high incidences of violence, commercial sexual exploitation and child labour. In the targeted districts, 80% of girls report that they have suffered some form of abuse before reaching the age of 13; while 25% of girls and young women report that they have suffered from sexual abuse.8 Gender inequality is strong within the household with 65% of girls and young women reporting the absence of voice within their homes in comparison to 25% for boys and young men.9 The targeted districts of the department of Chontales present an educational situation worse than most of the rest of the country. While the average net school enrolment reaches 90% in Nicaragua, in these districts it stands at only 74% with 33% of girls and young women not attending any form of education.10 Within families, violence and abuse is mainly directed at girls with 79% reporting that they have been victims of some form of abuse.11 In these districts, 25% of young women between 15 and 19 years of age are already mothers or pregnant. The ethnic population of the selected municipalities in the Atlantic Region is among the poorest of the country. They present the highest child and maternal mortality rates, with less than 20% of households having access to potable water and basic sanitation and 61% of homes being overcrowded.12 Here 27% of girls and young women are already mothers or pregnant. Girls and young women who migrate to the urban areas are at risk of labour exploitation in domestic service or commercial sexual exploitation.13

12. 2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis 131

14. Programma de Accion 20082012.Pg. 16 (UNICEF, 2008) 15. Comisaria de la mujer y niĂąez de la Policia Nacional.Datos Comparativos por rango de sexo. (2009) 16. Idem 17. Idem 18. A Child Protection system provides the policies, norms, regulations and services for the special attention to children and young people whose rights are at risk of being violated. It covers the full range of measures and actions with regards to prevention, attention, legal actions and restitution of rights. 19. Estudio sobre Violencia Intrafamiliar y Sexual. (PNUD, 2008)

III Problem analysis at micro/meso/macro level The key issue this target group faces, and thus the main focus of our proposal is that of violence and abuse. The economic and socio-political empowerment of girls and young women will be considered as contributing factors in the protection of girls and women from violence and abuse and will be analysed, where relevant, from this perspective.

Violence against girls and young women According to UNICEF, Nicaragua has the highest level of domestic abuse of Latin America.14 According to the National Police, of all reported abuse cases, 59% were crimes against girls and young women and 95% of sexual abuse is committed against girls and women.15 However, in 55% of judged cases the perpetrator was declared not guilty. Studies show that 26% of raped women and 49% of abused women suffered the rape or abuse before 14 years of age.16 In 2009, 31.790 victims of domestic and sexual violence were reported of which 86% were girls or young women.17 Our Southern partners in Nicaragua have analysed they key causes of this excessive level of violence. At the micro level, models of child raising continue to prevail which reinforce traditional gender roles. In general, there is little awareness of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights both among parents and among children themselves. Girls and young women lack support from their peers to confront situations of violence and abuse. In some cases, child rights are seen as conflicting with traditional norms and values surrounding authority of parents. Gender stereotypes are reflected in roles imposed upon boys and girls within the household and local community and frequently violence is used to reinforce these roles. This is further by factors which contribute to vulnerability such as poverty, the high incidence of female headed households (30%) and cultural notions like male superiority (machismo). At the meso level the lack of an operational child protection system in municipalities is a key factor.18 The child protection programmes and services which do exist are generally run by civil society organisations (CSOs); however, these are normally limited to urban centres and do not reach rural communities. CSOs have lobbied municipal governments to develop policies and resources for the defence of the rights of boys, girls and young people which has led to successful experiences in some places where forms of protection system have been established. However, capacity within CSOs and municipal institutions, as well as within coordination processes, remains weak. Media at national and local level do not adequately cover issues related to violence and abuse nor do they enhance sufficiently the public debate on the issue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather contributing to the perpetuation of gender-based stereotypes. At the macro level, Nicaragua has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), but has not adopted the optional protocol which establishes the complaint procedure. With regard to establishing national frameworks the country has made some advances, notably the adoption of the Law on Children and Adolescent and the National Plan for Children and Adolescents 2002-2011 which pay attention to the issue of violence and abuse. However, a national Child Protection System, mandated as part of this policy framework, has not been created due to a lack of political will and insufficient resources. As a result, most activity for the protection and defence of children in general and girls and young women in particular is undertaken by CSOs. Similarly, in 1987, the Nicaraguan Institute for Women was created, however this institute only receives 0.03% of the national Budget.19 In 2008, the Law on Equal Opportunities for men and women was adopted to close economic and social gender gaps. However, this law gives insufficient recognition to the rights of girls and young women and the implementation of this law also remains pending. Laws which specifically discriminate against girls and women continue to exist, for example, the legal age for marriage continues to be lower for girls (14) than boys (18) putting them at considerable risk of an early initiation of sexual life. In the Atlantic Region, the existence of traditional laws and practices also negatively affect women and girls affected by violence and abuse. In this region, the traditional Council of Elders mediates with identified perpetrators, and cases are settled by through economic retribution (fines), but without real punishment for the perpetrator and without recognition of the impact on the victim.

12. 2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis 132

IV Background analysis Socio-economic background20 The extremely unequal income distribution, a lack of social and economic opportunity, a non-participatory political system and inequitable access to public goods and social services is creating a serious lack of social cohesion. Alongside widespread poverty, existing gender inequalities and cultural notions of male-superiority, this is contributing to high levels of gender-based violence. High migration rates also contribute to social vulnerability as expressed in the high prevalence of female-headed households.

Political Background

20. The socio-economic and political background sections are largely based on the analysis provided by the EU (Nicaragua Country Strategy Paper 20072013) and the Dutch Embassy in Managua (multiannual strategic plan, 2008-2011). 21. civilsocietyindex.wordpress. com/2010/02/05/partner-notenemy-depoliticising-civic-spacein-nicaragua/ (CIVICUS, 2010)

The political system continues to be dominated by a ruling class which does not always respect democratic principles. Central government sometimes acts in an authoritarian and non-transparent way. Citizens cannot fully exercise their democratic rights. The devolvement of authority and resources to municipal governments has not sufficiently progressed.

Role and SWOT of local civil society In Nicaragua, since the establishment of democracy in the early 1990s CSOs have often struggled to assert their own autonomy and independence from the political environment. Over the past years, the impact of the political situation on civil society’s work in Nicaragua has been noticeable. Reports have emerged of the marginalisation of organisations lobbying for greater accountability and the harassment of media groups.21 CSOs focusing on the promotion of child rights operate within this environment. The Nicaraguan state is the main duty bearer responsible for guaranteeing the equal realisation of rights, protection and civic participation. However, most actions for the promotion, protection and defence of the rights of the child in general and specifically those of girls and young women are being implemented by CSOs. Strength • Joint advocacy for the establishment of legislation and public policies • Monitoring of recommendations of the Committee of the Rights of the Child and elaboration of alternative civil society report • CSO observatory on the compliance of the Rights of the Child • Public awareness raising campaigns • Spaces for the partipation of children en youth

Weakness • Lack of specific gender analysis and gendersensitive approaches • Lack of standards on child protection • Differences with regards to concepts, approaches, tools and levels of child and youth participation

• Children, youth and women groups and organisations

Opportunities • Recognition of the role of civil society by local authorities and general population • Children and youth participation at the local level

Threads • High rotation levels of public servants • Little commitment of government towards the implementation of the recommendations of the UNCRC • Political polarisation and shrinking space of the actions of civil society • Little participation of private sector in relation to protection of girls and young women

Alliance’s partners & intended effect of intervention In Nicaragua Casa Alianza, Asociación Tesis and Instituto de Promoción Humana have come together facilitated by the local office of Plan to prepare this context analysis and resulting program proposal. These organisations have knowledge and strengths which are relevant to the implementation of a child protection system and the advocacy on the rights of the child. Geographically they can complement each other as they work in different areas of the country. They all follow a rights-based approach and have special programmes directed at girls and young women. They are opinion leaders on this topic within Nicaragua. These organisations work directly with partner CSOs at the local and community level such as community associations, network of judicial facilitators, groups of health promoters and traditional birth attendees, local and national media organisations, children, youth and women’s organisations who are essential for raising awareness around the rights of children in general and specifically the issue of violence and abuse against girls and young women. The local partners of Dutch Alliance Members Women Win and Free Voice will

12. 2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis 133

22. For a Good Treatment 23. Before approving the budget put yourselves in my shoes 24. International Labor Organisation

also participate with the aim of investing in innovative strategies of media and sport to strengthen existing rights-based initiatives working with adolescent girls and young women in Nicaragua. This context analysis and proposal derives from the contributions of all partner organisations, who participated in several meetings including a joint programming workshop in Managua in April 2010. The context analysis has been informed by ongoing interaction with partner CSOs and the final target population of the programme.

V Multi-actor analysis Nicaraguan government The programme will establish coordination and agreements with government institutions responsible for the establishment and operation of the child protection system. The Ministry of Family currently promotes the Programa Amor which has many interventions relating to the issue of violence against girls and young women with which we will coordinate our actions. The Programme on Restitution of Rights of Victims of Violence establishes special measures for the protection of victims which we will seek to influence. With the Ministry of Health we will work on the implementation of a protocol for the attention of victims of violence. With PRONINEZ (Special Attorney for the Defence of Human Rights), Commissary of Women and Child and the National Police we will work together to ensure adequate attention to individual cases of violence and abuse. With the Prosecutors Office we will work on damage relief for girls and young women affected by violence and abuse. With the Ministry of Education we will promote the integration of girls and young women into secondary education and professional training We will provide technical support and advice to Municipal Committees of the Child in the elaboration and implementation of municipal policies for the protection of children in general and girls and young women in particular.

International donors The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) coordinates the execution of the Multi-donor Fund for Gender Equity and Sexual Reproductive Rights (through HIVOS) and other projects which relate to the issue of violence and abuse to which the Girl Power programme will contribute. We will look for opportunities to align our actions with projects funded through this mechanism. Similarly with the RNE we will also link up with the actions of professional training and the promotion of the Network of Social Corporate Responsibility. We will align our advocacy actions with EU-funded advocacy project, implemented through CODENI, to achieve increased investment public investment in programmes for children and adolescents. UNICEF co-funds with Plan’s various projects on the prevention of violence and abuse and we will continue to do so under this programme. Also UNICEF is part of an Alliance called ‘Por el Buen Trato’22 which advocates for the elimination of corporal punishment and humiliating treatment of children and adolescents through the new Family Law being proposed.

Other (international) NGO’s active in the same field With regards to the work of other (international) NGOs, ICCO has included in its strategic plan the topic of Children and Adolescents and we will develop a process for the exchange of experiences relating to topics, partners and best practice. Save the Children co-funds with Plan various projects in the area of prevention of violence and abuse and we will continue to do so under this programme and is also part of the Alliance ‘Por el Buen Trato’ mentioned before. CODENI implements a campaign called ‘Antes de aprobar el presupuesto ponete en mis zapatos’23 to raise awareness among politicians and the population in general to increase investment in education. The Girl Power programme will actively support this campaign through the membership of Plan, INPRHU and TESIS of CODENI. The Central American Women’s Fund supports women’s organisations, and advocacy for girls’ and women’s rights in Nicaragua, and works on a broad range of issues related to women’s rights in Central America such as sexual and reproductive rights, freedom from gender-violence, greater political participation, increased access to non-sexist education and health care, and greater economic autonomy. Through their strategic partnership with Dutch Alliance Member Women Win, their work and partners will be incorporated into the Girl Power programme.

Corporate partners, research &academic institutions

12. 2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis 134

ILO24 supports a program to incentive private companies to create opportunities for young people to obtain professional experience through internships. Also the main board of private companies implements in collaboration with SNV a project to for technical and vocational training of youth. Neither of these programs, however, have a specific gender focus.

Several CSOs , like the Fundacion Puntos de Encuentro, conduct research into the theme of SEBV violence, discrimination and social exclusion of women. The Red de Mujeres contra la Violencia25 produces an annual report on the assassination of women.

Added Value This programme will generate significant added value by increasing the visibility of the issue of genderbased violence and promoting its inclusion in the public agendas and priorities. This will be the first programme in Nicaragua which will work on the protection of girls and young women, with the active participation of families, communities, civil society, media and the state. The programme will take a holistic approach, working to ensure girls and young women enjoy equal access to educational opportunities which challenge gender stereotypes, enable technical training and develop the capability to take life decisions – and that they do so without the risk of suffering different forms of violence and abuse. An important innovation will be the development of an awareness raising campaign with the direct participation of girls and women. Through increased awareness, girls and young women will be empowered to demand improved protection services for themselves.

25. Women’s network against violence 26. As observed in section 3, the economic and socio-political empowerment of girls and young women will be considered as contributing factors to protect girls and women from violence and abuse and will be addressed, where relevant, from this perspective. Therefore, we have organised our goals, objectives and results within the strategic area of elimination of violence and abuse only.

VI Tailor-made programmes Based on the described context analysis, the participating organisations have defined the overall goal, specific objective and strategies of the programme as follows:

Elimination of violence against girls and young women26 Goal: Contribute to the establishment of an environment in which girls and young women are protected and empowered of girls and young women leading to the reduction of violence and abuse. Specific Objective: Contribute to the establishment and effective operation of a system of child protection system in 7 municipalities of the country. Expected Result 1: Civil society with the capacity to: a) include and represent vulnerable girls and young women; b) work together to reduce violence against girls and young women; c) influence legislation and socio-cultural values with regards to violence against girls and young women; and d) hold governments accountable for the violation of protective rights of girls and young women. Strategies: • Develop the competencies of civil society organisations with regards to systems of special protection; • Create and/or strengthen networks of civil society organisations (including media) in relation to protection of children in general and girls and young women specifically; • Create a partnership between civil society and media organisations for public awareness raising the issue of the protection of girls and young women against violence and abuse; • Create a presence for civil society in governmental decision-making processes with relation to special protection. Expected Result 2: Achieve a fully operational child protection system supported by a legal framework and policies to eliminate all forms of violence. Strategies: • Define roles and develop awareness and competencies of CSOs for the implementation of a Child Protection System; • Create and strengthen networks of government, civil society and media needed for the effective operation of a child protection system; • Advocate for the approval and implementation of the Family Law, Policy of Special Protection and municipal policies related to the protection of children in general and girls and young women in particular.

12. 2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis 135

Expected Result 3: Achieve a society with non-violent and non-discriminatory values and attitudes with regards to girls and young women. Strategies: • Awareness raising of mothers, fathers, community and opinion leaders on non-violent and non-discriminatory values and practices; • In partnership with community, local and national media organisations develop l awareness raising campaign on non-violent and non-discriminatory values and practices. Expected Result 4: Increase the social and human knowledge, skills, quality of relationships and social networks of girls and young women which protects them against violence and abuse. Strategies: • Promote processes for psycho-social recuperation of girls and young women and their families • Establishment of self-help groups for victims of physical and/or sexual abuse or exploitation including using sport programmes as “safe spaces” platform to develop life skills, leadership and learn girls’ rights; • Create and/or strengthen systems of judicial support to assist victims of violence and abuse to denounce and achieve justice. The realisation of the specific objective and expected results will contribute to the reduction of violence and abuse against girls and young women. It will also contribute to the full realisation of their rights as citizens, their access to education and their participation in public life. The strategies promote the establishment of a system in which the actions of different social actors including girls and young women, families, media, community-based organisations and other civil society organisations and governmental institutions are articulated. At the individual level the programme will change the traditional values which form the basis of violent and discriminatory behaviour. Awareness raising strategies involving community, local and national media and with broad participation of girls and young women, their families, and communities members will contribute to achieving non-discriminatory values and attitudes. The strategies will also create networks of CSOs which can effectively influence the establishment of legal frameworks and policies and can hold governmental institutions at local and national level to account for their implementation. Institutionally, the strategies will create, especially at the municipal level, the capacity to establish and operate the child protection system in which the roles of different social actors are clearly defined.

SWOT analysis of the programme

12. 2.15 Nicaragua Contextual analysis 136

Strength • Partner organisations are leaders in issues related to the promotion, protection and defence of the rights of children and young people • Membership of the federation of NGOs which work on child rights • Membership of other networks and Alliances which advocate for the establishment of legal frameworks and public policies from a rights-based perspective

Weakness • Lack of gender-specific information ana analysis • Competency of participating civil society have mostly been developed around the concept of child protection without applying a gender perspective • Targeted child and youth organisations that will be targeted have not applied positive discrimination to give priority to girls and young women.

Opportunities • Legal framework on the establishment of a child protection system • Municipalities with interest to work for the achievement of children’s rights • Existence of Women Commissaries within local police structures.

Threads • Low governmental priority to follow the recommendations of the CRC (like the establishment of a child protection system) • High rotation of public servants • Economic crisis

2.16 Global activities Contextual analysis

PAKISTAN NEPAL BANGLADESH MALI

NICARAGUA SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA

GHANA

ETHIOPIA

BENIN TOGO

MALAWI BOLIVIA

ZAMBIA MOZAMBIQUE

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE SOCIAL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

BUDGET: € 7.707.000

2.16 Global activities Contextual analysis

1. Members are Plan Nederland, Child Helpline International, Defence for Children International Nederland – ECPAT, Free Voice, ICDI and Women Win.

I Introduction Governments in the 15 countries where the Girl Power programme will be implemented have ratified most of the relevant international and regional human rights instruments and made progress in turning those into local legal and policy frameworks. As has been observed in the country sections, several countries have harmonized or are in the process of harmonizing their national laws with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and other major international instruments concerned with the protection of children in general and girls and young women in specific. At the same time, in the countries targeted by this programme, human and institutional capacity, resources and/or political will are lacking to turn these commitments into reality. The local partner organisations have designed interventions as part of their tailor-made programmes to address these situations in each specific context. However, also, within most of the country proposals opportunities to support the achievement of objectives set by each country through joint activities at the global and/or regional level have been identified. These activities can add value to the work done within each country through: • capacity-building of local partner organisations by the Alliance Members;1 • developing global and regional advocacy efforts to promote the rights of girls on the international policy agenda; • linking the participating civil society organisations in different country to be able to share their knowledge, experience and results and promote learning processes between them; • supporting cross-country research, monitoring and evaluation activities.

II Target group analysis Most of the activities to be developed at the global and regional level are targeted at strengthening the capacities and knowledge of the participating partner organisations in the 15 countries covered by this proposal. Also it will target, especially with regards to advocacy activities, international bodies and organisations which are relevant for the achievement of the objectives of the proposal at the country level. These include, but are not limited to, Committee of the Rights of the Child, UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, African Union, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, international civil society organisations, UN and other multilateral bodies. The final beneficiaries are the same girls and young women as already identified and described in the country sections. In realizing these activities we will be joining our efforts with our global and regional partners.

III Tailor-made programmes Capacity-building of local partners In each country a number of partner organisations have taken the lead to develop the context analysis and programme proposal as presented here. These organisations will also play a leading role in the implementation of the programme and in working with a wide range of CSOs at all levels to achieve their objectives. Therefore, in order to be successful, it is essential that these organisations have the required knowledge, skills and capacities to fulfil this leading role adequately. The Alliance Members will invest in their capacity-building using existing processes, methodologies and tools as well as through activities which will be designed to address specific aspects of the girl power programme. For example, capacity building will be conducted to strengthen capacities in advocacy skills and specific M&E and research skills to ensure the effective involvement of partner organisations in monitoring of implementation of existing policies and legislation frameworks. We will also give special attention to further developing the awareness on gender issues and the use of gender-sensitive analytical and programming tools by our local partner organisations themselves. Also the Alliance Members will strengthen the capacities of local partners in the design and application of strategies in relation to community mobilization and participation, media, research, sports etc.

12. 2.16 Global activities Contextual analysis 137

Global and Regional Advocacy Our global and regional advocacy efforts will mainly focus on the area of protection against violence and specifically with the context of the follow-up to the UN study on Violence Against Children. In this we will draw attention to the theme of sexual and gender based violence as it affects girls and young women in the countries targeted by the programme. Due to the concentration of countries covered in Asia and Africa we will centre our efforts mostly on these regions. In Africa we will support and work together with the African Child Policy Forum to produce the African Report on Child Wellbeing in 2012 and 2014. Based on a Child-friendliness Index developed by ACPF, the report reviews the performance of African governments on child centred development indicators, analyses the kinds of policies that account for differences in country performance, and identifies the policy tools and instruments that governments could adopt to promote child wellbeing. We will work together with ACPF to include in the report the key topics of the Girl Power programme and to gather evidence from the countries covered. In addition, we will support ACPF in their research of existing laws and policies with respect to the topics of the Girl Power programme within the countries covered by the proposal. The outcomes of the ACPF reports and research activities will be presented and discussed at the International Policy Conference on the African Child (IPC). This conference is a unique gathering of governments, child-focused and youth organisations aimed at promoting policy dialogue and facilitating the exchange of information, experiences and good practices. In Asia we will support the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC). This initiative aims to create a broad platform and specific entry points for civil societies’ increased involvement and influence on governments’ agendas. We specifically work through the South Asian Coordination Group (SACG) which is an interagency body comprising INGOs and UN agencies (UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNHCR, etc) committed to the follow-up actions to the UN study on Violence Against Children, particularly through advocating governments for their increased commitment. We will support ongoing efforts to ensure empowerment of the CSOs in South Asian countries for their more consistent inclusion in these processes. We will take the opportunities offered by events like the International Women’s Day to draw the attention to examples of most serious violation of girls rights the countries covered by the proposal through the organisation of media tours. The ‘media tour’ is a press pack (rights free) for all media in a region (print, radio, TV, online), with the request from the Child Rights Alliance to give attention for a concrete example of girls rights violations. Interesting speakers (celebrities, politicians, and girls) are part of the ‘media tour’, available for media to be interviewed on this topic. This ‘media tour’ is an effective tool to reach many media to lobby for better rights for girls

Linking and Learning We will link participating organisations from different countries to exchange experience and learn from each other on how to most effectively address the issues of girls and the strengthening of civil society in relation to this. For this purpose, we will jointly organize annual workshops to exchange learning’s and revisit operational strategies. These workshops will bring together representative of the Dutch alliance members, local partners and Civil society organisations targeted by the programme.

Research, Monitoring and evaluation As alliance partners we will work together to develop a joint M&E framework and to implement comparative impact assessments and meta-evaluations to identify lessons learned and formulate recommendations which are based on the findings of the programme in all countries. This will build upon the outcomes of the M&E activities as developed in each country. We will complement this with cross-country research on topics which are relevant within the context of a number of countries. 12. 2.16 Global activities Contextual analysis 138

3. Overview of intended results for each programme

139

12.3 Intended results

Final beneficiaries: 17.000.000 girls and young women in 15 countries

• 1. 2.550 civil society organisations • 2. 900.000 vulnerable girls and young women • 3. 1.000.000 community members (including parents, men and boys, leaders) • 4. 800 government institutions (at national and local level)

Direct target groups operating/living in programme areas (110 rural districts and 20 urban areas) in 15 countries:

Target groups:

Specific objectives: • Reduction of sexual and gender-based violence against girls and young women; • Increased socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women by strengthening quality and access to education, with special focus on post-primary education, including vocational, financial and employment skills; • Increased socio-political empowerment of girls and young women by promoting their participation in private and public decision-making processes.

Overall objective: To build and strengthen civil society to ensure the equal rights and opportunities of girls and young women in developing countries and their full participation in the social, economic and political development of society.

Objective and target group(s):

Total budget amounts to € 100.200.000 MFS II grant requested: € 90.000.000

Budget, specifying the MFS II grant applied for:

Name of the programme: Girl Power: promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women

3. Overview of intended results for each program

140

12.3 Intended results

Protection: • Assist partners engaged in protection in their organisational development and the mainstreaming of gender • Financial/technical support to partners (child helplines, DCI, NGOs) to provide legal, preventive and referral services, psycho-social counseling and parenting assistance • Financial/technical support to partners (child helplines, DCI, NGOs) to train professionals working with and for children (teachers, health staff, police, lawyers) to identify different forms of violence and design child friendly approaches and services • Financial/technical support to partners (child helplines, DCI, NGOs, CBOs, child/ youth organisations) to create safe spaces for girls and young women (through sport, girls’ self-help groups) • Linking and learning between partners (child helplines, DCI, NGOs) to develop effective working protection models • Institutional strengthening support to partners and involved government agencies to build and implement integral child protection systems • Financial/technical support to partners (NGOs, CBOs, child/youth organisations, media) that promote non-violent (childrearing) attitudes and practices of parents, men and boys and community leaders

Activities with strategy geared to direct poverty alleviation A.1. level of organisational capacity as measured by the organisational assessment score, with attention to capacity for: • democratic governance • results based management • transparent financial management • resource mobilization • technical capacity on: • protection, education and participation • monitoring and evaluation

B.1. Level of gender mainstreaming as measured by the gender assessment score4 with attention to: • % of products/services that are gender sensitive • resources allocated for gender capacity building and gender audits • number of actions focused on girls/women across programmes • participation levels of men and women in programme activities • accountability to girls and young women

B. 70% of the partners have mainstreamed gender in management, operations, programs and monitoring and evaluation

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

A. 90% of the partners have increased organisational capacity to perform their tasks related to protection, education and participation of girls and young women

Seven main outputs (A-G) at the end of 2015:

Description results at output level1

1.2. Civil society strives for realization of girls rights and gender equality as part of their development agenda

1.1. Enhanced participation of girls and young women in civil society

1.Civil Society level: Civil society effectively addressing girls’ rights violations and gender inequality:

Four sets of outcomes (1-4) at the end of 2015 in 15 countries in programme areas3:

Description results at outcome level2

1.2.1. % CSOs with policies, programmes and actions aimed at girls’ and young women’s rights to protection against violence, education and participation in decision-making processes

1.1.3. % of girls and young women in leadership positions within CSOs

1.1.2. perception of girls and young women on their representation in CSOs

1.1.1. % of girls and young women with membership in CSOs

Note: country proposals will have additional country-specific indicators

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

141

12.3 Intended results

Socio-economic empowerment: • Assist partners engaged in socio-economic empowerment in organisational development and the mainstreaming of gender • Financial/technical support to partners (NGOs) to train teachers and educational authorities on child and gender sensitive curriculum, life skills development and prevention of violence within educational services at (post) primary level • Financial/technical support to partners (NGOs) to strengthen gender sensitive and girl-friendly vocational and technical training programs • Financial/technical support to partners (NGOs, CBOs, PTAs) to develop awareness and skills of communities and parents to ensure girls’ transition to post-primary education and employment • Facilitation of relationships between partners, government agencies and local entrepreneurs to promote the inclusion of young women in programs of microfinance, technology transfer and business development • Linking and learning among partners (NGOs, CBOs, PTAs, child/youth organisations) to develop and upscale effective programs of postprimary education and employment for girls

D. Increased level of coordination and joint programming between partners in the 15 programme countries, including regional partners

C. All partners reach at least 80% of their planned target groups through interventions of sustainable economic development & direct poverty reduction, civil society development and policy influencing

Seven main outputs (A-G) at the end of 2015:

Description results at output level1

D.3. number of partners that have adjusted their programmes as a result of increased engagement with other (in-country and regional) partners

D.2. perception of partners on quantity and quality of their relationships with other (in-country and regional) partners

D.1. performance of country steering committees (number of participants, frequency of meetings, number of exchanges)

C.2. level of satisfaction of target groups with partner organizations’ performance

C.1. number of planned target groups (girls and young women, civil society organisations, communities and local/national government institutions) reached annually by partner’s interventions

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

1.4. Civil society interacts more effectively with the State in order to ensure State’s compliance with CRC and CEDAW

1.3. Coordination between civil society organisations has improved

Four sets of outcomes (1-4) at the end of 2015 in 15 countries in programme areas3:

Description results at outcome level2

1.4.3. perception of CSOs and governments on civil society’s policy impact (regarding protection, education and participation of girls and young women)

1.4.2. number of consultative encounters between CSOs and government institutions

1.4.1. number of CSOs that are engaged in actions of monitoring and demanding girls’ and young women’s rights

1.3.2. perception of CSOs on the quantity and quality of relationships with other CSOs

1.3.1. % of CSOs that are members of any federation, umbrella group or support network

Note: country proposals will have additional country-specific indicators

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

142

• Assist partners engaged in civil society development in their organisational development and mainstreaming of gender • Support and assist partners involved in civil society development (CSD) to improve their accountability to the target groups of girls and young women • Financial/technical support to partners (CBOs, child/youth organisations, women’s rights organisation, sport clubs, NGOs and media) to build rights and gender awareness in their local members/constituencies. • Exchange and networking among partners and their constituencies in (local) civil society to build multi-level coalitions advocating for girls rights • Linking and learning between partners and knowledge/research institutes to develop sound policy alternatives addressing girls’ rights • Financial/technical support to media programs targeted at girls to provide access to information and to monitor governments’ responsiveness to girls • Financial/technical support to partners (child helplines, DCI, NGOs) to develop girls’ rights monitoring systems • Facilitate interactions between partners and local/national governments through participatory budgeting and accountability mechanisms • Financial/technical support to country steering committees to improve coordination between partners and with other civil society actors

Activities with strategy geared to building civil society

F. Linking and learning activities contribute to improved quality of policies, programs and strategies of partners in addressing girls’ rights and gender inequality

E. Stronger engagement of partners in coordinated national and regional lobby campaigns (on girls’ and young women’s rights to protection, education, socio-economic empowerment and socio-political participation)

Seven main outputs (A-G) at the end of 2015:

Description results at output level1

F.2. perception of partners on the quality of joint learning

F.1. number of partners that have shared their lessons learnt with other partners

E.2. number of partners engaged in systematic monitoring of girls rights and gender equality, producing evidence based best practices

E.1. number, type (national, regional, international), issue, target, of lobby campaigns in which partners are involved

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

2.2.1. number of communities that are engaged in functional child protection systems

2.2. Communities prevent violence against girls and young women and support their access to education and employment opportunities

2.2.3 number of communities that have taken measures to support girls’ transition and access to post-primary education

2.2.2. incidence of girl-unfriendly practices (according to context such as early marriage, FGM, sexual violence)

2.1.1. perceptions of community members (parents, men and boys, leaders) on girls’ and young women’s right to be protected, educated, employed and to participate in private and public decision-making

Note: country proposals will have additional country-specific indicators

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

2.1. Increase in gender sensitive norms and values internalized by parents, men and boys and leaders of targeted communities

2.Socio-cultural level: Norms, values and behaviors of communities have changed in favour of gender equality

Four sets of outcomes (1-4) at the end of 2015 in 15 countries in programme areas3:

Description results at outcome level2

143

• Assist partners involved in policy influencing in their organizational development and the mainstreaming of gender • Financial/technical support to partners to influence law and policymaking at local and national level related to protection, education and participation • Research on the effects of (protection, education, participation) laws and policies on girls’ empowerment and gender equality • Exchange and networking between partners at country level and regional partners on effective strategies for lobbying and advocacy for girls’ rights • Financial/technical support to regional partners to influence non-democratic governments through regional/international bodies (such as the UN, AU) • Implement lobby and advocacy campaigns on girls’ rights targeted at international organisations and decision-making bodies • Coordination with Dutch development actors (embassies and CSOs) within programme countries to align lobby and advocacy strategies

Activities with strategy geared to influencing policy

G. Increased harmonization between CRA’s programme, programmes of other MFS II Alliances and other bilateral and multilateral donors

Seven main outputs (A-G) at the end of 2015:

