Outcome LKA_D_4.1

[Deactivated] State decision-making processes are more equitable and inclusive to enable women’s meaningful participation and leadership.

N/A. Impact Area 1 and its associated outcome and outputs were deactivated since 2020 due to completion of related projects.

State decision-making processes are more equitable and inclusive to enable women’s meaningful participation and leadership.

In 2021, this Outcome was partially achieved. Through the SWM Project, more women, youth, minorities and displaced people are actively involved in community-level governance, providing direct inputs to and receiving benefits from local authorities (LAs) in Puttalam and Mannar. This has been supported by UN Women’s and IP’s work on strengthening/establishing 48 Praja Mandala (PM) – local community governance mechanisms, which enabled the increased participation and leadership by women and other groups not often engaged in these mechanisms. Notably, women constitute a majority of members within the revamped PMs, which the office supported to be more inclusive and equitable with capacity building and skill development on PM management, collective leadership, promoting gender equality and improving their approach to resolving conflicts. 45 village development plans (VDP) were developed by PM members, local officials and community members to resolve key problems and needs. As a result, some local councillors referred to the VDPs for budget allocations for their villages. Action grants were provided to implement 45 proposals developed by PMs such as compost production, polythene recycling etc. The initiatives reduced waste in the environment and provided employment for PM members. Attitudes towards waste have changed as a result of UN Women's and IP's work as communities and LAs now view waste as an income opportunity. Many PM initiatives have been linked to private sector and State institutes, with the assistance of the project, ensuring their sustainability. LAs too now earn an income from monetising waste by charging a nominal rate from private sector buyers. Female local councillors in Puttalam and Mannar are better capacitated to fulfil their role as elected representatives and have the confidence to identify/implement solutions on issues. This is in part due to the capacity building, peer-exchange and networking through the newly established District Women Councillors’ Caucus along with technical and financial support provided by UN Women and its IP. More young people are engaged in raising community awareness on environmental issues and have developed innovative solutions to tackle waste such as installing collection points for segregated waste and inventing an ‘eco-brick’ made of crushed plastic (pending patent). This is due to the formation of 4 Youth Task Forces, by UNW and its partner, attached to the LAs in Puttalam. Notably, there is gender parity within the YTF membership as well as at the leadership level, paving the way for young women to be more engaged in their communities. This has been highly successful and the Commissioner of Local Government for the North-Western Province has instructed all Puttalam LAs to establish YTFs. Notably, the Commissioner of Local Government of the North-Western Province commended the joint UNW-UNOPS project for having immensely supported local authorities and communities in Puttalam and Mannar to set up a better platform to prevent conflict by bringing together the 3 key elements of social cohesion, women's leadership and SWM together, further noting it to have been an impactful project where stakeholders had the opportunity to experience the intended changes of the interventions (see attached letter).