ACC POWER Promotion of Women Empow. ACC Promotion of Women Empowerment and Rights Project  - Background and Problem analysis Sierra Leone as a post-conflict, fragile state with 77% of its population living below the poverty started several years of robust e conomic growth as new mining activity came on stream in 2011. Since the discovery of iron ore in 2011, the mining sector had been the main driver of growth, resulting in an unprecedented growth rate of 21% in 2013. In May 2014, Sierra Leone faced an outbreak of the Ebola virus epidemic. The effect of the twin shocks in 2014 (the Ebola outbreak and sharp drop in iron ore prices) have dealt a severe blow to Sierra Leone’s economy by prompting a sharp slump in activity with grave economic downturn. The impact of the twin shocks on the economy and safeguard sustainability was gravely felt by the majority of the poor who are smallholder. The effect was felt beyond the mining area in the Northern Province to Bo District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. Bo is the second most populous District in Sierra Leone (after the Western Area Urban District). The ripple effect of the twin shocks set in motion harsh trend on the gender inequality especially with rural women. Rural women in the environs of Bo district are affected by poverty and inequalities. They do not have economic security due to diminishing access to land, less property rights, and their inability to access services, such as extension and credit. Illiteracy, combined with an ingrained sense of stereotypical roles and responsibilities have left many women without the confidence to become leaders or involved in governance. Harmful traditional practices, such as early marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and secret societies increase the vulnerability of women and contribute to their discrimination Most men continue to undermine the efforts and potentials of women despite the fact that female-headed households are doing better than male-headed households with 61.4% of male-headed households below the poverty line compared to 57.1% of female-headed households (World Bank Poverty Profile, 2013). Yet, patriarchal structures exclude women from decision-making and leadership positions at all levels. Intervention Empowering women economically is necessary to enable them build resources base to influence decision making at all levels. This will be pursued under two components: Livelihood and Income Generation. Solidaridad will work with already identified women groups to develop sustainable livelihood opportunities including vegetable gardening, swamp development to enhance food security and increase their ability to manage livelihood options. The project will provide training, improved food crop and vegetable seeds, simple farming tools and technical support to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural women. The project will work with 200 women and young girls who are either school dropouts or did not have opportunity to attend school.  The project will mobilize and train over 200 women using the Stimulate, Assess, Listen and Learn and Transfer (SALT) and Gender Model Family (GMF) approach to engender social and behavioural change for them to realize the available assets and potential in their communities. This will precede the introduction of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) which seeks to organize women into groups, train and provide them with tool kits to start local savings culture. Within six months of savings, these women can begin to access loans from the fund to start businesses, pay bills or invest in vegetable production. The women group leaders will be trained on business development; entrepreneurship <(>&<)> small business management, leadership and group management to enable them gain both hard and soft skills to man