Description results at output level1

G.3. number of MoU and formalized agreements

G.2. perception of other MFS II alliances and relevant donors on their influence on CRA’s programme implementation

G.1. level of harmonization between CRA and other MFS II alliances and relevant donors

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

3.3. Increased accountability of government and service providers to girls and young women

3.2. Increased supply and quality of public services for girls and young women: a. protection services b. education/vocational services

3.1. Gender-sensitive reforms of laws, policies and law-enforcement mechanisms

3.Institutional level: Increased responsiveness and accountability of national and local governments to marginalized girls and young women

Four sets of outcomes (1-4) at the end of 2015 in 15 countries in programme areas3:

Description results at outcome level2

3.3.2. perception of girls and young women on local and national governments’ accountability

3.3.1 number of accountability mechanisms used by local and national governments

3.2.2. perception of girls and young women on the quality of protection and education/vocational services

3.2.1. budgets spend by government on protection and education services targeting marginalized girls and young women

3.1.1. number of legal and policy changes adopted by national and local governments

Note: country proposals will have additional country-specific indicators

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

144

12.3 Intended results

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative) Note: country proposals will have additional country-specific indicators

4. Level of girls’ and young women’s empowerment as measured by Girl Power Gender Empowerment Measurement (GPGEM ref. 5.4.2.) 4.1.1 level of access as measured by: a. female enrolment in secondary education and vocational training b. number of girls and young women accessing functional child protection systems 4.2.1 level of girls’ and young women’s rights awareness 4.2.2. degree to which girls and young women can make decisions that affect their life

4.Individual level: Marginalized girls and young women are empowered

4.1. Girls and young women have better access to protection services, secondary education and vocational training

4.2. Girls and young women are able to pursue their ambitions

Key indicators (qualitative/quantitative)

Four sets of outcomes (1-4) at the end of 2015 in 15 countries in programme areas3:

Description results at outcome level2

1. The results in this column are a function of the combined efforts of the member organization of the CRA. Results will be boosted and further sustained as a consequence of synergetic programmes developed by particularly Plan International who has identified civil society as one of its main domains of change, but also networks in which CRA member organizations participate contribute positively. 2. Results in this column are a function of a number of actors involved including international initiatives such as UNIATFAG, CAG, and AGI (all working for adolescent girls). Harmonized action is agreed per MoU with the following alliances: Together4Change, Woord en Daad/Red een kind, ICCO Alliance, Connect4Change, Conn@ct.Now, Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation, Child and Development, IMPACT and Urban Youth Alliance. Special harmonization agreements apply to Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Bangladesh and Pakistan (SRHR and IMPACT), Benin, Ghana, Ethiopia, Togo and Kenya (Totether4Change Alliance, ACPF). Result 2 is strengthened by the activities by the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bolivia and Ghana. Result 4 is supported by, a.o. the activities undertaken by the WASH alliance in Benin, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal and Bangladesh. 3. Results will be SMART-ened during the baseline studies at country level. Clear milestones will also be set. 4. Score will be made country specific and compound indicators will be based on organizational issues as described in the ILO Participatory gender audit (A manual for gender audit facilitators the ILO participatory gender audit methodology , 2007, ILO)

Seven main outputs (A-G) at the end of 2015:

Description results at output level1

4. Harmonisation and complementarity for each country

4.1 Benin Harmonisation and complementarity NIGER

BURKINA FASO

ATAKORA

BENIN GHANA NIGERIA

TOGO

ZOU

OUME MONO

ATLANTIQUE

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.1 Benin Harmonisation and complementarity

1. See appendix d. Memorandum of Understanding – ‘a child rights initiative’ 2. See appendix f.

5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation

Appendices:

Like–minded alliances working on children’s issues have joined up in order to ensure the full harmonization and complementarily of their activities. These Alliances are “Together4Change”, the“Child Rights Alliance”, “Woord en Daad/Red een Kind”, the “ICCO Alliance”, Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, the “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and the “Urban Youth Aliance”.1 Of these allliances, the Together4Change, Woord en Daad/Red een Kind, ICCO Alliance and IMPACT Consortium are active in Benin together with the Child Rights Alliance.

d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative f. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance/Together4Change Alliance/ACPF

Specifically for Benin, the Child Rights Alliance has signed additional MoUs with the Together4Change Alliance and ACPF.2 Furthermore, we will also align on Girl Power programme with the WASH progamme (consisting of Simawi, AKVO, AMREF, ICCO, RAIN, WASTE). Both alliances have a keen interest in the rights of women and grils and their empowerment to claim these rights. Plan is an implementing partner in the WASH Alliance in Benin. These Alliances will engage in developing strategies that will enhance the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarity of activities throughout the life of MFSII and beyond. With regards to harmonisation with other civil society organisations, CARE Benin works alongside communities, government and other partners to address all aspects of basic education. The Girl Power programme will benefit from CARE’s inclusive approach to education including training teachers and other school personnel to improve the quality of education; linking education programmes to interventions in health, nutrition and livelihoods to better address reasons why children are out of school; involving communities in assessing and overcoming their unique barriers to learning; and conducting broad campaigns that promote the right to education for all people.

WORLD EDUCATION (WE) partners with the Batonga Foundation, founded by Angelique Kidjo, the singer songwriter from Benin, and UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador. WE’s programme supports girls in Mali and Benin to continue their education through middle school and beyond. Batonga’s education packages cover school fees, uniforms, and school supplies; after-school tutorials that help girls improve their academic skills; and mentoring programmes that connect girls to volunteers in their communities who encourage their successes and teach them about important personal health topics, including how to prevent HIV. In response to the acute need for care facilities for orphaned and abandoned children in Benin, SOS Children’s Villages Benin started to operate Family Strengthening Programmes within existing SOS Children’s Village locations. Their aim is to enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Benin works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers. We will work with other like-minded organisations to build and strengthen existing child protection systems; to engage in activities that enhance a child’s ability to develop to his or her fullest potential; and to eliminate any gaps that limit the growth and well-being of children, so that the human rights of all children are met.

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy The Government of Benin has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the African Charter on the Rights and Well Being of the Child (ACRWC), and ILO Convention 138 and Convention 182 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women (CEDAW). There are several national legal instruments in place, such as laws on sexual harassment, reproductive health, child trafficking, The Law on Female Genital Mutilation and the Code of Persons and Families and the Strategy Paper on Child Protection.

12. 4.1 Benin Harmonisation 147

3. http://benin.nlambassade.org/ ontw_samenwerking

The Government has developed a Stratégie de Croissance pour la Réduction de la Pauvreté (SCRP) that includes pro-poor measures for economic growth. Important measures in this are free primary education and the promotion of micro-credit. The promotion of quality education is enshrined in Benin’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) as a priority objective for increasing the human capital needed for economic growth and poverty reduction. The Government is also committed to improving the quality of secondary education and guaranteeing access to it for all school-age children and especially girls. The Girls’ Education and Community Participation project (CAEF in French), funded by USAID, is supporting the Benin government’s goals to improve access to and the quality of education to students (especially girls) in the most disadvantaged areas in educational terms in Benin. A key strategy to increase girls’ access to education is through increased community participation, with a strong emphasis on increasing women’s participation and leadership. The Girl Power programme fits well with this approach. As far as the Government of Benin’s capacity for the execution of development programmes is concerned, generally greater focus is needed in order to strengthen local government capacity, including more collaboration between local governments and civil society to formulate, implement, and enforce policy decisions, and to support education and health providers in involving communities and their residents in decision-making. Again, the Girl Power programme is designed to support these actions.

5.2.5c Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors In 2007, Benin approved its ten year Plan for Education. Most donors decided to support this plan through budget support (basket funding) through the Fast Track Initiative. For Benin, US$ 76 million a year in total is available under the Fast Track Initiative via the World Bank. The Netherlands contributed 40% to the Fast Track Initiative. Girls education is a key priority for the Dutch development cooperation as evidenced by the successful campaign “Toutes les filles à l’école” through which the Royal Netherlands Embassy together with UNICEF has stimulated school enrolment of girls in Benin.3 Plan Country Office Benin, Terre des Hommes, CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Salesian Sisters and CLOSE/ ESAM are assigned to implement advocacy, monitoring and coordination and training activities. By 2013, partners are aiming to increase the completion rate of school age children by 30% in 18 local council areas, contributing to bringing the national average to 82%. Plan Country Office Benin’s involvement in the Plan for Education will facilitate coordination between the Child Rights Alliance and national initiatives that are working towards the same goal. The Alliance is working closely with UNICEF in Benin. UNICEF is focusing its efforts on enhancing the child protection system, education and gender equality as well as advocating for policies and partnerships furthering children’s rights. We will also work closely with the relevant UN agencies (UNFPA, ILO, UNESCO, UNIFEM, WHO) to influence policy and practice, and to share information in order to avoid duplication and to share lessons learned. Also harmonization will place in the context of the global and regional agreements being discussed: • Discussions have been initiated between UNIFEM and UNICEF and members of the Child Rights Alliance, and we have agreed to explore linkages between us and how the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance can work within the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls globally and with 6 overlapping countries including Benin. In the coming months, we seek to conduct a mapping and planning exercise around these six countries as a basis for identifying potential partners for the Task Force, and for sharing different opportunities in linking campaigns, collecting data for effective lobbying and advocacy and other activities around our common goals to strengthen cooperation, partnerships, policies and programmes aimed at addressing the needs of adolescent girls. Our Alliance Member Women Win has also discussed with UNIFEM globally how UNIFEM country offices can help 12. 4.1 Benin Harmonisation 148

in the coming years to link women’s rights organisations in the country to the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance partners in order to achieve our mutual goals of advancing and promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. • The Child Rights Alliance will also link into the work of the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organisations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of: information sharing; contracts; and collaborative initiatives in order to build a body of research on the positive changes girls can have on their communities and to form a community of like-minded organisations dedicated to girls’ rights. • Plan has developed a partnership with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI), which focuses on smoothing transitions from school to productive employment for girls and young women. • Representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel—an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls. A senior associate with Population Council, an international, non profit organisation focused on adolescent girls programming and capacity-building throughout all regions of the developing world, is a member of Women Win’s Advisory Council, which advises on Women Win’s impact research, international guidelines development, and overall programming framework.

12. 4.1 Benin Harmonisation 149

4.2 Ghana Harmonisation and complementarity BURKINA FASO

SISSALA WEST

WA WEST

BENIN

COTE D’IVOIRE

GHANA

TOGO

EAST AKIM AKUAPIM NORTH

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.2 Ghana Harmonisation and complementarity

1. Civil society level; Institutional level; Socio-cultural level; and Individual level 2. See chapter 5 and 6

APPENDICES:

5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation In the Netherlands, 10 Alliances have jointly formed a strategy that will build on the added value of each alliance to ensure the sustainability, harmonization and complementarities of each other’s programmes throughout the life of the this MFS round and beyond. These alliances are: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance“, “Woord en Daad/ Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance”. Please see the MoU in appendix d. for details of the alliances involved. Of these, in addition to the Child Rights Alliance, Together4change, Connect4change and the ICCO Alliance will be active in Ghana.

d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium f. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / Together4Change Alliance / ACPF

We will also align our Girl Power programme with the WASH alliance programme (consisting of Simavi; AKVO; AMREF; ICCO; RAIN; WASTE). Both alliances have a keen interest in the rights of women and girls and their empowerment to claim these rights. Plan is an implementing partner in the WASH Alliance. In the Netherlands, harmonisation takes place through the NGO Platform, of which Plan and all WASH Alliance members are active member. In the area of gender, the WASH Alliance can seek support of the Childs Rights Alliance in the area of gender and women’s rights at country level. In Ghana, WASH will work in Western and Volta regions, whilst the Child Rights Alliance will work in Upper West and Eastern regions. We will work together to lobby for school safety for girls and the national coordinators of both coalitions will meet regularly. This will ensure a two-pronged approach to increasing the number of girls and young women in school. We have also signed a MoU (appendix e.) with the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (SRHR) and the IMPACT Consortium. The Child Rights Alliance will share information and work jointly on: life skills activities and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education in schools and extra curricular clubs such as children’s clubs, sports clubs; improving legislation around access to SRH education; and awareness-raising activities in communities to change the attitudes and behaviours of communities related to harmful traditional practices. The Child Rights Alliance has also signed a triple MoU with Together4Change and ACPF (appendix f.). The T4C and the Child Rights Alliance share the objective of improving the situation of vulnerable children. Both engage in strengthening child rights systems and mechanisms, but each places their focus on different areas though complementary approaches are applied. Whereas T4C focuses in particular at the child, family and community levels in working to improve the lives of children, the Child Rights Alliance in Ghana targets four categories1 to support gender equity in compliance with its Theory of Change2, working also to strengthen national NGOs and lobbying and advocacy at national level. The Child Rights Alliance will also collaborate with the ICCO Alliance and Cordaid Alliance on programmes related to sexual violence and sexual education in Northern Ghana, sharing information and coordinating our work in both Ghana and the Netherlands to make sure our programmes are not duplicative. Some Alliance Members take part in other alliances, allowing for sharing of experiences and practices. Free Voice is the lead applicant in the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance. Press Freedom 2.0 activities include: 1) supporting the training of women journalists; and 2) supporting the building and strengthening of community radio. The Press Freedom 2.0 Programme is made to be complimentary to the Girl Power programme, as Press Freedom 2.0 will enhance the primary and secondary education of youth (including girls) through media literacy education. Furthermore, Press Freedom 2.0 will raise awareness of youth issues by working directly with news media through training and network-building relating to youth and media, while also providing opportunities for rural youth to generate their own content within print and radio media, creating a channel for Child Rights Alliance to steer its youth messaging directly to media and its audiences. Key partners of both programmes have an active role in the design phase of the respective programmes, as well as for the coordination and harmonisation of activities, and synchronisation

12. 4.2 Ghana Harmonisation 151

will be a logical element in the implementation phase to ensure maximum impact. These activities will complement the awareness-raising goals of the Child Rights Alliance. In addition to being a member of the Child Rights Alliance, CHI, along with WarChild, is a member of the Conn@ct Now Alliance. With child helpline data and ongoing advocacy efforts at all levels, CHI – together with their Dutch coalition partners – will provide data and information on gaps in the child protection sector to governments and key decision-makers. Stakeholders increasingly look to child helplines as experts and key contributors to assist them in the development and strengthening of their national child protection policies and strategies. Beyond the national level, both coalitions can play an important role within regional and international platforms by coordinating efforts amongst coalition partners to increase the recognition of children’s voices. Key organisations whose work is relevant and complimentary to the Girl Power programme, and with whom we will coordinate are: Action Aid Ghana (AA) operates in Northern Ghana (Upper East and Northern Regions) focusing on poor marginalized people and communities. Action Aid resources the Girl’s Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service to organise residential camps for girls in Junior High Schools in Ghana. The camps promote gender equality, self-esteem and interest in schooling by giving the girls a chance to discuss their issues and interact with role models and mentors. World Vision Ghana (WV) works in rural and marginalized districts in all ten administrative regions in Ghana. Under its gender and development programme, WV trains its staff and identified stakeholders in skills for gender issues and how to address them. WV runs micro-enterprise development programmes which support women entrepreneurs with loans, business management and access to markets. CARE GoG (Gulf of Guinea) targets the most at-risk children including child labourers, girls, and potential victims of child trafficking through education projects and enhancement of family and community life to address poverty. Other civil society organisations that work in Ghana to improve the situation of girls and women include YARO, SAVE Ghana, PAWLA, Christian Mothers, FAMWAG, Plan Ghana, UNICEF, CHALICE, SNV, RAAP, Young Men and Young Women Christian Association (YMCA, YWCA), which focus on youth vocational skills training, and Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), JICA, ORAP, World Vision, and CWSA. There are many local CBO’s focusing on gender and children’s issues in Ghana (but few of these are in the Northern Districts). The Ghanaian Child Right Alliance partners work with many of these organisations and, where relevant and feasible, will continue to do so during the implementation of the Girl Power programme.

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy We will base our actions on the existing Ghanaian legal and institutional framework to hold the government accountable to its commitments to child rights and to raise awareness. In particular, the Ghanaian Government has committed to ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment by signing a number of international agreements (CEDAW 1981, 2004 Solemn Declaration). Priority actions include providing the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) with adequate financial resources and good quality staff to encourage other ministries and local government to mainstream gender into their policies, programs, and budgets. The MOWAC is also working with civil society and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to develop their capacity to monitor and evaluate Ghana’s progress in implementing its gender policies and commitments.

12. 4.2 Ghana Harmonisation 152

The Ghanaian Government is committed to achieving an effective and sustainable improvement in the population’s living conditions by tackling the main causes of poverty. In order to achieve this goal, the Government’s has formulated The Governmental Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). The GPRS specifically mentions expanding enrolment at post-primary levels, promoting gender parity in secondary school enrolment, improving the quality of teaching and learning at all levels, and improving the relevance of post-basic education. It also focuses on increasing representation and participation by women in government with clearer accountability for gender equality outcomes across government

departments and local authorities. Our Girl Power Programme clearly will play a complementary role in achieving these intended results. The Girl Power Programme, with its focus on increasing girls and young women’s participation, will positively contribute to several of these intended improvements in gender equality. The main government policies that the Girl Power Programme will support and adhere to are:

3. http://siteresources.worldbank. org/GHANAEXTN/Resources/ CASGhana.pdf

The National Gender and Children’s Policy 2004 sets the agenda for the development of women and children in Ghana. Its goal is to mainstream gender concerns into the national development process in order to improve the social, legal/civic, political, economic and cultural conditions of the people of Ghana, particularly women and children. MOWAC is the ministry responsible for implementing the policy. It has ten regional directorates to oversee the issues of women and children at the regional level. Also each District Assembly (DA) is required to designate a gender focal person to coordinate implementation at the community level. However this has not been taken seriously by many DAs and only a handful of districts have identified gender desk officers. The implementation of the policy has progressed in some areas and faced constraints in others. The passing of the Human Trafficking Law in 2005 and the Domestic Violence Bill on May 3rd 2007 indicates significant gains in legal reforms. Further, the Ministry held a consultative meeting with relevant government institutions to get inputs on a draft Spousal Property Rights Law. The adoption of the gender responsive budgets approach by Parliament in 2007 came as the result of great efforts by MOWAC. Currently Ghana is piloting the mainstreaming of gender budgeting in three line ministries (agriculture, health and education). Recently MOWAC initiated quarterly policy coordination meetings with gender focal points of line ministries and regional/district coordinators, and it is hoped this will improve information sharing and coordination between MOWAC, line ministries and District Assemblies. As part of the Girl Power programme, partner organisations will work to support MOWAC to achieve the aims of the National Gender and Children’s Policy. The Ghana Child Rights Alliance will meet regularly with MOWAC, and work together in developing child protection policies by providing data, research and case studies, monitoring the elimination of violence against girls and young women, as well as the progress of girls and young women in obtaining economic empowerment.

The National Youth Policy of 1999 was welcomed by many civil society actors, but implementation has been slow. The Girl Power programme will support this policy’s objectives to stimulate empowerment, create equal opportunities and rights for young people and especially girls, and promote sports. To do this, Ghana Child Rights Alliance members will work closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports. The National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) aims to provide jobs for youth. There is, however, no gender focus, within it. This is an opportunity for the Girl Power programme to engage with the Ministry of Manpower Development to address this deficiency. These four policies are the responsibility the MOWAC, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Manpower Development, Youth and Employment. The Ghana Child Rights Alliance has already established good relationships with them.

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors Key partners among the bilaterals in Ghana include Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, and USA. Multilateral donors include the African Development Bank, EU, FAO, IFAD, ILO, Nordic Development Fund, UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO. China and India have also introduced cooperation programs.3 In this section we will highlight the most important of these in relation to our Girl Power programme. The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RDE) plays an important role in defending the equal rights of women in Ghana. On the basis of one of the ‘Schokland’ agreements, the RNE will be involved in the implementation of programmes aimed at reducing domestic violence. In the policy dialogue it will focus on

12. 4.2 Ghana Harmonisation 153

reproductive health (including the relation with Domestic Violence) and its link with HIV/AIDS control (with particular attention for young people). On these points the Child Rights Alliance will align its programme with the programme of the embassy. The Dutch Schokland Programme on TVET “Learn4Work” works outside the areas of this coalition. However collaboration will be sought to strengthen each other programmes. The Child Rights Alliance will collaborate where feasible with DFID to support DFID’s gender objectives which include achieving gender parity in schools; increasing women’s participation in governance structures; reducing gender based violence and discrimination against women; and Improving the impact and quality of policy decisions affecting women. The European Union’s Country Strategy 2008-2013 defines several relevant cross-cutting issues which will benefit the Girl Power Ghana programme: • private sector development and local employment; • decentralization, to improve delivery in rural areas and to increase local accountability; • democracy, good governance, human rights, the rights of the child, the rights of the disabled and the rights of indigenous peoples; • civil society and non-state actors-both for service delivery and social accountability; • gender equality; • decent work principles, notably regarding child labour. The Girl Power programme is a powerful complementary tool to the EU strategy, especially when it comes to strengthening its impact on civil society, gender equality, and the rights of children. The coordinator of the Child Rights Alliance Ghana will regularly meet with representatives of the EU to ensure relevant information exchange and alignment of projects. The World Bank is assisting the government of Ghana in its attempts to reach the MDGs. Part of its strategic focus is on increasing educational access for children in poor districts. But the World Bank concentrates its support mostly via the government; also there is no specific focus on gender, meaning that there is little expected overlap between actions supported by the World Bank and activities that will be implemented in the Girl Power programme. Our efforts should, however, prove to be complementary. Representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel-an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls. A senior associate with Population Council, an international, non profit organisation focused on adolescent girls programming and capacity-building throughout all regions of the developing world, is a member of Women Win’s Advisory Council, which advises on Women Win’s impact research, international guidelines development, and overall programming framework.

12. 4.2 Ghana Harmonisation 154

4.3 Liberia Harmonisation and complementarity

GUINEA

SIERRA LEONE

LOFI GRAND CAPE MOUNT GBARPOLU COTE D’IVOIRE

BOMI MONTSERRADO

LIBERIA

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.3 Liberia Harmonisation and complementarity 5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation In the Netherlands, different Alliances have joined up to form a strategy that will build on their respective added value to ensure the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarity of each other’s programmes throughout the life of the following MFS round, and beyond. These alliances are: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance”, “Woord en Daad/Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, Conn@ct.Now, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance. In the attached MoU (appendix d.) these Alliances state that ‘we work to recognise and efficiently make use of each others strengths and added value, enabling us to create a sustainable forum for synergy and innovation, in countries and on applicable themes.’ This group of Dutch organisations will work with other like-minded organisations to build and strengthen existing child protection systems; to engage in preventative work that enhances a child’s ability to develop to his or her fullest potential; and to eliminate any gaps that limit the growth and well-being of children the world over so that the human rights of all children are met. Of these Alliances the Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation (DCR) is also active in Liberia and regular meetings between the Child Rights Alliance and DCR have taken place to coordinate and align our activities and to discuss possible challenges to implementation.1 DCR will be working in Bong, Montserrado and Margibi Counties and their emphasis is in food and income security and education. The Child Rights Alliance will be working in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Lofa, Montserrado and Gbarpolu Counties with an emphasis on empowering girls and young women (protection, socio-economic development and participation). The only real overlap is therefore to be expected in Montserrado county; here the two consortia will work closely together in lobbying and advocacy work vis-à-vis the government. The two consortia have agreed to work within the government of Liberia policy framework and to cooperate in such a way that both will be seen as much as possible to support that framework. The two consortia, throughout the MFS time period, will continue to meet regularly and share information about relevant issues they may encounter, and share information on local NGO partners, their capacities and capabilities.

1. CARE, Save the Children, ZOA and HealthNet TPO are members of a Development Consortium for Rehabilitation (DCR) based in The Netherlands and have submitted application for the MFS II funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Plan Liberia together with other NGOs is a partner/ organisation of the Child Rights Alliance (Plan Nederland, DCI-ECPAT, Free Voice, Child Helpline International, ICDI and Women Win) that has also submitted application for the MFS II funding. 2. Media Foundation West Africa, PANOS West Africa, West Africa Media Development Fund, Forum for African Investigative Reporting, Ghana Community Radio Network (outreach), Eagle Women Empowerment Club, Abantu for Development Gender Leadership Programme 3. Partnership between Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to foster regional economic collaboration.

APPENDICES: d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

With regard to other Dutch Alliances, we have made contact with the United Entrepreneurship Coalition, comprised of SPARK and BiD Network. SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship so that young and ambitious people are empowered to lead their post-conflict society into prosperity. BiD Network contributes to sustainable economic growth by stimulating entrepreneurship in developing countries. Since 2006, the Child Rights Alliance member Free Voice has supported the establishment of the Liberia Media Center (LMC) and provided journalistic skills training. More recently, funding has been provided for the creation of a Media Complaints Committee. Due to poverty, poor infrastructure and a weak economic situation, media capacity in Liberia remains limited. For that reason, Free Voice intends to work with a small network of competent media development organisations based in the sub-region and with a demonstrated track-record in delivery in challenging environments.2 There is a basis of dedicated Liberiabased journalists, media houses and media institutions to work with (e.g. Centre for Media Studies and Peace Building and Talking Drum Studios). At regional level the Alliance will partner with the Africa Child Policy Forum (ACPF), FAWE, ANPPCAN, the AU, ECOWAS and the Mano River Union3, in policy development and advocacy work and in the sharing of information relevant to the protection and development of children (especially girls).

12. 4.3 Liberia Harmonisation 155

4. Poverty Reduction Strategy Liberia 2008

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy To continue their journey towards gender equality and peace the Liberian authorities have launched the National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The Government has formed the National Gender Based Violence (GBV) Task Force4, as well as a GBV Secretariat within the Ministry of Gender and Development. At the national level the Alliance is a member of the Child Protection Network and collaborates with the National Gender Based Violence (GBV) Task Force, National Child Labour Commission and the National Child Rights Observatory Group. Our participation in these networks is important as they have the potential of influencing policy and practice.

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors The Liberia Child Rights Alliance will work closely with its partners in the Netherlands and the relevant UN agencies in the country in influencing policies and action programmes including the UNDP mass awareness campaign on women’s rights and access to justice. This campaign led to the establishment of Gender-based Violence (GBV) units at the Ministries of Gender and Development and Justice to coordinate and prosecute GBV. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is undertaking a global programme entitled “Supporting Women’s Engagement in Peace building and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict”. Neither of these programs, however, target adolescent girls specifically. The Girl Power programme Liberia is therefore a necessary addition to these two initiatives. There are other significant efforts aimed at girls and young women with whom the Child Rights Alliance will seek to work closely with: • USAID is assisting the Government of Liberia to obtain a Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Country Programme agreement to promote girls’ education. The Liberia Child Rights Alliance is in close contact with Ministry of Education to see where and how our Girl Power programme can be aligned with this initiative. • UNICEF is the cluster lead in Education (co-lead with Save the Children) and is a key player in the coordination of child protection. UNICEF is implementing a joint programme with the Government of Liberia, UN agencies and NGOs in the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence; strengthening the capacity of sub-national administration; and employment and empowerment of young women and men in Liberia and is therefore an important partner of our Child Rights Alliance. We have already established close cooperation with UNICEF and will continue to align our Girl Power programme throughout its life-span with the afore mentioned initiatives of UNICEF and government of Liberia. Our efforts in improving protection of girls against violence and increasing participation of girls and young women will be implemented in such a way that they form a meaningful supplement to the UNICEF programme. A MoU with UNICEF to this end is currently being drafted. • The World Bank, Nike Foundation, Denmark and Liberia launched in 2009 a $2.7 million pilot programme under the Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI), an innovative public-private partnership and a part of the World Bank Group’s Gender Action Plan-Gender Equality as Smart Economics. The pilot aims to smooth the transition from school to productive employment for girls and young women aged 16-24 by helping them complete their education, build skills that match market demand, find mentors and job placements, and by offering incentives to potential employers to hire, retain and train young women. Plan has developed a partnership with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI).

12. 4.3 Liberia Harmonisation 156

Furthermore, members of the Child Rights Alliance have developed substantive relationships with multilateral institutions, global networks and other key actors aligned with the proposed programme’s focus on girls’ rights and gender equality. For example: • Discussions have been initiated between UNIFEM and UNICEF and members of the Child Rights Alliance. We have agreed to explore linkages between us and how the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance can work within the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls globally and with overlapping countries. Currently, the expansion of the work of the Task Force to Liberia is being considered. We will support this by conducting a mapping and planning exercise as a basis for identifying potential partners for the Task Force in Liberia. We will also look for different opportunities to link campaigns, jointly collect data for effective lobbying and advocacy and other activities.. Our CRA partner Women Win has also discussed with UNIFEM globally how UNIFEM country offices can help in the coming years to link women’s rights organisations in country to the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance partners in order to achieve our mutual goals of advancing promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. • The Child Rights Alliance will also be able to link into the work of the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organisations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of: information sharing; contracts; and collaborative initiatives to build a body of research on the positive changes girls can have on their communities and to form a community of like-minded organisations dedicated to girls’ rights. • Representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel-an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls. A senior associate with Population Council, an international, nonprofit organisation focused on adolescent girls programming and capacity-building throughout all regions of the developing world, is a member of Women Win’s Advisory Council, which advises on Women Win’s impact research, international guidelines development, and overall programming framework.

12. 4.3 Liberia Harmonisation 157

4.4 Mali Harmonisation and complementarity

ALGERIA

MAURETANIA

MALI

SENEGAL MOPTI

BAMAKO

NIGER

SEGOU

BURKINA FASO

GUINEA

COTE D’IVOIRE

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.4 Mali Harmonisation and complementarity

Appendices d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative.

5.2.5a. Geographic and thematic harmonisation In the Netherlands, ten Alliances have jointly formed a strategy to build on the added value of each Alliance, which will ensure the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarities of each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmes throughout the life of this MFS round and beyond (see appendix d.). Of these alliances there is one other working in the field of Child Rights (Connect4Change) in Mali, but it focusses on ICT in health, education and economic empowerment and its target group is boys and girls in general. Furthermore, the Child Rights Alliance has discussed possibilities for complementarity and alignment of its Girls Power programme with the initiatives of the WASH coalition (consisting of Simavi, AKVO, AMREF, ICCO, RAIN and Waste). To address the issues created by the migration of girls, the programme will target three regional towns that migrant girls are drawn to. Prevention and awareness raising in the field of education, gender sensitisation and Girls Rights will however also be conducted in the girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home villages the girls. This means that close collaboration will be sought with partners in education, sexual and reproductive rights and life skills training conducted. Regarding the sensitisation of communities and villages, liaison will be made with the CSOs working on FGM/C and this will be integrated into the approaches. Furthermore, training in the production of content for (local) radio for awareness campaigns will raise the effectiveness and scope of the programme. Plan Mali, through its Basic Education Programme, has supported the establishment Mothers of Students Associations in 100 schools which play a role in girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; enrolment and retention in school within the target area. Through advocacy, mediation and advocacy, these associations contribute to behaviour change and community attitude shifts regarding the rights of girls. Other awareness raising actors include the State, raising awareness for girls to be educated and NGOs, including CBOs and community leaders. Few organisations offer exchange services or financial support to families for the education of girls. For the period 2009-2011/2013, the Government has developed the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission on the Rights of the Child in coordination with international organisations (especially UNICEF); (inter) national NGOs (e.g. Plan, SAVE and World Vision), the media sector and key communities stakeholders. This Action Plan incorporates programming and financing based in the health, education and justice sectors and includes key interventions in child rights and well being. However, the Action Plan is not yet fully financed and the integration of possible intervention partners (such as Plan, Save and World Vision) has not been accomplished to date. In terms of Child Right and wellbeing, the Malian Coalition for the Rights of the Child (COMADE) is very active and plays a key role for the Alliance members. The collaboration within this Coalition will enable civil society and local authorities to create a protection mechanism for migrant girls. In addition, CONAFE (The African Coalition of Child Right), CAFO (The Women Associations Coalition in Mali) and Right to Play are active in this field. These civil society organisations have considerable added value in the selected themes as they form part of the Child Rights and Wellbeing framework in Mali. Through the networks best practices will be collected and collaboration will be sought, including socially engaged media. A lack of data and research will provide opportunities to inter-African organisations, such as the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), ANPPCAN and FAWE to engage, as data collection and the exchange of best practice and experience will be shared and discussed during a conference after three years of implementation. This will take place in collaboration with local research institutes.

