CANADA NEPAL GENDER IN ORGANIZATIONS

Section II: Outcomes Mapping

10. PNGO Outcomes

Outcome Indicators | Empowerment

10.1. Baseline Summary

NGOs that became CNGO partners tended to be small organizations with simple offices, limited capacity in program management and few external linkages. Some in the terai cluster were implementing donor programs, according to the guidelines they were provided. Yet they acknowledged that they lacked effective systems and procedures. Members were untrained and functioned at a very basic level, with some exceptions. They thought they knew about gender - "it was about women, wasn't it?" In other words, they lacked capacity and had not understood nor internalized gender equality concepts.

CNGO facilitated these PNGOs to internalize gender concepts, and practice improved organizational systems and strategies through capacity building training, technical back stopping support and a small fund to implement their skills.

Among the eleven PNGOs that completed the process with CNGO, two are exclusively women's NGOs, two are predominately women's NGOs, while the remaining seven are mixed (men and women) NGOs.

10.2. Outcome Indicators

The underlying principle for CNGO was that a PNGO must be gender mainstreamed itself in order to effectively "deliver" gender integrated programs and to advocate gender equality with passion and commitment. Most importantly, gender equality must be internalized in the hearts and minds of PNGO members/staff.

The questions guiding the outcomes mapping were:

Is gender mainstreamed¹² in the PNGO?
Has PNGO capacity changed so that PNGOs are established as GROs with capacity to achieve impact in the district?
How did the CBI Fund contribute to PNGOs capacity change?

To answer these questions, the following indicators were selected:

Gender equality in the PNGO:

Measurement of women's empowerment

Decision-making culture and practices

Capacity to be a GRO:

Programs that address gender strategic interests

Learning organization culture and practice

Effective linkages with stakeholders

Contribution of CBI Fund to PNGO capacity:

Skills learned and practiced

PNGO potential to sustain as a GRO:

Reputation of PNGO in district

Vision and plans beyond CNGO

The following sections explain these indicators, and the findings, and assessment of results for each indicator. Each section includes a summary of the key outcomes.

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10.3. Gender Equality in the PNGO

The CNGO Semi-Annual Reports have documented the transition to gender mainstreamed PNGOs. They have:

Re-organised their vision to incorporate gender in the vision statements,
Modified their mission statements to fulfill gender responsive commitments,
Revised organizational/personnel policies,
Implemented gender responsive personnel policies,
Recruited more women as staff and on the Executive Committees, and
Developed program strategies to support women's needs and priorities within the organization.

In the delivery of contracts, PNGOs:

Used a gender lens to design and implement projects,
Equally included women on training teams to role model "gender balance".

In the final Organizational Assessments (completed in summer 2003) gender capacity was again measured, and all PNGOs assessed themselves as achieving good results.

The outcome mapping team looked at two key indicators of gender equality to assess how deeply gender is internalized individually and organizationally now. Measuring women's empowerment on a five-point scale¹³, women identified their level of empowerment in the organization. If women reported themselves at the high end of the scale, then they see themselves in powerful positions having control in the organization. In the mixed PNGOs, this indicated a balance with the men in their organization and that they were able to exert equal influence in the organization. Therefore, gender equality is well entrenched in the organization, and can be largely attributable to CNGO's capacity building. In a separate group, men were asked to share what they did to support women and gender equality, and both groups were asked about the challenges.

The decision-making culture was examined to add depth to understanding the empowered role of women and men in the organization, such as who "owns" the decision-making process in the PNGO, and the culture of openness, sharing and transparency. If women actively participated in decision-making and felt they benefited from these processes, then again power sharing leading to gender equality is considered as internalized.

Data on these two indicators was collected in PNGO focus groups. In addition, interviews were conducted with a few key individuals in each PNGO to validate the data and affirm change through their personal stories. These were mostly people who have been involved since CNGO partnered with the PNGO. Dalit members were also targeted for interviews.

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10.3.1. Empowerment

Empowerment Outcomes

A majority of women PNGO respondents report they now feel empowered at control level in their PNGO
The external social environment causes women to struggle to gain their empowerment, even if they feel empowered in their PNGO; yet now they are willing to fight and address the injustices
Organizational policy and systems hamper women exerting greater control in the PNGO, thus several PNGOs formed women sub-committees to address these issues
Men create space for women in all mixed PNGOs in a conscious strategy, although not all efforts are successful; it is a major adjustment for men

When women describe themselves as empowered in their organization and personal life, then there is progress toward gender equality. When men give up some of their privilege to share power with women, then there is progress toward gender equality.

