Theme: Human rights

Promoting effective implementation of the right to information act

Issue

Promoting civic-state engagement is essential to support effective implementation of the Right to Information Act in Sri Lanka.

Project

Transparency International Sri Lanka is increasing public awareness on the use and applicability of Right to information (RTI) and facilitating discussions between civil society and the regulatory bodies around RTI issues.

Working at both a regional and national level, Transparency International Sri Lanka is building the capacity of civil society organizations to use the recently passed Right to Information Act.

The project is forming thematic coalitions of civil society organisations (CSOs) on issues related to Health, Education, Transport, Water and Sanitation, and Public Administration, based in Colombo, Matara, Ampara, Trincomalee and Jaffna districtsacross Sri Lanka. These networks are presenting issues and solutions that surround the implementation of the act in special consultations with relevant ministries.

Transparency International Sri Lanka are is also raising awareness of the Act and public understanding of RTI pleas among small communities, using print and other media campaigns. In addition, the project is supporting RTI officers to ensure they are equipped to respond to demand.

The project is working to effectively secure civil society’s role as a ‘knowledge center’ on RTI, to ensure that citizens across the 5 districts can benefit from this legislature.

Endorsed project title: Promoting civic-state engagement to support effective implementation of the Right to Information Act in Sri Lanka

Transparency International, Sri Lanka

TISL is a national chapter of the global movement against corruption, and is committed to the promotion of good governance and eradication of corruption in Sri Lanka. TISL is the only organization exclusively working on anti-corruption, integrity and transparency related issues in Sri Lanka. Through a multi-sectoral approach, TISL engages with diverse stakeholders in the private and public sectors as well as the citizenry. www.tisrilanka.org

Upholding the rights of women with disabilities

Issue

The discrimination and disadvantages experienced by Women with Disabilities in India have largely gone unaddressed and unacknowledged by ‘gender-neutral’ disability services, legislation and policy. To empower Women with Disabilities (WwDs) to access their rights, the project will support and facilitate a gendered monitoring mechanism, Disability Gender Watch (DGW). This will enable implementation of national and international disability related commitments and compliances.

Project

The project aims to develop a new paradigm of human rights, pushing the frontier of rights for women with disabilities by facilitating direct dialogue between empowered women with disabilities (WwDs) and the Committee on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

With the aid of a Commonwealth Foundation grant, SMRC will train 900 women with disabilities and 200 disabled peoples organisations from the 29 States in India,, teaching them about disability rights, the obligations of government and the advocacy skills to enable them to engage with government.

Endorsed project title: Upholding the rights of women with disabilities in India

Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre

Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre is a Disabled People’s Organization founded in 1985. Its work focuses on advocacy, gender equity, research and development. Current campaigns run by SMRC target Women with Disabilities and Disaster and Disability. Alongside a programme to help monitor and improve State Elections, SMRC also provides rehabilitation services for Spinal Cord Injuries, educating and training health care professionals in rehabilitation techniques. www.smrcorissa.org

Baroness Verma chairs first official Commonwealth LGBTI session

Baroness Sandip Verma chaired the first LGBTI dedicated session at the Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF), which fed into CHOGM 2015 in Malta.

The session was held under the theme, ‘Resilient societies safeguard the security of all people in all their diversity‘.

Resilience as a transformative force for sustainable development

Ahead of the Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF) 2015, Vijay Krishnarayan (Director, Commonwealth Foundation) introduces the concept of resilience as a transformative force for sustainable development.

Commonwealth Insights: The SAMOA Pathway

The second in a series of civil society reflections on participatory governance The SAMOA Pathway: Recommendations from Commonwealth civil society provides an analysis of the main conclusions of the Third UN Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Summit held in September 2014.

It offers recommendations from civil society in the Commonwealth from the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean 1 on the critical issues raised in the SAMOA Pathway, the principal output from the SIDS Summit, on how to begin to turn these commitments into a transformative agenda for the sustainable and inclusive development of SIDS.

Commonwealth Insights: The SAMOA Pathway

Empowering women living in institutional settings

Issue

Women face a number of challenges ranging from security issues and financial hardship, to social exclusion.

Project

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta are helping to improve the lives of women living in institutional settings in Malta. This project aims to build the capacity of women to articulate the needs and challenges they face. It will support women living in shelters who have experienced domestic violence, and female asylum seekers who live in open centres. It will establish Women Advocacy and Mobilisation Groups (WAMGs) and train the women in human rights, communication and advocacy so they can engage with policymakers for enhanced service delivery and improved access to services.

It is expected that this project will lead to an improvement in the policies, structures and services that directly impact the lives of women in institutional settings.

Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS)

The Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) Malta, established in 1993, is part of an international network in 50 countries dedicated to providing assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and other displaced persons. JRS Malta specialises in the field of legal assistance and social work services (including healthcare and psychological support), awareness-raising in schools and spiritual care. JRS Malta has been providing services (including legal, access to medical care and psychological services) to women living in Open Centres for 15 years.

www.jrsmalta.org

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Partner organisation

Women’s Rights Foundation (WRF) Malta aims to ensure that women’s rights are protected through policy and legal reform, raise awareness and offer training to end violence against women. It provides free legal advice and initial legal representation to women who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and those discriminated against due to their gender. Over the years, WRF has worked with women living in shelters as a result of domestic violence.

Making the Post-2015 agenda work for gender equality

Issue

In 2008, Southern Africa governments signed and adopted the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development, which integrates and mainstreams gender issues in the region. The Protocol is now under review.

Project

Gender Links will enable civil society organisations from eight Southern Africa countries to work with the SADC Gender Unit and governments on drafting a revised Protocol on Gender and Development, and to follow up on its implementation. This will include gathering case studies on gender equality from civil society, local and national government in the region, and using the Citizens Score Card to gather citizen perspectives on progress made by their governments towards gender equality.

It is expected that by the end of the project, a new Protocol with civil society input will have been adopted by the Southern Africa Development Community. Civil society will also have acquired the necessary tools to track progress towards achieving gender equality in line with the new Post-2015 development framework.

Gender Links, South Africa

Gender Links works with partners at local, national and regional level to: produce evidence based research on gender gaps and progress in the SADC region and use it in advocacy efforts; promote gender equality in all areas of governance; foster a gender movement through coalition building; and, build capacity of civil society to engage in processes that advance gender equality and justice. Gender links coordinates an alliance of 15 national networks, comprising 40 organisations, and nine regional networks. Organisations from the alliance based in the eight target countries will be involved in country activities such as in the delivery of workshops, collation of a matrix of indicators and case studies.

www.genderlinks.org.za

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Enhancing participatory governance

Issue

Stronger systems of participatory governance between the local community, civil society and government institutions are essential to promote participatory and responsive governance.

Project

Eastern Social Development Foundation (ESDF) are enhancing participatory governance in Sri Lanka by strengthening citizen engagement with government institutions.

The project will build the capacities of community based organisations (CBOs) in the Batticaloa District in East Sri Lanka so that they can work with their local government institutions to promote participatory and responsive governance. CBOs will strengthen their institutional structures and policies to better manage their organisations, understand the prevailing issues, and work together with service providers and government functionaries to identify solutions to community needs. This will include advocating for improved services and structural changes to rural communities, such as increased representation of women in local government committees.

By the end of the project, it is expected that stronger systems of participatory governance will have developed between the local community, civil society and government institutions.

Eastern Social Development Foundation

Eastern Social Development Foundation (ESDF) is a community based organisation located in the eastern part of Sri Lanka. They have been working with communities and government institutions to defend human rights, promote equality, good governance since 2008. ESDF is the main project implementer and is responsible for overall management of the project.

Partner organisation

Organisations Council for Peace and Co-existence (OCPC), Sri Lanka is a council made up of 19 civil society organisations in Batticaloa District. They have experience of working with government institutions especially at the local level and have previously worked with ESDF on strengthening civil society participation in governance. They have previously executed a project with funding support from USAID on promoting transparency and accountability in local government with the participation of CBOs which resulted in increased women’s participation in the activities of local authorities.

Strengthening women’s voices to advocate for women’s land rights

Issue

There exists, in African countries, a drive to continue strengthening leadership of African women, tackling patriarchy and empowering them for a secure and just Africa.

Project

Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) are strengthening the voice of women to advocate for secure and equitable land rights in Southern Africa.

This project aims to strengthen the collective voice of women to talk about large scale land acquisitions in Southern Africa, and promote women’s access to land in Namibia, Kingdom of eSwatini and Zambia.

This will be achieved by building the capacity of women’s organisation members in these countries to undertake and publish feminist research on the effects of land acquisitions on women, and conduct advocacy campaigns with affected communities and policy makers.

Women’s experiences will be documented in their own words in the form of oral ‘herstories’ through which women will articulate the challenges, gaps, successes and strategies employed in control and access to land rights.

It is expected that by the end of the project, women will have access to important advocacy documents and research, which can be used as tools to raise awareness of and advocate for stronger land rights for women.

Akina Mama wa Afrika

Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) is an international, Pan-African, non-governmental organisation for African women with its headquarters in Uganda. It was founded to create space for African women to organise, build links with each other and speak for themselves. AMwA has been working to build African women’s leadership capacities since its creation, acting as a training centre and an advocacy engine for the African women’s movement. The organisation aims to: influence policies that affect African women at national, regional and international levels; strengthen and promote African women’s feminist leadership; participate in the construction of a feminist epistemology by African women.

www.akinamamawaafrika.org

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