Network building is a process and does not lend itself to quick results. Network building is an important area of our work as we believe in the power of the collective. In this piece we share a little on the Graça Machel Trust’s Women Economic and Social Advancement programme and how it has prioritized in a three-tiered, integrated, collaborative network building growth path to make network building a reality.
Graca Machel Trust Networks
The last eight years of network building has been exciting and yet came with it a great deal of lessons which we have learnt in order to use as building blocks of some of the best practices to initiate, strengthen and incubate scalable catalytic projects and innovations from the networks.
We believe together we have the potential ‘do more, do better and do differently’.
The objectives of the growth path include:
- Strengthen the networks to be better coordinated, governed, and collaborative women’s organizations
- Drive effective programmes that increases networks sustainability, empowers ‘women to be more than they thought they could be’, affirms women’s rights and ‘multiply faces and amplify voices’ of women
- Advocates and influence decision making in policy and the regulatory environment to advance women.
The network building growth path consolidates our experience from building and working with four networks with representation in 17 countries – the networks include, women in finance, business, agribusiness and media. Having tested different models of establishing networks, alliances and implementing catalytic projects, we now have a comprehensive approach to guide future network processes and activities. The network growth path guides us from tier-0 at inception of a network, to a tier-3 fully-fledged network. It also provides indicators and targets by which to track results and progress.
Through a series of consultations with the network leaders we are refining the proposed network growth path, agree on the core principles and processes to kick it off.
An important accompaniment to the network’s growth path is the toolkit. The toolkit provides network members with the skills and tools required to start and manage a network effectively. Through a series of online modules, network members will have access to training and information to assist in their work, and that aims to equip them with the reinforcements to achieve the aspiration of being a tier-3 network. Tier-3 represents an ideal state of a network of dynamic women with fully-funded programmes and secretariat, leading advocacy and working in alliance with influencers and trailblazers in their sectors.
Through this intervention, we aim to strengthen the profile and recognition of at least 30% of the 36 networks year on year through working to improve institutional governance, running impactful scalable programmes and building a critical mass of women leaders that advocates and represent women’s interest in key decision-making platforms.
Read more on our Women’s Economic Advancement programme here
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.