EEF: Engaging Citizens, Empowering Communities 2021-2025
Contribution ID : SE-0-SE-6-14798This website displays open data about Swedish aid, which shows when, to whom and for what purpose Swedish aid is paid out, as well as what results it has produced. This page contains information about one of the contributions financed with Swedish aid.
The initiative, titled “Engaging Citizens, Empowering Communities”, will contribute to the design and implementation of more inclusive public policies at national and local level and will offer better opportunities for the disadvantaged people. In the context of this five-years project, the following groups are targeted: unemployed women and men from rural ar...
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The initiative, titled “Engaging Citizens, Empowering Communities”, will contribute to the design and implementation of more inclusive public policies at national and local level and will offer better opportunities for the disadvantaged people. In the context of this five-years project, the following groups are targeted: unemployed women and men from rural areas, women and men in informal employment, young women and men not in employment, education or training (NEET youth); women and men with disabilities; LGBT; Roma women and men; older women and men with low income. In addition, the project will pay due attention to fostering sustainability of developed civic infrastructure and mainstreaming gender equality, environmental protection, inclusion of women and men living in the Transnistrian region.
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Result
During the reporting period EEF registered progress under both impact outcomes. Firstly, vulnerable men and women increasingly enjoyed opportunities to exercise democratic influence (impact outcome one). Specific examples to support this statement are provided below: Over 200 CSOs representing vulnerable groups (Roma, older people, youth, persons with disabilities) actively shaped public policies from the perspective of inclusion and equal opportunities. During this reporting period they influenced 13 out of the 54 targeted policies. EEF supported the advocacy efforts of the Coalition for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination that brings together 23 most active human rights CSOs and civic activists. They advocated successfully for strengthened protection against hate crimes and hate speech. Three platforms, bringing together social enterprises, business hubs and businesses, demanded a better business and social entrepreneurship environment. 188 trained community journalists developed and posted over 700 articles reflecting community issues. To date 24 reported problems have been addressed by duty bearers 36 CSOs, united under the umbrella of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, actively engaged with the Central Electoral Commission and Parliament to address the legal pitfalls identified during the 2021 Parliamentary Elections. Secondly, vulnerable men and women in targeted communities are more empowered and steadily enjoy socio-economic rights and sustainable development opportunities (impact outcome two). Examples of achieved results are outlined below: Over 60 CSOs in Cahul, Soroca and Causeni districts steadily advanced transparency and responsiveness of local authorities towards community needs. In 2022 they analysed 72 draft decisions and influenced 36 local policies from the perspective of inclusion. District Participation Councils were set up in three new districts (Stefan Voda, Floresti and Cimislia) pursuant to comprehensive mobilisation work and policy dialogue with local authorities Empowered youth in 10 targeted communities increasingly contributed to local development through implementation of youth development initiatives that contributed to the mobilization of over 24532 young girls and boys. 15 Youth entrepreneurship funds contributed to the creation of 86 youth led businesses and 66 new jobs, with focus on NEET youth. 15 CSOs were enabled to pilot innovative services that facilitate the social inclusion of NEET youth. In partnership with LalaPlay Voices CSO, 100 talented children from all over the country improved their knowledge, attitudes, confidence in their own strengths and visions of personal and professional development at the Voices Summer Camp. Six business hubs were set up and capacitated to provide quality services for over 900 SMEs; 15 work integration social enterprises targeting most vulnerable women and men were set up. To date they created 53 new jobs and provided free of charge or partially pad services to over 1000 vulnerable women and men 15 Consortia of NGOs piloted innovative employment services for most vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, Roma, older people.