12. 4.4 Mali Harmonisation 159

1. www.aidharmonization.org/ mali 2. www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ mali

5.2.5b. Relevance within the context of national government policy The Constitution (1960, 1074, 1992), the Work Law, the Law of Social Contingency and the Marriage & Guardianship Law (1962) confirm equality in Mali for everybody without discrimination according to race, sex, religion and ethnic belonging. However, application of the laws has not been respected and women in particular have suffered from discriminatory legal treatment, specifically in relation to repudiation, custody of children and inheritance. Mali ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by an Order dated 20 September 1990, and has signed the CEDAW and the UNCRC without any reservations. However article 13 and 16 of the UNCRC contradict cultural norms in Mali, namely a child is not allowed to speak in presence of an elder or parent. Fortunately actual developments show that the IEC champions and advocacy are effective in enabling the voice of children to be heard to a greater extent. Media targeting youth and giving young people a voice will help overcome this cultural barrier. The Government’s 10 year programmes in Education (PRODEC), health (PRODESS), and Justice (PRODEJ) and the Country Strategic Framework for Development and Poverty Reduction (CSRRP) are promising, but there is a lack of implementation capacity. There is hope that the increased programming foreseen in PRODESS II (Social Services components) will drive a change in child protection. In addition to this, Mali has institutionalised children’s days; the existence of a children’s parliament/government; the creation of community level structures which are in charge of Children’s affairs, and the translation and dissemination of the Convention on the Rights of Children in national languages. New funding mechanisms obtained in 2008 and 2009 (€126 million and USD$6 million from the Global Fund and the World Bank respectively) have strongly improved integrated health programming.1 In addition the Ministry for Social Development and Support of the Aged and the Ministry for Youth Development and Sports have significant roles to play in the realization of child rights. In terms of good practice, it is important to note that the creation of a Ministry in Charge of Women, Children and Family (MCWCF) was an important success in Mali. By creating this Ministry, the Government reinforced its interest in addressing the issues of Women, Children and Family although this Ministry lacks resources. It is evident that there is no policy or legislation to protect the rights of migrant girls. Reform to improve data collection and dissemination is ongoing for all sectors and is promising in the area of children’s rights and well being. However, the current data collection mechanisms are insufficient to ensure the systematic and comprehensive collection of disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data for areas covered in relation to all groups of children by the Convention and the Charter; and in order to monitor and evaluate progress and assess the impact of policies adopted with respect to children. The programme of the Childs Rights Alliance will provide the Government with data and possible interventions as well policy advice. This will seek to improve the government programme on Child Rights as well.

5.2.5.c. Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors The CSLP2 (2007-2011) is the starting point for Netherlands Development Cooperation. The Netherlands focus its supports on the health, education and the economic sectors as well as provision via general budget support. In the health sector, the main focus is on sexual reproductive health and rights. The total budget for 2009 was €55 million. The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) supports the human rights organisation AMDH, also a member of COMADE. The assistance for our programme might be useful regarding lobby and advocacy for legal aid for migrant girls and legislation of labour issues. While the programme makes use of the network RIOV concerning sexual reproductive health and rights, there is no special focus on the migrant girls group. The RNE plays an important role in coordination and harmonisation of all collaborating donors and the Netherlands MFO’s like ICCO, Oxfam/NOVIB, SNV and the PUM programme. Twice yearly consultation meetings are held.

12. 4.4 Mali Harmonisation 160

UNICEF2 activities regarding the Harmful Traditional Practices like FGM/C and early marriage coexist with and complement the programmes of Plan Mali. Synchronisation has lead to changing attitudes

toward female genital mutilation. 42% of men and 58% of women are now in favour of abandoning the practice. Radio broadcasts have been the centrepiece of a national communication campaign to promote education for girls. The programme will continue making use of this media, providing training and producing content targeting girls and young people in general, or giving voice to the target group, creating icons and peers. UNICEF and the World Food Programme have agreed to work jointly to address nutrition, education and HIV/AIDS prevention and response. It should be noted that little information can be found about the problems of migrant girls in policies developed by UN organisations or bilateral donors. The Child Rights Alliance in Mali is developing substansive relationships with UN agencies. Discussions have been initiated between UNIFEM and UNICEF and members of the Child Rights Alliance, and we have agreed to explore linkages between us and how the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights alliance can work within the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls globally and with overlapping countries including Mali. In the coming months, we seek to conduct a mapping and planning exercise around six countries including Mali as a basis for identifying potential partners for the Task Force, and for sharing different opportunities in linking campaigns, collecting data for effective lobbying and advocacy and other activities around our common goals to strengthen cooperation, partnerships, policies and programmes aimed at addressing the needs of adolescent girls. Our Alliance Member Women Win has also discussed with UNIFEM globally how UNIFEM country offices can help in the coming years to link womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights organisations in the country to the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance partners in order to achieve our mutual goals of advancing and promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women.

12. 4.4 Mali Harmonisation 161

4.5 Sierra Leone Harmonisation and complementarity SENEGAL

SIERRA LEONE FREE TOWN WESTERN AREA MOYAMBA DISTRICT

LIBERIA

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

i g

4.5 Sierra Leone Harmonisation and Complementarity 5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation In the Netherlands ten Alliances, including the Child Rights Alliance and the Woord en Daad/Red een Kind Alliance, have jointly formed a strategy that will build on the added value of each alliance to ensure the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarities of each other’s programmes throughout the life of this MFS round and beyond.1 The interventions concerning economic empowerment through stimulating entrepreneurship, in Sierra Leone, of the Woord en Daad/Red een Kind Alliance and the HIVOS-Alliance are in alignment with our programme strategy for the socio-economic empowerment of girls and young women The ‘Conflict Transformation programme’ of Cordaid includes an intervention on child protection and in particular activities related to the Alliance for Child Protection in Sierra Leone, is in alignment with our programme strategy on the elimination of violence against girls and young women. Harmonisation and complementarity have been achieved through close consultations with our mutual partner Defence for Children International - Sierra Leone (DCI-Sierra Leone), who is involved in the child protection alliance together with 8 other local civil society organisations (being Christian Brothers, Srs. St. Joseph of Cluny in Makeni and Koidu, Don Bosco Fambul, Advocacy Movement Network (AMNET), Children and Women Empowerment Society (CWES), Children’s Forum Network (CFN), Community Action for Rural Empowerment (Carem) and CEFN). To monitor the alignment, regular meetings and information exchange will take place between Cordaid and the Sierra Leone Child Rights Alliance.

1. See the MoU ’A child rights initiative’ (appendix d) 2. The other members are Amnesty International, Campaign Against School Violence, Children’s Forum Network (CFN), Christian Brothers, Coalition for Justice and Accountability (COJA), Help A Needy Child International (HANCI), International Rescue Committee (IRC), National Student Assembly, Organisation for Development and Human Rights (ODHR), Peace Links, Pikin to Pikin, Save the Children UK (SCUK), Timap for Justice, WCH (War Child Holland), Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Youth for Christ.

Appendices d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

In order to strengthen the necessary coordination and cooperation at national level regarding child protection interventions by CSOs, Cordaid and the Child Rights Alliance are discussing with DCI-Sierra Leone and other partners the possibility of bringing civil society thematic networks under the ‘umbrella’ of the Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone. This network, currently consists of 19 NGOs including DCI-Sierra Leone (the coalition’s coordinator), Plan Sierra Leone, Christian Brothers, AMNET and CFN (see also below). This coalition is involved in the alternative reporting process to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The National Child Protection Committee is the main governmental forum for coordinating child protection work between governmental and non-governmental actors. With respect to harmonization with interventions of other CSOs in Sierra Leone, our programme’s alignment, both thematically and geographically, has been achieved on the basis of the extensive contextual analysis (including multi-actor analysis and civil society SWOT) conducted by our partners and facilitated by Plan Sierra Leone. This analysis shows that action by civil society to promote girls’ and young women’s rights is very limited, with little or no interventions on issues like access to post-primary education, participation, child marriage, sexual and gender based violence, teenage pregnancy, discrimination of disabled girls and young women. Also, it shows that in general the capacity of civil society is weak and fragmented. At least 30 CSOs are engaged in varying interventions relating to child, gender and/or disability issues, in varying parts of the country. The variaty of CSOs is broad, from international NGO sections to local HR organisations. In order to strengthen the needed coordination and cooperation between CSOs, the Girl Power programme aims to strengthen the capacity of the Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone to include relevant civil society thematic networks under the ‘umbrella’ of the coalition.2 The partners of the Child Rights Alliance are well positioned to lead a thematic network on equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. This is linked to our programme’s aim to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to be effective, and work together in a strategic, coordinated, rights-based approach to promote girls’ and young women’s rights. Moreover, the participation of this thematic network in the Child Rights Coalition Sierra Leone would constitute a strong instrument to monitor and ensure our programme’s alignment. Noteworthy is this regard as well, is the Civil Society Organizations-UNDP Forum. This is a consultative platform of 120 civil society organizations working on human rights and development in Sierra Leone. It meets on a monthly basis to evaluate the overall governance and development affairs, update each other on the work of individual members and on the state of human rights, justice, and rule of law in the country.

12. 4.5 Sierra Leone Harmonisation 163

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy The Sierra Leone Girl Power Programme’s objectives are relevant to national government policy. Sierra Leone is a state party to UNCRC, CEDAW and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Human Rights Commission Sierra Leone became operational in December 2007. Especially in the last five years policies, laws and other measures have been adopted by the Government to address gender inequality and sexual and gender based violence. However, their impact remains limited because they have not been followed up by adequate implementation, enforcement and popularization at national, district, chiefdom and community levels, and too scant financial resources have been allocated for these purposes. Furthermore, action has been concentrated on the Northern and Eastern Provinces while the problems are widespread. Only few measures have been adopted to support disabled persons, including physically disabled girls and young women. There are clear opportunities however, to engage with Government. Realizing the MDGs forms the basis of the Sierra Leone’s Second Poverty Reduction Strategy 2008-2012 (SL-PRSP II) and child and gender issues are prioritized. SL-PRSP II has four strategic priorities including sustaining human development, which focuses on education, social protection including child protection, gender, and promoting (youth) employment. Importantly, it aims at effective delivery of basic social services, including through pushing forward the policy of decentralization and devolution of service delivery functions to local councils. Specific aims in the education sector are: increasing access to and completion of primary schooling, especially for girls and out-of-school children; improving the quality and relevance of primary education; improving capacity to effectively and efficiently deliver education; strengthening the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and improving the management of education records. The Government’s education plan (2007-2015) includes the aim of reducing gender disparities in access to primary and post-primary education. Government programmes granting free tuition, fee subsidies, payment of examination fees and promoting girl child education have increased the number of girls and boys attending primary school. However, girls’ completion rates remain low. As regards gender, cited aims are: • to introduce a temporary affirmative action plan that stipulates a 30% quota for women in elective and appointed positions as recommended by the Beijing Platform for Action and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; • to mainstream gender and establish mechanisms and tools for monitoring and assessing the impact of gender policies, projects, plans, and programs on beneficiaries; • to set up an Independent Gender Commission to promote gender equitable development, undertake focused, evidence-based, action-oriented research and advocacy; • to review all laws, customs, rituals and practices that contribute to the subordination of women in society; • to domesticate CEDAW into Sierra Leonean law; • to devise a national action plan for the implementation of the three Gender laws; to implement the roll out plan of the Child Rights Act, which includes 18 years of age as the minimum age for marriage; • to enact a separate law on gender based violence and to formulate a national agenda/strategy; • to increase micro-credit facilities for women, and provide training in budgetary and implementation matters and to build the capacity of women through education, training and access to capital. The Government established a National Committee on Gender Based Violence in 2007. A Teacher Code of Conduct that aims to address sexual harassment and abuse of girls in schools was adopted in 2009. The aims in the social protection sector include improving child protection services. In accordance with the Child Rights Act 2007, Child Welfare Committees have been established by the government at community and chiefdom levels. However, they are still weak, and absent in many villages and chiefdoms in the country. No family courts have yet been established.

12. 4.5 Sierra Leone Harmonisation 164

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors Sierra Leone’s four principal donors are the European Commission, DFID, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The earlier-mentioned education plan receives funds from the Global Education for All Fast Track Initiative with the support of DFID, UNICEF and the World Bank. Sierra Leone is a signatory to the Paris Declaration and its new Aid Policy provides the framework for aid alignment and harmonisation. Under a Multi-Donor Budget Support Framework involving these donors, coordination among members and with government has improved. The programmes of the European Commission and DFID for the period 2008-2013 have interventions that complement our programme through their support to promote good governance (including reforming state institutions to make them more capable, and greater transparency and accountability in use of public funds); and basic services delivery and human development in the area of basic education.3 In addition, DFID will continue its support to improve access to security and justice in 2010-2013. This is complemented by UNDP’s Access to Justice Project that also addresses women’s access to justice.

3. ‘Sierra Leone - European Community Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programme for the period 2008-2013’ (EC, 2007); ‘Sierra Leone Country Brief’; 2009, (World Bank, 2010) DFID, ‘Sierra Leone: Key Facts’ (DFID, 2009)

Sierra Leone is included in the DFID Africa Gender Equality Action Plan 2009-2012. It includes objectives that relate to our programme: more girls starting and completing secondary education; more prosecutions on gender based violence with focus on Domestic Violence Act 2007; establishing informed public debate on FGM/C. Activities to reach the latter two objectives include working with civil society organizations. This work has not yet started in full and we have started the process of achieving cooperation with DFID Sierra Leone. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) guides the current UN programmes in Sierra Leone, which focus on: (i) poverty reduction and reintegration; (ii) human rights and reconciliation; (iii) good governance, peace and stability; and (iv) economic recovery. In the case of governance, the UNDP is the lead agency in supporting the 2007 elections and monitoring and evaluation of the government’s poverty-reduction targets together with the European Commission (EC) and DFID. The UNDP and other UN agencies are enhancing the EC and DFID programmes on civil service reform and decentralization (see above). UNDAF gives high priority to improving food production and youth development. In the area of human resource development, UNICEF is supporting development of the education system, as well as action on water and sanitation, and maternal and child health. In December 2005 the mandate of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) expired. The focus of UN engagement changed from peacekeeping to peace building with the establishment of the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) to assist the government in further consolidating peace and national stability. In August 2008 the UN Security Council subsequently established the United Nations Integrated Peace building Office in Sierra Leone. UNIPSIL provides political advice to foster peace and political consolidation, offering support and training to the national police and security forces, and building the capacity democratic institutions in furtherance of good governance and the promotion and protection of human rights. On 15 September 2009 the Security Council extended the mandate of UNIPSIL until 30 September 2010. UNICEF Sierra Leone’s child protection programme is aligned with our programme strategy on the elimination of violence against and young women. UNICEF’s programme has three aims: improving the legal and policy frameworks for the protection of all children; enhancing capacity of systems and structures for protection of children; increasing the knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. According to UNICEF Sierra Leone, civil society is one of its key partners in reaching the objectives of its child protection programme. Our programme contributes by strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations, including technically (knowledge on the components of (gender sensitive) child protection systems), to work together with UNICEF Sierra Leone in implementing its programme, and to ensure that measures specifically relating to girls are incorporated. In 2009 the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs developed a National Referral Protocol for child protection service provision, with the support of UNICEF Sierra Leone and NGOs including our partner DCI-Sierra Leone. Several trainings have been conducted for health and social workers on how to use the protocol all over the country.

12. 4.5 Sierra Leone Harmonisation 165

NIGER

4.6 Togo Harmonisation and complementarity BURKINA FASO

BENIN

TCHAOUDIO TCHAMBA SOTOUBOUA ESTMONO

BLITTA

GHANA NIGERIA

TOGO

LOME

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.6 Togo Harmonisation and Complementarity 5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation Dutch Alliances In the Netherlands, ten Alliances have jointly formed a strategy that will build on the added value of each alliance to ensure the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarities of each other’s programmes throughout the life of the this MFS II round and beyond.1 To harmonise and coordinate the activities in Togo among others, the triple MoU with T4C and ACPF was signed.2 The T4C is the only other Dutch Alliance active in Togo through its member SOS Children’s Villages Togo. T4C and the Child Rights Alliance share the objective of improving the situation of vulnerable children. Both engage in strengthening child rights systems and mechanisms, but both place their focus on different areas and complementary approaches. Whereas T4C focuses in particular on the child, family and community level improving the lives of children, the Child Rights Alliance in Togo targets four categories3 to support gender equity in compliance with its theory of change, strengthening also national NGOs and lobbying and advocacy at national level.

1. See the MoU in appendix d for details of the alliances involved and the strategy 2. See appendix f. 3. Civil society level; Institutional level; Socio-cultural level; and Individual level. 4. ‘For the Price of a Bike: Child Trafficking in Togo’ (Plan 2005),

Appendices d. f.

Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / Together4Change Alliance / ACPF

The Child Rights Alliance in Togo concentrates its activities in Lomé and the Plateaux and Centrale regions, while T4C operates in Vogan and the Northern regions of Kara and Savanes, thus together covering all regions. When developing their programmes the Child Rights Alliance in Togo and the T4C uncovered areas for direct cooperation to be further explored and developed in the coming period. An important area is joint national lobby and advocacy on children’s issues through The Forum of Children’s Rights Organisations (FODDET). This network will receive capacity strengthening through the Child Rights Alliance in Togo, enhancing the capacity of their members for lobby, including the local T4C partner who participates in the Réseau des Structures d’accueil des enfants vulnerables au Togo (RESAEV) network, one of the nine thematic networks within FODDET. Other direct collaboration consists of exchanging information on trends and developments at the alliances’ particular levels and regions; exchange of contacts and networks; and sharing of resources in such areas as training and child rights awareness raising.

Civil society organisations in the country The members of the Child Rights Alliance in Togo participate in different committees, especially the Child Protection Committee in which CSOs as well as international NGOs among others share programmes and policy documents and undertake common activities. In the process of developing the proposed programme, actions of these actors were taken into account. In particular, Save the Children supports the members of FODDET too, but activities were carefully harmonized. The same applies to Save’s support to WAO Afrique in building capacity on gender based violence, which was as well vigilantly synchronized. A systematic search took place to identify CSOs working on child rights who are not part of established coalitions. The activities of fifteen identified organisations were then reviewed, analyzed and assessed to ensure complementarity. However, since over a hundred CSOs in Togo are working on child protection, this overview may not be fully comprehensive.4

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy The members of the Child Rights Alliance in Togo collaborate especially with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Promotion of Women and Protection of Children and Elderly Persons on a regular basis. They share programmes and policy documents and in the process of developing the Girl Power programme, representatives of the Ministries concerned with education, child protection and gender were present at the programme development workshop ensuring alignment and harmonisation of the programme with Government initiatives. The Child Rights Alliance in Togo will base their actions on the legal and institutional framework existing in Togo to hold the Government accountable and raise awareness. In particular, the Togolese government ratified the UNCRC, CEDAW, ACRWC, ILO Conventions 138 and 182, UNTOC and The Hague Convention on inter-country adoption. Children’s rights are covered in Togo’s constitution of 1992 and the Children’s

12. 4.6 Togo Harmonisation 167

5. ‘Togo PRSP 2009-2011 (IMF, 2010, pg 75) 6. Idem

Code of 2007, such as the right to education, to development and child protection in schools. Togo further elaborated policies on child protection and gender equality. Child rights violations, such as early marriage and child trafficking, are criminalised by law. Furthermore, in March 2008 Togo adopted its Interim PRSP, allowing the country once again to benefit from international financial cooperation. In November 2008 the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative decision point was reached, and the country is expected to attain the completion point at the end of 2010. This will significantly reduce the national debt burden and free up fiscal space considerably. It will also open the door to new multilateral and bilateral resources, which will be critical in financing Togo’s poverty reduction strategy, now progressed into a full PRSP 2009-2011. The Togolese Government is committed to achieving an effective and sustainable improvement in living conditions by tackling the main causes of poverty. In order to achieve this goal, the Government’s PRSP 2009-2011 identifies four main strategic pillars for action: improved governance; consolidating the foundations of strong and sustainable growth; the development of human capital; and a reduction in regional imbalances alongside the promotion of community development. Cutting across these pillars are issues such as the environment, HIV/AIDS, gender and human rights. The proposed programme fits coherently into the ‘development of human capital’ pillar. In this area, the Government aims to develop an effective response to basic needs issues amongst the Togolese population: namely: food, water and sanitation, education, health etc. Activities identified within the PRSP will therefore focus on improving the nutritional level of the general population, developing the health system and health services; improving access to safe water and to sanitation infrastructure; promoting the education and training system; and promoting gender equity and social protection. With regard to promoting gender equity, the Government has a stated commitment to reducing violence against women and children. Its Ministry of Social Affairs, Promotion of Women and Protection of Children and Elderly Persons has consequently formulated policies around child protection and gender equality. The Ministry’s General Directorate for Child Protection and the General Directorate of Gender and Women’s Promotion are responsible for the implementation of these policies, and for the strengthening of local governance and grassroots development support structures in preventing violence against girls and young women and providing protection mechanisms. The Ministry is very committed but severely lacks human and financial resources. At the programme development workshop of April 2010, areas of focus and strategies to be supported by the proposed programme were agreed with Ministry officials in line with the Ministry’s own policies, including a focus on strengthening civil society and local community structures. Partners made a commitment to lobbying for increased government prioritization and a strengthened budget for child protection and gender equity. To address imbalances between boys and girls in education, the Government’s poverty reduction strategy intends to: “establish equitable access, retention, and completion mechanisms at all levels of the education system. This will require improving the school map to ensure better access for girls at all levels, raising awareness to ensure that girls remain in secondary school and higher education, promoting a policy of steering girls towards scientific and technical studies, and advocating for gender-sensitive updating of the education, training, and literacy policy”.5 The Government also has a stated intention to “ensure that the different needs of girls and boys, and men and women, are taken into account in the education, training, and literacy sector. This means developing an information system on the relative status of girls and boys in the school system, strengthening the capacity of education sector staff and planners in the area of gender, integrating gender into training curricula, and taking into account the specific needs of girls and persons living with disabilities in the school infrastructure”.6 In addition, the Government formulates specific priorities for the first and second cycle of general secondary education, as well as technical education and vocational training. At the programme development workshop identified above, the Togo Child Rights Alliance and Ministry of Education officials agreed that the following areas would be addressed by the programme, in order to best fit with government’s initiatives. These are: an improved school map, transition from primary to secondary school and gender sensitive education.

12. 4.6 Togo Harmonisation 168

In addition to the strategies cited above, the PRSP 2009-2011 also reflects the Government’s stated intention “to support women’s associations and undertake specific actions to modify the cultural, social, and political norms and the distribution of political and economic power so as to promote equality between men and women”.7 The Government believes that youth are key actors in the socioeconomic, cultural, and political transformations underway in Togo. Accordingly there is a clear objective to “promote a strong match between training and employment for youth; to provide a cultural, sports, and socio-educational framework (including socio-educational youth centres) necessary for youth to blossom; to provide quality education to youth, including youth with disabilities, and facilitate their access to ICTs; improve the health status of youth in a healthy environment; to reduce inequalities between young boys and young girls as regards access to decision-making; to implement an HIV/AIDS prevention and control plan; and to develop and implement an insurance plan for the unemployed.8 At the program development workshop identified above, it was also agreed that the programme will support the government’s objective of social inclusion for children and gender equality through strengthening CSOs and CBOs to include children, especially girls, in their organisations as well as supporting children, especially girls, in creating clubs and committees to participate in decision making at different levels.

7. Idem, pg 76 8. Idem pg 77 9. AFD, annual report 2009, pg 75 10. ‘Accelerating efforts to advance the rights of adolescent girls’ (UN Joint Statement, March 2010)

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors After nearly two decades of very limited external assistance, Togo now enjoys the full support of its traditional international co-operation partners. A relatively well-organised aid co-ordination mechanism exists in Togo to harmonise and align all the different partnerships and initiatives, as well as to avoid duplication and overlap. This includes thematic groups and technical sector committees which involve State agencies/ Ministries, UN agencies, international and local NGOs and CSOs. Members of the Child Rights Alliance in Togo participate in these committees where relevant. The programme development workshop of April 2010 ensured that the strategies developed fully complement and align with Government initiatives and those of relevant bilateral and multilateral institutions.

Bilateral aid and other bilateral donors There is no structural bilateral development cooperation agreement between Togo and the Netherlands; rather, Togo is supported through the Dutch contribution to multilateral institutions and occasional contributions to humanitarian assistance. The activities of the Dutch consulate in Togo have been reassigned (temporarily) to the embassy in Ghana. Other major bilateral donors such as CIDA, DFID, SIDA, NORAD, GTZ and USAID currently do not operate programmes in Togo, although there is a possibility that GTZ may re-start operations. French cooperation (AFD) has however been active in both project and budget support.

Multilateral donors Togo’s largest donor is the European Union (EU), who is active in supporting infrastructural and agricultural development, as well as governance improvements. Increasingly, the EU is engaging with budget support mechanisms. The main objectives of the EC-Togo Country Strategic Plan 2008-2013 are to strengthen the rule of law and democracy and increase respect for basic freedoms. Macroeconomic support is provided to help support relations with the international financial institutions, in order that Togo can benefit from external debt relief under the HIPC initiative. Budgetary support aims to help improve the macroeconomic environment and strengthen the management of public finance. Finally, EC operations under the 10th European Development Fund include support for civil society initiatives. The AFD and EU collaborate closely and even share management responsibilities.9 In terms of multilateral institutions, the World Bank, IMF and UNDP are active in Togo. Agencies such as the ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM and WHO work jointly in the UN Inter-Agency ask Force on Adolescent Girls (UNIATFAG) and recently agreed to intensify their efforts on the realization of the rights of adolescent girls.10 Over the next 5 years these partners will support developing countries to advance key policies and programmes that empower the hardest-to-reach adolescent girls, particularly those aged 10-14 years. They will focus on the education of adolescent girls, health improvements, freedom from violence, the promotion of leadership, and on collecting, analyzing and using data on adolescent girls to better advocate for, develop and monitor evidence-based policies and programmes that advance girls’; well-being and help realize their rights.

12. 4.6 Togo Harmonisation 169

4.7 Ethiopia Harmonisation and complementarity

ERITREA

DIJBOUTI AMHARA

ADDIS ABABA

OROMIYA

SUDAN

ETHIOPIA

SNNPR

SOMALIA KENYA

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.7 Ethiopia Harmonisation and complementarity

1. Appendix e: MoU – Child rights Alliance – SRSH Alliance – IMPACT Consortium

Appendices

5.2.5a. Geographic and thematic harmonisation There are 10 Dutch Alliance partners working in Ethiopia. Like-minded Alliances working on children’s issues have met to discuss harmonisation and complementarity of their efforts. These Alliances are: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance“, “Woord en Daad/ Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, “The Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance”. In the attached MoU (appendix d.) these Alliances state that ‘We work towards recognizing and efficiently making use of each others strengths and added value, enabling us to create a sustainable form for synergy and innovation, in countries and on applicable themes.’

From joint engagement and information-sharing, it was apparent that other alliances are either working at the community level, with specific target groups such as disabled people or more general in the education, health or economic sector. While most alliances operate through contacts with churches and religious leaders in particular, the Child Rights Alliance will have a broad focus and outreach at national level. Discussions on geographical coverage found that there was considerable coherence at regional level, with most Alliances working in the same areas (Amhara, Oromyia and SNNPR). However, there is very diverse coverage in terms of targeted zones, woredas and towns – meaning that there was very little actual overlap. For Ethiopia the Child Rights Alliance has also signed a triple MoU with the SRHR Alliance and IMPACT Consortium1, although at the moment they are only working in the Afar region. The Child Rights Alliance has also signed a triple MoU with Together4Change and ACPF (appendix f.). The T4C and the Child Rights Alliance share the objective of improving the situation of vulnerable children. Both engage in strengthening child rights systems and mechanisms, but each places their focus on different areas though complementary approaches are applied. Whereas T4C focuses in particular at the child, family and community levels in working to improve the lives of children, the Child Rights Alliance in Ethiopia targets four categories1 to support gender equity in compliance with its Theory of Change2, working also to strengthen national NGOs and lobbying and advocacy at national level. We will also align our Girl Power programme with the WASH alliance programme (consisting of Simavi; AKVO; AMREF; ICCO; RAIN; WASTE). A directory of programmes for rural girls in Ethiopia published by the Population Council in 2008, identifies 59 organisations involved in different types of interventions to address the issues facing girls from a rural background. Most of these organisations are either local NGOs, International NGOs or women’s associations such as Ethiopian Women Lawyer Association (EWLA). These organisations are largely involved in creating access to education and job opportunities, and in the protection of girls from violence. EWLA is working on cases of rape and abduction and legal aid assistance. Notwithstanding the new NGO legislation, there are opportunities for civil society groups to be involved in policy dialogue, for instance in PRSP discussions, oversight groups (at the request of donors).

Idr’s, whose traditional purpose was to provide burial costs through monthly contributions, exist in every village and are seen as the strongest form of indigenous civil society organisation. Idr’s are constituted organisations and are supported by local NGO’s to provide additional support in order that volunteers can be coordinated, awareness sessions can be run and HIV-AIDS sufferers can be supported in engaging in community activities. An Idr may help locally with money, home care and medical care in some cases. Aside from Women’s Associations, these CBOs generally represent the most effective entry points for reaching communities. The organisation Tsotawi Tekat Tekelakay Mahiber (TTTM - the Organisation Against Gender-based Violence) runs a safe house for victims of gender-based violence in a nondescript neighbourhood of the capital. The Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa provides medical care and treatment for poor women and 12. 4.7 Ethiopia Harmonisation 171

2. www.mfa.nl (Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken) 3. 2008, European Commission, Country strategic paper and Indicative Programme for the period 2008-2013

girls suffering from childbirth and related injuries, and aims to rehabilitate them to the point where they can be integrated back into their society with dignity and a sense of self-worth.

