The Accountability Tracking (ACT) is one of AWOMI’s three main program areas of work. It covers action research mapping all critical issues related to gender, economic reforms and social justice including access to water and sanitation, HIV/AIDs, services related to sexuality, reproductive health and rights (SRHR); food sovereignty and nutrition, finance, women’s unpaid work, representation, participation and voice. The ACT starts with evidence gathering undertaken by women at local level supported by academics, parliamentarians and gender equality activists. It is the tool enabling women and youth to hold their governments and all public institutions to account. Following its design the tool is tested at different levels, fora and processes.
AWOMI’s third program, the Women Empowerment Fund (WEFU) is the corollary activity of the ACT and YOWLI. The WEFU serves as a funding program to post YOWLI identified initiatives and also promotes income generating opportunities for women at the local level. Following the month long YOWLI training AWOMI selects a few of the best YOWLI proposals that link implementation of the ACT to Advocacy and social mobilization and provides support to the YOWLI groups through a partner mentoring organization.
The WEFU has also enabled numerous women’s organizations to access seed money for implementing the ACT while enhancing their income earning activities. The WEFU is the vehicle that allows these economic actors to understand the place of their activities in the production chain of the sector and identify policy challenges that they can use in their advocacy for demanding change as well as increased budgetary allocations for their activity. The WEFU proves to be an innovative initiative in the sense that most financing to income generating activities do not integrate a research or advocacy dimension like the ACT. The WEFU is a catalyst for women understanding where is the money, which controls resources and decision making and how they can engage with them to ask for a more equitable distribution of the national and local budget.
“Does the Global Financial and Economic crisis matter for Young African Women and Men’s Rights, Leadership and Organizing?"
The Young Women’s Knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI) is one of the 2 the Flagshp programs of AWOMI. The other flagship program is the African Women Empowerment Fund (WEFU) . YOWLI was set up to enable young women and men of African descent to widen their leadership horizons, enhance their knowledge base and actively engage in monitoring and fighting for social justice. YOWLI is a space that supports innovative ideas that challenge anti human rights strategies and propel organizing for social transformation.
As we roll up implementation of our 2010 work plan it is time to look back and take stock of the achievements made by and lessons learned from AWOMI’s work in 2009. We have a lot to celebrate given that 2009 was a challenging year in terms of funding but nevertheless our work generated various outcomes that provide us a robust base for looking forward.
Through action research, youth empowerment and advocacy skills building, AWOMI worked with women and youth in 11 countries to set up a monitoring process and contribute in moving forward its vision of realization of women’s economic and social rights.
The Young Women’s Knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI) is one of the 2 Flagship programs of AWOMI. The other flagship program is the African Women Empowerment Fund (WEFU). YOWLI was set up to enable young women and men of African descent to widen their leadership horizons enhance their knowledge base and actively engage in monitoring and fighting for social justice. YOWLI supports innovative ideas that challenge anti human rights strategies and propel organizing for social transformation.
AWOMI is pleased to announce the Casablanca Dream Program as its new global flagship program. It is an initiative of women from the South, activists and academics, seeking for solutions in order to empower women who carry the growing burden of world wide poverty.
