Project profile — Women’s Voice and Leadership - Nigeria

• Nigeria (100.00%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (100.00%)

• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)
• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)

This project is part of Canada’s Women’s Voice and Leadership Program, which supports local and regional women’s organisations and networks that are working to promote women’s rights, and advance women’s empowerment and gender equality in developing countries. This is done by supporting activities, building institutional capacity, and promoting network and alliance-building as women’s rights and feminist organizations are critical agents of change. The Program also responds to the significant, globally recognized gap in funding and support to women’s rights organizations and movements around the world. This project, implemented by ActionAid Nigeria, is expected to directly benefit 100 local women's rights organizations and their extended networks in six states across Nigeria. The project also aims to support the implementation of innovative ideas and approaches led by local women’s rights organizations.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved institutional capacity of local women’s and girls’ rights organizations (WROs) to set their agendas and manage the delivery of their programs in Nigeria; (2) improved effectiveness of WROs to deliver programs and advocate for women’s rights, including through innovative approaches; and (3) increased effectiveness of local women’s rights platforms, movements and networks to influence policy, legislation, social beliefs and practices in favour of gender equality and innovative approaches in Nigeria.

Results achieved as of March 2023 include: (1) provided over CAD 4.2 million in direct funding to over 154 women’s rights organizations across Nigeria through responsive funds, multi-year grants, and innovation funds; (2) 98% of the supported, trained, and funded women’s rights organizations reported a greater reach of their program. Also, 98 partners, including 18 Local Women's Rights Organizations, 72 Community-Based Organizations, and eight Networks, demonstrated improved capacity to implement women's rights and feminist interventions; and (3) influenced 42 women’s rights-related policies, laws, frameworks, or other government plans through Women’s rights organizations supported by the project. These government plans include the Kwara State Action Plan 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security and the Nigerian government’s reconsideration of legislation that would increase women’s political representation.

• Proactive disclosure