5.2.5b. Relevance within the context of national government policy The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) has formulated several laws and policies to promote gender equality. Article 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, in particular, seeks to promote gender equality and increase participation and empowerment of women in political, economical, social and cultural issues by clearly stipulating the rights of women and promoting the mainstreaming of gender in all its development policies and strategies. The national Economic Reform policy formulated in 1992 also aimed to promote economic development and improve the living standard of the most vulnerable sections of the society, particularly women. This policy ensured equal rights of agricultural land use, and the involvement and participation of women in agricultural extension services. The National Plan of Action for Children aims to complement development objectives in all key sectors, including efforts towards the achievement of the MDGs. This plan focuses on providing quality education; health facilities; clean water and sanitation; food and nutrition; combating HIV/ AIDS; and protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence. The plan is comprehensive and targets children in especially difficult circumstances. A further supporting policy initiative is the National Plan on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (2006-2010). The plan has four major areas of intervention: prevention; protection; rehabilitation and reintegration; and coordination and monitoring. The participation of children is treated as a crosscutting issue. If implemented effectively, this plan provides a robust framework for the protection of children from violence and exploitation. Lack of human and financial resources, however, continue to hinder good results and inputs of civil society is, if possible, are only on conditions of the government. The establishment of the children’s parliament is an important component of child participation strategy. The children’s parliaments serve as a platform where issues directly or indirectly affecting children are discussed openly by children. The Ethiopian ombudsman and the Ministry of Women’s affairs have formally recognised the Children’s Parliaments as genuine partners for the realisation of child rights in the country. Members of the children’s parliaments were active in the preparation of the national Positive Child Disciplining manual.

5.2.5.c. Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) prioritises Good Governance and Democracy in its development programming in Ethiopia, as well as the achievement more broadly of the MDGs.2 Support is also provided to the health, education and economic development (livelihood) sectors. The total allocation in 2010 is €40 million. Within the education sector the focus of support is given to the UNICEF programme GEQIP, which will run until 2015. Other donors in this programme are the World Bank, DFID, Italy and Finland. A pilot programme on Learning for Work is being operated by Edukans in five countries with the support of the RNE, including Ethiopia. Development cooperation in higher education is given shape with support from the NUFFIC Institute; and agricultural resource management support is provided by Alamayu University. The RNE organises biannual meetings with the Ethiopian partners of the Dutch NGO’s. The selection of the regions for the Child Rights Alliance programme was discussed and aligned with the RNE and was chosen since experience in at least reasonably accessible districts was preferred above inaccessible arid areas. The EC’s indicative financial allocation for Ethiopia, totals € 644 million in programmable funds plus € 30 million for unforeseen needs.3 The EC’s contribution to the Response Strategy is built around Transport and Regional Integration, Rural Development and Food Security, and Macro-Economic Support and Governance. Therefore, no collaborative actions are foreseen. 12. 4.7 Ethiopia Harmonisation 172

UNDP in Ethiopia works to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving the development goals as defined in The Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty (PASDEP).4 The PASDEP was formulated based on the needs assessment processes surrounding the MDGs and is fully aligned with the global effort to achieve the MDGs. The Country Programme Document, as well as the Country Programme Action Plan of UNDP Ethiopia, is designed to support PASDEP and is in line with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2007 - 2010) to ensure optimal coherence and coordination of the assistance provided by various UN agencies.

4. 2006, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED), Ethiopia: Building on Progress; a Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP) 2005/62009/10., Addsis Abeba 5. 2008.UNIFEM report, EC/UN participation gender equality for development and peace. 6. idem

UNDP’s key interventions in the country are taking place in the following areas: Reducing poverty and working towards the achievement of the MDGs; deepening democratic governance; addressing the HIV/ AIDS epidemic; and food security, recovery and natural resources management. Gender equality and Information and Communication Technology are cross cutting issues across the above areas. The national Harmonisation Action Plan for gender was drafted in 20055, but post-election violence that year delayed its finalisation. Efforts to implement the plan are now under way within the framework of the implementation of the multi-donor Protection of Basic services (PBS) programme. Donor coordination on gender is undertaken under the UN Gender Working Group, which is chaired by UNFPA as well as the Development Assistance Group’s Thematic Working Group on Gender. Information to allow an assessment of the role and impact of both mechanisms needs to be explored further. UNIFEM’s report assesses gender progress in five African countries and concludes for Ethiopia as follows: The usual funding mechanism for gender equality initiatives utilizes project aid earmarked for specific initiatives. Although some donor-supported programs can be quite comprehensive, such as the provision of basic services in Ethiopia, which includes gender equality priorities, it is often the small stand-alone projects supported by some donors that have generally addressed issues of women’s empowerment.6 It is on the area of girls and women’s empowerment that we expect to make an important contribution.

12. 4.7 Ethiopia Harmonisation 173

4.8 Malawi Harmonisation and complementarity TANZANIA

NORTHERN

ZAMBIA

Lake Nyasa CENTRAL

MALAWI

MOZAMBIQUE

SOUTHERN

ZIMBABWE

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Child Rights Declarationâ&#x20AC;?

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

4.8 Malawi Harmonisation and complementarity

Appendices d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium

5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation Like-minded Alliances working on children’s issues have joined up to agree the harmonisation and complementarity of their efforts. These Alliances are: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance”, “Woord en Daad/Red een Kind”, “ICCO Alliance”, “Connect4Change”, Conn@ct.Now, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance. In the attached MoU (appendix d) these Alliances state that ‘we work towards recognizing and efficiently making use of each others strengths and added value, enabling us to create a sustainable forum for synergy and innovation, in countries and on applicable themes.’ Of these alliances, apart from the Child Rights Alliance, ICCO, Woord en Daad/Red een Kind and Connect4Change intend to work in Malawi. In addition, the alliances of Cordaid, HIVOS and SRHR will also work in Malawi. Addressing gender based violence and sexual reproductive health rights are overlapping thematic issues within all these Alliances. The Child Rights, ICCO and the SRHR Alliances all have sexual and reproductive health as a theme. ICCO and Cordaid have Maternal Health/Safe motherhood as overlapping issue. The Child Rights Alliance and the HIVOS programme on Expression and Engagement may overlap on radio programmes and a coordinated effort which will be further explored. Regarding geographic overlap, the Child Rights Alliance and ICCO both work in Lilongwe district. The Child Rights Alliance, HIVOS and Cordaid are all working in Zomba district; there is additionally some some partner and target group overlap. The Alliances have met and discussed opportunities for cooperation and joint learning. Suggestions include organising workshops/conferences in Malawi on children’s rights by the Child Rights Alliance and on sexuality education by the SRHR Alliance. We have agreed to meet once a year in Malawi and once a year in the Netherlands. Opportunities for synergies have also been discussed in order to strengthen and complement approaches to eliminating of gender based violence and to share technical capacity building activities for partners in Malawi. The WASH alliance will also work in Malawi and we share a keen interest in the rights of women and girls and their empowerment to claim these rights. In the area of WASH, Plan offices at country level are involved in harmonisation efforts through annual stakeholder workshops. In Malawi, Plan is an implementing partner in the WASH Alliance. In the Netherlands, harmonisation takes place through the NGO Platform, of which Plan and all WASH Alliance members are active member. In the area of gender, the WASH Alliance can seek support of the Child Rights Alliance in the area of gender and women’s rights at country level. Furthermore, in Malawi, the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Alliance and IMPACT Consortium have also agreed to coordinate with the Girl Power Child Rights Alliance and signed an MoU agreeing that information will be shared, matching will take place and wherever relevant, joint activities will be undertaken in the areas of: • life skills activities and training on SRHR in schools; • sexuality education at extra-curricular clubs such as children clubs, sports clubs of the Child Rights Alliance; • awareness-raising activities in communities to change the attitudes and behaviours of communities related to harmful traditional practices; • contributing towards the improvement of legislation regarding access to SRHR education and services for people, particularly girls and young women. In Lilongwe the Malawi Child Rights Alliance is part of all the national networks addressing children’s, women’s and human rights, including the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) and the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN). In Zomba, the Alliance is part of the child protection committee which has members from local NGOs, International NGOs and the Government. The local and International

12. 4.8 Malawi Harmonisation 175

NGOs that are members of the committee include Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), Dignitas International, SAFE and UNICEF. The Government side is represented by the Ministry of Health, Police, Courts and Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development. The committee holds quarterly meetings to share reports on various forms of child abuse cases encountered and action taken. The committee also discusses ways of improving service delivery in child protection and strengthening referral services within the district. In Mangochi, there is a child protection committee although this has a low profile and is largely ineffective. It has members from both local NGOs such as YONECO and Malawi Childrens’ Village (MCV) and the Government line Ministries on child protection. One of the alliance members, YONECO, established an office in Rumphi district in 2006 and will open another office in Karonga in July 2010. In the two districts, there are organisations involved in child rights and protection that would potentially work with YONECO in the programme. Notable organisations in both districts include World Vision International and the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE). The programme will also help in the formation of district child protection committees in order to harness efforts in child rights and protection among different stakeholders.

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy The Government of Malawi fully recognises that no meaningful sustained development can take place without the full, equal and active involvement and participation of girls and young women. The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi states that the State shall actively promote the welfare and development of the Malawian people by progressively adopting and implementing policies and legislation aimed at achieving among other goals, gender equality. The mission of the Ministry of Gender, Child Welfare and Community Services is to facilitate the socio-economic empowerment of women, men, girls and boys to enable them to become self-reliant and active participants in the process of national development through community based approaches. The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy 2006-2011 (MDGS) also recognises that human development is important if the country is to achieve its economic growth and development agenda. Under the sub-theme Gender, the MGDS cites the overall priority goal as to mainstream gender into the national development process to enhance the participation of women and men, girls and boys for sustainable and equitable development. Key strategies include undertaking affirmative measures to include women in decision-making positions; and the promotion of advocacy for gender equality. As a result, the Malawi government has in place a Gender Policy and a Ministry that addresses issues affecting women and children (Section 13). Gender is not a stand-alone subject; as such, the achievement of Government’s goals and outcomes will very much depend on mainstreaming gender issues across all the sectors. Key strategies include; • Strengthening the institutional capacity for the effective co-ordination of the gender policy implementation; • Taking affirmative action to increase women and children’s roles as decision makers at the higher levels of both the public and private sectors; and • Promoting gender equality through advocacy.

12. 4.8 Malawi Harmonisation 176

As a way of promoting women in politics and decision making positions the Government launched a national Programme for Increasing the Representation of Women in Parliament and Local Government in 2008. In the 2009 elections, a record 42 women were elected to the house of Parliament representing 27%. The implementation of the gender equality activities are guided by the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MDGS) which also seeks to address gender by integrating targeted programmes for women to enable them to be part of economic growth; these include targeted programmes for business development and micro-finance. The strategy for gender directly targets mainstreaming gender into the programmes of Government and disaggregates information by gender. The Malawi Government has also put in place programmes and policies that to ensure that boys and girls have equal access to education. There are additional national plans for gender and young people in Malawi to further children’s rights such as the Policy and Investment Framework of the Ministry of Education, Early Childhood development

Policy, Orphans and vulnerable Children Policy, the Gender policy, and the joint programme of work by Ministry of Health (2004-2010). There are currently efforts to develop the national plan of action for children and this exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development under the auspices of UNICEF.

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors There is very little Dutch bilateral aid to Malawi, however there are a number of large donors with which the Alliance will cooperate to ensure complimentarily. Many of these donors are present in the same networks as the Alliance Members and through sharing plans and discussing strategies, the Alliance will look for opportunities for cooperation and harmonisation. • The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2008-2011 highlights the importance of addressing gender inequalities. Their planned key outcomes under their Gender component are to: enhance women’s access to property and productive resources; advocate for sexual and reproductive rights of women; enhance girl’s school enrolment and retention and; stimulate women’s participation in leadership and decision making. More specifically UNDP, under its capacity development for political governance component, is supporting the capacity development of Malawi’s legislature and constitutional bodies to enable them to fulfil their mandates, to protect and promote human rights and to meet international obligations. UNDP is also supporting increased access to justice, the rule of law and human rights and more meaningful participation and involvement in development and decision making, especially by women and other disadvantaged groups and the civil society organisations. • The World Bank focuses on agriculture and rural development, specifically on; infrastructure (including water and irrigation); public sector management and governance. They also contribute to HIV and AIDS, education and disaster risk reduction. • DFID specifically aims to promote gender equality through support in four focus areas: reducing maternal mortality; achieving parity in girls’ and boys’ primary school completion rates; increased access to local level justice for women and better gender monitoring through national monitoring systems. They have also developed a gender equality action plan for 2009-2012. Their objectives are: increased access for more women to agricultural inputs and small livestock through targeted programmes; higher primary education completion rates for girls; fewer women dying in childbirth and fewer passing on HIV/AIDS through better access to health care services; a reduction in number of women that have to walk far distances to collect safe potable water; more women claiming rights under existing legislation; increased reporting to police of gender based violence and; stronger gender analysis undertaken by government statistical services. • UNICEF is supported specifically by DFID to promote access to primary justice and address sexual and gender based violence. • 10th European Development Fund of the EU, and new country strategy paper has a budget of €350 million 2008-13. Up to 90% will be spent on the focal sectors and 10-20% will be spent on the non focal sectors which gender is a part of. • NORAD focuses on health, general budget support, agriculture, strengthening government, civil society and gender issues. They have a budget of $45 million a year. • USAID has a budget of $ 40 million a year. 50% of all expenditure is in health, particularly addressing HIV and AIDS. Smaller programmes in: education; governance; economic growth, food security, financial sector and micro credit; and building capacity for humanitarian assistance. Members of the Child Rights Alliance have developed substantive relationships with multi-lateral institutions, global networks and other key actors aligned with the proposed programme’s focus on girls’ rights and gender equality. For example: • Discussions have been initiated between UNIFEM and UNICEF and members of the Child Rights Alliance, and we have agreed to explore linkages between us and how the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights alliance can work within the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls globally and with overlapping countries including Malawi. In the coming months, we seek to conduct a mapping and planning exercise around six countries including Malawi as a basis for identifying potential partners for the Task Force, and for sharing different opportunities in linking campaigns, collecting

12. 4.8 Malawi Harmonisation 177

data for effective lobbying and advocacy and other activities around our common goals to strengthen cooperation, partnerships, policies and programmes aimed at addressing the needs of adolescent girls. Our Alliance Member Women Win has also discussed with UNIFEM globally how UNIFEM country offices can help in the coming years to link women’s rights organisations in the country to the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights Alliance partners in order to achieve our mutual goals of advancing and promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women. • The Child Rights Alliance will also link into the work of the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organisations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of: information sharing; contracts; and collaborative initiatives in order to build a body of research on the positive changes girls can have on their communities and to form a community of like-minded organisations dedicated to girls’ rights. • Plan has developed a partnership with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI), which focuses on smoothing transitions from school to productive employment for girls and young women. • Representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel—an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls. A senior associate with Population Council, an international, nonprofit organisation focused on adolescent girls programming and capacity-building throughout all regions of the developing world, is a member of Women Win’s Advisory Council, which advises on Women Win’s impact research, international guidelines development, and overall programming framework.

12. 4.8 Malawi Harmonisation 178

4.9 Mozambique Harmonisation and complementarity TANZANIA

COMOROS ZAMBIA

CABO DELGADO

AW I NAMPULA

MOZAMBIQUE MANICA

SOFALA

ZIMBABWE

IMHAMBANE GAZA SOUTH AFRIKA

MAPUTO

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

MADAGASKAR

4.9 Mozambique Harmonisation and complementarity I Geographic and thematic complementarity1 Civil society, with a focus on child protection and gender equity, continues to grow in Mozambique. Key actors include: the Women’s Coalition (which won a hard-fought victory in the crucial reform of the Family Law); the Mozambican Human Rights League, MULEIDE (‘Women, Law and Development’), Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), Southern African Network against Trafficking and Abuse of Children (SANTAC) and Forum Mulher (which address rights violations of girls and women and works to improve the socio-economic and political position of (young) women in Mozambique). Recently a Civil Society Child Rights Network (ROSC) is established; plus the African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect-Mozambique, the Youth National council (an umbrella of national youth organisations which strives to improve young people’s participation in decision making processes). Many international NGOs are present in the country such as Oxfam (which strives among others, to increase girls’ access to basic education and increase women’s voice in decision-making in respectively, in Zambézia and Niassa province); In collaboration with the UNDP and Agha Khan Foundation (AGF), the Alliance’s Southern partner Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Comunidade (FDC), carried out a civil society mapping and capacity assessment in Mozambique in 2007 (along the lines of CIVICUS Civil Society Index). The report concluded that the Mozambican civil society is generally weak in several key dimensions, including its structures (limited human and financial resources), operating environment (hindrance of exercise of citizen’s rights, an undemocratic state and inefficient bureaucracy), values (transparency, gender equity and diversity); and it faces considerable challenges in terms of capacity building, so as to contribute in the best way possible in the efforts of national development. Any improvement in the dimensions of structure and environment needs to be accompanied by the promotion of values such as participatory democracy, inclusivity, transparency, tolerance, and non-violence. This will in turn increase society’s confidence in civil society and improve the currently low levels of impact of civil society on governance and fundamental developmental challenges in the country.2

1. In the Netherlands, ten Child Protection Alliances signed a harmonization declaration. However, apart from the Child Rights Alliance, none of the other participating alliances will be active in Mozambique. 2. 2007, Mozambican Civil Society Within: Evaluation, Challenges, opportunities and Action, FDC http://www.civicus.org/new/ CSI_Mozambique.htm 3. The representatives of the present alliance expect to be involved in the process leading up to the new PARPA (which will replace PARPA II) within the context of this programme and their broader work to ensure it comprehensively addresses issues regarding gender equality and poverty. 4. Plano de Acção para a Redução da Pobreza Absoluta 2006-2009 (PARPA II), p.62. 5. ibid. 6. The alliance will, in other words, not only strives to translate its participatory philosophy in terms of concrete goals, but also in its actual approach, where participation is defined as a good in and of itself.

II Relevance within the context of national government policy The proposed programme is in line with and builds on key policies and strategic documents of the Mozambican government. Indeed, the programme builds on the current PRSP - known as PARPA II - which was developed for the period 2006 - 2009.3 PARPA II identifies the empowerment of girls and women as a ‘decisive factor in eradicating poverty’4, stating that this will require improving gender equity in terms of access to resources, economic participation and decision making processes.5 The current programme will address precisely these issues, with a focus on improving access to good quality education for girls and young women and furthermore, addressing violence against girls and women, which has time and again being identified as a critical impediment to development and poverty alleviation. The proposed programme is in line with major PARPA goals and strategies, but also strives to move beyond these; for instance tackling violence against women and girls in a broader sense than the current PARPA. Similarly, the proposed programme builds on the National Gender Policy of Mozambique (PENG), which identifies violence, education and socio-political participation as key elements to achieving gender equality. As such, the current programme is expected to serve as an important means of achieving nationally defined goals (including those within the PARPA II and the PENG). The programme will also go beyond these national level strategies, identifying and addressing concrete barriers to gender equality - in the areas of protection, education, socio-economic and political participation, and at institutional, community and individual levels - in close partnership with girls and young women themselves and community based organisations representing them.6 The Alliance will tackle a number of issues in the move towards the realisation of national level goals as defined in the PARPA II and PENG. It will address gaps in governmental institutions responsible for coordinating the implementation and enforcement of existing legal frameworks (through supporting linking and learning between districts and provinces; and capacity building of government staff improve the coordination of activities with civil society). In addition, the Alliance aims to improve civil society

12. 4.9 Mozambique Harmonisation 179

7. Handley, G. (2008). Mutual Accountability at the Country Level; Mozambique Country Case Study. London: ODI 8. DFID Mozambique (undated). Education Fact Sheet. At: www. dfid.gov.uk/.../ mozambiqueeducation-factsheet.pdf 9. See e.g. Netherlands Embassy (undated) Multi-annual Strategic Plan, 2008-2011. At: http:// www.hollandin mozambique. org/Producten_en_Diensten/ Ontwikkelingssamenwerking/OS_in_Mozambique/ Meerjaren_Strategisch_ Plan_MJSP_2008_2011_Engelse_versie. 10. The countries and agencies listed here were reported to be the ten largest in 2005 (Handley, 2008).

capacity to achieve nationally defined goals and to continue to provide constructive critiques around existing policies and instruments, by improving the participation and representation of rural girls and women and other marginalised females in civil society organisations (for example, by linking community based organisations to more established, provincial and/or national level NGOs). The programme will also strengthen accountability mechanisms at various levels. The Alliance will strengthen the involvement of CBOs, especially in (marginalised) rural areas in broader planning and monitoring processes, and CSO capacity to effectively advocate and lobby for change. Although various (development) coordination forums already exist, participation tends to be restricted to organisations and institutions based in urban areas, and particularly the capital city, Maputo. CSO participation in state level planning and monitoring processes (such as poverty/development observatories and General Budget Support reviews) remains limited.7 The civil society forum called G20, the UNICEF-coordinated CSO State Budget Monitoring Forum, the Civil Society Child Rights Network (ROSC) and the Education Sector Support Fund (FASE) will provide platforms for the alignment of the current programme with ongoing initiatives in various parts of the country. Several alliance partners in Mozambique - notably FDC, Rede CAME and Rede da CrianĂ§a are already actively involved in a number of the above mentioned coordination forums and within the context of this programme are expected to be in a position to support the active involvement of other Alliance partners in broader planning and monitoring processes, and also to further develop their own capacity in this particular field.

III Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors The current proposal is in line with the strategic objectives of a number of important players, ranging from governmental to non-governmental and bi/multi-lateral organisations, particularly those which seek to address gender equality in the education sector, socio-economic and political spheres and who address gender based violence (MDGs 3, 5 and 6).

Bilateral Aid and other bilateral donors Despite efforts to improve the coordination of (budget) support to the government, external assistance remains fragmented, which as DFID aptly describes, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sap[s] the limited capacity that the [government] has to manage resources effectivelyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.8 It is critical that this programme be well-aligned with ongoing initiatives and coordination mechanisms. Mozambique is highly dependent on foreign aid, with approximately 50% of the State Budget financed by a variety of external funding agencies9, including the World Bank, European Commission, USA, African Development Bank, Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Ireland.10 Alignment will be sought with bi-lateral agencies such as DFID and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, in the light of their prominent role in (donor) coordination, their support to civil society involvement in national decision making processes, and their work in relation to the three key themes of the proposed programme issues (and related MDGs as mentioned above) as well as a range of relevant non-governmental organisations and coordination platforms. As indicated above, an important role for the current Alliance will lie in the strengthening of the engagement of civil society organisations in both urban and rural areas in broader planning and monitoring processes, especially where these relate to the three key programme themes. Alliance partners in Mozambique will continue to play an active role in relevant coordination and monitoring mechanisms, including those referred to above (i.e. the G20 and the Civil Society Child Rights Network/ROSC). Between July and December 2010, Alliance partners in Mozambique will also seek to establish and strengthen existing linkages with the actors mentioned in the multi-actor analysis and agree on practical means to ensure the alignment of the proposed program with these (and where relevant, other) actors. 12. 4.9 Mozambique Harmonisation 180

Multilateral donors Mozambique is Africa’s single biggest recipient of international development assistance.11 The European Union accounts for approximately 70% of Mozambique’s development assistance. Cooperation is aimed at achieving the Poverty Reduction Action Plan (PARPA). The World Bank also provides financial support to fulfil the goals defined in PARPA II.12 It will be critical to seek alignment with coordination mechanisms dealing with poverty reduction more broadly, such as the Government - Donor social protection working group (comprised of Ministry of Women and Social Action (MMAS), DFID, UNICEF).13 However, despite Government commitment through the PARPA to building the Ministry of Women and Social Action’s (MMAS) capacity, this remains a marginal ministry in current Government plans and budgets. It faces serious capacity constraints. The G-19, or Programme Aid Partners (PAPs), represent the 19 donors who deliver part of their aid through budget support and now include almost all main donors to Mozambique. The Joint Review process holds both sides accountable on their performance in relation to the PARPA.14 With regards the UN network, UNICEF supports improvements in access to and the quality of child protection and education systems and works to engage the media in child rights advocacy activities; and UNIFEM works in the field of gender equality more broadly. The ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM and WHO recently pledged to intensify their efforts to fulfil the human rights of adolescent girls globally in the next five years.15 Increasing their support to the hardest-to-reach girls, especially those aged 10 to 14, is meant to help these girls realise their full potential and their contribution to their communities, thus building a future of gender equality and social justice.

11. http://www.unmozambique. org/eng/About-Mozambique/ National-Development-Goalsand-Priorities 12. http://web.worldbank.org/ external/projects/main?pageP K=64312881&piPK=64302848 &theSitePK=40941&Projectid =P117234 13. See for more information on coordination of social protection initiatives: Waterhouse, Rachel (2007). Briefing Paper: Coordination and coverage of Social Protection initiatives in Mozambique. At: www.ipc-undp. org/.../cct/.../ REBABriefingPaperSPCoordCoverageJuly07.pdf 14. Ibid, pg 9 15. ‘Accelerating efforts to advance the rights of adolescent girls’ (UN Joint Statement, 2010)

The Child Rights Alliance will also link closely with the work of the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organisations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of: information sharing; contracts; and collaborative initiatives in order to build a body of research on the positive changes girls can have on their communities and to form a community of like-minded organisations dedicated to girls’ rights. Equally, Plan has developed a partnership with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI), which focuses on smoothing transitions from school to productive employment for girls and young women. Representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel—an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls.

12. 4.9 Mozambique Harmonisation 181

4.10 Zambia Harmonisation and complementarity TANZANIA

DR CONGO

MANSA

ANGOLA

MALAWI CHIBOMBO

CHADIZA

ZAMBIA

MOZAMBIQUE

BOTSWANA

ZIMBABWE 1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Child Rights Declarationâ&#x20AC;?

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

4.10 Zambia Harmonisation and complementarity 5.2.5a. Geographic and thematic complementarity with other (Dutch and non-Dutch) civil society organisations Like-minded Dutch Alliances working on children’s issues in several countries have joined up to ensure harmonisation and complementarity of their efforts. These alliances are: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance“, “Woord en Daad/ Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance. The attached MoU (appendix d.) contains the declaration of these Alliances that ‘we work to recognize and efficiently make use of each others strengths and added value, enabling us to create a sustainable forum for synergy and innovation, within countries and on applicable themes’. Of these Alliances, three are active in Zambia. The 2 other Child Alliances (WD/ReK and Connect4Change) work in the areas of ICT, education and economic development, providing an opportunity to join up programmes and exchange experience. The National Plan of Action for Children in Zambia1 provides a strong framework for collaboration between cooperating partners, local and international NGOs.2 There are a number of civic organisations in the selected districts that are involved in responding to children’s issues. These are District Women’s Associations, Para Legal practitioners and community-based children’s rights groups (Child Protection Committees). These entities work with the police to report child abuse cases. They are also involved in raising awareness in communities around the rights of children and what constitutes abuse. Apart from Plan there are also several other international NGOs that work to ensure that the rights of children are upheld in Chadiza district. Examples include HEIFER Project International which is focusing on the empowerment of communities and CARE International which focuses on the promotion of PMTCT, including District AIDS Task force as well as various Community Based Organisations (CBOs). In Mansa, UNICEF has provided support to state and community schools through learning materials. Camfed has been supporting girls with bursaries, skills training and by advocating for zero tolerance against child abuse. In terms of child protection, community structures such as community crime prevention units and paralegal desks have been formed and these provide a first line of response to child protection issues. Children have also formed child rights groups where they share knowledge and information on their rights.

1. ‘Evaluation Report on Child Justice in Zambia with reference to UNICEF supported projects’ (Muntingh. L, 2005) 2. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children Alliance, World Vision, Plan International, Child Fund Zambia, Action Aid, CRS and Care International 3. Child Rights Programme Review & Development Workshop, Workshop Output, September 10-14, 2007 4. ‘ZAMBIA: Child Rights References in the Reports of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review’ 2008 (CRIN 2008) 5. Other child related conventions and instruments signed by Zambia in addressing children’s rights include the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC); Stockholm Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Child Sexual Abuse; and the ILO Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Child Labour as well as the SADC Protocol on Gender. 6. National Report on Follow-up to the World Summit for Children December 2000. Government of Zambia

Appendices d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

The programme will seek to identify links in the near future to complement existing initiatives such as: • Establishment of Child Justice Forum-ASAZA (Care, World vision, Africare, YWCA, IJM, CRS, VSU); • Kwaba (Child protection) project and Twataba (Child Media) Project (Plan, Youth Lead, YWCA, VSU, WILDAF and LADA as the key implementing partners) were implemented within the framework of Joint Child Rights Programme (2008-2010).3 Their overall objective is to address the rights of the children to protection, to be heard and to participate in decision-making processes • Establishment of Children’s Parliaments lead by CHIN in collaboration with MSYCD; • Child labour policy establishment - Ministry Labour and Social Security, CHIN, YWCA, Jesus Cares Ministries, Community Youth concern;

5.2.5b. Relevance within the context of national government policy Since the signing and ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 20 years ago, the Zambian government has adopted several policies and programmes to promote the rights of children and full equality of women in reproductive health, legal and social protection issues.4 The Zambian Constitution encompasses a Bill of Rights that protects a number of fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual.5 In response to the World Summit for Children, the Zambian Government took steps to create an enabling environment for the attainment of child rights.6 These included the for12. 4.10 Zambia Harmonisation 183

7. Partly due to fall in absolute amount ($754m to $415m) and also because GDP has grown in the period 8. In line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness 9. AfDB, Canada, Denmark, EC, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, UN and WB group with IMF and USAID participating informally.

mulation and adoption of the national child and youth policy; national programme of action for children and youth; education policy, the HIV and AIDS policy, health and public service sector reforms; translation and distribution of simplified version of the UNCRC; national consultations with civic and traditional leaders, the children and other stakeholders in the provinces; organisation of activities related to the Day of the African Child and the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting; formation of the District Committees as a means of accelerating sensitisation programmes and establishment of an umbrella body for children’s NGOs, the Children in Need Network (CHIN). Through the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development, the Government has proposed a number of objectives and measures to minimize the exploitation of children. Such measures include promoting awareness of issues such as child labour exploitation and the sale and trafficking of children. In an effort to realize the objectives of these child related policies, the Government has facilitated the establishment of specific agencies tasked to address children’s issues, such as the Police Child Protection Unit, the Child Justice Forum, and the children’s ombudsperson office under the human rights commission. In 2005, Zambia began a legal reform exercise to harmonize child related legislation, with the intention of bringing national laws into line with international conventions, norms and standards. A legislative audit of all 28 pieces of child related legislation has been completed. The audit found that in many respects Zambia’s child related legislation was inconsistent with the spirit of international law in the areas of definitions, desirable nature of application and anticipated implementation measures. The child law reform process has subsequently made progress, although there is a long way to go before a satisfactory state of affairs is reached. Many stakeholders have been engaged in the legislative reform process. Currently, the government is in the process of exploring the experiences of other countries in the region which have gone through a similar process. Although Zambia’s National Child Policy was revised in 2006, the National Plan of Action is only being piloted this year in 30 selected districts out of 73. Although relevant legal and policy frameworks are in place, however, instances of gender based violence remain prominent. It terms of its international obligations, Zambia has only submitted one initial state party report (in 2002) to the UN since it ratified the UNCRC. There is therefore an urgent need for awareness raising among the public as regards rights and responsibilities around gender issues. To ensure that the current legislative and policy framework is effectively implemented, there is also a need for the capacity building of both law enforcement officers and rights holders. There is also need for ongoing monitoring of the implementation of relevant international treaties. Efforts are being made by all stakeholders, including the government, to address the gaps identified by the audit within the legislative framework. Civil society groups in Zambia have been instrumental in driving this process.

