EVALUATION OF WECAN - A CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

[Anuradha Rajan]

Dear Friends,

Hi! I am a new comer to this forum and very excited to be part of the evaluation community. I would like to share with you all the evaluation of WECAN- a regional campaign to end violence against women, supported by OXFAM. I would really like to know your views on the study.

I was looking at what members think of the methodology and the insights about the campaign- especially because of the following reasons:

a. There was no baseline 

b. WECAN is a campaign unlike a programme and so the style of mobilising people is very different.  

c. This was looking at deepening of change not from no change to change but from some change to greater change and so was a very challenging study.

warm wishes

Anuradha

final%20draft.doc

[Faruque Malik]

The methodology applied is correct for the required type of evaluation. Insights on "from some change to greater change" was challenging because the sample consisted of rural, peri-urban, low income households, and middle education levels.   

In my view, some-change-togreater-change had to be challenging, because is not quantifiable, especially in our societies where the questionnaires / interviews / observations are themselves based on statistics mostly without giving weightage to the causal linkage of social psychology factor.

Nonetheless, the study shows that WECAN is active for a very indiscriminately genuine cause. 

And VAW afflicts the upper echeleons of our societies, perhaps in even more pernicious ways.

Best regards.

[Bhabatosh Nath]

General (Insights):

 

"WECAN" as a Campaign is a very good initiative to mobilize the community people as a whole to end violence against women. The actions of this campaign should not be limited among the women only. Men are largely responsible to end violence.

 

In my opinion, start the movement from the ‘Family’ First. Include the men counterparts of the women of the respective family, make them understand (and internalize the issues) about the situation, enhance their capacity to act against violence, include them with women to work ‘together’. It has been experienced that many of us (the planners, implementers including the donors, and the evaluators) ignore the participation of men, especially at grassroots level to work together. It is quite right to capacitate the women, to form group/ institution of the women and strengthen their institutional capacity. But at the same time men should also be activated to support the women’s initiatives. Men should agree and recognize the benefits (of the men) if there is no violence against women in the family, in the society.

 

Another important factor of our South Asian society is the role and influence of the ‘in-laws’ in the family to reduce violence against women, at least at family level. We in most cases ignore this section of women (particularly) when we organize any awareness building sessions, training courses etc. I think we should consider this during implementation of any project intervention related to gender, violence against women etc. ‘In-laws’ could be the potential ‘Change-makers’ at family and society level as well.    

 

I did not go through the whole assessment report, but I wonder whether these issues were taken into account during the study. However, regarding the respondents of the study I have one comment as follows:

 

In the draft final report of the “Assessment of WECAN Phase II” it is not clear that how many women and men were participated as ‘respondents’ in the two categories: ‘Change-makers (total 560)’ and ‘People in Change-makers circle of influence (total 1196)’. This is important to mention the participation of women-men in this study.

 

Comments on Methodologies:

 

a. Baseline:

Yes, it is not possible to compare the situation of ‘past’ and ‘present’ on the basis of benchmark data/information, specifically (and statistically). Nevertheless, it is somehow possible to see the status through ‘periodic situation analysis’ by asking questions to the respondents about the status /conditions for a specific period, say- five years back and now and so on.  

 

b. Mobilizing people:

I mentioned about to start from– ‘First the family’.

 

c. Some changes to greater changes:

This is very appropriately addressed. To witness the ‘changes’, some case studies are furnished in the report. Those show the status.

In addition, some case studies could be collected where a woman herself or a group itself protected violence against women specifically, and set examples in the community level. These cases could be treated as ‘Lessons Learned (evidence based). These lessons might influence others to act positively.   

 

Best Practices (practical experience based):

If there is any best practice, which is followed by an individual, a family, a group or by a society that could be used in the study report.

 

These all evidence-based lessons would ultimately widen the “WECAN” campaign.   

Concluding Remark:

“WECAN” should be the ‘VOICE OF THE WOMEN & MEN TOGETHER’.