S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL - LESOTHO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000054 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/GWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM EAID LT SUBJECT: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL - LESOTHO REF: STATE 012531 ¶1. The following is a proposal received from a non-governmental organization (NGO) well-known to the U.S. Embassy, the Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education-Lesotho (WLSA). The U.S. Embassy in Lesotho has had numerous contacts with the NGO over the years and has encountered no problems with their efforts in the area of human rights and democracy. ¶2. Organizational Profile: Women and Law Lesotho is a local chapter of the regional Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust (WLSA). It was established as a regional research project in 1989 by researchers from Botswana, Lesotho Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In June 1998 WLSA was established as a Research and Educational Trust including Malawi as the seventh member country. In Lesotho WLSA is registered as an NGO under Society Act registration number 2000/101. WLSA's mission is to contribute to the socio-economic political and legal advancement of women and children specifically in the WLSA countries through: - Collaborative strategic and action research in the socio-legal field - Lobbying for legal reforms and policy changes on laws and practices that discriminate and disadvantage women. - Improving legislation that protects women's legal rights - Enhancing justice sector capacity to interpret and enforce women's legal rights - Strengthening civil society's ability to advocate for women's legal rights - Increasing public awareness of women's legal rights The trust is an NGO pursuing women's human rights in a legal context. Since 1989, WLSA has undertaken research and advocacy in maintenance law, inheritance law, family and the legal situation of women, women and the administration of justice, gender, HIV and AIDS and the law. ¶3. Statement of the Problem Soaring food and commodity prices have resulted in a critical food security situation in Lesotho. Because of their gender roles within the household and limited access to livelihood resources, female farmers in Lesotho are the most affected by the food insecurity arising from soaring food prices. It is estimated that 2 billion people in the world are food insecure due to varying degrees of poverty and that number will most likely increase due to the use of bio-fuels, spiking food prices, and the threat of global warming. Climate change is a real threat for female farmers because although most of them are unemployed, they survive off the land. As a result, under climate change, general circulation models (GCM models) predict future conditions that will have incremental impact on the high rate and magnitude in Lesotho due to high temperatures, lower rainfall, frequent droughts, and rainstorms, strong winds increase soil loss far above current level further weakening the capacity of soils to support the country's agro-ecological and economic well-being. ¶4. Overall Objective As a way of responding to the situation outlined above, WLSA intends to promote small-holder female farmers and women's community groups' property rights to land in order to adapt, mitigate and enhance their participation in climate change problem solving. ¶5. Specific Objectives - To undertake an advocacy program through supporting small holder female farmers through women's leadership skills, - To train small female farmers on their property rights, - To sensitize them on land tenure reform initiatives, - To train them on mitigation and adaptation strategies to the current climate change situations, - To enhance women's participation in initiatives aimed at climate change problem solving. ¶6. Description of the Project The proposed project will entail providing trainings, workshops and public gatherings to small holder female farmers and women's community groups on property rights and land tenure reform initiatives in order to adapt mitigate and enhance their participation in climate change problem solving. This will encompass sensitization processes such as advocacy activities. For instance, WLSA will undertake the following activities: - Production of Educational Material WLSA will develop, produce and simplify booklets of property rights, land laws, and leaflets, pamphlets, banners and pull-ups on climate change which will be translated into Sesotho for beneficiaries. - Holding of workshops and public gatherings Small holder female farmers and women's groups will be educated about their property rights and land laws in order to adapt, mitigate and enhance participation in climate change problem solving initiatives. MASERU 00000054 002 OF 002 - Hosting radio programs Members of the public at large will be provided with information regarding property rights, land laws, and information on climate change in order to advance their knowledge and understanding of the aforementioned issues. - Provision of legal advice Small holder female farmers and women's groups will be given legal advice regarding their property rights and land laws as a strategy to adapt, mitigate and enhance their participation in climate change problem solving initiatives. ¶7. Desired Outcomes - Increased knowledge on property rights, land laws, and information on climate change - Informed, educated and sensitized small holder female farmers property rights, land laws, and information on climate change, - Increased number of small holder female farmers who participate in adaptation, mitigation and enhancement of climate change problem solving initiatives, - Improved advancement and promotion of property and land rights in general, - Increased number of small holder female farmers seeking legal advice regarding issues of property rights, land laws, and information on climate change. ¶8. Performance Measures WLSA will adapt a monitoring and evaluation system as outlined in its procedures manual. WLSA therefore proposes to use monthly and quarterly narrative and financial reports to monitor its progress. At the end of the program, an evaluation of the program will be conducted by the external consultant to evaluate the impact of the program. ¶9. Recipient Organization This project will be the responsibility of Women and Law in Southern Africa (Lesotho). It will be managed in accordance with Women and Law management principles and guidelines. This activity will make use of the multi disciplinary team that characterizes WLSA. It will be led by four professional staff members who will bring their expertise and experiences in conducting socio- legal development oriented project on gender, development and human rights issues. The National Coordinator will be responsible for managing and overseeing that the activities of the program are implemented and the intended outputs achieved. The Senior Programme Officer, Gender Programme Officer and Legal Programme Officer will be responsible for actual take-off and implementation of the activities envisaged under this project. ¶10. Budget Trainings & Workshops - US$20,393.10 Public Gatherings - US$5, 289.00 Development and Production of educational materials - US$30,851.35 16 Days of Activism Campaign - US$12,578.57 Transport expenses - US$7,650.70 Coordination & Admin costs - US$16,484.00 Evaluation of the Program - US$2,223.15 Contingency - US$4, 530.13 Grand Total - US$100,000.00 NOLAN