Gender Equality and Development - Phase III

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2009) include: Over 40 partners mostly rural associations and women’s organizations received support for a variety of activities related to gender equality women’s rights and institutional strengthening. The activities included training sharing of best practices awareness-raising sessions debates advocacy and the development and distribution of tools. On average in targeted organizations women’s participation in decision-making bodies doubled from 20% to 41%. Women’s access to benefits and services also improved. Partners improved their ability to contribute to economic empowerment resulting in substantial increases in income for rural women and men through increased quantity and quality of production (agricultural products handicrafts etc.). Partners contributed to more gender-equitable laws and respect for women’s rights including work on a law against gender-based violence by female parliamentarians a successful advocacy campaign to revise the Rwandan Labour Code to include maternity benefits and improving the population’s knowledge of marital inheritance and property laws.