Government programmes: • The Zambian Gender and Development Ministry implements various economic empowerment programmes at national and district level through the offices of the District Commissioners. • The Government supports groups of vulnerable women both in urban and rural areas who form SelfHelp Groups through grants for microfinance programmes and agro- business. • The Government through the Ministry of Gender, supports the national FAWEZA sponsorship programme which provides scholarship to vulnerable girls to pursue educational programmes

5.2.5c. Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors

12. 4.10 Zambia Harmonisation 184

As economic growth has accelerated in Zambia, Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a percentage of GDP has been declining from 2002 - from 22% in that year to 5,2% in 2006.7 Sectors that have received substantial donor support include health, agriculture and rural micro finance, governance (electoral, parliamentary and public service reforms), human rights education and advocacy, basic and vocational education, gender, infrastructure development, environment and civil society capacity building. United Nations agencies continue to respond to the development needs of the Zambian population in similar priority areas. The Africa Development Bank, JICA, GTZ, Danida and UNICEF have invested

heavily to support the National Rural Water and Sanitation programme. Donors have generally been moving from individual donor-driven projects to national budgetary support aligned to national plans and budgetary processes.8 A Wider Harmonisation in Practice (WHIP) Framework was signed in 2004 by the Government and most of the development partners active in Zambia,9 followed by a Joint Assistance Plan for Zambia. The Royal Netherlands Embassy – together with other donor agencies- supports the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) in the implementation of Zambia’s Fifth National Development Plan, 20062010 (FNDP). The Embassy’s plan is based on the Joint (donor) Assistance Strategy to Zambia (JASZ), which was agreed by 16 donor agencies in 2007. The JASZ document reflects the intention of the Cooperating Partners (CPs) to strengthen country ownership of the development process, to enhance development effectiveness and to reduce administrative costs, through more aligned support with country systems in place of parallel-running projects. It also aimed for better coordination and harmonisation between the CPs, including the concentration and consequent reduction in the number of areas each CP is involved in. As a consequence of the agreements with other CPs in the JASZ, the Embassy has adopted co-lead roles for Education and for Private Sector development (PSD) and is also active, but not leading, in governance, HIV/AIDS and Gender. Together with 6 other CPs, the Embassy also provides General Budget Support, which involves high-level political dialogue. The total development cooperation budget of EKN amounts to about Euro 50 million per year. The largest share of this is allocated to Education (20 million Euros), followed by Health (12 million Euros), General Budget Support (10 million Euros), Private Sector Development (4 million Euros), while the remainder is spent on activities regarding Governance, Gender and HIV/AIDS. The semi-annual complementarity meetings between the Embassy and the Dutch NGOs working in Zambia, is widely agreed to be effective. It helps increase harmonisation efforts, particularly in the sectors of health, education and economic development. Plan has actively participated in this process and will continue to do so as member of the Child Rights Alliance.

12. 4.10 Zambia Harmonisation 185

4.11 Bangladesh Harmonisation and complementarity BHUTAN NEPAL PANCHAGARH

NILFAMARI LALMONIRHAT KURIGRAM

THAKURGAON

INDIA

DINAJPUR

BANGLADESH RAJSHAHI DHAKA

GAZPUR

INDIA SHARIATPUR

MYANMAR

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.11 Bangladesh Harmonisation and complementarity

Appendices: d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance/SRHR Alliance/IMPACT Consortium

5.2.5a. Geographic and thematic harmonisation Several like-minded Dutch alliances working on children’s issues have met to agree the harmonisation and complementarity of their efforts. These Alliances include: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance“, “Woord en Daad/ Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance”. See the MoU in appendix d. for further details. Of these alliances, the child rights alliance and Child and Development Alliance are active in Bangladesh. We also have signed a MoU with the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance and, the IMPACT Alliance. The three Alliances have agreed to engage in information-sharing and joint relevant activities in Bangladesh in the following areas: 1) life skills activities and Sexual Reproductive Health training in schools; 2) sex education in forums where children congregate (children’s clubs and sports clubs); 3) communitybased awareness-raising activities related to harmful traditional practices; and 4) improving legislation regarding young peoples’ access to Sexual Reproductive Health education. See the MoU in appendix e. for further details. The Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance is also important. Free Voice is the lead applicant and is also a member of our Child Rights Alliance. Press Freedom 2.0 activities include: 1) supporting the training of women journalists; and 2) supporting the building and strengthening of community radio. Press Freedom 2.0’s objective is to increase the amount of women working in the media for a greater focus on women’s and children’s rights. These activities will complement the awareness-raising goals of the Child Rights Alliance. We will also align our Girl Power programme with the WASH alliance programme (consisting of Simavi; AKVO; AMREF; ICCO; RAIN; WASTE). Several International Organizations and national and local NGOs have been implementing gender sensitive and rights-based programmes across the country. Major programmes include: awareness building and the promotion of human rights; support to girls and women’s empowerment through health, education & skill training. NGOs provide support through shelter homes and legal options including legal counselling, and are involved in policy advocacy with government on violence against girls and women. NGO networks are also active in policy advocacy on rights issues of girls and women and work with media for public awareness and mobilization activities. Several NGOs have designed advocacy programmes for implementation based on issues identified through research activities or based on the research outcomes of institutes like the International centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research-Bangladesh and Universities. As outlined in Section V of the context analysis (appandix 2.11), there are many other NGOs and CSOs active in Bangladesh. Most have a limited focus on adolescent girls and the elimination of violence. Consultations and learning will be encouraged with those that are active in different regions in the country such as Oxfam “We can end violence against women” (coastal areas), Save the Children and Action Aid Bangladesh. Coordination and collaboration with Bangladesh Women’s Foundation, through the strategic partnership with Southern partner Nari Uddug Kendra, will ensure sharing learning’s between the Child Rights Alliance and the 1.300 local women’s organisations in their national network. At regional level, Plan is a member of the South Asian Coordination Group (SACG). This interagency body consists of INGOs and UN agencies (including UNICEF, UNIFEM and UNHCR). It is committed to following up on the UN Study on Violence against Children, particularly through advocating before governments for increased commitment to support the Study’s findings. There are ongoing efforts to ensure the empowerment of the CSOs in South Asian countries for their more consistent inclusion in these processes. The programme will have particularly strong alignment with child rights CSOs/NGOs through engagement with national resource and training centres. This will support the development of networks with other international and regional (South Asia) institutions (advocacy institutions, academic and research institutions and universities) to build up the intellectual, technical and skills capacity to provide services (both knowledge

12. 4.11 Bangladesh Harmonisation 187

1. Laws on Gender Based Violence, Report by Dutch embassy Bangladesh staff and workshop of Ministers of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and NGO’s, practitioners, diplomats, May 2009.

and skills related to child rights) to government, civil society organizations and academic institutions. Child Rights Alliance members have developed strong relationships with several multi-lateral institutions, global networks and other key actors aligned with the proposed programme’s focus on girls’ rights and gender equality. For example, representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and the World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel-an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls. A senior associate with Population Council, an international, nonprofit organization focused on adolescent girls programming and capacity-building throughout all regions of the developing world, is a member of Women Win’s Advisory Council, which advises on Women Win’s impact research, international guidelines development, and overall programming framework. The Child Rights Alliance will also link with the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organizations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of information-sharing and building collaborative initiatives.

5.2.5b. Relevance within the context of national government policy The Bangladeshi Government has adopted a range of important policy measures for the protection of children and women over the last decade. Despite some inconsistencies in legislation, the Government is increasingly acknowledging that involving children and adolescents in policy planning and programming that affect their well-being is essential to ensure a grounded and sustainable approach Girls and young women are important change makers for their peers and for the community at large. The National Plan of Action for Children identifies child participation as one of its overarching strategies, and reporting on the incidence of violence, sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and women has improved in recent years. The signing of the SAARC Convention on “Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution” by the Heads of Government in July 2002 has expedited efforts to collectively address trafficking. The “Counter Trafficking Frame Work Report: Bangladesh Perspective” has also provided guidelines for tackling the problem through a multi-sector and multi-ministerial approach. Bangladesh has ratified the UNCRC’s Optional Protocols on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and the International Labour Organization’s Convention 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. The Government is currently considering the creation of an independent Commission for Children to monitor progress on children’s issues. The recently enacted Birth and Death Registration Act 2004 reflects the commitment of the government in terms of Birth Registration although implementation is still slow as only 36% of children have been covered by the Birth Registration programme. A National Task Force on Juvenile Delinquency has been formed under the Prime Minister’s Office. Through this Task Force, the government plans to build model shelter homes (one for boys and one for girls) for survivors of different forms of violence. At the international level, Bangladesh has ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) agreeing to the Optional Protocol in 2000. There are specific laws addressing gender based violence, mostly against “stranger” violence abduction, trafficking, rape and acid throwing. Recently, the Draft Domestic Violence Bill (2010) and the Guidelines on Sexual Harassment have been attempts to fill the gap in addressing gender based violence in the household and in public spaces.1 The National Policy for the Advancement of Women was adopted in 1997 and includes commitments to eliminating discrimination against girls and young women in all spheres and promoting women’s equality in areas such as education and training, health and nutrition, housing and shelter, political empowerment and public administration and the economy. A National Action Plan (NAP) for implementing the policy as well as meeting commitments

12. 4.11 Bangladesh Harmonisation 188

under the Beijing Platform for Action (PfA) was approved in 1998. Regular monitoring of the NAP is the responsibility of the Women’s Development Implementation and Evaluation Committee, which is headed by the Minister of the MOCWA and was established in 1998 for this purpose as well as to monitor the progress of related gender mainstreaming initiatives. A key limitation of both the policy and the NAP is the absence of measurable and time-bound goals and objectives and the resources (financial and human) that are required to implement them. This also limits the extent to which meaningful regular progress reporting can be undertaken.

5.2.5.c. Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors

2. Bangladesh Country Case Study: Citizens’ Voice and Accountability Evaluation, July 2008, Oxford Policy Management 3. Idem, pg. 16 4. Laws on Gender Based Violence, Report by Dutch embassy Bangladesh staff and workshop of Ministers of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and NGO’s, practitioners, diplomats, May 2009.

According to data from 2005-2006, Bangladesh receives more than 1.6 billion USD from the Top 10 governmental and multilateral donors including The World Bank, ADB, Japan, UK, IMF, EC, UK, The Netherlands, Canada, Denmark.2 Our programme relates to the Strategic choice 2 of the Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE), as described in its Multiannual Strategic Plan. Under this strategic choice, The Netherlands contributes to improved gender equality in public service delivery, especially with respect to Sexual and Reproductive Health. Through our program, we will support the work of the Embassy to achieve their strategic result for ‘the protection of women rights through the effective implementation of the gender equality law’.3 We will play a facilitating role to strengthen the participation of local civil society organizations as well as amongst girls and young women themselves. Many of the strategies outlined by the Child Rights Alliance are aligned with the recommendations noted in the Laws on Gender-based Violence Report prepared by the RNE.4

Multilateral donors The European Commission (EC) Country Strategy Paper for 2007 – 2013 focuses on human rights, with the specific objective of improving human security and access to justice for the poor and vulnerable. The Child Rights Alliance will look for concrete collaboration, especially regarding the trafficking of women and children, the reduction of worst forms of child labour and access to justice, including the provision of legal aid.

UNIFEM is working on gender and human rights issues, addressing in particular the situation of migrants, women’s rights in the international labour market and women’s political rights. As a UN Agency, they also work for CEDAW implementation with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. Currently, they are working towards the prevention of Violence against Women with nine other UN agencies, under the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls. Their new initiatives also include an HIV-Aids component. The Empowerment of Adolescents in Bangladesh 2006-2010 project, supported by UNICEF/EC, informs girls, boys and their parents about gender roles, discrimination, health, nutrition and their legal rights. It also offers adolescent girls the opportunity to acquire life, livelihood and leadership skills. Topics include child marriage, dowry, child rights, reproductive health, birth and marriage registration and domestic violence awareness. The World Bank’s programme in Bangladesh seeks to strengthen the capacity of the Department of Social Services to design and oversee programs for child protection, and implement pilot interventions to inform the child protection policy framework. Another component is the institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Department of Social Services (MOSW), to support the shift from managing institutions towards a proactive and preventive social services approach. To this end, the MOSW in collaboration with DSS has laid out a clear strategic direction for the next five years in a policy letter, which includes strengthening and expanding the Network of Services for Children at Risk.

12. 4.11 Bangladesh Harmonisation 189

4.12 Nepal Harmonisation and complementarity

CHINA

NEPAL KANCHANPUR SURKHET KASKI BANKE

KATHMANDU MAKAWANPUR SINDHULU MORANG

INDIA

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

BUDGET: € 2.000.000

4.12 Nepal Harmonisation and complementarity

1. In the national programme altogether over a million women have been organised into groups and borrowed a cumulative NRs.19 billion as of 2007 (UNFPA 2007).

5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation Dutch Alliances

Appendices

In the Netherlands, ten Alliances have created a strategy that will build on the added value of each individual Alliance to ensure the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarity of each programme, throughout the life of the this MFS round and beyond. These alliances are: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance“, “Woord en Daad/ Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance”. Please see the declaration in appendix d. for further details.

d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

The Child Rights Alliance in Nepal is also working with the WASH coalition (consisting of Simavi, AKVO, AMREF, ICCO, RAIN and WASTE). WASH will be active in the far- and mid-west regions, and urban areas. The Child Rights Alliance will work in mid-, central- and eastern districts. Both alliances have agreed to align advocacy, lobby and rights-based training efforts for women and men at community level.

The Child Rights Alliance in Nepal Harmonisation, complementarity and alignment will take place with existing child rights organisations and networks. For the design and implementation of the programme, several organisations in Nepal are working together, including the local office of Plan in Nepal, Save the Children, CWIN, lead organisations on women’s rights such as WOREC and the Forum for Women Law and Development. These organisations have an established track record of harmonising their activities through their participation in, for example, the UN Study on Violence Against Children, joint advocacy such as the Children As Zones of Peace campaign and completing initial research, diagnosis of child protection and strengthening the capacity of children’s clubs. Many organisations also have long-standing working relations with the Governmental Child Protection Committees to strengthen community-based protection mechanisms. Moreover, Plan Nepal is recognised as one of the lead organisations in Nepal for the empowerment of young women. Its programme in Makwanpur is recognised by the Government as a successful initiative on two accounts: increasing the empowerment of disadvantaged women (such as landless and nearly landless women and those from low castes), and in creating sustainable strengthened institutions. Plan Nepal’s ongoing programmes on economic empowerment are aligned with and add value to existing Government programmes/actions such as: the three-year national interim plan, the national microfinance policy and national microfinance summit declaration1, reaching over a million women through microfinance institutions, including savings and credit cooperatives in the country. At the national level, the programme is aligned with existing CSOs/NGOs and networks active in child rights, through the national resource centre and training centre of the programme as a governing body. This will create strong leverage for the centre to network with other international and regional institutions (advocacy, academic and research institutions and universities), to build its knowledge and develop its capacity to provide services to Government, civil society organisations and academic institutions. At the regional level, several alliance partners work with South-Asian Regional organisations in advocating for the rights of children. Linking and learning and relevant programme information with other South Asia Alliance members will be exchanged though a conference on Violence against Children (VAC). The conference will focus on girls as a follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children and in cooperation with the office of the Special Representive of the Secretary General (SRSG) on VAC. Additionally, the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) is integrated in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and will create a platform and entry points for civil societies’ increased involvement and influence on Governments’ agendas to end violence against children. Finally, the South Asian Coordination Group (SACG) is an interagency body consisting of INGOs and UN agencies (UNICEF,

12. 4.12 Nepal Harmonisation 191

UNIFEM, UNHCR) committed to the follow-up actions to the UN study on VAC, particularly through advocating before Governments for their increased commitment. There are ongoing efforts to ensure empowerment of the CSOs in South Asian countries for their more consistent inclusion in these processes. Nepal is hosting the South Asian Forum on Violence against Children in June 2010, which will be renamed SAIEVAC during the Ministerial Meeting. The SACG secretariat is currently conducted by Save the Children Sweden. Plan Asia will lead, starting in 2011. Capacity building will strengthen advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, and research skills to ensure the effective monitoring and implementation of existing policies and legislation frameworks.

Civil society organisations in Nepal Our programme will work with various like-minded civil society organisations in Nepal. Nepalese civil society is diverse: ranging from nation-wide and district level movements and formal organisations, to campaigns, networks and informal associations. Many Nepalese civil society organisations focus on improving rights for girls and young women. The Child Rights Alliance members in Nepal have discussed their programme with the following groups: National and international NGOs We will work with a wide range of national organisations that are committed to combat gender-based violence and economic empowerment at the national level. These include Save the Children, OXFAM Nepal, Action Aid, WOREC, FWLD, CWIN, (Children - Women in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH), OXFAM, and Action Aid. As part of its programme in Nepal, the Child Rights Alliance will work with these NGOs and INGOs to raise awareness against discrimination, promote the participation of girls and young women and lobby for child protection and child rights in Nepal. Local civil society Our programme will work with: • Community-based organisations such as mothers’ groups and sports clubs; • Child & youth clubs and forums – over 3.000 are established in the target districts; • Local NGOs working in education and health (e.g. Tharu Mahila Mancha - women’s entrepreneurship, CWS-Community and Child Health); • Civil society wings of political parties (trade unions, student unions) and the private sector (FNCCI, associations of transport, other associations); and • Semi-Government local institutions (FPAN, youth red cross, women health volunteers). Single-issue civil society organisations and networks Our programme wil work with single-issue CSOs and networks that focus on specific themes such as child trafficking, child labour, children in armed conflict and children in conflict with the law: • Child labour: the Child Rights Alliance’s programme will work to combat child labour alongside Save the Children Nepal, Concern, CWIN, SWAN and CWISH. • Child trafficking: the Child Rights Alliance’s programme will work to combat child trafficking alongside NGO coalition groups such as the National Network Against Girls Trafficking and the Alliance Against Trafficking in Women and Children which seek to change policy and strategy to reduce human trafficking through lobbying. Individual alliance (AATWIN) partners are members of these national networks.

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national Government policy One of the Child Rights Alliance’s main programme objectives in Nepal is to strengthen civil society organisations to influence policy decisions and pressure duty-bearers to implement and enforce existing laws, policies and programmes. Networking with other like-minded organisations will provide them the leverage to generate more financial, human and technical resources in the area of girl’s and women’s rights. The Government commitments that the Child Rights Alliance programme will support civil society to target include: 12. 4.12 Nepal Harmonisation 192

• The Government of Nepal’s (GoN’s) commitment to human rights and sustainable development in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper - PRSP/Tenth Five Year Plan and in the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2063 (2007). The Tenth Plan has integrated gender concerns in the programmes of major sectors that are important for women, including agriculture, education, health, and local development. In addition, the chapter on public administration expresses the need to bring more women into decisionmaking in Government service – which is a welcome development. • The GoN’s signature of the CRC and CEDAW; • The Nepali Children’s Act and the National Plan of Action for Children (2004/05 -2014/15) from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare; • Education for All National Plan of Action 2001 - 2015; • National Action Plan for Girls Education (2008-2011); • National Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Children and Women for Sexual and labour exploitation since 1998; • Gender equality and women’s’ empowerment project since 2007 (2064/2065 BS); • National Master Plan on Child Labour 2004 – 2014. A second area of engagement with the Government is in local level implementation. The Girl Power programme supports existing Government poverty alleviation programmes as most have limited coverage in the target areas. The interventions proposed in the Girl Power programme are in alignment with the spirit and objectives of the interim constitution, the interim plans and the millennium development goals. Programme partners will sign a memorandum of understanding with the respective Government ministries to implement the programme in the target areas. The programme will be implemented in coordination with primary duty bearers from national to implementation level (relevant Government line agencies, village and district development committees). Duty bearers of particular relevance are The District Child Welfare Boards (DCWBs) which are the main implementing bodies in all the districts of Nepal. The Government is very committed but severely lacks human and financial services. Particularly at the community level, there are limited services for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable children. Moreover, there is no effective coordination mechanism among different bodies of the Government. As part of the programme we will strengthen the capacity of Government officials and align with national policy and programmes by amongst others strengthening community-based protection mechanisms in collaboration with the local Government officials of Village Development Committees and DCWBs and increasing intellectual knowledge and skills on child rights of Government officials and civil society organizations through the national training and research centre in collaboration with academic institutions. This national centre will have stronger leverage in networking with regional and international network to increase linking and learning. One example of how this will be put into practice is through child helplines. The Government of Nepal has committed to legally and financially support the operation of child helplines. The Girl Power programme will support the NGO operating child helplines to collaborate with external funding agencies (bilateral donors, INGOs and other international organisations). In addition, the telecom authority and mobile telephone service providers provide a toll-free telephone line (1098) across Nepal. They will also provide free technical support. Partnership with private sector organisations including tourism and travel agencies will provide the opportunity for the sustainability of child helplines across Nepal.

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors Bilateral aid and other bilateral donors Although no structural bilateral development cooperation exists between Nepal and the Netherlands, Nepal is supported by the Dutch consulate in Kathmandu and through the Dutch delegation in India and receives Dutch contribution via multilateral institutions. Furthermore, Nepal receives extensive support 12. 4.12 Nepal Harmonisation 193

2. World Bank, Nepal Country Overview 2010. 3. Algemeen Ambstbericht Nepal, April 2010, page 87. 4. Discussions have been initiated between UNIFEM and UNICEF and members of the Child Rights Alliance, and we have agreed to explore linkages between us and how the Girl Power programme of the Child Rights alliance can work within the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls globally and with overlapping countries.

from bilateral donors such as the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Danida, FINAID and DfID. Most of these donors support good governance, gender and human rights, social inclusion, anti-trafficking, gender mapping at local level, and capacity building in the legislative and judiciary bodies.

Multi-lateral donors Nepal has extensive international support from various international donors. The World Bank assists Nepal with funds and analytical and advisory work. It also supports the quality of education through its school sector reform programme. This programme builds Nepal’s leadership in the community management of schools, provides funds for basic and secondary education and enhances transparency n Government grants to schools.2 The World Bank also reaches out to marginalised groups through community-based projects such as the Poverty Alleviation Project (PAF). The Child Rights Alliance’s economic empowerment programme in Nepal is aligned to the PAF by implementing credit and savings cooperatives in Sindhuli district. In close consultation with other donors such as the World Bank and with the Nepalese authorities, the European Commission (EC) supports stability and peace building activities during the period 2007-2013. It also supports education for all, trade facilitation and economic capacity building as stated in the framework of its Country Strategy Paper (2007-2013). The EC co-operation strategy is in line with Nepal’s approach to development, as set out in the PRSP. The Interim Government is receptive to donors’ sensitivities regarding accountability, transparency and combating corruption. Human rights issues have been placed firmly on the agenda and the majority of donors provide support for Nepal’s human rights and governance institutions, such as the National Human Rights Commission, the Nepal Bar Association or NGOs. More than 20 UN agencies are active in the country. UNHCR is active in the protection of internally displaced people.3 UN agencies who are involved in the area of gender-based violence include UNFPA, UNIFEM and UNICEF. The Child Rights Alliance will work closely with UNICEF, UNFPA, ILO, UNESCO, UNIFEM and the WHO to influence policy and practice, particularly in relation to adolescent youth.4 Plan Nepal and Child Rights Alliance partners such as CWIN have long-standing relationships with UNICEF in the area of child rights and education. Currently, CWIN is conducting Schools are Zones of Peace campaigns in 27 districts with UNICEF. Plan Nepal is also providing social reintegration services to children associated with armed conflict and armed forces with UNICEF. Together with UNICEF, Plan Nepal and CWIN are members of the Children are Zones of Peace Network and are lobbying jointly for transitional justice for children affected by armed conflict. The Girl Power programme will also align with UNICEF’s specific programme for girls’ education. Several partner NGOs are working at the local levels, running programmes to promote girls’ education. Interventions include setting up toilets for girls, paying tuition and supporting the costs for learning materials.

UNIFEM and CWIN are also part of different networks related to violence against women, trafficking, migration, and other relevant human rights issues. UNIFEM is interested in the adolescent girls’ empowerment programme and is promoting linkages with the Inter-religious Committee on Violence Against Women.

12. 4.12 Nepal Harmonisation 194

UZBE KI ST A N KY RGY ZSTA N

4.13 Pakistan TUR KMENI STA N

Harmonisation and complementarity TAJIKISTAN

CHINA

PESHAWAR

AFGANISTAN

PUNJAB

PAKISTAN

IRAN INDIA

KARACHI

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

4.13 Pakistan Harmonisation and complementarity

Appendices e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium

5.2.5a. Geographic and thematic harmonisation The Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Alliance and the Child Rights Alliance have signed an MoU (see appendix e). Both Alliances agree to engage in information-sharing and joint relevant activities in the following areas: 1) life skills activities and Sexual Reproductive Health training in schools; 2) sex education at forums where children congregate (children’s clubs and sports clubs); 3) community-based awareness-raising activities related to harmful traditional practices; and 4) improving legislation regarding young peoples’ access to Sexual Reproductive Health education. Free Voice is the lead applicant of the Press Freedom 2.0. Alliance and is also member of the Child Rights Alliance. Press Freedom 2.0’s objective is to increase the amount of women working in the media for a greater focus on women’s and children’s rights. Press Freedom 2.0 activities include: 1) supporting the training of women journalists; and 2) supporting the building and strengthening of community radio. These activities will complement the awareness-raising goals of the Child Rights Alliance.

5.2.5b. Relevance within the context of national government policy The Government of Pakistan is committed to advancing the protection of children’s rights and improving the position of women and girls. A national Child Protection Policy, finalised in 2007, outlines a strong commitment to safeguard children from all forms of abuse and exploitation. The draft addresses several child protection issues including: abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect. It also covers various settings, including: family, school, workplace, the community and institutions. Although the Policy was finalised in March 2007, its official approval is pending. Notwithstanding the delay, a Child Protection Bill has been drawn up and is currently under government review. In August 2009, the National Assembly passed a Bill on Protection Against Domestic Violence. This bill covers all types of repressive and abusive behaviour against vulnerable people in domestic relationships, including: intentional acts of gender-based, physical and psychological abuse, harassment, stalking, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and any behaviour committed against women, children and other vulnerable people. Under this law, protection committees, each consisting of female counsellors (a female social health officer, a sub-divisional police officer and a protection officer) are set up at the tehsil (sub-district, total 400 tehsils) level by provincial governments. Victims will be able to approach the committees directly or through an intermediary; the case will be sent to the area magistrate. The court has the mandate to issue protection orders. The Child Rights Alliance will be active in relating to these policies in the following ways: In the five programme districts, child protection programme activities will include the strengthening of child protection mechanisms and linking with the governmental child protection system. Also, the Girl Power programme includes advocacy regarding harmonisation with international child and women’s rights standards and a focused implementation of these laws and policies by the Government and the judiciary.

5.2.5c. Harmonisation with Dutch bilateral aid and other important donors The Royal Netherlands Embassy development budget for Pakistan is € 40 million per year. The Embassy supports access to and quality of education through such programmes as Save the Children’s Education programme 2010-2015. With a budget of €8.8 million, the programme focuses on school-aged children in three districts in the Balochistan province (73.000 children including 43.800 girls); improved access and quality (1.100 teachers trained in child friendly teaching methods); 340 Parent Teacher Associations; 340 school management committees and the training of 3 monitoring teams at the Ministry of Education. The Child Rights Alliance in Pakistan will, based on its programme in several Punjabi districts, increase the participation of girls in post-primary education, and work with Save the Children on joint advocacy activities.

12. 4.13 Pakistan Harmonisation 195

United Nations reform in Pakistan is based on the central pillar of the One Programme Approach. This is the framework through which 60-80% of UN resources in Pakistan have been channelled through over 2008-2010 and possibly beyond 2010. There are five joint programmes/thematic areas; including the Agriculture, Rural Development and Poverty Reduction programme (total budget USD $260 million) and Education programme (total budget USD $260.8 million). Under the Agriculture, Rural Development and Poverty Reduction programme, the component Empowerment, Mobilisation and Protection of Poor & Vulnerable Groups is the most relevant for the Child Rights Alliance programme. Participating UN agencies include: FAO, ILO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNHCR, WPF and WHO. A number of National Ministries also participate in the programme which includes, but is not focused on, children/girls and young women as beneficiaries. The Alliance will relate to the most relevant areas of these programmes, in particular on increased and improved service provision and strengthening of CSO capacity. The educational component, with a focus on technical and vocational education and life skills development for adolescents and youth, is the most relevant for our programme. A cross-cutting issue for all thematic areas of the One Programme Approach is gender equality. The Alliance in Pakistan will seek collaboration with this initiative. The European Commission Country Strategy Paper for 2007 – 2013 highlights Education and Human Resources Development. Dialogue with federal and provincial levels is taking place to mobilise political support for the allocation of additional resources to human development and improved education sector planning. The emphasis is on basic education, but the EC will also work on higher education improvement. Non-focal areas include Democratisation and Human Rights: facilitating access to justice for vulnerable groups, including women and children, through strengthening viable systems to provide legal assistance to deprived and vulnerable individuals. The EC also supports awareness raising campaigns on women’s rights, and addressing child protection issues including violence, abuse, trafficking, exploitation and discrimination. The Child Rights Alliance will seek out robust collaboration, especially in the areas of child protection and access to justice for young women and girls. The Asian Development Bank works on the micro-financing of projects and on improving access to justice. The Access to Justice programme was approved in 2001, with the objective of assisting the government in improving Pakistani citizens’ access to justice, to sustain entitlements, to reduce vulnerability and to strengthen the legitimacy of state institutions. NGOs and CSOs engaged in legal empowerment activities will be able to access funding from the Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF) created by the programme. The LEF is funding legal aid and public awareness campaigns on the rule of law and civil society initiatives concerned with the protection of rights-based civil liberties. The Child Rights Alliance will work to improve access to justice for girls and young women. The Aga Khan Foundation, through the Aga Khan Development Network, implements education programmes such as Field-Based Teacher Development Programmes to ensure access and improve quality in primary and secondary schools, and to promote the promotion of Early Childhood Development. It also implements civil society strengthening programmes, via components such as: building a sound baseline of information on the civil society sector; enhancing the competency and sustainability of CSOs; fostering ethics and integrity amongst development agencies; fostering strong and effective collaboration between governments and CSOs; fostering strong and effective collaboration between the business sector and CSOs. The Child Rights Alliance will also seek cooperation here where relevant.

