Results
Gender responsive budgeting capacity-development is most successful when a broad number of state and local actors are involved, government departments in particular. Joint Programme support to members of parliament assisted them in taking a systematic approach to constituency challenges while using data to identify issues that require a policy response rather than individual case action. By helping MPs educate their constituents about their role in oversight and law-making there is accurate public understanding of their reach and reasonable expectations about the pace of change. The inquiry process, still in the pilot phase, is an ideal vehicle for MPs to transform the individual concerns of constituents to action at the state policy level and open channels for locals to share their concerns and learn about the role of committees in government oversight.
Programme stakeholders enhanced access to justice for women and other vulnerable groups in Rakhine by mitigating the lack of available government-supported legal aid services and capacity of legal aid providers. For too long the formal justice system was underused by vulnerable populations like women and religious and ethnic minorities. A bottom-up approach is one way of engaging the 4,275 people involves and coordinating activities across communities to build trust and social cohesion.
To support planning and coordination of livelihood and social cohesion interventions at the community level, joint programme stakeholders have teamed up with members of local CSOs on livelihood recovery forums. Participation is broad with village leaders and women from multiple districts, including Muslim villages, taking part. Sixty recovery forums have been organized and each established a women’s sub-group where women could articulate their grievances and demands. There has been high levels of participation in all forums and consultation meetings by minority groups, which was crucial for promoting intercommunal trust and creating a space for the meaningful participation of women.
Best practices (abridged)
Supporting townships in participatory planning
Joint programme support helped improve processes and outcomes from township participatory planning workshops and prioritized 10 new projects, including the construction of a water storage earth dam in Kyway Chaing village. Social and environmental screening procedures introduced for site visits were novel approaches that township planning committees and village tract administrators adopted. The application of such procedures highlighted that the proposed project would likely result in a number of risks related to property rights, climate change impact, and possible flooding. Given the hazards alternative options were considered that limit social and environmental risks, expedite the time needed to build and renovate structures, and increase local participation, thereby having an immediate and positive impact on the Kyway Chaing community.
Training on housing, land and property rights
Thida Oo comes from a rural village in Rakhine, where she works in the shop her parents own, selling snacks. When she went to her first paralegal training offered by the Women’s Empowerment and Resilient Communities joint programme, she knew nothing about her rights, but thought having more skills could help her become more self-sufficient.
At the initial training course, she was intimidated by the number of older males present whom she considered more knowledgeable than she. However, Oo learned all she could, eventually getting accepted into the next level of training. Because of her perseverance Oo is now one of the most knowledgeable people in her village on housing, land, and property issues. She has been entrusted to provide advice to villagers and acts a focal point in her community. “I never thought that I would be involved in a such a group and speak in front of many people to discuss basic concepts of housing, land and property,” she says. In speaking with her family and the village elders Oo learned that her grandparents, who used to grow and sell rice, lost their land through land grabs. The difference is now she is empowered to ensure that such practices do not recur and the rights of community members are upheld and respected.
Gender leadership programme
Two programme participants from an IDP camp attended a Camp Management Committee meeting after a gender leadership training. One of them explained, “The situation is very different now […] In the past, we didn’t have enough confidence to speak at such committee meetings about women’s issues. We thought they would not listen to us because we are women. But when we attended the meeting and presented some of our issues committee members listened to our opinions and accepted to take actions.”
> $55M 
$55M - $25M
$25M - $5M
< $5M
