Gender and local government in Namibia Specific Objectives Action/Activity Outputs/Results Strengthen gender mainstreaming in 36 local authorities through Regional Gender Fora aimed at backstopping the COE for gender in local government. Re-visit the Established GFP In Windhoek 2015 June. Facilitate the remaining Councils to become COEs 4 Regional Gender Fora formed as COE “hubs” for the programme where in, 2 fully functional COEs in each region take on 2 to 3 new councils and partner with GL Namibia in programme implementation. Key partners are the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (an MOU will support this key partnership), GFPs, GCs and Regional Gender Cluster officers who are part of the regional gender committees. Review and strengthen gender action plans and gender based violence action plans of 36 local government councils. Regional fora will hold 3 meetings each year during which detailed programmes will review budgeted gender and GBV action plans for gender mainstreaming in 36 current COEs. 36 local councils in Namibia with reviewed and budgeted gender and GBV action plans. Leadership and women in politics (WIP) training for councillors and community women leaders. Conduct leadership WIP trainings at local government and community levels. 40 current and potential women leaders trained in 4 regions councils = 160 women leaders trained in leadership and politics. Cascade gender mainstreaming in local government through training and capacity building of council officials in the Centres of Excellence for Gender in Local Government programme. Train and capacity build council staff and councillors on gender mainstreaming through the COE process. Substantial progress in policy and implementation decision making towards promoting gender equality in local government. 44 gender focal persons (elected officials) and gender champions (council officials) from the 22 new COEs have set up gender committees within each council that collectively drives the gender agenda forward and sustainably.
RESULTS FOR CHANGE GL employs a set of Monitoring and evaluation processes for all its programmes including the COE. These processes begin with the administration of gender score cards by participants and GL, to be re-administered after the process has run its course. In the case of the COEs, GL is aligning several of its programmes and focusing these on specific localities, working to ensure greater synergy as well as greater impact. M and E for the COE programme ACTION What is involved By who When SADC Protocol pack – knowledge and citizen assessment of efficacy Citizen score card and knowledge quiz, SADC Protocol Country Manager, M and E Officer March every year for country and regional barometer (August) COE verification – Gender Score Card (GSC) Councils score themselves against 25 institutional gender indicators and use these to benchmark progress Country Manager, M and E Officer Annually in March Drivers of change profiles; Changing Lives Analysis Qualitative evidence of impact at individual level M and E Officer Ongoing GBV indicators research – Gender Progress Score (GPS) Local GBV level prevalence and attitude survey GL Country Consultant, Country Manager Beginning and end of the programme Gathering and disseminating best practices Annual district, country and regional summit Governance manager, country staff March/April every year COE Learning Paper Summative paper on all the above Country Manager May/June each year Gender Empowerment Index Quantitative evidence of attitudes and understanding of gender relations, GBV and economic standing of women who have survived GBV. Country consultant, Intern. Before and after entrepreneurship training. I stories These are personal accounts of GBV (qualitative research) Consultants, interns. Before and after entrepreneurship training.
