Project Duration: 24 months (June 2020 – August 2022)

Sources of funding: UN Women (In the framework of the UN Women project “Promoting Gender Responsive Polices and Budgets: Towards Transparent, Inclusive and Accountable Governance in the Republic of North Macedonia”, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency – Sida.)

Implementing partner organizations: WCI „Klea“-Bitola; Women Civic Initiative-Sveti Nikole; Radika De-Debar; Women’s Forum-Tetovo; „Biovita“  -Kavadarci; „Women’s Lobby“-Demir Kapija; „Vizija“-Kavadraci; „Raj“-Rosoman; „Women’s Solidarity“-Resen.

Overall objective: Meaningful participation of women in the local self-governments programing and budgeting

Specific project objectives: 

• Local women civil society organizations strengthen their advocacy capacities with expanded field presence as well as support networks among rural women.
• Constructive policy advocacy input towards inclusive and gender responsive local governance developed and provided by the activated community women in front of LSG.

Expected Results :

• 8 local women organizations financially and technically supported to implement community outreach activities (4 organizations to continue with implementation of advanced methodological frameworks for encouraging women involvement in the planning and decision making and 4 local organizations for piloting women community outreach actions in rural areas)
• Community support networks established in 10 rural communities (Shipkovica, Bogovinje, Zelino, Bukovo, Novaci, Lozovo, Dorfulija, Velebrdo, Agievci/Prisojnica and Papradnik); Established mechanisms for continuous communication and information exchange among women on the responsiveness of the LSG to community women priorities assessed on the basis of provided standardized monitoring framework of local programing and budgeting processes.
• 1000 rural women targeted with community based informative, educational, consultative and mobilizing activities will have improved knowledge on LSG competences and basic budget literacy, established social interaction on local public issues of common interest, and contribute to drafting policy proposals to LSGs.
• 300 women directly involved in regular communication with LSG officials/elected representatives and other relevant actors, including in planning and implementation of public advocacy campaigning initiatives.
• At least 1 priority policy proposal provided by community women will be addressed (programed, budgeted or implemented) by local institutions in each municipality targeted with the project.
• Broader public informed on the challenges in women everyday reality and potential solutions in reducing their exclusion, with creative multimedia visibility products