Overall objective of the intervention is: Vulnerable men and women are empowered and benefit from responsive policy-making and fulfilment of their human rights. In the context of this project, vulnerable groups are: rural population, unemployed, NEET youth, vulnerable older people, informal workers, persons with disabilities, Roma, LGBT. The project is built around two impact outcomes corresponding to the two programmes of the project: 1) Vulnerable women and men enjoy civil and political rights and opportunities to exercise democratic influence. 2) Vulnerable men and women in targeted communities enjoy socio-economic rights and sustainable development opportunities. Further the programmes will be implemented via 6 components. Within the first component, Civil and political rights and democratic governance, three components will be conducted: 1) Civil society participation and oversight, 2) Community Journalism, 3) Free and Fair elections. Within the second component, Socio-economic rights, sustainable local development, another three components will be implemented: 1) Community mobilization, 2) Youth participation and Economic Empowerment, 3) Social Services and Economic Development. All the components will build upon previously achieved results, such as: Over 160 CSOs representing the vulnerable actively advocated for greater decisional transparency. They analysed over 80 public policies and monitored implementation of 10 public policies from the perspective of inclusion. By 2020 they managed to influence 29 policies (around 25% of targeted policies influenced to date). CSOs that are part of the Press Council promoted pluralism and freedom of expression, and firmly demanded observance of ethical standards by Media institutions. Over 40 trained community journalists started to post articles about the issues faced in their communities. Over 30 CSOs, united under the umbrella of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, demanded fairer and more inclusive elections, reacting to abuses or misconduct of electoral authorities, electoral contestants, law-enforcement bodies. Around 300 representatives of under-represented groups were empowered to stand as candidates in the elections; 97 of them (44 women, 42 Roma, 11 empowered youth from Gagauzia) ran for office; 38 beneficiaries succeeded (12 Roma, 24 women, 2 youth from Gagauzia). Over 5000 mobilised men and women in over 74 communities increasingly scrutinised the work of public authorities, demanding greater transparency and accountability along with fairer allocation of available public resources for basic social rights. Building on these results, the project will further strive for fulfilment of civil and political rights of vulnerable women and men This development paradigm will guide the EEF intervention towards the fulfilment of civil and political rights of vulnerable women and men (Impact Outcome 1): Opportunities to exercise democratic influence will be expanded by enabling inclusive CSO platforms representing vulnerable groups to actively provide evidence-based input into design and implementation of selected public policies. Continuous CSO engagement in policy dialogue will determine national authorities to accept more recommendations during policy design but also to up-scale policy implementation. Capitalising on the network of partners throughout the country and the developed online platform for journalists (jurnalist.md), EEF will grow a new generation of community journalists, enabling them to report issues identified in their communities (corruption, unfair distribution of resources, unemployment, discrimination, etc.). Articulation of such issues, combined with local community mobilisation efforts, will increase critical thinking and pressure on national and local authorities to discharge their obligations. EEF and its partners will build upon the achieved results in the area of inclusive elections, advocating for political inclusion (political funding, inclusion of minorities and persons with disabilities) and strengthening the decision-making capacity of elected women, Roma, persons with disabilities. Improved legislation will determine political parties - to be more inclusive, Central Electoral Commission - to hold democratic elections and local authorities - to ensure accessibility of polling stations. Similarly, the above-mentioned considerations will also be employed for advancing implementation of social and economic rights and Sustainable Development Goals (Impact Outcome 2): Rights of vulnerable women and men and basic needs in targeted communities will be better addressed through local NGOs representing vulnerable groups that actively mobilize disadvantaged women and men to (i) constructively engage with duty bearers, (ii) oversee local authorities’ performance, (iii) define and addressing most stringent community needs. The program will enable local youth CSOs to facilitate involvement of young women and men in community assessment, fundraising, outreach, grant-making. Empowered youth groups will be supported to engage in meaningful policy dialogue with local authorities in order to demand fairer distribution of available resources, increased transparency and accountability. Due attention will be paid to working with employment services and pilot innovative actions designed to better target and facilitate employment of NEET young women and men. These approaches, coupled with seed funding for youth entrepreneurship ideas will lead to increased participation and economic empowerment of the young women and men in at least 10 districts. Building on good practices achieved to date, EEF will empower local CSOs to engage in social service delivery and economic development targeting most vulnerable women and men. Due attention will be paid to preventing and fighting domestic and gender-based violence through local policy advocacy, legal, psychological counselling, as well economic empowerment of most vulnerable women and girls. EEF will support CSOs to develop work integration social enterprises (WISE). Additional efforts will be made to assist SMEs run by vulnerable groups to develop and reap the benefits provided by the AA/DCFTA by means of digitalisation, business assessment and support packages, matchmaking. This infrastructure will contribute to empowering vulnerable women and men to become active agents in their communities and demand from national and local authorities a more favourable environment for business and social enterprises.
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