Here’s a place I wish the US would learn from Sri Lanka: when women bring up grievances around sexual violence and assault during elections, politicians actually work to address them. Women in the NET project are twice as likely to feel safe as they did in 2016. What’s the secret? Improving women’s leadership, strengthening women’s networks, and getting more women into public leadership roles.
Network, Engage, Transform ran in Sri Lanka from 2016 to 2018 with $523,484 from the EU. It reached 630 people directly and 78,205 indirectly. The team partnered with Women Action Network and Transform Kilinochichi (WANT) and Community Development Organization Mullaitivu.
What did we accomplish?
- Women are safer: People in the project are twice as likely to think that women are safe, and that men and women co-exist well.
- Women have more leadership skills: 97% of women say they have improved their leadership and networking skills.
- Communities accept women leaders: 85% of participants say that women leaders are more accepted than they were before the project. People who participated in the project are more than twice as likely to say that women leaders are supported than those who weren’t in the project.
- Networks are stronger: 75% of women say they expanded their networks and links to other women. 72% of women leaders are have connected to other networks in addition to their own.
- Women are included in more government decisions: People are nearly 3 times more likely to be satisfied with how women are included in government decision making.
- The government considers community needs: Participants are 64% more likely to feel that the government recognizes community needs and opinions when it makes decisions.
How did we get there?
- Train women leaders: The project trained 420 women leaders in building networks and improving skills. 82% of them were satisfied with the training. The project didn’t stop at one training, but also continued with coaching and mentoring for women leaders, and exchange visits between women leaders.
- Think about gender based violence: The project trained women how to respond to GBV cases, and women’s networks set up referral systems, safe houses, and mechanisms to take perpetrators to court and ensure justice. Villages also formed groups to fight and prevent GBV.
- Engage men and boys: The project worked with husbands, fathers, and brothers to support women leaders and encourage women’s participation so women didn’t have to do it alone.
- Mobilize public support: The project hosted campaigns about 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, mobilized women protestors, and orchestrated a “Vote for Women” campaign to support women candidates.
Want to learn more?
Read the evaluation