Strengthening Civil Society and Women’s Participation in Inclusive Development in Kambia District

Supporting Gender Equality and Social Accountability through a Strengthened Civil Society

Building Capacity for Gender-Sensitive Budgeting, Inclusive Planning and Social Accountability

ABC-Development, through the Supporting Gender Equality and Social Accountability through a Strengthened Civil Society project, supported by the European Union through Trocaire, facilitated a capacity-building training for civil society organizations, women's networks, District Council representatives, councillors, and other community stakeholders in Kambia District.

The training brought together 35 participants, including 18 women and 17 men, representing stakeholders from the four operational wards and across the district.

The activity was designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society and local governance actors to promote gender-sensitive budgeting, inclusive development planning, community participation, and social accountability.

The training introduced participants to concepts and practical approaches that can help ensure that development plans and budgets respond to the different needs of women, men, girls, boys, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

Key topics included:

• Sex and gender

• Gender analysis and gender audits

• Gender equality and gender equity

• Gender gaps and gender-blind approaches

• Gender-sensitive budgeting

• Correcting gender blindness

• Gender mainstreaming

• Development planning

• The development planning process

• Community needs assessment

• Identifying community needs

• Approaches to effective needs assessment

• Community action planning

• Community scorecards

• The importance of community scorecards

• Advantages and limitations of community scorecards

Through these discussions, participants explored how gender considerations can be integrated into planning and budgeting processes rather than addressed as an afterthought.

An important component of the training was understanding how communities can identify and communicate their priorities to decision-makers.

Participants examined approaches to needs assessment and explored how issues identified through community engagement can inform development plans and service delivery.

The discussions highlighted key areas affecting communities, including education, health, agriculture, gender equality, and access to essential services.

This approach supports stronger connections between communities, civil society organizations, local authorities, and service providers.

The training introduced community scorecards as an important social accountability tool.

Community scorecards can provide citizens with opportunities to assess public services, identify gaps, communicate their experiences, and engage service providers and duty bearers in finding solutions.

For civil society organizations and women's networks, these tools can strengthen their ability to collect community-level information, facilitate dialogue, raise awareness, and advocate for improvements in service delivery.

The training therefore contributes to broader efforts to strengthen civil society's role in promoting accountable and responsive governance.

The training was highly participatory, with participants actively contributing to discussions and practical exercises.

Participants gained improved knowledge of gender-sensitive budgeting, inclusive development planning, and accountability processes, including the use of community scorecards.

Importantly, the training also resulted in the development of practical action points.

Among the commitments were:

The District Council and councillors committed to intensifying awareness-raising efforts to promote greater gender balance in planning and budgeting processes.

Participants identified the importance of ensuring that women are included in School Management Committees (SMCs) to strengthen their participation in decision-making and development planning.

These commitments provide an important foundation for translating training knowledge into practical changes within local governance and community structures.

The activity contributes directly to the project's objective of strengthening civil society to engage in women's empowerment and support women's active participation as actors in democratic governance and development in Sierra Leone.

Women’s networks and civil society organizations play an important role in ensuring that women's voices are represented in discussions around community priorities, public services, planning, budgeting, and decision-making.

By strengthening the capacity of these groups to collect data, conduct awareness activities, and use social accountability tools, the project aims to increase women's influence in development processes.

One of the main challenges was the timing of the engagement during the farming season, when many community members had competing agricultural responsibilities.

The busy schedules of District Council staff also presented a challenge to mobilization.

However, the active involvement of project staff and ABC-Development's strong working relationships with district stakeholders helped overcome these challenges and supported successful participation.

The experience demonstrates the importance of stakeholder coordination and flexible planning when implementing community-based activities.

The training forms part of a wider programme of activities aimed at strengthening inclusive governance and social accountability.

Planned follow-up actions include:

• Supporting informal and formal decision-making structures to increase the participation of marginalized groups

• Accompanying CSOs and women's networks to conduct data collection and people-to-people awareness raising

• Supporting the use of community scorecards and other social accountability tools

• Hosting radio panel discussions on gender equality, women's rights, and women's participation in electoral processes

• Conducting regular monitoring and follow-up of project activities

These actions will help ensure that the knowledge gained through the training is translated into continued community engagement, advocacy, and accountability.

Inclusive development requires more than policies and plans. It requires communities to have the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

By strengthening CSOs and women's networks, ABC-Development is helping create stronger links between communities, women’s groups, civil society, local authorities, and service providers.

Through gender-sensitive planning, inclusive budgeting, community scorecards, and social accountability, the initiative seeks to support a governance system where women and marginalized groups have a meaningful voice in development and decision-making.

When communities can identify their needs, monitor services, and engage decision-makers, they become stronger partners in development. When women participate equally, development becomes more inclusive and accountable.

A cross-section of participants during the training.