Community-Based Livelihood Development for Women & Children in Swaziland

Benjamin Rinehart, Chief of Party, FHI 360

June 16, 2014

Project Overview

PEPFAR/USAID funded from December 1, 2011 - November 30, 2016

Goal: Enhance the social and economic well-being of women in children in the communities where they live

Integrated Multidisciplinary Development: Economic strengthening, legal rights and child protection, SBCC, & community development

Capacity building of community-based institutions and national stakeholders in government, civil society, donor, & private sectors to scale up successful initiatives

The team: FHI 360 (lead), TechnoServe, & Vusumnotfo; about 24 staff and 40 volunteers and enumerators

Geographic Coverage

Six rural communities in

Swaziland

– Herefords, Hhohho (4,500)

– Khuphuka, Lubombo (4,000)

– Mpolonjeni, Lubombo (6,250)

– Ndzingeni, Hhohho (4,250)

– 2 more to be selected in 2014

Project Activities

• Economic Strengthening

• Legal Rights & Access

• Child Protection

• SBCC & Life Skills

• Early Childhood Development & Education

• Community Development

• Capacity Building

• Advocacy & Policy

Gender in Swaziland: Law & Culture

• Customary law: patriarchal, women as minors

• 2005 Constitution promotes greater gender equality but is not known or applied in all areas

• Customary practices and traditions: early & forced marriages for girls, lobola (bride price); mourning periods; women & girls lack inheritance rights; no access to land for women

• High drop out rates for girls in secondary school

Gender in Swaziland: Health & Security• GBV: poor response system &

coordination; no comprehensive legal framework & poor enforcement mechanisms

• SRH services not accessible for young women

• Gender inequality significant factor in high rate of HIV prevalence

• HIV burden highest among women & girls; HIV prevalence rate peaks much earlier for women

How the Project Learned about Gender Issues in Swaziland

• Gender analysis & gender strategy

• Gender advisory panel, gender consortium

• Assessment of women’s rights & women’s access to legal services

• Household baseline survey

• Focus group discussions, beneficiary input

How the Information Influenced Design & Approach• Livelihoods development

is effective when complemented by social & behavior change communication & legal rights education & services

• Men, especially traditional leaders, are suspicious of “gender” programs

• For legal rights & public services, focus on the “demand” and “supply”

Project Impact: Leaders are Listening

• Traditional leaders are openly challenging harmful norms and customs

• Leaders embracing constitutional law - major paradigm shift

• Leaders are granting women more rights and access to nation land.

• Increased community awareness & recognition of women’s rights, including property and inheritance rights

• Increased community awareness of children’s rights

• Vulnerable children identified & systems in place for Increased uptake of referral services

Project Impact: Behaviors are Changing• Children reporting abuse by teachers

• Young women are reporting more independent decision-making and less relationship dependency

• Young men and women are beginning to embrace more equitable gender norms

• Young men are also adopting healthy behaviors, which has a positive health outcome for young women

Measuring Impact

• Surveys: gender norms, stereotypes, and behaviors; knowledge of laws and rights; access to services; and other household economic indicators

• Periodic reporting from community stakeholders

• Focus group discussions with participants

• Most significant change stories