12. 4.13 Pakistan Harmonisation 196

Child Rights Alliance Members have developed strong relationships with several multi-lateral institutions, global networks and other key actors aligned with the proposed programme’s focus on girls’ rights and gender equality. For example, representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and the World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel—an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls. A senior associate with Population Council, an international, non-profit organisation focused on adolescent girls programming and capacity-building throughout all regions of the developing world, is a member of Women Win’s Advisory Council, which

advises on Women Win’s impact research, international guidelines development, and overall programming framework. The Child Rights Alliance will also link with the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organisations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of information-sharing and collaborative initiatives to build a body of research on the positive changes girls can have on their communities and to form a community of like-minded organisations dedicated to girls’ rights. At the regional level, Plan is a member of the South Asian Coordination Group (SACG). This inter-agency body consists of INGOs and UN agencies (including UNICEF, UNIFEM and UNHCR). It is committed to following up on the UN Study on Violence against Children Study, particularly through advocating visà-vis governments for increased commitment to support the Study’s findings. There are ongoing efforts to ensure the empowerment of the CSOs in South Asian countries for their more consistent inclusion in these processes.

12. 4.13 Pakistan Harmonisation 197

4.14 Bolivia Harmonisation and complementarity

BRAZIL

BOLIVIA PERU

LA PAZ

COCHABAMBA

SANTA CRUZ

POTOSI

CHUQUISACA

PARAGUAY

POTOSI TARIJA ARGENTINA

ARGENTINA

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

4.14 Bolivia Harmonisation and Complementarity 5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation Like–minded Alliances working on children’s issues have joined up in order to ensure the full harmonization and complementarily of their activities. These Alliances are “Together4Change”, the“Child Rights Alliance”, “Woord en Daad/Red een Kind”, the “ICCO Alliance”, Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, the “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and the “Urban Youth Aliance”.1 Of the Alliances involved in this initiative, the Connect4change, Child and Development and Impact Alliances are active in Bolivia alongside the Child Rights Alliance.

1. See appendix d. Memorandum of Understanding – ‘a child rights initiative’ 2. Refer to section Alliances Partners and Intended effect of interventions in the contextual analysis for more information on these organisations. (appendix 2.14)

Appendices: d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

To achieve full geographic and thematic complementarity, the 4 Alliances will work both in the Netherlands and in Bolivia throughout 2011 – 2015 to: • Strategise on (new) partnerships to avoid overlap and duplication • Link up laterally, to share best and worst practices across themes, programmes and strategy; • Create in-country links between programmes and partners; • Conduct joint lobbying and advocacy activities • Align and consult with the Royal Netherlands Embassies Cooperation, harmonisation and alignment will take place across child rights networks that are already in existence. However, in order to harmonise initiatives funded by the MFS II, the members of the 3 alliances in Bolivia will meet on a regular basis. Harmonisation in Bolivia will focus specifically on the theme of Child Rights and Protection (Child Rights Alliance, Child and Development, Connect4change) and Vocational Education (Child Rights Alliance and Impact). The Alliances will liaise on practice and policy in the following areas: • A thematically integrated approach from prevention to protection, rehabilitation and integration; • A geographically integrated approach, from community to regional, national and international levels; • Applying evidence- and experience-based lobbying, advocacy and policy making; • Frameworks, methodologies and tools specific for child protection (community based child protection mechanisms, alternative forms of care) • Action Learning and qualitative reviews In line with this agreement, Bolivian members of the Child and Development and Child Rights Alliance have already established a close working relationship. They have come together to identify common geographical and thematic areas of focus, and initiated discussions on optimizing activity without duplication. A formal partnership agreement and the elaboration of a joint work agenda is expected shortly. Finally, the Child Rights Alliance and the Press Freedom 2.0. Alliance will also work towards harmonization in Bolivia, since Free Voice and its local partners are members of both Alliances. Under both programmes, Free Voice will support local organizations to improve media access for children and youth. A number of local civil society organizations have worked together towards programme design, facilitated by the Plan Bolivia office. This process includes organisations who are partners of the Dutch Alliance Members (DNI, Chasqui), but also other civil organisations with specific expertise relevant to the programme (Fé y Alegria, SECRAD, CDC, CIPE, Gregorio Apaza, Crecer).2 Most partners have worked jointly on initiatives such as the ‘Identity for All’ project, the ‘Learn without Fear’ campaign and as members of the Children Rights Network Associaton. Apart from jointly implementing the MFSII funded programme, partners will, where relevant, harmonise their other initiatives with the overarching Girl Power framework. Partners have met frequently in the past months to identify opportunities for collaboration, to prepare the required contextual analysis as well as a detailed programme proposal. Each organization has clearly defined thematic and geographic responsibilities within the Girl Power programme which will continue through their existing organizational frameworks as well as additional activities funded by the MFSII contribution.

12. 4.14 Bolivia Harmonisation 199

3. For an education without violence to live well 4. http://www.planificacion.gov. bo/pnd111.htm 5. Dignified, Democratic, Productive and Sovereign Bolivia 6. National Plan for the Integral Community Development of children and adolescents. 7. National Action Plan for Human Rights 8. National Plan for Equal Opportunity “Women Building a New Bolivia to Live Well” 9. Child and youth friendly municipalities

Partners will continue to meet over the coming months to consolidate the Alliance and to establish formal agreements. General Assembly meetings will be held annually, and will involve the participation of all partner CSOs and governmental institutions. Other CSOs whose initiatives are relevant to the themes of the programme will be invited in order to maximize and opportunities for wider harmonization. The Bolivian Child Rights Alliance will also seek to extend harmonization to other partners through for example conducting coordinated activities with the Bolivian Alliance for Childhood and Adolescence (ABNA), which supports the Children’s Parliament. Plan will continue to work in partnership with Voces Vitales on the implementation of the “Por una educación sin violencia para vivir bien” campaign.3 The Alliance will also establish a partnership with U-PIEB to conduct research around the education of girls and young women, and will involve two gender-oriented civil society organizations in programme implementation: “Centro Juana Azurduy” a local NGO which works in gender advocacy in Chuquisaca, and “Colectivo Cabildeo” a national foundation formed by women who advocate around gender issues in education and political participation.

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy Although Bolivia adopted a Povery Reduction Strategy in 2001, the more relevant overarching government policy document is the National Development Plan (NDP) 2006-2010.4 Recently the Government passed a Bill to promote the alignment of externally funded programmes with the NDP. This move is considered to be highly controversial within Bolivian civil society, as it is perceived as an attempt to exercise greater governmental control over the actions of international and local CSOs. The National Development Plan is divided into 4 strategic areas. These are: Bolivia Digna, Bolivia Democratica, Bolivia Productiva and Bolivia Soberana.5 Within the first area of Bolivia Digna the components of social protection, community development and education are particularly relevant to the Girl Power programme. Under these components, the Government intends to supports the creation of employment opportunities through community and micro-enterprises in order to facilitate the economic empowerment for girls and young women. Within the strategic area of Bolivia Democrática, the Government proposes to strengthen local government, in terms of both responsibilities and resource transfer. New autonomous entities will also be created at decentralised level, resulting in a changed institutional landscape locally. The participation of girls and young women in local policy development will take place within this revised institutional context. Finally, the programme will support the Government’s efforts to create opportunities for youth employment as part of the Bolivia Productiva strategic area. In 2010, as the first period of the implementation of the NDP comes to an end, now is an appropriate time to evaluate progress, and to assess how far plans have been converted into tangible intiatives with which to harmonise the Alliance’s actions.

12. 4.14 Bolivia Harmonisation 200

With regards to sectoral policies, the most significant relevant initiatives of the current national government and their links to this proposal are: • Plan Nacional de Desarrollo Integral Comunitario de la Infancia, la Niñez y la Adolescencia (2009 – 2013) 6 - coheres with the Girl Power programme in its focus on indigenous children. This plan locates children as strategic components of integrated community development • Plan Nacional de Acción de Derechos Humanos (2009 – 2013)7 - addresses the right to education, civil and political rights (including the right to political participation), social and economic rights, the rights of youth and of indigenous populations. The Girl Power programme is therefore fully consistent with its aims. • Plan Nacional para Igualdad de Oportunidades – “Mujeres Construyendo la Nueva Bolivia para Vivir Bien” 8 - promotes labour rights for women and access to decent work, as well as promoting girls, adolescents and young women;s access to formal education, the eradication of gender-based violence and women’s participation in decision making arenas. The Girl Power programme fully reflects these aims. • Municipios Amigos de la Ninez y la Juventud 9 - will provide certification to municipalities that demonstrate clear improvements in the implementation of child and adolescent rights. Plan is a member of the technical board of this programme. The board has developed a set of indicators for the assessment

of municipalities’ ‘child friendliness’. • Since these are all relatively recently adopted policies by the government, the Alliance will monitor closely their conversion into concrete actions and the opportunities for harmonisation that this conversion might create. Of initiatives which are already underway, the formation and participation of student councils by the Ministry of Education and the promotion of municipal youth councils have particular relevance for this programme. We will proactively seek out opportunities to connect with and support these initiatives. At local level, we will work jointly with local governments to identify opportunities for partnership based on municipal operational planning and our own annual implementation plans.

10. ‘Multiyear Annual Strategic Plan 2008-2011’ (Royal Netherlands Embassy, 2008) bolivia.nlambassade.org/ontwikkelingssamen-/meerjarig 11. www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/acdicida/acdi-cida.nsf/eng/JUD129112821-MBV#a2

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors The Royal Netherlands Embassy will also provide resources for, and lead the implementation of, a joint donor fund on empowerment through which civil society organizations and local governments will be supported in the areas of sexual and reproductive rights and equal rights for women and men. Through our participation on the gender sub-group we will be able to access information with regards to the projects and activities supported through this fund and we will, where relevant and possible seek to harmonize our efforts accordingly. The most relevant programme supported by German development cooperation is the PROJUVENTUD programme which aims to strengthen the participation of youth in municipal governance in 29 municipalities in the areas of El Chaco and Norte de Potosi. This is especially relevant to the socio-political empowerment component of our programme. We will actively harmonize our interventions with PROJUVENTUD in municipalities where we both are active. This will build upon already existing relationships between GTZ and several of the participating organizations in Bolivia (Plan, CIPE, CRECER). Canadian development cooperation in Bolivia through their agency CIDA focuses on 2 key areas of support: Children and Youth and Economic Growth.10 The Girl Power programme intends to harmonize with a project proposal which Plan has submitted for CIDA funding, and which is a continuation of a previous CIDA-funded municipal capacity-building programme. The Girl Power programme complements this initiative through its focus on girls’ survival and women’s sexual and reproductive health, and will allow for integrated interventions in six targeted municipalities As regards multilateral channels of cooperation, the EU will be a major target in terms of influencing their programmatic decision-making to support the economic empowerment of girls and young women. This influencing will build on the exisiting relationship between Plan and EU representation in Bolivia. Specifically, a recently approved EU project which aims to build a social convenant between local authorities and civil society, will offer excellent opportunities for harmonisation with the Girl Power programme. Most of the participating organizations in Bolivia have already longstanding relationships with UNICEF. UNICEF, Plan Bolivia and DNI have jointly implemented the “Identity for all” birth registration project. DNI participated in a national platform supported by UNICEF to incorporate children and adolescents’ interests in the new Constitution. Currently, Plan works with UNICEF in supporting the Children’s and Youth Parliament. CRC, SECRAD, CIPE, CDC and Plan (as members of AINI) have worked with UNICEF to raise the profile of the 20th anniversary of the UNCRC convention. This previous track record and strong existing relationships will be the starting point for building a strong and fruitful collaboration between UNICEF and the Child Rights Alliance in Bolivia. In the near future, the alliance will convene a high level meeting with UNICEF’s key management and technical staff to present the programme, to identify common thematic and geographical areas of collaboration and to propose the establishment of a joint task-force for action.11

12. 4.14 Bolivia Harmonisation 201

4.15 Nicaragua Harmonisation and complementarity

HONDURAS

REGION AUTONOMISTA ATLATICO NORTE

EL SALVADOR

NICARAGUA

CHONTALES MANAGUA

Lag o de N ic a ra g u a

COSTA RICA

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

4.15 Nicaragua Harmonisation and Complementarity 5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation Like–minded Alliances working on children’s issues have joined up in order to ensure the full harmonization and complementarily of their activities. These Alliances are “Together4Change”, the“Child Rights Alliance”, “Woord en Daad/Red een Kind”, the “ICCO Alliance”, Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, the “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and the “Urban Youth Aliance”.1 The Child Rights and the Child and Development alliances, both participants in this initiative, are active in Nicaragua.

1. See appendix d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative 2. Nicaraguan Coordinating Federation of NGOs which work for children and adolescents. 3. Insitute for Human Advancement 4. http://www.unviolencestudy.org/

Appendices: d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

To achieve full geographic and thematic complementarity, the 2 alliances in the Netherlands and their partners in Nicaragua will work throughout 2011 – 2015, to: • Strategise on (new) partnerships to avoid double-funding (especially in Managua where both alliances will be active); • Link up laterally, to share best and worst practices across themes, programmes and strategy; • Create in-country links between programmes and partners; • Conduct joint lobbying and advocacy activities • Align and consult with the Royal Netherlands Embassies. Cooperation, harmonisation and alignment will take place in child rights networks that are already in existence, such as CODENI.2 However, in order to harmonise initiatives funded by the MFS II, the members of the Child Rights and the Child and Development alliance in Nicaragua will meet on a regular basis. Harmonisation in Nicaragua will focus on the theme of Child Rights and Protection, with alliances liaising on practice and policy in the following areas: • A thematically integrated approach from prevention to protection, rehabilitation and integration; • A geographically integrated approach, from community to regional, national and international levels; • Applying evidence- and experience-based lobbying, advocacy and policy making; • Gender-based violence; • Frameworks, methodologies and tools specific for child protection (community-based child protection mechanisms, alternative forms of care); • Action Learning and qualitative reviews. For the design and implementation of the programme, several organisations in Nicaragua are working together. These include Plan’s local office in Nicaragua, Tesis, Casa Alianza, and INPHRU3. These organisations have a strong track record of harmonisation through their participation in the UN study on Violence against children4, joint advocacy efforts and through combined activity to generate initial research around child protection issues. Some are local partners of the Dutch Child Rights Alliance while others remain independent, but all partners will harmonise their existing programmes with the activities funded through MFS II. Participating organisations have met regularly to prepare the required context analysis, and to develop the detailed programme proposal. Within the programme design, each organisation has a clearly defined role, thematic and geographic responsibilities both with regards to MFS II funded activities and current ongoing programmes. In the coming months, a more formal agreement between the participating organisations will be developed. A formal Board, composed of the Directors of each organization, will be constituted as the programme’s main governance body. It will meet 3 times per year, while a Country Steering Committee (CSC) overseeing implementation will meet quarterly. The CSC will include programme staff from Alliance Members as well as representation of the local civil society organisations targeted by the programme. The CSC will work towards the inclusion of a representation of the girls and young women of the target population in the governance process of the program. Initial conversations have been held with the Asociacion Amistad around the options for promoting some of the programme strategies within the department of Matagalpa. A possible role for this organisa-

12. 4.15 Nicaragua Harmonisation 203

5. This is the equivalent of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 6. Autonomous Region of the North Atlantic

tion has been discussed in relation to the design and implementation of awareness raising activities by children and young people themselves on the rights of girls. Conversations will continue over the coming months, hopefully leading to a formal agreement. Plan Nicaragua, INPHRU and Tesis and most of the CSOs that will be targeted by the programme are members of CODENI; the Nicaraguan Federation of NGOs working for the Rights of Children. Since August 2009, Plan Nicaragua has sought the input of CODENI into the initial conceptualisation and further elaboration of the programme proposal through various meetings. The same input was sought from the Women’s Network against Violence with whom the participating organisations have already worked together on advocating for changes in the Penal Code with regards to sexual abuse. As part of CODENI, the alliance members participated in and supported the campaign “Before approving the budget put yourselves in my shoes’. This campaign advocates the achievement of higher public investment in education. This is complementary to the Girl Power programme and as members of CODENI the Alliance members will make sure that the campaign messages reach the local governments in the target area in addition to promoting that the campaign considers the specific situation of girls. Furthermore, the campaign advocates a gender sensitive approach to children’s rights to be adopted by CODENI. The process will commence with ICCO in Nicaragua to exchange experiences on themes, regional focus of their programme, partners and best practice methodologies in the context of their focus on Children and Young People within their strategic plan.

5.2.5b Relevance of the programme within the context of national government policy The Girl Power programme fits well with the development policies of the Nicaraguan State. The proposal relates directly to key priorities established through the Updated National Human Development Plan (2009-2011)5, the Policy for Integral Attention of Children and Adolescents (adopted in 2001) and the resulting National Action Plan for Children and Adolescents (2002-2011). Within the recently adopted Updated National Human Development Plan (UNHDP), the implementation of the ‘Programa Amor’ is described as the prime programme of the Nicaraguan government for the special protection of children and adolescents; presenting an opportunity to establish collaboration with NGOs. The establishment of a fully operational child protection system as supported by the Girl Power programme is essential for the achievement of the main objective of this programme to ‘restitute the right of children to live a decent and happy life’. A second priority area of the UNHDP to which this proposal relates is that of achieving quality education for all, especially by promoting the reduction of violence against children in general and girls in particular in the school environment. This will impact positively on school attendance and completion and as such contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the UNHDP in this area. A third priority area of the UNHDP in which this proposal integrates is that of its specific attention to the development of the Caribbean Coast; and to strengthening the institutions in the 2 autonomous region of this area. We have selected RAAN6, one of the autonomous regions as a target area for the programme, as investment in creating institutional capacity at the local level to assume the responsibility for the operation of a child protection system directly relates to this priority area within the UNHDP. In 2001, the Nicaraguan government adopted the National Policy on Integral Attention to Children and Adolescents followed by the related national action plan for the period of 2002-2011. The Girl Power programme has a strong fit with the objectives of the policy and actions undertaken under the plan. Although the current Government has not given due attention to the implementation of this policy, through the Girl Power and regular programmes of the participating organisations we will continue to advocate for its full implementation.

12. 4.15 Nicaragua Harmonisation 204

In line with policy calls for the elimination of cultural practices which are discriminatory to girls, including the establishment of programmes for the prevention and protection of girls against abuse, exploitation and sexual violence the strategies of our programme are directed at the creation of non-discriminatory values and behaviours and the establishment of gender-sensitive child protection systems and processes are very consistent with this.

7. ‘Multiannual Strategic Plan 2008-2011’ (Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, Managua, Nicaragua, 2008) 8. Idem, pg. 16

The policy also specifically mentions the objective to eliminate physical, verbal and psychological abuse of children and adolescents, including calls for a disaggregation of relevant data and information by boys and girls in order to be able to fully develop gender-sensitive programmes. In our efforts we will emphasise that this is done especially in relation to the analysis and response on violence and abuse of girls and young women. Under the national policy, mechanisms for overseeing implementation and coordination of actions with different actors (including civil society organisations) have been established. At the national level, the alliance members are represented through their membership of CODENI on the National Board. This Board oversees the implementation of the policy and plan. At the local level, several of the alliance members participate on the Municipal Children Committees and Municipal Development Committee within their respective target areas. These entities are ascribed important roles in the operationalisation of the national policy. Our programme aims to target these bodies to facilitate their establishment and/or strengthen their operation in the following ways: influencing their decisions and actions; ensuring local civil society organisation are adequately represented; and ensuring the voice of girls and young women is heard and been taken into account.

5.2.5c Harmonisation of the programme with Dutch bilateral aid efforts and other important donors Nicaragua receives support from some 40 multilateral and bilateral donors with a total annual amount of between US $400-600 million. Significant donors are the EU and member states (especially Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands), Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, UNDP/UNIFEM and UNFPA.7 Our programme relates to the Strategic choice 2 of the Royal Netherlands Embassy as described in its Multi-annual Strategic Plan. Under this strategic choice, The Netherlands wants to contribute to improved gender equality in public service delivery, especially with respect to Sexual and Reproductive Health. Through our programme, we will support the work of the embassy to achieve their intended result of ‘the protection of women rights through the effective implementation of the gender equality law’.8 Specifically, we will contribute to the joint advocacy for full implementation of the law, bringing in our experience of working with violence and abuse against girls and young people. We will play a facilitating role to strengthen the participation of local civil society organisations; as well as girls and young women themselves in this process. In addition, our programme will contribute to other strategic results as pursued through the Dutch bilateral aid including: the empowerment and leadership of girls and young women; supporting the national police with relation to child protection; and awareness-raising on domestic violence and sexual abuse in government institutions. Plan Nicaragua has and will continue to participate in the coordination meetings of the embassy with the other Dutch partner NGOs including HIVOS, ICCO, NOVIB, Asociacion de Ciudades Hermanas de Nicaragua and SNV. The Alliance will use its existing harmonisation and coordination mechanisms with other international actors to promote the harmonisation of the Girl Power programme with the programmes supported by these donors. First of all this will be done through its membership of the Secretariat of International NGOs active in Nicaragua which includes over 30 organisations from Europe and the US. In addition, Plan has signed collaborative agreements with UNICEF and Save the Children under which the three organisations will work together on the topic of Violence against Children. Plan is also a member of NICASALUD which is a consortium of national and international Civil Society Organisations who implement USAID funded programmes. 12. 4.15 Nicaragua Harmonisation 205

4.16 Global activities Harmonisation and complementarity

PAKISTAN NEPAL BANGLADESH MALI

NICARAGUA SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA

GHANA

BENIN TOGO

ETHIOPIA

MALAWI ZAMBIA BOLIVIA

MOZAMBIQUE

1.1

Harmonisation and complementarity among child centered Dutch CSOs: “Child Rights Declaration”

1.2

Harmonisation and complementarity with SRSH Alliance and Impact Consortium

1.3

Harmonisation and complementarity with the WASH Alliance

1.4

Harmonisation and complementarity with the Press Freedom 2.0 Alliance

1.5

Harmonisation and complementarity with Together4Change Alliance and ACPF

Alignment with national government policy

Harmonisation with Dutch embassy (bilateral donors)

Harmonisation with other important donors: UNIATAFAG, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, AGI, UNICEF, UNIFEM)

4.16 Global activities Harmonisation and complementarity

Appendices: d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR

5.2.5a Geographic and thematic harmonisation Members of the Child Rights Alliance are familiar with working in a multi-stakeholder international context, where actors include donors, civil society organisations, multilaterals and UN bodies. As stated within the Accra Agenda for Action, civil society organisations (CSOs) have a major contribution to make in the harmonisation of donor efforts to achieve sustainable development results. Therefore, we will pursue an active policy approach to achieve harmonisation and complementarity between members of the Child Rights Alliance and our local partner organisations; with other alliances; with other civil society organisations and between the Alliance and bilateral and multilateral donor programmes. How this is pursued locally is described in the specific sections on harmonisation and complementarity of each country.

Alliance / IMPACT Consortium f. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / Together4Change Alliance / ACPF

In addition, we will pursue, where relevant and feasible, harmonisation and complementarity at the global and regional level. In the Netherlands, ten Alliances have jointly formed a strategy that will build on the added value of each Alliance to ensure the sustainability, harmonisation and complementarity of each other’s programmes throughout the life of this MFS round and beyond. These Alliances include: “Together4Change”, “Child Rights Alliance“, “Woord en Daad/ Red een Kind”, “ICCO alliance”, “Connect4Change”, “Conn@ct.Now”, “Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation”, “Child and Development”, “IMPACT” and “Urban Youth Alliance”. A copy of the respective MoU is included as appendix d. ‘Memorandum of Understanding - a child rights initiative’. We signed a MoU with the Together4Change Alliance to jointly support and work with the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) on regional African research and advocacy activities as described in the Global and Regional activities section (appendix 2.16, section VI and appendix f.). In Asia, Plan is part of the South Asian Coordination Group (SACG) which is an interagency body comprising INGOs and UN agencies (UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNHCR, etc.) committed to the follow-up actions to the UN study on Violence Against Children. We also signed a MoU (appendix e.) with the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (SRHR) and the IMPACT Alliance ,with the intention to harmonise and align activities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ghana, Ethiopia and Malawi. The Child Rights Alliance will share information and work jointly on: life skills activities and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education in schools and extra curricular clubs such as children’s clubs, sports clubs; improving legislation around access to SRH education; and awareness-raising activities in communities to change the attitudes and behaviours of communities related to harmful traditional practices. The Child Rights Alliance and WASH Alliance both have a keen interest in the rights of women and girls and their empowerment to claim these rights. The WASH Alliance works on empowerment of women in the context of addressing some of the main constraints poor girls and women experience: their heavy task to fetch water, their risk of disease due to unhygienic living conditions and their risk of sexual abuse and humiliation when confronted with a lack of sanitary facilities (e.g. in schools). The Child Rights Alliance works on equal rights and opportunities for girls and young Women. We address key issues relevant for empowerment, such as education, political participation and gender based violence. The efforts of both alliances thus complement each other. We overlap in 7 countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana, Mali, Benin, Bangladesh and Nepal). Concrete collaboration will be as follows: in the area of WASH, Plan offices at country level are involved in harmonisation efforts through annual stakeholder workshops. In two countries (Malawi and Benin) Plan is an implementing partner in the WASH Alliance. In the Netherlands, harmonisation takes place through the NGO Platform, of which Plan and all WASH Alliance members are active member. In the area of gender, the WASH Alliance can seek support of the CR Alliance in the area of gender and women’s rights at country level. 12. 4.16 Global activities Harmonisation 207

1. ‘Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action’ (1995) www.un.org/womenwatch/ daw/beijing/platform/index 2. ‘United Nations General Secretary’s report on violence against children’ (2006) Recommendation 10. Pg 27.

At the level of UN agencies, initial discussion has taken place with UNICEF and UNIFEM on how the Child Rights Alliance can work within the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls globally and within overlapping countries. Currently, this Task Force is working in Bangladesh, Benin, Mali, Malawi – and Ethiopia and Liberia are being seriously considered as new priorities. This provides the basis for potentially six overlapping countries with our programme, as well as exploring connections at a global level. Therefore, in the coming months, we will seek to: • Conduct a mapping and planning around these six countries as a basis for identifying potential partners for the Task Force; • explore different opportunities in linking campaigns, collecting data for effective lobbying and advocacy and other activities globally around our common goals to strengthen cooperation, partnerships, policies and programmes aimed at addressing the needs of adolescent girls; • discuss how multilateral country offices (like those of UNIFEM) can help in the coming years to link women’s rights organisations in each country to the Girl Power programme of Child Rights Alliance partners in order to achieve our mutual goals of advancing promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women; and • the Child Rights Alliance will also link closely with the work of the Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), a global network of approximately 30 leading international organisations dedicated to gender equality and girls’ rights. Plan has worked with the CAG through the processes of: information sharing; contracts; and collaborative initiatives in order to build a body of research on the positive changes girls can have on their communities and to form a community of like-minded organisations dedicated to girls’ rights. Equally, Plan has developed a partnership with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI), which focuses on smoothing transitions from school to productive employment for girls and young women. Representatives of UNIATFAG, including the UNICEF Co-chair of the UNIATFAG, and World Bank are active members of Plan’s Global Advisory Panel —an external body which contributes to the theoretical and analytical development of Plan’s annual flagship report on girls’ rights: Because I am a Girl: the state of the world’s girls.

5.2.5b Relevance within the context of international policies The Girl Power programme is fully aligned to the principles and concepts of the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action coming out of the landmark 4th UN world conference on Women in 1995. This declaration does recognize the need to give special attention not only to achieving the rights of women in general, but also that of girls in specific. It calls to ‘develop the fullest potential of girls and women of all ages, ensure their full and equal participation in building a better world for all and enhance their role in the development process.1 The members of the Alliance are active participants in 5 yearly review and appraisal of the advances in achieving the goal of gender equality formulated under this declaration. The Girl Power programme is also in direct support of the recommendations from the UN Study on Violence against Children and especially with respect to the recommendation 10 of this study which calls states ‘…to ensure that anti-violence policies and programmes are designed and implemented from a gender perspective, taking into account the different risks facing girls and boys in respect of violence; States should promote and protect the human rights of women and girls and address all forms of gender discrimination as part of a comprehensive violence-prevention strategy.’ 2 Partner organisations and CSOs in programme countries are actively involved in lobbying with their local governments for the realization of policies to put the recommendations into practice. At the global level, members of the Child Rights Alliance participate on the NGO group for the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child through which we advocate towards governments for the implementation of the recommendations in partnership with the UNCRC committee through the monitoring process. We also have established working relationships with the recently appointed UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Violence against Children.

12. 4.16 Global activities Harmonisation 208

With regards to education, the programme has important relevance in relation to the goals of Education for All, especially with respect to Goal 5 which calls for achieving gender equality in education by 2015 assuring full and equal access to and achievement in education for girls. Local partners and target CSOs

are actively involved in advocating for laws, policies and action plans to achieve this objective in their specific countries. Globally, members of the alliance participate in the Global Campaign on Education which advocates for the realization of the Education for All goals at the global, regional and national level.

3. High level forum on Aid Effectiveness. (Accra Agenda for Action, 2008) Recommendation 20.

5.2.5c Harmonisation with international aid and other important donors Several Alliance Members actively participate in the follow-up to the recommendation of the 3rd High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (Accra, 2008) to reflect on how the Paris principles on Aid effectiveness can be applied from a CSO perspective.3 In follow-up to this recommendation, a CSO led multi stakeholder process has been initiated in which Plan took a lead role in its initial phase by co-chairing the global facilitation group composed of international and national CSOs. We will actively participate on the first global assembly of this Open Forum for CSO development effectiveness to be realised in September of this year. We expect that through this process, principles for harmonization of the work of CSOs with national policies as well as bilateral and multilateral aid will be formulated. As these become available we will consider how to best apply those to the harmonization efforts of the Child Rights Alliance.

12. 4.16 Global activities Harmonisation 209

5. Budget for each programme

5. Budget for each programme 5.1 Budget – “GIRL POWER: Promoting Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and Young Women” Appendix 5.1.1. Budget per intervention strategy, per intended result and at outcome level. Amounts in € x 1.000 Results on outcome level

Intervention Strategy Total

DAB

Civil Society in 15 countries effectively addressing girls' rights violation and gender inequality

For the elimination of violence against girls and young women

19.857

1.586

16.535

1.736

For socio economic empowerment of girls and young women

12.638

1.004

10.529

1.105

For socio political empowerment of girls and young women

8.838

706

7.359

773

41.334

3.296

34.423

3.614

Total B

Increased responsiveness and accountability of national and local governments in 15 countries to marginalised girls

For the elimination of violence against girls and young women

11.349

4.315

2.594

4.440

For socio economic empowerment of girls and young women

5.273

1.937

1.243

2.093

For socio political empowerment of girls and young women

1.670

613

394

663

18.291

6.865

4.231

7.195

Norms, values and behaviours of families have changed in 15 countries in favour of gender equality

For the elimination of violence against girls and young women

5.261

426

4.375

460

For socio economic empowerment of girls and young women

4.602

373

3.827

403

For socio political empowerment of girls and young women

2.054

166

1.708

180

11.917

965

9.910

1.042

Total

Total D

Marginalised girls in 15 countries are empowerd

For the elimination of violence against girls and young women

8.127

6.212

1.496

420

For socio economic empowerment of girls and young women

6.455

4.934

1.188

333

For socio political empowerment of girls and young women

3.976

3.039

732

205

Total

18.558

14.185

3.415

958

Sub total programme

90.100

25.310

51.980

12.810

28%

58%

14%

% of total programme Overhead funding MFS II Overhead funding Plan Co financing Alliance costs funding MFS II Total programme costs

8.100 200 1.800 100.200

12. 5. Budget per year/country 211

* This budget is developed on the basis of the programme design of partners and stakeholders (including programming workshops) in the 15 participating countries early 2010. As a result of these partner consultations in Phase II, there is a slight deviation in the budget per year per country compared to the MFSII Phase I application (see page 93). However, the total budget remains the same. ** Due to the low presence of partners with the required capacity level in Mali and Pakistan, the programme budget has been reduced compared to the budget presented in Phase I application (see pg 93).

