This pilot project aims to increase women’s influence in decision-making processes in order to strengthen decentralization in Mali. Women and women’s contributions remain underrepresented in formal political structures and public decision-making.

To redress this, USAID and its implementing partners are conducting capacity building activities and training related to women in local governance, focusing on civic education, leadership, public speaking, advocacy and lobbying, conflict prevention and resolution, and negotiation techniques. Community radio and audio-visual media communicate issues related to women’s participation in local governance.

One outcome of the project will be to form and train women’s political and advocacy networks to mobilize other women and girls. Female political candidates are provided with technical assistance on organizing election campaigns for women. Local community leaders and women’s groups gain skills to develop local activity plans to better incorporate women’s interests and potentially decrease women’s labor and/or increase their income.

As of early 2004, 202 Civic Education sessions for 9,371 people (84.25 percent women) had been conducted. Audio-visual messages, including sketch designs, theater pieces, songs and short messages related to women’s participation in local governance, have been developed. Several sets of visual supports were posted in each commune to reinforce the Civic Education training themes. Two civic education radio messages have been broadcast in local languages on eight community radio stations.

The WING project is using innovative technologies to collect and analyze data for project monitoring and evaluation. The data from baseline survey interviews with local elected leadership and 122 women’s groups was collected using satellite technology.

Mali's Program Objectives

Selected Activities

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