2003-2004
Project "Empowering and Participation"

From the beginning of year 2003 the Netherlands organization Novib finances for the forth time WAD's project. Its title is "Empowering and Participation" and it is a logical prolongation of the previouse projects of the organization, working for equall opportunities for both women and man and striving for increasing gender awareness of the society.

Aims of The Project

1. Increasing the organizational capacity and the expertise of women's NGOs to become viable actors in society, capable of addressing a broader spectrum of development needs of different groups of women.
2. Promote social cohesion through empowerment of poor/marginalized women, access to meaningful employment, as well as to the public provisioning system.
3. Increasing citizen participation in decision-making and influencing change with regard to overcoming existing persistent and widening gender gaps in economic opportunities, education, health, and participation in decision making; social insecurity and exclusion of marginalized groups of women; the protection of women against gender-based discrimination.

Main objectives and strategies:

1. Increased knowledge and skills of women's groups to identify gender differences and gaps in public policies and the family, and carry out gender audit

Strategy: Collect and disseminate information about patriarchal attitudes, cultural specifics, gender differences through efficient channels


2. Increased solidarity and cooperation between NNEO organizations, professional organizations and local leaders

Strategy: Strengthening the National Network for Equal Opportunities; provide back-up support to professional organizations


3. Increased organizational capacity of NNEO/women's groups across Bulgaria to address the issues of vulnerable women

Strategy: Provide training on organizational development (management, media work, human resources, volunteer recruitment and retention)


4. Increased participation of women in public policy making at local and national level regarding social security, anti-poverty strategies, community development
Strategy: Train women and men in leadership positions among all stakeholders and facilitate local dialogue between NGOs and authorities


5. Improved practical application of gender equality legislation and policies

Strategy: Assist in NGO capacity building for monitoring of and reporting on governmental programs and the implementation of human rights treaties and agreed EU accession policies.

Expected impact

Based upon the rich experience of the previous five years, and following the ideas and recommendations of the more than 50 WAD network organizations, the project will strengthen the individual and collective capacity (ability) of local NGO's and informal groups to address the social needs of individuals, such as marginalized women and their children and families; women in various leadership positions to enable them to effectively influence the public policy agenda.

Another important impact is expected to be the strengthening of voluntary local NGOs in terms of organizational, human and financial resources so that they may play a visible role in community development and the establishment of more social justice. The increased organizational capacity and visibility is expected to foster the so far unsatisfactory cooperation with the administrations, on the one hand, and with professional NGOs in different fields of expertise, on the other.

WAD is expected to increase its already publicly recognized role as source of gender expertise, network motor and mediator between citizens/ NGOs and decision-makers at national level, including national and international governmental agencies.

As reliable Karat network partner, WAD will also continue to play an active advocacy role with regard to gender justice in the European integration processes and to the protection of women's human rights within the UN human rights treaty system.

Sponsor: NOVIB

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