12. 5. Budget per year/country 212

Appendix 5.1.2. Budget per year, per country, per intervention strategy and relationship MFS II funds - own funding Amounts in â&#x201A;Ź x 1.000 Country Programme Financing

Country Programme Expenditure Budget* % of Country

budget total

Budget

Total

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

budget

DAB

Contribution MFS II

Co financing contribution Plan

West Africa: Partner countries: Benin

1.045

1.523

802

6.416

15%

73%

12%

5.788

628

Ghana

2.288

1.958

988

978

338

6.549

25%

60%

15%

5.922

628

Mali**

517

861

517

689

3.444

27%

60%

13%

2.817

628

West Africa: Non-partners countries: Liberia

1.127

1.060

987

930

895

4.999

25%

64%

12%

4.380

619

Sierra Leone

984

1.640

984

1.312

6.561

31%

57%

12%

5.941

619

Togo

594

1.561

1.469

1.341

863

5.828

25%

57%

18%

5.209

619

East and Southern Africa: Partner countries: Ethiopia

794

1.323

794

1.058

5.291

26%

59%

14%

4.664

628

Mozambique

1.576

1.519

1.458

1.225

935

6.714

37%

50%

12%

6.087

628

Zambia

2.207

1.494

792

500

330

5.323

35%

48%

17%

4.695

628

East and Southern Africa: Non-partners countries: Malawi

983

1.030

983

1.007

5.033

33%

55%

13%

4.414

619

Bangladesh

723

1.205

723

964

4.820

37%

48%

15%

4.193

628

Pakistan

657

620

720

729

800

3.528

32%

37%

31%

2.900

628

888

1.480

888

1.184

5.920

42%

41%

18%

5.301

619

Asia: Partner countries:

Asia: Non-partners countries: Nepal

Latin-America: Partner countries: Bolivia

1.150

1.725

1.438

863

575

5.751

23%

64%

13%

5.124

628

Nicaragua

1.057

1.305

1.243

1.367

6.216

34%

55%

11%

5.588

628

Global and regional

1.156

1.927

1.156

1.541

7.707

10%

80%

10%

7.079

628

100%

17.746

22.233

20.083

15.377

14.661

90.100

80.100

10.000

1.637

2.045

1.847

1.419

1.351

8.300

8.100

200

355

444

401

308

293

1.800

Total Programme

19.739

24.722

22.331

17.104

16.305

100.200

90.000

10.200

Total partner countries

13.170

15.461

13.478

10.251

9.400

61.759

54.856

6.903

Total non-partner countries

4.576

6.772

6.606

5.126

5.261

28.341

25.244

3.097

% Partner countries

74%

70%

67%

64%

69%

68%

69%

% Non-partner countries

26%

30%

33%

36%

31%

32%

31%

Sub total programme Overhead funding Alliance costs funding

12. 5. Budget per year/country 213

Appendix 5.1.3. Budget per Alliance Member Amounts in â&#x201A;Ź x 1.000 1. Budget per member Total budget Plan

Total budget %

Overhead

Alliance cost

Programme budget

62.423

69%

5.618

1.800

55.005

Child Helpline

6.749

607

6.142

DCI / ECPAT

5.173

466

4.707

Free Voice

7.543

679

6.864

ICDI

5.382

484

4.897

Women Win

2.730

246

2.484

Sub total

90.000

100%

8.100

1.800

80.100

Co funding

10.000

200

10.000

100.000

8.300

90.100

Total

2. Total programme budget (including co-funding) per year per member* Total Expenses as % of total

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

100%

20%

25%

22%

17%

16%

65.005

12.803

16.040

14.489

11.094

10.578

Child Helpline

6.142

1.210

1.516

1.369

1.048

999

DCI / ECPAT

4.707

927

1.162

1.049

803

766

Free Voice

6.864

1.352

1.694

1.530

1.171

1.117

ICDI

4.897

965

1.208

1.092

836

797

Women Win

2.484

489

613

554

424

404

90.100

17.746

22.233

20.083

15.377

14.661

Plan

Sub total

* In this table, the distribution of funds between the years slightly deviates with the MFSII Phase I application (see page 5 and 26). The percentage of programme contribution per year is based on partner consultations during the programme design (including programming workshops held in each country) in early 2010. See the Cash Flow Forecast presented in the appendix 5.1.5. This implies that for instance, in year 2011, we will request 20% of the programme budget instead of the 15% foreseen in Phase I of the application. However, this has no influence on the total budget as presented in Phase I.

12. 5. Budget per year/country 214

Appendix 5.1.4. Overview of overhead costs Amounts in â&#x201A;Ź x 1.000 Overhead and key-ratio's per partner based on Annual figures 2009 / RJ 650 Office costs

Publicity and comm. costs

Staff costs

563

1.855

2.980

4.604

3,0%

8,2%

95,0%

Child Helpline

213

715

2,5%

7,6%

94,1%

DCI / ECPAT

138

923

5,9%

4,6%

87,2%

Free Voice

876

8,3%

87,3%

ICDI

395

4,6%

0,0%

86,8%

216

7,4%

12,2%

79,9%

Housing costs Plan

Women Win

Support & administration costs

Fundraising cost

Expenses on behalf of objective

Alliance overhead Girl Power Programme*

Allocation

Expenditure

Objective

Support & administration costs

Fundraising

Programme Management (**)

Programme

Own fundraising

Joined actions

Actions third parties

Grants

Total

Investments

Grants Outsourced work Transfers

90.100

Publicity and communication costs

1.380

811

2.191

Staff costs

3.522

2.068

5.590

Housing costs

370

218

588

Office costs

982

576

1.558

Depreciation and intrest

109

174

3.737

100.200

Total

6.363

90.100

* This table is based on the model in appendice 3 of RJ650 (Richtlijn voor jaarverslaggeving 650, 2007, CBF). ** including Alliance costs (2%)

12. 5. Budget per year/country 215

Appendix 5.1.5. Cash Flow Forecast (liquidity request) per half year Amounts in â&#x201A;Ź x 1.000 Total

2011 Q1

2012 Q3

2013 Q3

17%

20%

Girl Power - promoting equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women

90.000

18.000

9.000

11.250

9.900

7.650

7.200

Programme expenditure

80.100

8.010

10.013

8.811

6.809

6.408

Alliance cost

1.800

180

225

198

153

144

Overhead

8.100

810

1.013

891

689

648

Sub total

90.000

9.000

11.250

9.900

7.650

7.200

216

22%

2015

100%

12. 5. Budget per year/country

25%

2014

16%

13. Optional appendices

13. Checklist of optional appendices a. Overview of co-applicants contact details

Section 2, General information about the applicant

b. Overview MFA grants received by each Alliance member

Section 2, General information about the applicant

c. Framework for accountability and M&E, alignment and harmonisation and capacity building

Section 7, Criterion 5.2.4a

d. Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative Section 8, Criterion 5.2.5a e. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium Section 8, Criterion 5.2.5a f. Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / Together4Change Alliance / ACPF Section 8, Criterion 5.2.5a g. Child Rights Alliance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Governance Model Section 9, Criterion 5.2.6b h. Child Rights Alliance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Partnership Agreement Section 9, Criterion 5.2.6b

13. Optional appendices 217

a Overview of co-applicants contact details

a. Overview of co-applicants contact details Name co-applying organisation

Child Helpline International

Visiting address

Herengracht 418 1017 BZ Amsterdam The Netherlands

Postal address

Herengracht 418 1017 BZ Amsterdam The Netherlands

Phone number

+31 (0)20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5289625

Fax number

+31 (0)20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6387655

E-mail

info@childhelplineinternational.org

Director(s) name

Ms. Nenita La Rose

Contact name

Ms. Leticia Vasquez

Contact e-mail

leticia@childhelplineinternational.org

Name co-applying organisation

Defence for Children - ECPAT

Visiting address

Hooglandse Kerkgracht 17 - G 2312 HS Leiden The Netherlands

Postal address

PO Box 11103 2301 EC Leiden The Netherlands

Phone number

+31 (0)71 - 5160980

Fax number

+31 (0)71 - 5160989

E-mail

info@defenceforchildren.nl

Director(s) name

Mr. Aloys van Rest

Contact name

Ms. Sharon Detrick and Mr. Theo Noten

Contact e-mail

s.detrick@defenceforchildren.nl t.noten@defenceforchildren.nl

13.a Optional appedices

Name co-applying organisation

Free Voice

Visiting address

Sumatralaan 45 1217 GP Hilversum The Netherlands

Postal address

PO Box 66 1200 AB Hilversum The Netherlands

Phone number

+31 (0)35 – 6250110

Fax number

+31 (0)35 – 6250111

E-mail

info@freevoice.nl

Director(s) name

Mr. Jan Bonjer

Contact name

Mr. Eric van der Lee

Contact e-mail

eric.vanderlee@freevoice.nl

Name co-applying organisation

International Child Development Initiatives

Visiting address

Hooglandse Kerkgracht 17-F 2312 HS Leiden The Netherlands

Postal address

Hooglandse Kerkgracht 17-F 2312 HS Leiden The Netherlands

Phone number

+31 (0)71 – 5127420

Fax number

+31 (0)71 – 5127432

E-mail

info@icdi.nl

Director(s) name

Mr. Mathijs Euwema

Contact name

Ms. Esther Miedema

Contact e-mail

esther@icdi.nl

Name co-applying organisation

Women Win

Visiting address

Vijzelgracht 53 B 1017 HP Amsterdam The Netherlands

Postal address

Saxen Weimarlaan 20 – 3 1075 CB Amsterdam The Netherlands

Phone number

+31 (0)6 – 51194006

Fax number

E-mail

info@womenwin.org

Director(s) name

Ms. Astrid Aafjes

Contact name

Ms. Cindy Coltman

Contact e-mail

c.coltman@womenwin.org

b Overview MFA grants received by each Alliance member

Overview of other grants received from the ministry of Foreign Affairs per Alliance member Alliance member programme

Budget

Duration

Activity Number

Plan Nederland MFP 2008 - 2010 Sanitation in peri-irban areas in Africa

€ 59.430.000,00

2007 - 2010

15880

€ 3.500.000,00

2008 - 2012

17169

€ 541.046,00

2009 - 2011

19429

€ 4.474.000,00

2009 - 2014

20614

€ 3.800.000,00

2007-2010

14956

Fighting violence to ensure education for all Empowering self-help sanitation of rural and peri-urban communities and schools in Africa

Child Helpline International MFS 1

Defence for Children - ECPAT MATRA - Protecting children from abuse and neglect Georgia

€ 606.971,00

2009 - 2012

GE 16837

MATRA - DZO Child Prostitution Russia

€ 673.622,00

2008 - 2011

RU16099

€ 153.110,00

2009 - 2010

18857

€ 685.994,00

2009 - 2012

UA 19741

€ 9.932.424,00

2008-2010

14918

€ 253.908,00

2008-2010

14918

MATRA - ‘Get your chance!’, towards a better future for institutionalized children and graduates of state boarding schools in Ukraine by improving social services and strengthening life skills

€ 496.446,00

2010-2012

UA20547

MATRA - Towards Quality Foster Care in Croatia

€ 540.850,00

2008-2010

HR16137

MATRA - Begin at the Beginning, Promoting Early Childhood Development through Community-Based Initiatives

€ 446.727,00

2007-2010

RS14076

€ 234.954,00

2009-2012

NAI 0110584

Promotion of the prevention of children against sexual exploitation in tourism (POBB Kindersekstoerisme) MATRA - Care reform for young offenders

Free Voice MFS I aanvulling MFS I

ICDI

Women Win Women Win Kenyan Sports Programmes

13.b Optional appedices

c Framework for accountability and M&E, alignment and harmonisation and capacity building

13.c Optional appedices

Girls and young women

Local Partner organisations

15 COUNTRY PROGRAMMES

Local CS organisations

Country Steering Committee Dutch Steering Committee

Framework for accountability and M&E, alignment, harmonisation and capacity building

Other Alliance members

CHILDS RIGHTS ALLIANCE

Alliance members

Plan Nederland MFS II

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

d Memorandum of Understanding A child rights initiative

e Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / SRHR Alliance / IMPACT Consortium

f Memorandum of Understanding Child Rights Alliance / Together4Change Alliance / ACPF

g Child Rights Alliance Governance Model

g. Childs Rights Alliance - Governance Model Table of contents and decision making

1. Preliminary remarks 2. Alliance structure 3. Operational processes 3.1 General decision making 3.2 Financial management

In this document decision making and (financial) management of the Child Rights Alliance is presented. It describes the overall process rather than determines in detail all roles, mandates and processes. These process and task descriptions will be further developed after approval of the Girl Power programme proposal.

13.g Optional appendices

1. Preliminary remarks This governance policy is based on the Partnership Agreement signed by Child Rights Alliance members on 18 November 2009. Please note that that in case of disagreement or doubts regarding the governance of the Alliance the principles and responsibilities as described in the Partnership Agreement are leading. In order to describe the decision making and management processes of the Alliance, as set out in the Partnership Agreement, the following principles were used: • The Partnership Agreement provides the legal basis for the Child Rights Alliance; where relevant reference will be made to its relevant paragraphs; • The Alliance strives to create ownership, equal partnerships and sharing of responsibilities by progressing the shift of project management responsibilities to its southern partners; • The Alliance focuses primarily on the sustainability of its southern partners and on the realisation of objectives as described in the Girl Power programme; • The Alliance also focuses on efficiency, which implies, among other things, building on the added value of each Child Rights Alliance member and minimising administrative efforts; • The Alliance envisions a central role for the Country Steering Committees (CSCs);

2. Alliance structure The Child Rights Alliance consists of 6 Dutch civil society organisations. We work with civil society organisations, their local partners and with steering committees in each of the 15 programme countries. The Dutch Alliance Members are: • Plan Nederland – lead applicant (formal representative) of the Alliance towards the Minister and/or the Ministry • Child Helpline International • Free Voice • Defence for Children International Nederland – ECPAT • ICDI • Women Win The overall Alliance structure is represented graphically in figure 1 below. In the following paragraph, the roles of each of the parties involved are described as well as the key processes between these parties. Figure 1: Overall alliance structure Country Program n=15 Local CSO

Girls and young women

Alliance Members (N=6)

Country Steering Committee

Local CSO

13.g Optional appendices

Local Partner Organisations

Board of Directors

Plan NL

Dutch Steering Commettee

Alliance Members (N=6)

Local partner organisations The Girl Power programme has been developed in response to demands from the local civil society partners of the Child Rights Alliance Members. These partners are the implementers of the programme in their specific countries. They are all part of the Child Rights Alliance and (financially) supported by one of the Alliance Members. Each local partner in turn makes use of its own network of civil society organisations for programme implementation. Members

The implementing civil society organisations in the 15 programme countries. They are nationally registered, independent and operate at local, national or regional level.

Role

To implement activities and projects under the Girl Power programme and report back to their respective Alliance Member as well as to their Country Steering Committee (CSC). Frequency: Annual activity plans presented to Alliance Member and CSC; quarterly financial reports to Alliance Member; bi-annual narrative/financial progress report to Alliance Member and CSC.

Meetings and communication

Meetings and communication according to practice with respective Alliance Member. In addition regular mutual updates with the CSC (via e-mail, conference calls and/or via the yearly CSC monitoring meeting).

Other

3 to 5 CSOs will take a seat in the CSC.

Country Steering Committee (CSC) The Child Rights Alliance has the vision that, in 2015, strong and sustainable national Child Rights Alliances will be active in the 15 programme countries, as described in the first phase application of the Girl Power programme (page 95). As a foundation of each national alliance, stands the Country Steering Committee (CSC) which is responsible for the implementation of the MFS II programme per country. Each CSC consists of 3 – 5 CSOs, the Plan Country Office and is supported by one representative of the Child Rights Alliance. The main goal of the CSC is to align and harmonise the actions and strategies of the involved CSOs. In addition the CSC has the mandate to coordinate country programme implementation and Alliance building/capacity strengthening activities. Given the contextual differences of each programme country, it is to be expected that the CSCs are at various levels of development. The Alliance Members support the CSCs in maximising their potential. Development dynamics of a CSC Strengthening civil society in developing countries is core to the MFSII grant application. Sustainability, ownership, coordination and alignment are therefore explicit elements of the Girl Power programme. Although most local partners are experienced organisations, we recognise that each programme country and its local actors operate in different contexts and stages of development. In order to guarantee both accountability towards the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and encourage ownership at local level, we support the development of the CSCs by providing tailor made capacity building actions. Key to these actions is the principle that in order to assure sustainability and southern ownership of the programme, strong CSCs are required. The composition and mandate of the CSC is not strictly defined, allowing room for local adaptations and tailor made solutions. However, the local CSC is required to respect certain guiding principles. Based on these principles the Board of Directors (BoD) formally approves or rejects the CSC. The guiding principles are: • Involvement of direct beneficiaries (children in general and girls specifically); • Representation of key partners CSOs; • Transparent procedures; • (Intention to develop a) strategy to ensure continuity of the CSC/national Child Rights Alliance.

13.g Optional appendices

The CSC reports annually on the results of the country programme, applying its country specific perspective. Should a CSC be unable to deliver reports with the required quality, support will be given by the Alliance Member responsible for the CSC and possible external experts. The annual reports function both as a learning exercise and as programme management and quality control instruments. Additionally, all CSCs will be expected to present an annual plan; stating their ambitions and targets with respect to the programme and their own development. These task plans will shift from mainly implementation towards more strategic plans as a CSC develops. Part of the annual plan is a section on capacity development. Each CSC makes an inventory of the needs of the partners and the available local resources (people, organisations, etc) for capacity building. Members

3 – 6 local CSO representatives and a Plan Country Office representative. In each country a lead organisation will be appointed by the CSOs to chair the CSC. Each CSC is formally approved on by the Board of Directors.

Tasks

The CSC has an overview of the capacities of the involved CSOs, of trends and tendencies and is able to propose capacity building activities and stimulate exchange of experiences and best practices. The CSC not only links the Girl Power programme to the country specific context, but also functions as a platform for CSOs to develop joint lobby and advocacy activities. The CSC reports to the Dutch Steering Committee. Frequency: Annual activity plan; annual narrative progress reports related to country specific context.

Meetings

The CSC meets at least 3 times a year (1 planning meeting, 1 progress meeting and 1 monitoring meeting).

Other

Each CSC has a fixed contact person from the Dutch Alliance to support in alliance building and capacity building activities. In each country programme financial means are reserved in the budget to the support the development of the CSC and the lead organisation receives this budget on behalf of the CSC. The structure of each CSC will vary depending on a number of considerations including the country context, existing relationships and child rights networks.

Alliance Members The six Dutch civil society organisations that form the Child Rights Alliance are referred to as Alliance Members. Each Alliance Member has their own network of civil society organisations in Southern countries and is responsible for its relationship with these partners. To achieve maximum results under the Girl Power programme, Alliance Members will focus on stimulating cooperation among their partners in the 15 programme countries. The Alliance Member remains the first reference for its CSO partner.

13.g Optional appendices

Members

The 6 Dutch civil society organisations working together under the umbrella of the Child Rights Alliance.

Tasks

Each Alliance Member has a defined role to play in the implementation of the programme and receives funds for this task. This role is described under section 4.3.2 of the Alliance Check submitted to the Ministry in the first stage of the MFS II application (page 74 – 77). Each Alliance Member is responsible for the relationship management with their CSO partner organisations. The Alliance Member is held accountable regarding the (financial) support towards their local CSO partner organisations involved in the programme. Frequency: bi-annual financial and narrative reports, aggregated midterm evaluations and end of programme evaluations (half the course of the programme and in the final year).

Meetings

The Alliance Member discusses progress around programme activities with its local partners as often as necessary, and according its own practice. However at least twice a year (see clause 8.4 of the Partnership Agreement) the Alliance Members report on the progress of their partners towards the Child Rights Alliance, through the Dutch Steering Committee.

Other

All Alliance Members must comply with the organisational requirements set out by the Ministry (refer to the Threshold Criteria set out in the first stage of the MFS II application and the “Financieel Reglement”). All requirements must be met by the 31 of December 2010 at the latest and all standards maintained until the end of the implementation of the entire programme (31-12-2015). In case of non-compliance the partnership agreement clause 9.2 describes the appropriate procedure.

Dutch Steering Committee (DSC) The Dutch Steering Committee is responsible for the ongoing coordination and management of the overall Girl Power programme in addition to the building of the Child Rights Alliance. Each Alliance Member is represented in the DSC by a staff member. The DSC supports the capacity building trajectory of the 15 CSCs and has an overview of all individual capacity building activities (directly targeting the CSOs). The DSC monitors and evaluates the programme at the highest level. Having the overview, this body prepares the narrative and financial annual reports to be presented to the Ministry. The consolidated reports from the individual Alliance Members (6 per half year) and the annual country programme progress reports (15 per year) serve as input for the annual report. At set moments the DSC is supported by specialised staff. Members

Six permanent members, being one ‘Programme Manager’ per Alliance Member. Each permanent member is responsible for the relationship management with one or more CSCs throughout the entire course of the Girl Power programme. At set points the group is supported by, in any case, a Finance; PME; and Gender Specialist.

Role

The DSC keeps track of the programme, conducts financial and administrative management, supports the Board of Directors, keeps in touch with the programme officers of the Child Rights Alliance and supports the CSCs. The programme managers report on progress and finances within the programme country under their responsibility. Every 12 months the DSC receives an update on progress of the country programmes, made by the CSCs as well as a consolidated bi-annual report of each Alliance Member. These reports serve as input for reporting to the BoD and in effect the Ministry. Frequency: Approval of annual activity plans; approval of bi-annual financial and narrative progress reports; bi-annual report for the BoD (below); annual report for BoD and Ministry.

Meetings

The DSC meets at least every quarter.

Other

Plan Nederland, being the lead applicant, provides the DSC with both physical and on-line support. Financial management support is supplied by Plan Nederland, as it is ultimately accountability to the Ministry. The DSC prepares the annual report for the Ministry, to be approved by the BoD and finally Plan Nederland.

Board of Directors (BoD) Accountability for the functioning of the Child Rights Alliance and the implementation of the Girl Power Programme lies with the BoD. Its role and responsibilities are described in clauses 8.1, 8.2 and 8.6 of the Partnership Agreement. As Plan Nederland is the formal representative of the Alliance, its National Director chairs the board. Members

The BoD is formed by one director per Alliance Member. This person is authorised by its organisation to make all decisions in relation to the Girl Power programme.

Tasks

The BoD is informed by the DSC on progress and expenditures of the Girl Power programme. The BoD gives its approval on the yearly narrative and financial reports presented by the DSC. If necessary issues described under clause 8.2 of the Partnership Agreement are also discussed during these meetings. The BoD represents the Alliance to third parties and approves strategic issues, submitted by the DSC related to content proposal and governance alliance.

Meetings

Meetings can take place through conference calls, but the Board will meet physically at least every six months.

Other

Suggestion for fixed items on the quarterly agenda: Financial reports on expenditure and planning (QTR 1, 2, 3, 4) Narrative reports on progress (QTR 2 and 4) Approval of yearly financial and narrative report for Ministry (QTR 4) Annual plan Although the BoD is the highest decision making level of the Alliance, financial and narrative annual reports to the Ministry must be approved by Plan Nederland – being the lead applicant and therefore accountable to the Ministry – before sending out.

13.g Optional appendices

Plan Nederland Plan Nederland is the formal applicant of the grant and accountable to the Ministry. It is responsible for the distribution of MFS II funds among the Alliance members as well as being responsible for the financial and narrative reports regarding the Girl Power programme generated for the Ministry. Please refer to clause 4, 5 and 7 for details regarding the tasks of the lead organisation.

3. Operational processes In this chapter, 2 key processes of the Child Rights Alliance are described: 1. General decision making 2. Financial management For details regarding PME and capacity building we refer to the main proposal chapter 7, sections 5.2.4 and 5.2.6

3.1 General decision making Refer to clause 4 of the Partnership Agreement regarding cooperation in the Alliance. The main basis of the proposal is that decision making should be made, wherever possible, by southern partners. Within the limits of the programme and responsibilities of the alliance towards the Ministry, partners will be given overall responsibility for implementation.

Contingency measures Should difficulties arise during the implementation of the programme various measures and instruments can be used. Notable contingency measures are listed below, but this list is by no means exhaustive. • The partnerships agreement describes, besides the requirement for reports, both an escalation procedure for Dutch alliance members (clause 8.3) as well as a complaints procedure (clause 30); • Individual partner organisations can inform the CSC or the Dutch Child Rights Alliance Members of problems or new risks; • CSCs track programme progress at country level and may suggest changes or measures to improve the programme; • Different countries can use each others’ expertise in solving problems; • The Child Rights Alliance will facilitate the exchange of information through an online platform and general databases; • Every 6 months, each country reports to the DSC. At this point changes in the programme can be discussed; • All southern partners have a Dutch partner which monitors programme progress; • Ultimately, the right to end the transfer of funds is retained as a sanction; • Conflicts between Dutch partners are solved by mediation: refer to annex 31 of agreement.

3.2 Financial management In the Partnership Agreement, under clause 7, the division of funds among Alliance Members is defined. Each member is responsible for the reimbursement of funds to their local partners involved in programme implementation, if applicable.

Financial flow: As the lead applicant, Plan Nederland will receive funds for the programme from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The funds are, in principle, divided to conform to clause 7.1 and 7.2 of the Partnership Agreement. Each Alliance Member can claim its part of the funds, based on the programme budget as approved by the Ministry and yearly activity plans. Plan Nederland transfers the budget to Alliance members and these in turn transfer it to local partners. The CSC receives their budget from the Dutch Alliance Member responsible for this specific country. During the programme, this budget is reviewed to check whether expenditure has been well allocated. Where changes are required, the Ministry is asked for approval.

13.g Optional appendices

Each year an (adjusted) activity plan and budget per Alliance Member is presented to the DSC. Each Alliance Member may file a request for payment at a maximum of 4 times a year, using the format provided by

Plan Nederland (see clause 7.3 and appendix 2 of the Partnership Agreement). Financial disbursements are made in advance; however, they only take place if at least 70% of the expenditure of the previous period has been realised. Figure 3: Financial management Country Program n=15 Local Partner Organisations

Local CSO

Girls and young women

Alliance Members (N=6)

Country Steering Committee

Local CSO

Local Partner Organisations

Board of Directors

Plan NL

Dutch Steering Commettee

Alliance Members (N=6)

Reporting on finances: Local partner organisations report quarterly to their Alliance Member on the expenditure disbursed and programme progress . In every bi-annual report a comparison between the financial report and narrative is made and presented to the respective Alliance Member. The Alliance Members review the reports and give feedback to local partners. The Dutch Alliance Members consequently report to the DSC bi-annually on progress. As set out in the MFS II Financial Regulations 29 October 2009, all Alliance Members are committed to report according to RJ650 (Raad voor de Jaarverslaggeving Richtlijn, Fondsenwervende instellingen Richtlijn 650). This means that each Alliance Member needs to provide the Child Rights Alliance with an approved accountant’s audit. The audit guidelines for this will be integrated in the rules and requirements set out by the Ministry regarding the MFS 2 subsidy decision 2010.

Additional requirements set out in the regulations are (in short): A Statement of Origin of Funds must be included; • Specification of MFS II funds received and expended must be included and approved by the accountants; • Chosen objectives for reporting on expenditures are to be in accordance with the objectives as stipulated in the request; • Management remunerations must be included; • Expenditures per country must be included in accordance with the 60% criteria; • A report on the policy results “toetsing beheerscapaciteit van samenwerkingspartners” must be included; • A report concerning performed sanction policies must be included. (See for further information chapter 6.3 Financiële verantwoording of the Financial Regulations)

Efficiency (overhead) (in short): Overhead and efficiency costs must be reported in a transparent manner in accordance with RJ650. Quality systems guarantee the organisation’s efficiency on an ongoing basis. Within the quality systems, ratios are embedded for managing overheads and efficiency. The allocations methodology for objectives and management and administration costs will be made explicit in each annual report.

Definition for overhead costs: Operating costs as defined by RJ650: costs for publicity and communication, employee salary, housing, office and general costs, depreciation and interest costs. (See chapter 9 Doelmatigheid of the Financial Regulations for further information)

13.g Optional appendices

h Child Rights Alliance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Partnership Agreement

Partnership Agreement Child Rights Coalition 2011-2015 version 18.11.2009

Partnership agreement

THE PARTIES:

1. the foundation STICHTING CHILD HELPLINE INTERNATIONAL, domiciled under its articles of association and having its principal place of business in (1017 BZ) Amsterdam at Herengracht 418, Amsterdam, registered with the Chamber of Commerce as number 34194999, for these purposes duly represented by Nenita la Rose, hereinafter known as “CHI” 2. the foundation STICHTING DEFENCE FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL NEDERLAND - ECPAT NEDERLAND, domiciled under its articles of association and having its principal place of business in (1019 AH) Amsterdam at Cruquiusweg 68 – 70 , registered with the Chamber of Commerce as number 41208813, for these purposes duly represented by Sjoera Dikkers , hereinafter known as “Defense for Children / ECPAT” 3. the foundation STICHTING FREE VOICE - DUTCH SUPPORT FOR MEDIA IN DEVELOPMENT, domiciled under its articles of association and having its principal place of business in (1217 GP) Hilversum at Sumatralaan 45 registered with the Chamber of Commerce as number 41154421 for these purposes duly represented by Bart Dijkstra hereinafter known as “Free Voice” 4. the foundation STICHTING INTERNATIONAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, domiciled under its articles of association and having its principal place of business in (2312 HS) Leiden at Hooglandsekerkgracht 17 H.G.WEESHUIS, registered with the Chamber of Commerce as number 41169161, for these purposes duly represented by Matthijs Euwema, hereinafter known as “ICDI” 5. the foundation STICHTING WOMEN WIN, domiciled under its articles of association and having its principal place of business in (1075 CB ) Amsterdam at Saxen - Weimarlaan 20 3hg, registered with the Chamber of Commerce as number 34267612 for these purposes duly represented by Maria Bobenrieth hereinafter known as “Women Win” together also known as the “Joint Applicants”

6. the foundation STICHTING PLAN NEDERLAND, domiciled under its articles of association and having its principal place of business at De Van Boshuizenstraat 12 (1083 BA) in Amsterdam, registered with the Chamber of Commerce as number 41198890 for these purposes duly represented by Mr. T. Bergsma, director general, hereinafter known as the “Budget Holder”

Hereinafter together also known as the “Parties”

WHEREAS:

a. On 31 July 2009 the Joint Financing System II (Medefinancieringsstelsel II) grants framework came into effect for Dutch social welfare organisations that are structurally involved in the sustainable combating of poverty;

b. The Parties wish to enter into an alliance in order to submit a single joint grant application under Joint Financing System II;

c. The Parties wish to express their wish in a partnership agreement and the specific provisions between the Budget Holder and the individual Joint Applicants will be agreed no later than 1 July 2010.

d. The Joint Applicants wish to organise several Programmes with the Budget Holder within the field of ‘children’s rights’;

e. The Parties intend to continue the partnership between them after the term of this partnership agreement;

The grant application must have a Budget Holder, the Budget Holder has expressed the wish to occupy that position and the Joint Applicants honour that wish;

AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

Clause 1

Definitions

Application Templates:

The Application Templates MFS II 2011-2015 dated 29 July

2009 and amended on 15 October 2009, together with the Ministry publications.