Women defined empowerment for themselves in the organization as:

"to take responsibility - socially, politically and economically - on women's issues…and increase women's right to access and control" WAM
"to bring out her potential and fight against discrimination" WDS
"ability to make decisions and to take issues to the concerned authority" WCDC
"ability to make decisions and complete tasks, and to help others learn" RCDSC
"to work confidently and independently and according to how I decide" EDC
"when women can advocate for their rights" RWUA
"when women are able to present their ideas and make decisions, and not feel afraid and hesitant to conduct activities" EDS, and
"women giving leadership" VCDC.

Dropati Mahara, RWUA - "In ward 8 of Haripur VDC, one woman ran towards us crying very loudly. She was accused of practicing witchcraft by the villagers. Seeing her suffering, I, together with other women of RWUA went to her home and mediated the case through counselling the villagers. She was saved from being physically tortured by the villagers. At that moment I felt highly empowered."

Nikki Khadka, WDS - After the first CNGO training she was motivated to go to school. She entered class one and now she is doing self-study in class five. "Before we used to keep quiet when a woman was beaten but now we speak up and work to stop it."

Shanti Rai, WAM - "Before CNGO I could not speak out and lacked confidence. Now I am able to hold a staff post, and travel alone. I had no identity before but now I am consulted and asked to give training, and called to meetings."

Jyoti B.K., WAM - "Before I was afraid of my husband and to speak in front of strangers, but with WAM encouragement, I have changed. I can speak what is right and wrong, and talk directly with my husband and brother-in-law."

Sharada Thapa, WCDC, said that before CNGO she didn't know she had an identity but now she feels empowered with skills to contribute to the community. "I know who I am."

Anju Pandey - "Before working with RCDSC I stayed at home beneath my veil, but now I am respected in my family and bring in a salary. Now my husband helps in the home."

The following table summarizes PNGO women's assessment of their empowerment level. On the five point scale, only EDS and MPDS women ranked themselves below the second highest empowerment level, while the other PNGOs were in the top two levels. In WAM, for example, 100% of the PNGO focus group members ranked themselves as fully empowered at the highest level.

Women's Empowerment Index (Percentages - self ranked)

	JJA	SG	RWUA*	VCDC	WCDC*	RCDSC
Welfare
Access
Awareness
Participation	20%	70%	50%	10%	25%	60%
Control	80%	30%	50%	90%	75%	40%

Table 1: Women's Empowerment - Terai (self-ranked)

	WAM*	EDS	EDC	WDS*	MPDS
Welfare		14
Access		28			100
Awareness		43
Participation		14	25	10
Control	100%	0	75	90

Table 2: Women's Empowerment - West (self-ranked)

* Women's PNGO

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Assessment of Results

The Empowerment ranking proves that in many of the PNGOs, women feel empowered and active in their organization. Not surprisingly, the two women's PNGOs, WDS and WAM, show the highest scores at control level. It is clearly their organization and they have space to make decisions and set the direction. They face the gendered world outside the organization, that frustrates and limits them to some extent, but by building their confidence through using their skills and knowledge, they feel more able to persevere. WCDC, a women's PNGO but with men members, shows that women can maintain their control level of empowerment when measures are instituted to safeguard their space. Again the women feel less empowered due to the external world, including the home environment. Facing domestic violence at home, which is challenged by them yet not eradicated, how can they feel empowered?, they say.

In the mixed PNGOs, women feel less empowered, and although they are more aware and struggle for control, they still see men as controlling. JJA is a positive example where the women realized they must struggle with the men to claim their space, and felt strong enough to do so. One particularly strong woman, now the president, cared enough about equality and her organization to take the challenge, and with a critical mass of other women, raised their voices and fought for change. Women need to be strong enough to tolerate the conflict that can result.

EDS and EDC, both initially male dominated NGOs, reveal the challenges for women to gain control and for men to comprehend the changes that they need to make personally and organizationally. Both, especially EDC, have made very conscious choices to "bring forward" the women in the organization. They promoted them to participate in CNGO training events and then to practice their skills in small projects, for example. More women staff were hired as positions became available and they sit on the Executive Committee. Men feel that they have made space. Yet still the women hold back. In part this is due to deep social conditioning, such that women have internalized the need to seek men's approval/permission before they act, even if they know what to do. Further, they tend to have less education and experience than the men, which again undermines their confidence.

Also, family norms have not changed so women still take the responsibility for household work so have less time for organizational work and for the relationship building time needed for external linkages, for example. When PNGOs have family as members, the home environment enters the workplace, and cultural practices such as the hierarchical nature of the relationships of younger sister-in-law to elder brother-in-law still prevails. So while men think that they have given women space and shared power, women still feel dominated. Each sees the situation from their gender expectations and perspective.

In MPDS, the women instead drifted away in the face of male dominance and thus gender relations have not changed significantly at an organizational level.

In summary, despite culturally dominating social norms, there has been an increasing consciously managed trend in women's empowerment in the PNGOs. In addition all of the PNGO women members interviewed expressed that they have achieved much of their new confidence and identity as a result of the CNGO project.

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