Monrovia- Platform for Dialogue and Peace (P4DP) has received with gratitude a midterm evaluation report of a women’s empowerment project being implemented by the organization.
By Jaheim T. Tumu- [email protected]
The project was funded by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), administered through the UN Women with P4DP is implementing a project titled “Platform for Women Empowerment and Next Level” in Montserrado, Bomi, and Margibi Counties to improve the socio-economic conditions and political participation of marginalized women and young women.
Speaking at an event organized by P4DP to review the midterm evaluation report, Mr. James Shilue, Executive Director of the organization, expressed appreciation to the team for the midterm evaluation report.
He said, “I am happy that we were able to commission such an exercise, which is critical to track the level of progress made towards achieving the project‘s planned objectives.”
Mr. Shilue emphasized the importance of ensuring monitoring and evaluation systems in project management.
“I am convinced that effective work in addressing the needs of beneficiaries is impossible without reliable, substantiated, and timely statistical information on the project,” he added.
For his part, the evaluation team leader, Mr. Jackson Speare, said the mid-term evaluations were designed to examine the relevance of the project and how effective and efficiently its activities have impacted the beneficiaries.
He indicated that the evaluation was conducted in key project communities in Bomi, Margibi, and Montserrado Counties involving representatives of multi-stakeholder institutions such as co-project implementing partners, Peace Mother Clubs, community-based change agents, and local authorities.
Mr. Speare noted that the report reflected the aspirations and commitments of the beneficiaries.
The evaluation found the project to be on course and impacting the beneficiaries.
The report noted that the six local co-partners of the project are constructively engaged with peace mother clubs in the three counties by mentorship, guidance; and training of women’s groups in mitigating the negative social and cultural norms that inhibit women and girls’ economic empowerment and political participation in decision making.
The report also mentioned that the peace mother clubs are successfully working with more marginalized women in six districts of the three project counties by administering micro-grants to village savings and loan associations (VSLA) to empower the women economically and socially, as well as providing common platform that facilitates women and girls’ social inclusion and political participation.
The six districts are Senjeh and Klah in Bomi County, Kakata and Gbi in Margibi County, and Todee and Kpo in Montserrado County.
In addition, the evaluation team also reported that some of the marginalized women beneficiaries who are involved in small-scale business operations at the community level narrated their success stories to the evaluators illustrating progress being made in substantially contributing to the upkeep of their families.
Also noted in the report, is the initiative is being cascaded across the communities empowering women-led households whose independence and self-confidence in decision-making are gradually being strengthened because they are now able to afford money to meaningfully contribute to the well-being of their families and communities.
Through weekly and monthly meetings of the PMCs, the women participate in and contribute to discussions of community development and other cross-cutting issues that involve seeking collective actions to tackle sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in the communities.
The Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund that is funding the project is an innovative partnership that empowers local women to be a force for crisis response and lasting peace. It provides support for women’s empowerment across the world.