ABC-Development Strengthens District-Level Dialogue on Women’s Issues and Service Delivery
Project: Supporting Gender Equality and Social Accountability through a Strengthened Civil Society in Kambia DistrictImplemented by: ABC-DevelopmentFunding: European Union through Trocaire
ABC-Development convened a quarterly district-level dialogue engagement bringing together duty bearers, councillors, women’s networks, community stakeholders and other relevant actors to discuss key issues affecting women and service delivery across Kambia District.
The engagement formed part of the project “Supporting Gender Equality and Social Accountability through a Strengthened Civil Society in Kambia District,” funded by the European Union through Trocaire.
A total of 28 participants participated in the dialogue, comprising 14 women, 14 men and 1 person with a disability.
The dialogue provided an important platform for participants to review service delivery concerns raised from communities, share experiences and identify practical solutions that can be implemented by duty bearers and community stakeholders.
The main purpose of the engagement was to facilitate constructive dialogue between communities and duty bearers on service delivery challenges affecting women and other community members.
The engagement also sought to strengthen women’s voice, influence and participation in democratic governance by ensuring that issues affecting women are brought into public policy and decision-making discussions.
Through these engagements, ABC-Development seeks to support duty bearers and communities to collectively identify challenges and develop workable solutions.
Participants discussed a range of issues affecting women and communities, including:
Education
Participants examined challenges affecting access to quality education and discussed issues relating to school management, government subsidies, teacher conduct and the involvement of women in School Management Committees.
Health
Health service delivery was also discussed, with community representatives sharing experiences regarding access to services and informal payments.
Participants reported positive changes in some communities, including reductions in certain previously reported informal payments and improvements in the commitment of health personnel.
Women’s Empowerment and Participation
The dialogue highlighted the importance of ensuring that women have meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making structures.
Participants specifically identified the need for greater inclusion of women in School Management Committees and other community decision-making structures.
Agriculture
Agriculture was another important area of discussion, particularly given its significance to livelihoods in the district.
Participants identified mechanised farming as one approach that could contribute to improved agricultural productivity and livelihoods.
Monitoring and Accountability
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting were discussed as important mechanisms for tracking commitments, identifying gaps and ensuring that agreed actions are followed through.
One of the positive outcomes of the dialogue was the feedback provided by community participants on changes they had observed in service delivery.
Participants reported improvements in some health and education services, including a reduction in certain informal payments they had previously experienced.
They also reported gradual improvements in the commitment and conduct of some teachers and health personnel, contributing to greater appreciation of services among community members.
These reports demonstrate the potential value of sustained dialogue between communities and duty bearers when combined with monitoring and follow-up.
The dialogue resulted in several action points designed to address challenges identified by communities.
1. Increased Monitoring by MDAs
Relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies were encouraged to conduct more intensive monitoring visits to communities where service delivery challenges had been identified.
2. Reporting of Harmful Practices
Community stakeholders were encouraged to report perpetrators through appropriate channels and discourage compromises that prevent accountability.
3. Improved Management of Education Subsidies
School heads were encouraged to develop appropriate work plans for government subsidies to improve transparency and reduce the risk of misuse.
4. Support for Community Volunteer Teachers
MBSSE was encouraged to prioritise community volunteer teachers for government approval where appropriate.
5. Reporting Inappropriate Teacher Conduct
Community members were encouraged to report teachers involved in requesting inappropriate payments, exploitation or other unacceptable behaviour through the appropriate institutional channels.
6. Increased Participation of Women
Participants agreed on the importance of ensuring that women are included in School Management Committees and other decision-making structures.
7. Promotion of Mechanised Farming
Mechanised farming was identified as an important intervention that could be further promoted to support agricultural production and livelihoods.
The dialogue directly contributes to the project objective of strengthening women’s voice, influence and participation in democratic governance in Sierra Leone.
Creating spaces where women can raise concerns, contribute to discussions and engage directly with duty bearers is essential to ensuring that policies and services respond to the realities of women and communities.
The participation of women’s networks also creates opportunities for women to move from being recipients of services to becoming active participants in identifying problems, monitoring services and advocating for solutions.
One challenge encountered was the farming calendar, which affected the mobilisation and availability of some participants because agricultural activities were particularly demanding during the period.
The project team addressed the challenge through active mobilisation and coordination with district stakeholders. The existing working relationship between ABC-Development and community and district stakeholders helped ensure that the engagement proceeded successfully.
The project will continue to build on the outcomes of the dialogue through several follow-up actions.
These include:
Training and accompanying CSOs and women’s networks to conduct data collection and people-to-people awareness raising.
Supporting communities to use community scorecards and other social accountability tools.
Hosting radio panel discussions on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE), women’s rights and women’s participation in electoral processes.
Conducting regular follow-up monitoring of project activities and agreed actions.
These activities will help ensure that the dialogue does not end with discussion but contributes to continued community monitoring, advocacy and accountability.
The district-level dialogue provided an important platform for communities, women, civil society actors and duty bearers to come together around shared challenges and practical solutions.
The positive feedback from communities demonstrates the value of sustained engagement, while the action plans developed provide a framework for continued follow-up and accountability.
ABC-Development remains committed to promoting gender equality, social accountability, inclusive governance and meaningful participation of women and vulnerable groups in decision-making and development processes.
When communities are heard, evidence is shared and duty bearers are engaged, dialogue can become a pathway to meaningful change.
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