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Office of Women in Development
>> Return to Home Page >> Central Programs >> Global Programs >> Women in Development ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Central Programs
TITLE AND NUMBER: Women's Legal Rights Increasingly Protected, 941-003
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATIONS AND FUNDING SOURCE: $3,520,000 DA
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATIONS AND FUNDING SOURCE: $3,020,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2003Summary: Limitations on women's legal and property rights are widespread in developing and transitional countries. Legal restrictions on women's ownership of land and other property are common, and laws often support inheritance patterns that favor men. Uneven application of the law often discriminates against women, hampering their income earning ability, retarding their political participation and leaving them vulnerable to abuse. Lack of legal and property rights significantly contributes to the vulnerability of women and girls to traffickers. USAID's Women's Legal Rights Initiative, implemented through this central objective, seeks to improve women's legal rights so that women in developing countries can lead safer, more productive lives.
Key Results: The Global Bureau's Office of Women in Development (The Office) works to improve legislation protecting women's rights and to increase gender equity in judicial systems. It also looks to strengthen local organizations advocating women's legal concerns and to spread information to increase knowledge of women's legal rights.
Performance and Prospects: FY 2000 saw a consolidation of gains as the Office's program matured. Most notably, new initiatives in the area of women's human rights have been established; 106 civil society organizations launched new initiatives to protect and promote women's human rights. These initiatives have improved women's awareness of their legal rights and their access to the justice system.
The Office's activities have also increased knowledge of and receptivity to women's legal rights. Using new and well-established means of communication -- such as comic books and legal education workshops, non-governmental (NGOs) produced new resources to inform women about their rights. Civil society organizations have drafted legislation to bring national laws closer to international standards and to establish new enforcement mechanisms that better protect women. These programs undertook nine targeted legislative actions that embody women's human rights in law. As a result, new drafts of domestic violence legislation have been presented in three countries.
Legal Rights' programs directly impact women's lives and strengthen the rule of law in the countries in which they operate. The Office's partner organization, Georgetown International Women's Human Rights Clinic, reported that the program's training in Ghana on domestic violence has resulted in a 10% increase in the prosecution of domestic violence cases. In Cambodia, the rights and interests of female street vendors are better protected after one group facilitated a dialogue between the vendors and local authorities.
Under a larger small grants program, approximately 25 grants of $25,000 or less will be awarded to NGOs in Africa and Asia in FY 2001 focused on "women's property and inheritance rights." The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 has led to new responsibilities for USAID in coordinating government-wide implementation of section 106(a) on economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking, and The Office is leading this work on the Agency's behalf. Women's lack of legal rights contributes significantly to their vulnerability to traffickers. As in 2001, $500,000 in development assistance will be used in FY 2002 to improve the legal environment that trafficking victims face.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: No adjustments planned.
Other Donor Programs: Key partners in this area are the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; and the Members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Development Assistance Committee. Within the U.S. Government, The Office works closely with members of the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Prevent Trafficking, which is led by the Department of State.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Current grantees and contractors include The Asia Foundation; Georgetown University Law Center; Partners of the Americas; and Development Alternatives, Inc.
Selected Performance Measures:
Indicator 941-003 FY97 (Actual) FY98 (Actual) FY99 (Actual) FY00 (Actual) FY01 (Plan) FY02 (Plan) Indicator 1: Number of new resources that inform women about their legal rights. 13 NA NA 51 7 10 Indicator 2: Number of G/WID programs in women's legal rights actively supported by G/DG, regional bureaus and missions NA 13 22 12 15 18 Indicator 3: Number of mechanisms implemented through G/WID assistance for women's access to legal redress 0 10 6 10 3 3 Indicator 4: Number of legislative actions taken to embody women's human rights in law as a result of G/WID intervention 2 9 13 9 7 10 Indicator Information
Indicator Level (S)or(IR) Unit of Measure Source Indicator Description Indicator 1: IR Communication and education sources in G/WID assisted countries. PROWID, WELR-TAF, Georgetown, Partners of the Americas Communication/education sources for providing information, eg., media, electronic sources, public fora, libraries, centers, legal literacy campaigns, women's church groups, radio, street theater, sewing groups, etc. aimed at increasing level of awareness of rights generally, of rights embodied in law, of actions needed to seek redress, and of the capability to actually seek redress. Indicator 2: S Programs promoted by G/WID for adoption in priority and emphasis countries PROWID, WIDStrat, WIDTech Programs to which G/DG, bureaus or missions have provided financial or technical support. Measures the number of USAID missions and operating units which actively support programs in women's legal rights, either by directly funding them or by including them in their strategic plan and programs. Indicator 3: IR Number of provisions for access PROWID Ways or means put in place to increase women's access, including women's bar associations, special courts (family courts), special police cells, units or stations, women in the justice system Indicator 4: IR New, repealed, or reformed bills PROWID, Women, Law, and Development International; NIS-US Women's Consortium Bills introduced, debated in committee, testified on behalf of, and voted on (by country) U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 11,550 DA 8,603 DA 2,947 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 2,408 DA 1,826 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 13,958 DA 10,429 DA 3,529 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 1,125 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 3,520 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 4,645 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 3,020 DA 0 DA 21,623 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
