Performance Report on Project Launching and enabling Joint Learning among girl and youth led organizations ,GO. and CSO partners Workshop on the She Leads Programme in Addis Ababa

Organizer:  New Millennium Women Empowerment Organization /NMWEO/.
 Participants:  Partners and Stake holders from Governmental and non-governmental Organizations and targeted girls and young Women.
Venue: MADO Hotel, Addis Ababa
Date: September 2^nd ,2021.

Objective of the work shop

New Millennium Women Empowerment Organization /NMWEO/ established partnership and  signed a project agreement with African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) to implement a project  in Addis Ababa, on the  She Leads programme which has the objective  to increase the sustained influence of Girls and Young Women (GYW) on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions. The She Leads consortium is a five-year (2021-2025) strategic partnership between Terre des Hommes, Plan International, Defence for Children/ECPAT, African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

Thus, Launching and enabling Joint Learning workshop has been organized by NMWEO to lay fertile ground for action.According to  the schedule ,primarily welcoming Speech as been delivered by W/o Tigist  Alebachew, executive Directress of NMWEO  and she addressed about  the organization and the she leads  program  implementation plan  in Addis Ababa.

 In her speech she mentioned about  the efforts of NMWEO, in the last more than a decade of years in which it addressed  needy Women ,children ,youth and the community in rehabilitation, economic support, environmental protection and awareness raising and made remarkable achievements, in different parts of the region.

  Following the honourable guest W/O Tsige Tadele ,from the Ministry of Women , Children youth  affairs, advisor of state minister of women affairs ,  made an opening speech and expressed that we know  NMWEO is  one of  CSOs achieving a good intervention   to support  women, children  and other parts of the population even in the hard to reach areas.  This project also believed to have significant benefits and achievements in Addis Ababa towards girls and young women. She vowed also her organization will support and cooperate to make this project feasible, in every needed steps.

 Following a power point supported explanation was presented by Ato Kebede Tekle, Program director of NMWEO,  on the over all status of the organization .In this regard , he presented  introduction of the organization, its Vision, Mission, Core values, geographic presence, key thematic areas of intervention, major achievements so far,  established inland and abroad partnership and awards obtained for the successful achievements made by NMWEO. 

After tea break ,Ato kebede, presented about  the she leads program in Africa, the middle east and  international level coordination. He mentioned in Ethiopia, the three alliance members are Terre des Hommes Netherlands, FEMNET and Plan International Ethiopia.TdH NL will implement the program in partnership with two national CSOs named Network of Ethiopia Women Association (NEWA) and Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA).TdH NL also serve as Consortium Lead in Ethiopia.Plan International Ethiopia will be direct implementer. FEMNET selected two of its affiliated organizations, namely, New Millennium Women Empowerment Organization (NMWEO), whose  implementation area is Addis Ababa .and  The Yellow Movement ,

He introduced about  the objective of the project to be implemented in Addis Ababa by NMWEO and  addressed in detail, about the intervention. So far preliminary achievements have been done and  project agreement also has been signed at regional level with the concerned governmental organizations in order to start the implementation. He also added two sub cities in Addis Ababa, Nefas Silk Lfato and Kirkos  sub cities  were  selected to implement the project at the grass root level in addition to regional ( Addis Ababa)  level of joint or partnership activities. The project objective, specific objectives, implementation  strategies, the interrelated domains, key actions of the project and the targeted beneficiaries  introduced.

  Next to this , The opportunities available  and the existing problems towards girls and young women, in Ethiopia, With particular reference to Addis Ababa  and the necessity of the project to tackle these problems has been addressed.

       Following , Participants’ raised issues  on the presentations and  clarity was made accordingly. Consequently ,as the workshop was designed also to  enable Joint Learning among girl and youth led organizations ,GO. and CSO partners, the floor  was opened to raise the existing problems towards girls and young women in Addis Ababa, which helps to incorporate in the plan of action for intervention. Thus, Participants, including girls and young women them selves raised the issues to be addressed, in that they mentioned negative attitude ,harassment, gender based violence, lack of participation, lack of assertiveness of GYW, migration, brokers influence, negative social norms etc. were raised .

   Next to this , W/o Tigist Alebachew  addressed   that we received  admirable inputs to our further action and  expressed her appreciation and thankfulness to the participants and also invited W/O Saba  Gebremedhin ,executive directress  of Network of Ethiopian women association/ NEWA/  to   deliver closing speech. Finally the invited guest  shared her experiences in working with to address the problems of  women and the community . Her organization is  also now participating in the she leads program and have a good partnership with NMWEO too. She vowed to work  together with all stake holders and even  will address the current  the emergency intervention tasks towards Internally displaced citizens  due to the conflict in the country in cooperation with NMWEO and other stakes. Hence, the  work shop  came to an end addressing all the agendas designed.