Annnex B: GL Namibia SWOT 2015 Strengths Challenges Opportunities Actions EXTERNAL Government Partners and Ministry of Gender still embrace GLN in capacity and skills development. The GLN office is not a fully-fledged office. Many Organisation and even government don’t want to work with a Consultant but rather with an office representative/country manager Whilst not happy that GLN is not a full-fledged office, partners and government still work with GLN. Official engagements are not affected. GLN needs to diverse it’s funding base and include the private sector. All potential avenues for in kind and financial support need to be explored. Political environment The country is considered to be one of the most stable countries adhering to democratic principles and the rule of Law. Regular elections are held every five years. Regional political buy needs a clear strategy to make sure all 16 political regions are covered. The Coordinating Mechanism between GL and Ministry of Gender and child welfare is good and needs to be maintained. Continue to work with all levels of government. Economic environment The economic environment is stable and continues to grow. There needs to be more effort in supported SMME development for women in rural areas. Sharing of the enterprise programme with 10 more councils. Cascade the programme to 10 more councils. Media GMPS Project is once again being facilitated in the country with some Media COE Houses More media houses need to become Media COEs. Sharing and reinforcing the gains so far with the existing COEs. Revise the media strategy and raise funds. Governance – 50/50 This concept has been accepted by some political parties especially SWAPO Party. Smaller political parties are not yet on-board accepting the voluntary quotas of 50/50 Work with other political parties to institute the 50/50 principle. Gender activists and even the Ministry of Gender is advocating for Parties to embrace the concept of 50/50. Gender and local government COEs The COE project has opened many doors for Gender Mainstreaming with government A further 17 Council still need to be facilitated but funding is not available. Reviewing the funding strategy to include the private sector. The remaining Councils are eager to becoming
and in all 36 Council who completed 36 Action Plans 2016 COE members and funds need to be raised. Entrepreneurship The Entrepreneur project is a very important part of the COE programme, especially in rural areas. Identifying appropriate resources for ongoing support of the women. The programme can be cascaded to 10 more councils when funding is available. More effort is needed to follow up pledges and potential sources of funding for the women. Partners MoUs strength relationships. Partners also face the same donor fatigue and cannot support each other financially There is a call from the Ministry of Local Government to see her and brief her on the latest development. Potential for joint funding applications with partners. INTERNAL GL Programmes There are limited programming happening in country due to a lack of funding. There is no funding to continue with this programme in country.. A lot of donor fatique as Namibia is a middle income country. A Round Table donor Conference for Namibia in 2016 The need to revisit some of the AP. Needs a Resource mobilisation frame work for Namibia Corporate governance Finances are run from HQ, although the office is responsible for all recons for monies when projects are identified in country. No finance officer appointed in Namibia as this is a satellite office. Dependent on raising funds. Human resources Office run by an intern/Consultant No governance oversight in country. Raise funding and and office. Diversify sources of funding to the private sector. Offices Satellite office IT The office is run at consultant’s house with limited IT support to help with new IT challenges. Raise funds to re-establish an office.
Annex C: INTERVENTION LOGIC GOAL To contribute to the attainment of gender equality and ending of gender violence in Namibia in accordance with the provisions of the Post-2015 SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1. To increase women’s effective participation in local government through a campaign for a legislated quota in local government 2. To enhance gender responsive governance through Centres of Excellence for Gender in Local Government in two thirds of Namibia’s urban and rural councils. 3. To reduce GBV in communities through the implementation of local action plans and training survivors of GBV in entrepreneurship skills. 4. To promote gender equality in and through the media OUTCOMES 1. A legislated quota for women in local government through the 50/50 campaign ahead of the 2018 elections. 2. Women’s effective participation enhanced through lobbying and advocacy on leadership and gender analysis skills. 3. Gender responsive governance and accountability enhanced through 58 councils becoming Centres of Excellence for Gender in Local Government. 4. Sustainability enhanced through capacity building of Gender Focal Points within the Councils backstopping of the process to the gender and local government ministries. 5. The National Action Plan to End Violence against Women is cascaded to local level through 58 COE’s that will cost these plans as part of a Gender Responsive Budgeting strategy. 6. Gender is mainstreamed in media training institutions and the proportion of women sources in the media increases through radio, TV and print. OUTPUTS 1.1 Records of 50/50 campaigns and their impact in 58 councils. 2.1 Training in lobbying and advocacy for gender champions. 3.1 3 Exiting 36 councils are backstopped and strengthened. New councils (22) are taken through the COE programme. 4.1 58 GFP plus 58 officials from councils and Ministry of gender and child welfare trained, at least 50% men. 5.1 58 costed local gender action plans responding to findings of VAW Baseline Study. 6.1 Strengthen the capacity of exiting media COEs. 1.2 Records of strategy and lobbying meetings. 2.2 100 x Drivers of Change profiles 3.2 58 x Gender Score Cards and learning paper each year. 4.2 Manual and action plan for backstopping of COE process by ministries. 5.2 23,200 attitude surveys administered at beginning and end of the programme.