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 2nd ,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.