How VSLAs increase public participation

“[it] moved us from darkness to the light.”

That’s what one woman in Sudan said about trainings she received in Every Voice Counts, especially on public participation and public speaking.

In Pakistan, another woman says, “I feel good change in my life. I can frequently talk with people. Now we work together with men. … Now I speak confidently with women and men on any issue. This is big change in my confidence.”

“When you have money, your voice will be heard by all.” That’s a woman in Sudan explaining the importance of savings groups in her ability to participate publicly and be part of community decisions.

With the Every Voice Counts project, CARE Netherlands did research to see what’s the connection between savings groups and public participation. How do you support women to step up and lead in their own communities? How do savings groups make that possible?

What did they find? Women in savings groups overall are much more likely to get involved in public spaces and decisions (62%). That number gets even higher when the groups have a specific focus and training on community participation, leadership, and advocacy. 95% of women who were involved in Every Voice Counts with extra training on leadership were more likely to be participating in decisions than before the project.

Every Voice Counts ran in 6 countries from 2016-2020 with $10.7 million from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Collectively, it reached 71,000 women and 32,000 men. The research also looked at findings from Recovery Support for Vulnerable Households in Sudan (funded by the Latter Day Saints Charities) and Women on the Move.

What changed?

  • Women are more involved in public decisions. 78% of women report being more engaged in public decisions after being in savings groups. That number is 61% for savings groups alone, and 98% for savings groups that include some training and support on advocacy and leadership.
  • Women are helping each other. 40% of women in savings groups are giving some of their money to help other people. Women in advocacy focused groups were more likely to come up with and support joint ideas (61%).
  • Income and influence matter. Women in groups that had a savings component were more likely to be successful getting their agenda through, since they could contribute financially. For example, a VSLA member in Sudan suggested adding a delivery room in the health centre. Not only was her idea accepted, she gave money for the construction. Her VSLA collectively supported the idea by giving money to build a house for a doctor to stay in the village rather than waiting for traveling doctors to visit.
  • Women lead, not just participate. 66% of women are attending more community meetings, but it’s more than just showing up. 50% of women are raising their own ideas, and 42% are actually organizing community events.
  • Women believe more in their own leadership. 82% of women changed their beliefs on public participation, and now think women should play a bigger role in making decisions. Women who were in groups that involved both men and women were more likely to believe that women should be more involved in public decisions.
  • Women are more confident in their skills, and communities are more confident in women. 38% of women said gaining new skills and training was a big part of the program’s impact. 65% of men said that their wives learned important financial skills.

How did it happen?

  • Stay the course. Women had to be part of groups for at least two years before they saw significant increases in public participation. A single 9-month savings cycle was not enough. Trainings and support were an important part of that two years.
  • Focus on participation matters. People who got training about the importance of women in public life were more likely to change their opinions. If none of the support to the group included leadership skills or social norms, members sometimes got more conservative in their views about women.
  • Think about group composition. 68% of women also had their husbands as part of a savings group—either the same one as theirs, or as a separate group. Those men also got access to training and information. Women in mixed-gender groups were slightly more likely to believe that women should have an equal role in public decisions.
  • Give women what they want. Women especially valued the literacy training component when that was available. That gave them more confidence and helped them feel they could level the playing field with men.

Want to learn more?

Check out the research here.