ACORD

ACORD's goal is to broaden the analysis on gender by fostering an understanding of the dynamics of gender inequalities in Africa. ACORD aims to contribute to the creation of a climate in which men and women can exercise their rights and achieve their full potential as individuals and as members of society.

Gender Mainstreaming: ACORD aims to review its gender policy and the implementation within the organization and to conduct a gender audit to ensure that all ACORD's policies are gender sensitive and gender responsive. ACORD also aims at sharing its experience with its partner organizations and support them in gender mainstreaming. Integrating gender in programming goes beyond ensuring gender equity in participation of activities and control of benefits, to include: i) creation of space for dialogue on gender issues, ii) enhancing awareness on the rights enshrined in constitutions and conventions, both for communities and those accountable for ensuring that these rights are upheld, and iii) increasing the capacity of marginalized groups like women to understand and challenge their situation, be conversant on relevant policy issues and actively advocate at higher levels.

Building Capacities for Gender-Sensitive Responses: ACORD is enhancing the gender related capacities within its area programmes and networks of partner organizations. Gender research and tools such as the social exclusion methodology, is actively promoted to increase their understanding of gender issues and contribute to more effective responses to the gender inequalities and discrimination in Africa. Moreover, ACORD wishes to contribute to strengthening gender movements and social action through facilitation, networking, capacity building and linkages across Africa.

Stopping Violence Against Women: ACORD has made a publication documenting best policy and practice changes in relation to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and traditional gender relations, drawing on lessons learnt through ACORD's long-term development project on FGM among the Beja pastoralists in Sudan. Reflecting on some of the related socio-cultural aspects, it calls for a new silif (tribal convention) that would abandon this harmful practice. ACORD's proposed approach for tackling deeply rooted harmful traditional practices was very well received by the local leadership and government authorities as well as among academics, gender and human rights activists. As a direct result, the Red Sea FGM Network is established, registered and is functional with linkages with other networks.

Promoting Women's Participation: In Burundi, Ethiopia and Sudan, ACORD successfully trained policy makers and political parties in social exclusion analysis and built their awareness around gender issues and the rights of women, bringing in the views of women, youth and other marginalised groups. The specific interventions and capacity building targeting women political leaders in Ethiopia and Sudan, enabled them to participate more actively in the electoral democratisation processes, in peace talks and policy issues where women traditionally have been underrepresented. ACORD is also working to build the capacity of women's groups and networks at a sub-regional level.

Engaging with Pan-African Womens' Networks: Through the Pan Africa programme, ACORD will sensitize women's networks on the relevance of EU's Common Agricultural Policy, the Economic Partnership Agreements and the Agreement on Agriculture under WTO from a gender perspective. In doing so, ACORD, through its area programmes will seek to facilitate linkages: i) between rural and urban women's organizations, ii) link women's organizations with more specialized policy advocacy organizations, and iii) promote linkages between grassroots organizations and higher level advocacy networks. ACORD will also partner with national and Pan African women organisations, (e.g. AWEPON, FEMNET, AWOMI and FAWE), to take the gender related EPA/CAP/AOA advocacy agenda forward.

Gender inequality is still a big challenge in Africa and is among the reasons for slow progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Cultural and traditional practices such as female genital mutilation, arranged marriage, early marriage and interrupted schooling for girl children, inheritance of wife, rape, abduction, as well as traditional socialization processes of men and women continue to perpetuate gender power relations and roles.

Grassroots movements that advocate for the rights of women are weak in many African countries. ACORD supports the work of community based organisations and local women's groups and builds their institutional capacity to make a lasting change in their societies.