Alliance:

The partnership between the Budget Holder and the Joint Applicants under the Agreement.

Schedule:

An agreement falling within the Agreement with specific provisions on the Agreement concluded between the Budget Holder and one or more Joint Applicants.

Coalition Partners:

The partners specified in clause 8.4.

Management Consultation: Decision-making consultation with the Alliance consisting of the competent managers of all Parties by which decisions of the Alliance are made with due consultation, always seeking majority. If no agreement is reached, the decision of Budget Holder shall prevail. The Budget Holder shall make decisions on the criteria of reasonableness and fairness.

Joint Applicant:

Joint Applicant in the grant application under the Budget Holder and a partner in the Child Rights Alliance.

MFS II:

The grants framework of Dutch social welfare organisations that are structurally involved in the sustainable combating of poverty.

Ministry:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation.

Minister:

The Minister of Development Cooperation.

Agreement:

The present agreement with all its associated Schedules.

Partner:

Local southern or Dutch organisation that is involved in the implementation of the Programme and receives financial or other support for the purpose.

Budget Holder:

Lodger of the application of the grant under the MFS II, the Allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contact point for third parties in relation to the Alliance and contact point and party ultimately responsible for the applications to the Ministry and the Minister; also has the tasks listed in clause 5.

Programme:

The programme or programmes submitted in phase 2 of the MFS II process describing how or for what purposes the grant will be used. The singular shall also encompass the plural.

Programme Manager:

One representative of each Party who is empowered to make

decisions on the implementation of the proposal within the existing framework of the Programme

Programme Office:

Support function for the Alliance in the implementation of the Programme located at the Budget Holder’s, entrusted with preparing for

meetings,

monitoring

plans,

assisting

with

reporting

and

accountability to the Ministry, and dealing with the Alliance’s financial management.

Steering Committee: Consultative body consisting of Parties’ Programme Managers by which operational decisions may be taken.

Grant Application:

The Grant Application submitted by the Child Rights Coalition in relation to MFS II 2011-2015.

Assessment Report: The report prepared by the Budget Holder stating the extent to which the Joint Applicants satisfy the seven parts of the organisational test of the Grant Policy Framework and what actions are being taken and with what deadlines in order to satisfy all seven parts completely. Clause 2 2.1

Object and scope of the partnership

The Parties agree to work with one another within framework of MFS II on aid programmes as described in the Alliance Test (“A-test”) of the Grant Application. The aims of this partnership include:

achieving synergies in its activities;

exploiting the benefits of scale;

achieving efficiency gains;

improving the effectiveness of the provision of aid.

2.2

For the duration of the Agreement, the Parties are entering into a partnership with its associated rights and duties in which each Party retains its own legal capacity. No merger and/or takeover of a Party by another Party is involved.

Clause 3 3.1

Effective date, term and extension

The Agreement shall take effect on 30 November 2009 and end on 31 December 2015.

3.2

After the in period specified in clause 3.1, the Agreement in principle be extended by a period of two years. Extension shall take place when, three months before the term of the Agreement, the Parties have reached written agreement on such extension, subject to each Party intending and endeavouring to remain a Party to the Alliance.

Clause 4 4.1

Mode of collaboration

The Budget Holder is the sole point of contact with, and representative and person responsible to the Minister and the Ministry for implementation of the Programmes described in the proposal submitted for the MFS II grant and compliance with the conditions attached to the grant being made. The Joint Applicants are committed to this.

4.2

The Joint Applicants shall put their names to said Grant Application and shall make their contribution to it as described in part 4.4.3c of the application.

4.3

Besides these obligations, each Party shall, for each specific portion of the Programme as specified in 4.4.2a, use his best endeavours in contributing to the preparation and implementation of the Programme in which that Party was a participant in accordance with the Minister’s requirements.

4.4

The Parties are aware and agree that they, and in particular the Budget Holder, must abide by whatever the Minister and the Ministry may determine.

Clause 5

The Budget Holder’s tasks

The Budget Holder’s tasks are to: a.

Submit the Grant Application for the Alliance’s Programme as a whole. The Budget Holder shall submit the grant application for phase 1 of MFS II before 1 December 2009. If the Alliance is selected for phase 2, the Budget Holder shall present the Alliance’s Programme to the Ministry before 1 July 2010. b. Apportion and pay out the grant money as laid down by clause 7. c. Supervise the Minister’s approval for changes in the Alliance including accessions to and retirements from it and its total discontinuation.

d. Supervision of promotion of the Parties compliance with their obligations in respect of the proper performance of the Programmes in which the Parties are participating. e. Be responsible for the quality of the Alliance and the Joint Applicants vis-à-vis the Minister. f.

Provide an understanding of the results of the assessment of the quality and capacity of the Joint Applicants and the manner in which that assessment was made. To this end, the Budget Holder shall submit the Assessment Report to the Ministry.

g. The imposition of sanctions on Joint Applicants for non-performance of activities or non-achievement of results, as specified in the Agreement and the Programmes. h. Check on the financial and substantive reporting of the Joint Applicants in accordance with the requirements laid down or to be laid down by the Ministry. i.

Collecting information provided to the Minister and producing the requisite reports to the Ministry including the (accountants) audit of the annual report.

Plan, preside over and take minutes of the Management Consultation and the meetings of the Steering Committee.

Clause 6

Programme

Together with one or more Joint Applicants, the Budget Holder shall draw up several Programmes to be submitted to the Ministry in phase 2, which shall describe, among other things, what contribution the Parties are making to a particular problem and how they will use the grant money for this purpose. They shall also contain the elements specified in the Application Template. The Programme Office is available to the Alliance to support the partnership by preparing for meetings, monitoring planning, providing support for reporting and answers to the Ministry and running the Alliance’s financial management. Clause 7 7.1

Grant, division and retention

Budget Holder shall submit an application for the maximum grant obtainable per Alliance, i.e. an average of €18,000,000 per year for the next five years. If the amount applied for as the grant is paid then, in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 1 to the Agreement, for five years it shall be divided as follows: 1. Budget Holder receives € 62,422,674 2. Joint Applicant Child Helpline receives € 6,749,481 3. Joint Applicant DCI/ECPAT receives € 5,172,774 4. Joint Applicant Free Voice receives € 7,543,256 5. Joint Applicant ICDI receives € 5,381,668 6. Joint Applicant Women Win receives € 2,730,146

7.2

If less is awarded and/or paid than the maximum amount of the Grant Application, the amount granted and/or paid shall be divided pro-rata the sum applied for, hence in the following ratio: 1. Budget Holder receives 69% 2. Joint Applicant Child Helpline receives 7% 3. Joint Applicant DCI/ECPAT receives 6% 4. Joint Applicant Free Voice receives 8% 5. Joint Applicant ICDI receives 6% 6. Joint Applicant Women Win receives 3%

7.3

Up to four times per year, a Joint Applicant may make an application to the Budget Holder for payment of an advance, known as a liquidity request. This application must be made using the template included as Schedule 2. The Budget Holder shall, in principle, meet the request, always taking the interests of the various Parties into account.

7.4

If a Programme in which a Joint Applicant is participating is not admitted to phase 2, that Joint Applicant shall not be entitled to the part of the grant allocated to make up the rejected Programme.

7.5

On the Agreement with a Joint Applicant terminating or being rescinded, the grant will be allocated to the remaining Joint Applicants on the basis of the Agreement using the ratio specified in clause 7.2 and taking into account the time of termination or rescission.

7.6

If the Programme (or component) is continued and a grant is awarded accordingly, the grant money shall be divided between the Budget Holder and the other Joint Applicants in the ratio specified in clause 7.2, unless the Ministry attaches other or additional requirements to the Programme and it is not reasonably possible to stick to the ratio specified under 7.2. In the event of non-compliance with the obligations associated with the award of a grant, the Budget Holder is not entitled to pay the money out at all, or only at some later time, and/or to make a deduction. Such a decision is reserved to the Management Consultation.

Clause 8 8.1

Consultation and decision-making

At least every quarter, a director of each Party shall participate in a Management Consultation in order to discuss matters including in any event the progress of the objectives of the Programmes to be achieved and the expenditure of the grant money. In the temporary or permanent absence of one or more directors, they shall be suitably and adequately replaced.

8.2

The following decisions are reserved to the Management Consultation: •

determination of the costs to be incurred under the Alliance;

•

approval of the overall annual plan and the annual MFS report;

•

the accession of a new partner to the Alliance;

•

decisions concerning the provisions of the Agreement;

•

entering into agreements and legal transactions and making investments relating to the MFS II Programme that amount individually to more than 250,000 euros;

•

agreements by which a Party undertakes, using the MFS II grant allocation or payment, to support a third party as guarantor or solitary debtor , or undertakes to provide security for another person’s debt;

•

entering into an agreement whereby a Party is granted a line of credit by a bank using the MFS II grant award or payment;

•

the provision of money on loan, and taking money on loan;

•

entering into settlement agreements;

•

decisions concerning the Alliance or Parties that have a substantial impact on the progress of the objectives to be achieved by the Programmes and on the expenditure of the grant money, and decisions concerning arrangements that the Parties know or should know could damage the good reputation of the Alliance;

•

determination of the amount of damages in the event of a loss as specified in clause 19;

•

decisions relating to grant money being paid not at all, at some later time, or not in full, where, for example, non-compliance with the obligations attaching to the award of the grant is involved.

8.3

Every monthly, or as often as necessary, a Programme Manager appointed by each Party shall participate in a discussion by the Steering Committee in which operational decisions are made. The Steering Committee shall make decisions in proper consultation with the Alliance and a majority shall always be sought. If no agreement is reached, the decision to be made shall be submitted to the Management

Consultation. In the temporary or permanent absence of one or more Programme Managers, they shall be suitably and adequately replaced.

8.4

As often as necessary but in any event twice a year, the Joint Applicants shall conduct discussions on their specific portion of the Programme or Programmes with their Coalition Partners in the countries where the Coalition Partners are based.

8.5

The minutes of the meetings of the Steering Committee shall be passed to the directors Parties to the Agreement for information.

8.6

The Management Consultation shall take decisions in proper consultation with the Alliance and shall always seek for a majority. If no agreement is reached, the Budget Holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision shall prevail. The Budget Holder shall make decisions on a basis of reasonableness and fairness.

8.7

Costs as specified in clause 12.1, viz costs that have to be incurred for the Alliance and the Grant Application before the submission of the Grant Application are excepted from decision-making by the Management Consultation as provided by clause 8.6. These costs shall be incurred only with the approval of all the Parties.

Clause 9

Warranties

9.1

At the time of signature, each Party warrants that it:

meets the threshold criteria for grant applications as specified by MFS II, i.e.: 1.

the Party is a non-for-profit social welfare organisation domiciled in the Netherlands under its articles of association and has legal personality under Dutch law; and

the Party devotes itself to structurally combating poverty in the DAC countries as specified in MFS II by supporting NGOs in those countries. The objects of the organisation must make this clear by, for example, it being demonstrable from the articles of association or from a strategic plan laid down by the management.

the Party has manifest support in the Netherlands and has demonstrable roots in Dutch society;

as from 1 January 2011, the gross salary of the Party’s staff (including management and directors) shall be equal to no more than the salary of a director general working for the National Government, that is scale 19 of the Civil Servants Salaries Order (BBRA), and

b) satisfies the seven parts of the MFS II organisation test. If this is not the case with a Party, that Party shall take the actions specified in the Assessment Report attached to the application as Schedule 29b to f within deadline specified therein or within the deadlines set by the Budget Holder in proper consultation with the Joint Applicants, so that the Party concerned does meet that requirement within the agreed deadline(s). c) Meets the quality of internal management and policy making demanded by the Ministry and by the Budget Holder, so that the Party in able to give effect to Ministry’s requirements for the Programme. In particular the Budget Holder warrants that it is able to bear responsibility for the Alliance and for the Programme to performed by the Alliance. d) Has not already received an institutional budget out of the Ministry’s funds that is continuing in the grant provision period of MFS II and extends for longer than 31 December 2012. e)

Pursues a sound anti-corruption, anti-fraud and sanctions policy that in any event meets the requirements laid down by the Ministry and the Budget Holder’s Child Protection Policy, which is attached to the Agreement as Schedule 3, and also complies with the Wijffels Code for charities. If there is no such policy, the Joint Applicant shall adopt and implement that of the Budget Holder.

Joint Applicants shall employ such PME systems as will interface to the Budget Holder’s PME system and to one another, so that it is possible to meet in a timely and complete manner the requirements made by the Ministry in relation to administrative organisation and systems of accountability etc as laid down by but not limited to “Rules on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009”. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement. No later than 1 July 2010, the Parties shall work out detailed arrangements on financial and administrative processes.

The Parties’ accountability system is arranged so that is possible to meet the requirements made by the Ministry as laid down by but not limited to “Rules on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009”. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement.

on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009”. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement. i)

in terms of its intention and operation, the Party has a sound administrative system that meets requirements made by the Ministry as laid down by but not limited to “Rules on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009”. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement.

the Parties shall continually oversee the proper operation of the administrative organisation so that the requirements made by the Ministry as laid down by but not limited to “Rules on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009” are met. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement.

the Parties shall at all times give their cooperation to the performance of supplementary audits or provision of information when asked to do so by the Budget Holder and/or the Minister.

the Parties

shall at all times give their cooperation to the exercise of financial

accountability in accordance with requirements made by the Ministry as laid down by but not limited to “Rules on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009” are met. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement.

9.2

If a Party does not comply with these warranties and, having been given written notice of default, has been granted a reasonable period for rectification and still neglects to meet its obligations under this Agreement within 15 calendar days of the expiry of the deadline set by the notice of default, then the Agreement with that Party shall be rescinded by the Budget Holder in writing without any intervention by a court and if necessary with the approval of the Minister.

Clause 10 10.1

Representation

In compliance with the provisions of clause 5, the Budget Holder shall be the sole person to represent the entire Alliance in a legal sense in any matters relating to the Alliance, the Grant Application under MFS II or the Agreement.

10.2

The Budget Holder shall represent the entire Alliance in the sense of acting as spokesperson.

10.3

Where, acting as a spokesman for specific activities that are connected with or relate to activities of the Alliance and whose subject is of such a nature that it is obvious that a Party other than the Budget Holder should act as spokesperson, that Party shall act as spokesman after the Budget Holder has, if possible, been so informed beforehand.

Clause 11

Confidentiality

Save where statutory notices or others based on other rules of other public law are involved, the Parties shall observe complete secrecy toward third parties in relation to the content of the Programme, until this is made known to the Ministry as part of phase 2 of MFS II, and the Agreement. Anything that becomes known to one of the Parties concerning the business arrangements of another Party shall be treated by the first Party as strictly confidential during the term of the Agreement and for two years after the end thereof. This confidentiality shall not extend to data that is generally known or publicly available.

In the event of an infringement of the provisions of clause 11.1, the infringing Party shall be liable to the other Party(s) for a penalty of â&#x201A;Ź50,000 per event, payable at once, which penalty shall leave any obligation by the infringing Party to make compensation intact. The Parties shall be at liberty to demand compliance with the Agreement in addition to the penalty. Clause 12 12.1

Costs, overheads and advance

The costs that have to be incurred for the Alliance and the Grant Application before the submission of the Grant Application shall be advanced by the Budget Holder. These costs shall be established by the parties in advance by means of a budget. After submission, these costs shall be charged on pro rata the distribution of the grant as specified in clause 7. These costs shall then be deducted from the grant money awarded. If no grant under MFS II is awarded, the costs to be made good by the Joint Applicants shall be transferred to bank account number39.35.86.766 in the name of Plan Nederland.

12.2

The Allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overheads shall amount to 9% of its total revenues for the term of the Agreement. The overheads shall be charged on to the Joint Applicants pro rata the programme expenditure and be settled annually on the basis of the actual programme revenues deducted from the grant awarded as specified in clause 7. Annual Reports Guideline 650 (RJ 650) shall be used for the definition of overheads. Overheads are hereby defined as being costs of implementation as that term is developed in RJ 650 and shall not amount to more than the costs budgeted and agreed by the Management Consultation.

Clause 13

Obligations towards third parties

If a Joint Applicant enters into an agreement or performs some other legal transaction with a third party, the Joint Applicant shall ensure that the obligations, warranties and confidentiality included in the Agreement and the obligations arising from the provision of a grant are complied with by that party insofar as they apply to legal transactions with that third party.

Clause 14 14.1

Planning, monitoring and evaluation systems

The Parties shall arrange their systems of accountability so that they comply with requirements made by the Ministry as laid down by but not limited to “Rules on Grants MFS 2011-2015 (MFSII) / Financial Rules 29.10.2009” are met. These rules are attached as Schedule 4 to the Agreement.

14.2

The Joint Applicants must, at least twice a year and in any event as often as the Ministry demands, draw up a report in accordance with the template to be provided by the Budget Holder, to be handed over to the Budget Holder within the deadline allotted by the Budget Holder. This information shall be made available to the Joint Applicants no later than 1 January 2011. This report shall in any event state the progress made in achieving the objects of the Programme and the use by the Joint Applicant of the grant money for the period for that purpose. In it the Parties shall state accurately how much grant money has been provided to what body or person and to what end. All questions that the Budget Holder has because of this report shall be answered in writing by the Joint Applicant within 10 working days of receipt or as much earlier as the Budget Holder and the Minister or Ministry may consider necessary.

14.3

The Joint Applicants employ such PME systems as will interface with the Budget Holder’s PME system and those of one another. This guarantees: a)

that the Budget Holder is able to compare data generated by one Joint Applicant with that generated by the other Parties quickly and transparently; and

the quality of the data generated is of the same high level. The quality agreements will be further specified in the Schedules; and

that the data generated enables the Budget Holder to perform a good context analysis and to provide good monitoring of progress in achieving the Programme’s objects and the expenditure of the grant money.

14.4

The Parties shall perform the periodic context analyses jointly and with mutual finetuning so that they meet the requirements set by the Ministry.

14.5

If it considers necessary, the Budget Holder shall be entitled to have an additional financial audit of the data generated by a Joint Applicant performed up to once a year. These costs shall be recognised as overheads and charged on accordingly.

14.6

The Parties shall give their total and timely cooperation to submission of the annual plan and the (financial) account with which the Budget Holder must provide the Ministry.

Clause 15

Partner policy

The Parties shall pursue a joint partner policy in which the selection and fleshing out of relationships with partner organisations in the South, as described in MFS II, is fine-tuned and carried out during the deliberations of the Steering Committee as stated in clause 8. Clause 16 16.1

Notification and duty to inform

All notices pursuant to the Agreement must be given in writing to the following addresses: Budget Holder: Name: Stichting Plan Nederland Contact: Jan Jaap Kleinrensink (Programme Director) Postal address: Postbus 75454, 1070 AL Amsterdam Telephone number: 020-5495555 Fax number: 020-6444065 E-mail address: info@plannederland.nl

Name: Stichting Child Helpline International Contact: Nenita la Rose (director general) Postal address: Postbus 15684, 1001 ND Amsterdam Telephone number: 020-5289625 Fax number: 020-6387655 E-mail address: info@childhelplineinternational.org

Name: Stichting Defence for Children International Nederland- ECPAT Nederland Contact: Sjoera Dikkers (director general)

Postal address: Postbus, 328 1000 AH Amsterdam Telephone number: 020-4203771 Fax number: 020-4203832 Email address : info@ecpat.nl

Name: Stichting Free Voice- Dutch support for media in development Contact: Bart Dijkstra (director general) Postal address: Postbus 66, 1200 AB Hilversum Telephone number: 035-625 01 10 Fax number: 035-625 01 11 Email address: info@freevoice.nl

Name: Stichting International Child Development Initiatives Contact: Matthijs Euwema (director general) Postal address: Hooglandse Kerkgracht 17 2312 HS Leiden, Telephone number: 071-5127420 Fax number: 071-5127432

Name: Stichting Women Win Contact: Astrid Aafjes (director general) Postal address: Saxen Weimarlaan 20-3 1075 CB Amsterdam Telephone number: 06-51194006 Email address: info@womenwin.org 16.2

All information that the Parties suspect or ought to know is relevant to the Alliance, the Programme, the Minister or the Ministry shall be passed by the Party concerned to the Budget Holder and, where necessary, the Joint Applicants as quickly as possible and in any event within 24 hours of its being made known. Any questions that the Budget Holder and Joint Applicants may have because of this shall be answered as quickly as possible after receipt by the submitter of the information, but in any event within 48 hours of receipt of the question.

Clause 17

Authorised representatives

During the performance of the Agreement the Parties shall be represented by one or more authorised representatives who shall be expressly designated as such, and shall be authorised to represent and bind the Parties in all matters concerning the

performance of the Agreement. Prior to the performance of the Agreement, the Parties shall inform one another in writing of who will act for them as their authorised representative(s). The Parties shall notify in writing of any change in or withdrawal of the power of attorney. Clause 18

Obligations:

a) The Parties are under an obligation to refrain from entering into other alliances by which a Party can obtain more than EUR 106,250,000 per annum in MFS Grants. b) The Parties shall comply with the obligations arising from the award of grant and those imposed by the Minister or Ministry and comply with all legislation and regulations relating to the MFS grant. c) The Parties are under an obligation to refrain from utterances, actions and activities that a Joint Applicant may suspect or should know might harm the Alliance and/or the reputation of the Budget Holder and other Joint Applicants. d) The Joint Applicants are under an obligation to comply with the Budget Holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general code of conduct with the exception of the Business Practice political contributions and the Child Protection Policy, which are attached to this agreement as Schedules 5 and 3. e) The Parties are under an obligation to comply with relevant laws and regulations (including the Wijffels Code, the CBF Guidelines and the Annual Reporting Guidelines (RJ 650). If there is no peremptive legislation of regulation involved, the Parties shall act at least in the spirit of the relevant legislation and regulations. f) The Parties are permitted to enter into other alliance(s) under MFS II besides the Alliance, but these activities for the other alliance(s) must not cause any injury to the Alliance and the progress of the Programme in which the Joint Applicant concerned is participating, and the shall not relieve said Joint Applicant of its obligations and the terms set out in this Agreement. g) The Parties are obliged to one another for the duration of the Agreement to have liability insurance to cover any liability on their part that may arise from their own activities. Clause 19.1

Contactability, liability and sanctions policy

During the performance of their tasks in relation to the Programme, Joint Applicants must at all times be contactable to establish limit conditions and to perform and deal with the consequences of performance or neglect of activities under the Agreement.

19.2

Joint Applicants are each liable for the performance of their task and for meeting the obligations as described in the Agreement. On these not being met, the Budget Holder shall be entitled to impose a sanction. This sanction may consist, inter alia, of the grant not being paid and the task being transferred to another Party, if necessary with the approval of or at the instigation of the Minister. Any loss that arises from noncompliance shall be made good to the Budget Holder by the Party on which the sanction is imposed. The amount of the compensation shall be a decision for the Management Consultation.

19.3

In the event of the Budget Holder’s non-performance of its task and non-compliance with its obligations as set out in the Agreement, a decision on the matter shall be made, in distinction to the provisions of clause 8, by the Management Consultation – excluding the Budget Holder – and the decision shall be presented to the Minister for approval.

19.4

In the event of legal proceedings being commenced against a Joint Applicant by a third party in relation to a legal transaction/action carried out in performance of the Programme or Programmes, that Joint Applicant shall, as soon as possible and in any event within 24 hours of receiving this information, so inform the Budget Holder. The Budget Holder shall decide in proper consultation with the Joint Applicant which legal actions are to be taken to be performed by the Joint Applicant.

Clause 20 20.1

Limitation of the Budget Holder’s liability

In no event shall the Budget Holder be liable for any direct or indirect damage, consequential loss, penalties, special or incidental damage or other damage that is the consequence of or connected with the Agreement or, in particular, with the Budget Holder’s tasks as specified in clause 5, even when the Budget Holder has been informed of the possibility of such damage, save where such damage arises direction and exclusively from an intentional error or gross negligence on the part of the Budget Holder.

Clause 21 21.1

Accession

The Parties shall decide in proper consultation and in accordance with clause 8 whether a third part can accede to the Alliance. If the result of such a decision is that the third party may accede, the decision shall then be presented to Minister for approval.

Clause 22 Cancellation, rescission and termination 22.1

Any Party may submit a request to the Budget Holder for the Agreement to be cancelled prematurely with a period of notice of three months. The Budget Holder shall, if necessary, present this request to the Minister, and the request shall be honoured on approval.

22.2

The Agreement may be rescinded by the Budget Holder in writing without any judicial intervention and with the approval of the Minister, if required, if: a) the Joint Applicant concerned, having been given proper notice of default, still neglects to comply with its obligations under the Agreement within 15 calendar days of the notice of default; or b) control of the Joint Applicant changes; or c) there is such a policy on partners or such publications and/or violations of the anticorruption policy or Wijffels Code and/or any other violation of statute and regulations that continuation with the partnership by Joint Applicants and/or Budget Holder cannot reasonably be required; or d) the applicable statutes and regulations relating to sustainable business are persistently violated; or e) the Budget Holderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Child Protection Policy, which is attached as Schedule 3 to the Agreement, is not complied with.

22.3

Subject to approval by the Minister, the Budget Holder is entitled to terminate the Agreement with one of the Joint Applicants automatically with immediate effect at the time the Joint Applicant ceases its activities, is liquidated, is granted suspension of payments or is declared judicially insolvent.

22.4

In no event shall the Budget Holder be bound to pay any compensation in consequence of the rescission or termination of the Agreement with the Joint Applicant in question.

22.5

At the time of rescission or termination, all obligations and actions between the Budget Holder and the Joint Applicant concerned shall cease to exist at the time of rescission or termination, with the exception of those provisions that by their nature must also remain in effect after rescission or termination in connection with proper winding up of the affairs relating to the grant application (reports, financial audits, evaluations, etc) such as but not limited to clauses 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18c, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 29 and 30.

22.6

On termination, the Joint Applicant concerned shall immediately return to the Budget Holder all hardcopy and digital documentation concerning the Agreement and about

the Budget Holder handed over to the Joint Applicant by the Budget Holder, accompanied by a declaration that all information has actually been returned. 22.7

On termination or rescission of the Agreement with a Joint Applicant, that Joint Applicant shall give its cooperation to any transfer of its activities under the Agreement.

Clause 23 23.1

Compensation and indemnification

Joint Applicants shall indemnify the Budget Holder, its subsidiaries, associated companies, partners and suppliers each of their various offices, directors, employees, shareholders, lawful representatives, agents, successors in title and any person obtaining rights under against and shall compensate such parties for all damage, liability, cost and expenditure (including reasonable fees for lawyers and other professionals and legal expenses) arising from the performance of the tasks and obligations under the Agreement by the Joint Applicant concerned.

23.2

The Budget Holder shall indemnify the Joint Applicants, its subsidiaries, associated companies, partners and suppliers each of their various offices, directors, employees, shareholders, lawful representatives, agents, successors in title and any person obtaining rights under against and shall compensate such parties for all damage, liability, cost and expenditure (including reasonable fees for lawyers and other professionals and legal expenses) arising from the performance of the tasks and obligations as Joint Applicants/Joint implementers of any Programme or Programmes under the Agreement.

Clause 24 24.1

Suspension

With the exception of the provisions of clauses 8.2 last paragraph, 9b and 25, the Parties shall not be empowered to suspend performance of the Agreement wholly or in part.

Clause 25 25.1

Force majeur

The Parties shall not be in neglect of their duties and shall have no claim as against one another for remuneration of expenses if and insofar as compliance with their the obligations under the Agreement is delayed, impeded or prevented by force majeur which shall mean in particular, but not be restricted to, war or hostilities, revolt or civil disorder, inundation or other natural disasters, nuclear disasters and similar external calamities where these are not attributable to the Party concerned. Force majeur shall

expressly not include strikes and stoppages of work by employees and nonperformance by suppliers to a Party and/or other third parties engaged by a Party.

25.2

The Parties shall inform one another of a (possible) force majeur situation as soon as possible. During the period for which the force majeur persists, the parties may suspend their obligations arising from the Agreement or amend the Agreement because of the force majeur. If this period lasts longer than 3 months, any of the Parties shall be entitled to rescind the Agreement without any obligation to make compensation for loss to the other Parties.

Clause 26

The Agreement

26.1 The Agreement, together with the attached Schedules, which form an integral part of the Agreement, constitutes the complete agreement between the Budget Holder and the Joint Applicants in relation to the partnership under MFS II, and replaces all previous agreements (both oral and in writing) and correspondence. 26.2 Amendments and additions to any provisions of an Agreement shall only be valid if agreed in writing and signed by the Parties.

Clause 27 27.1

Validity

If one or more provisions (terms, conditions or warranties) of the Agreement is/is ruled to be void in law, the validity and effect of the remaining provisions of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby. In such event the Parties shall enter into consultation in order to replace the void provisions by provisions that are effective but differ as little as possible from the provisions deemed to be void, also having regard to the object and purport of the provisions and the Agreement as a whole.

Clause 28 28.1

Socially responsible business

The Parties warrant that they will comply with all applicable statutes and regulations in the fields of environment, employee welfare and the protection of children. The Parties further warrant that they will not be guilty of any form of discrimination and/or corruption.

Clause 29 29.1

Applicable law and interpretation of terms

This Agreement and agreements resulting from it shall be subject to the law of the Netherlands.

29.2

This Agreement may be expressed in both Dutch and other languages. In the event of any dispute concerning its content or purport, the Dutch text shall prevail.

Clause 30

Dealing with complaints

30.1 In the event of complaints and/or disputes arising between two or more Parties because of the Agreement or because of agreements that may be the consequence hereof, the Parties concerned shall first attempt to resolve them in accordance with the complains scheme attached as Schedule 6 to this Agreement. Clause 31

Dealing with disputes

31.1 If the procedure gone through to deal with complaints has not led to a solution, the dispute shall be brought before the Steering Committee. If the efforts of the Steering Committee do not lead to a solution, the dispute shall be brought before the Management Consultation. 31.2 In event of disputes arising from the Agreement or from agreements based on it, the Parties shall, having gone through the procedures mentioned in clauses 30 and 31.1, attempt in the first instance to resolve them by mediation in accordance with the rules of the Dutch Mediation Institute in Rotterdam as these read at the date of commencement of the mediation.

31.4 If the procedures mentioned in clauses 30, 31.1 and 31.2 have been gone through completely and the dispute has not been resolved, it shall be brought exclusively before the competent court in Amsterdam. 31.5 The Parties concerned shall make every effort to avoid the activities arising from the Agreement being thereby impeded or affected.

31.6

In situations of urgency the Parties may apply immediately make application for

interlocutory relief to the civil court having jurisdiction over such relief.

Signed in Amsterdam on Wednesday 18 November 2009 The Child Helpline International foundation