HER

1. HER VOICE RAISING NIGERIA

2. 3 PILLARS OF RHV NIGERIA PILLAR ONE:CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT Develop capacity of grassroots women to efficiently and effectively engage in decision making processes on issues affecting their lives Chief mrs sani pix “Women of my constituency now know how to engage with the government particularly our representatives at the National Assembly. This is kudos to WRAPA and the Raising Her Voice Project” …Chief (Mrs.) Felicia Sani, National President; of Market Women Association of Nigeria

3. PILLAR TWO: LEGAL REFORMS Enactment of integral laws that would eliminate discriminatory provisions in existing laws/policies and guarantee the enjoyment of human rights by the Nigeria woman “With the sustained advocacy to legislators particularly at state levels, integral laws are being enacted to address issues of concerns around women issues especially violence against women. This is in line with the provisions of the AU Women’s Protocol that makes it obligatory for state parties to legislate on certain provisions of the document …Abiola Akiode, Exe. Dir., Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (RHV Partner) PILLAR THREE: Domestication of the African Union Women’s Protocol in Nigeria

4. OBJECTIVES OF RHV NIGERIA • Contribute towards reducing gender inequality through the active and productive inclusion of poor women in governance and decision-making in Nigeria • Facilitate the accelerated domestication and implementation of the provisions of the AU Women's Protocol in Nigeria

5. STRATEGIES/APPROACHES • Networking/lobbying/Advocacy/Linkages • Sustained engagement with Public/Traditional institutions & decision making forums • Capacity development of CBOs/grassroots associations to achieve the rights of poor women • Learning/lessons sharing • Disseminating good practice • through innovative media and • communications work A trainer taking the women through capacity building sessions A traditional ruler admonishing the people during a THM Cross section of participants at an awareness workshop

6. PROGRESS • Legal Reforms • Legislation on GBV/VAW • National: VAPP Bill –successful Public Hearing awaiting 3rd Reading • Lagos - Domestic Violence and Related Offences law • Enugu, Anambra & Imo - Prohibition of Infringement of Widow and Widower Fundamental Right Law • Edo - Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Law • Domestication of the AU Women’s Protocol • Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill • National: After its articulation, had to wait because of the elections; will be introduced by September 2011 • Kaduna & Ebonyi – awaiting 2nd reading • Lagos & Plateau – process of being gazetted not yet read • Anambra – passed by legislature awaiting Governor’s consent • Ogun – held Pub hearing awaiting 3rd Reading • Alliance building / Networking • Equipped and improved the capacity of grassroots women leaders with skills and knowledge to engage in advocacy for women’s inclusion through capacity building trainings • Mobilization rallies at state and national levels Public Hearing on VAPP Bill Constituency Outreach in Ilorin

7. PROGRESS CONTD. • National lobbying and advocacy • Active involvement of FBOs as implementing partners • Successful advocacy visits • Engagement of members of the traditional councils at THM in different communities • Wide dissemination of reader friendly IEC/BCC materials • Community mobilization and strengthening • Attitudinal changes ---consent in marriage, GBV impunity, son preference, HWPs etc • “Catch Them Young” (School debates) Hon Nimota Suleiman addressing the people during an awareness rally A religious leader addressing the team during an advocacy visit

8. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) • Baseline survey • field visits • Review/Planning meetings with implementing partners / • stakeholders • impact assessment and sustainability tracking • Midterm evaluation by an external consulatant Nkechi Nwabueze speaking during a review & planning meeting with implementing partners/stakeholders

9. OUTPUT Mandate Protection Training for female political aspirants in collaboration with CDD, GAA & WPEP in FCT for the 7 States in North Central zone of Nigeria 30 10 Capacity building trainings on advocacy for grassroots women leaders and activists 100 Leadership development for women Enhanced political participation for women 2 Constituency Outreaches 1860 Capacity building for female aspirants for elective office towards the 2011 elections in collaboration with the Fed. Min. of Women Affairs, GAA and WPEP in FCT & Minna in Niger State 229 out of a national total of 820 female aspirants 5 Town Hall Meetings 280 Interactive Session with Law Enforcement Agents 112 Interventions to address GBV 1st & 2nd Reading of VAPP Bill 430 (Cumulative of Parliamentarians in session, CSOs, media & other stakeholders) Public Hearing on VAPP Bill 360 2 Commemoration of Annual ‘16 Days Activism on VAW’

