Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

To improve the social and economic status of women in Acholi sub region of northern Uganda

Expected results

1. Reduced tolerance to violation of women’s land rights and Gender Based Violence (GBV)

2. Improved gender mainstreaming in administration of justice

3. Improved gender responsiveness in the water sector service delivery

4. Improved capacity of women to exploit and benefit from available economic opportunities

5. Enhanced institutional capacity of UWONET to deliver on gender equality

Target group / Beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries: Around 7000 direct beneficiaries will be directly targeted in the four target districts of the Acholi sub region in northern Uganda (Pader, Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo). These include around 800 members of four women business groups and four women farmers groups, 160 local cultural and religious leaders, 60 district water officials and 300 women in the water user committees, 80 political district officials, 80 justice law and order actors (judiciary, police and prison staff), 64 male gender activists and around 4800 community members, along with four local women’s networks and their members and the members of twelve production and marketing, social services and water committees.

Indirect beneficiaries: Around 2 million people will be reached through two local radio stations covering the target districts.

Activities

- Production of handbooks on land rights and on gender-based violence (GBV, simplified text on relevant laws), translation into local language, distribution of 500 copies each

- Production of 3000 posters, 800 T-shirts and 400 policy briefs for local awareness raising

- Production of booklet profiling successful women entrepreneurs in northern Uganda, distribution of 200 copies

- Capacity needs assessment for training needs of women farmers and women small-scale entrepreneurs in target districts, update of training manual

- Capacity needs assessment of women in water use committees in target districts

- Training of 32 women’s groups (800 members) on entrepreneurships, improved farming practices, gender & women’s rights

- Training of 160 formal justice sector actors on gender mainstreaming, development of action plans on integrating gender into administration of justice at district level

- 32 community dialogues with traditional leaders on women’s land rights

- Training of 320 women in district water use committees on management skills, environmental protection and leadership, training of 60 local duty bearers on gender-mainstreaming in the water sector, training of 100 community water monitors, eight economic advocacy dialogues

- Selection and training of 64 male gender activists from target districts

- 16 bi-annual district meetings on prevention of GBV

- 2 days of activism against GBV in each target district

- 8 radio talk shows and 200 spot messages on local radio stations, focusing on women’s land rights

- National gender advocacy colloquium on women’s economic justice for 120 stakeholders

- Various mentorship meetings, review sessions, neighborhood assemblies, community accountability forums and the like

Context

Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) is a nonprofit organization established in 1993 working to advance public policy regarding women's rights. It is an umbrella organisation of national women's organisations and individuals with the goal to promote women’s rights and access to justice, further women’s economic justice and empowerment and strengthen women’s representation in leadership and democratic governance.

UWONET has partnered with ADA before. The last project aimed to improve local accountability for service delivery in four districts of northern Uganda. The present project will now focus on strengthening local capacities to advocate against GBV and improve gender responsiveness in water sector service delivery, women’s land rights and economic empowerment. In addition, the link between local and national advocacy on these issues will be strengthened