This project is part of Canada’s Women’s Voice and Leadership Program, which supports local and regional women’s organizations and networks that are working to advance women’s empowerment and gender equality in developing countries. This is done by supporting their activities, building institutional capacity, and promoting network and alliance-building as women’s and feminist organizations are critical agents of change. The Program also responds to the globally recognized, significant gap in funding and support to women’s organizations and movements around the world. The project is implemented by Plan International Canada. It has been designed to provide women’s organizations (WOs) with the capacity, resources and opportunity to realize their mission and vision, address their organizational challenges, promote efficiencies in programming, and create a platform for coordinated advocacy and networking. The project directly supports 48 WOs across four regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Addis Ababa, Oromia and, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region) and indirectly supports up to 148 civil society organizations (CSOs). The project also provides training and support to 72 young feminists.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved management and sustainability of local women’s organizations advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in Ethiopia, particularly those representing vulnerable and marginalized women and girls; (2) enhanced performance of women’s organizations’ programming and advocacy to advance gender equality and empower women and girls in Ethiopia; and (3) increased effectiveness of sub-national and national women’s platforms, networks and alliances to affect policy, legal and social change in Ethiopia.