10. Production & Dissemination of IEC Materials on GBV & AU Women’s Protocol 9,500 2 Annual Press Conferences in the FCT 3,000,000 Media Campaign Jingle in 4 local FM Stations 1,500,000 Gender focused IEC Intervention Media Dialogue/Capacity Building for gender correspondence of print & Electronic Media 20 Panel discussions: *2 National TV - 8,000,000 *3 National Network Radio - 15,000,000 *4 local FM stations - 4,000,000

11. IMPACT Legal Reforms • Gradual increase in social intolerance to GBV/VAW thereby dismantling common justifications for GBV especially rape as well as accountability of institutions in Nigeria, the Police in particular Alliance building / Networking • Synergy and Unity of Purpose among CivilSociety Actors • Enhanced knowledge and leadership skills for grassroots Women National lobbying and advocacy • Improved response to gender issues by policy makers particularly the legislature • Improved Collaboration between government and CSOs Community mobilization and strengthening • Enhanced CSO-Media partnership • Significant shift in the mindset of rural women Members of the RHV Network in a strategy meeting with the Chair, HCWA, NASS

12. LESSONS LEARNT • Knowledge of the workings of systems and institutions engenders support and removes potential bottlenecks • Programming for grassroots projects requires looking at issues from the lenses of the grassroots people • Effective and meaningful engagement of Legislators requires sustained dialogue • The use of indigenous language, simplification and translation of vital documents and communication engenders buy in and commitment to a cause • Confidence building and support of community leaders are key to achieving programme depth and high impact on the lives of the members of the community • Best results for work in communities are achieved when participatory training methods and THM to achieve the objectives of the project are utilized • Working with grassroots communities require appropriate timing and involvement

13. LESSONS LEARNT CONTD. • Identifying and leveraging on policy moments is strategic for the • amplification of a cause and makes easier entry points • Inclusivity through sectoral engagement of the institutions of religious and • culture dismantles apprehensions and engenders dialogue and negotiations • on issues of women’s rights • Promoting shared lessons and best practices helps to improve the capacity • of partners • Transparency and full disclosure of financial status is key in gaining the confidence • of group members • Always necessary and advisable that agreement on expectations and • deliverables are put in writing and endorsed • Qualitative knowledge when passed on to women improves their self esteem • and commitments towards promotion and protection of their rights • The assumptions around illiterate and less privileged women is misplaced as • the project has established that these women can negotiate for their rights • when their capacity to do so is built appropriately • Engagement of legislative technical support staff secures institutional memory • to mitigate the turnover of elected members of Parliament Dialogue with male heads of households on issues of Domestic Violence Hadeezah Haruna-Usie, RHV Nigeria project coordinator in a dialogue with Sam Dabeng, Dep. Dir., AU Div., Min. of Foreign Affairs during a partnership visit to the Ministry

14. CHALLENGES • Poor budgeting for programme activities ? Active participation of secretariat at programme and events for effective impact assessment ? Limited reach in terms of beneficiaries • Deep-seated traditions and cultural inhibitions informed by patriarchal system • Sectarian crisis in some parts of Nigeria • Weak resource support for monitoring and evaluation

15. WHAT IS WORKING • Leverage on existing platforms and intervention • Diversified fund raising for the project • Replication of the DFID Issue Based approach to generate support and project buy in by other stakeholders • strategic seizure of policy moments and landmark events to raise the visibility of specific gender issues and the voices of women “intervention strategy adopted for the implementation of the RHV project has proved very efficient and effective” …Hauwa Evelyn Shekarau, Consultant for Mid Term Evaluation of RHV Nigeria.

16. Ladies & gentlemen! Thank you for your spared time!!!!