Visioning Aziza

  • Objective: To better understand the logic of the theory of change, and the difference it will make to the women and girls who CARE identifies as the impact population. To think through the myriad manifestations of change in the life of an impact group member as a pre-cursor to writing pathways, formulating indicators or characterizing the impact group. This can also be done for age-specific groups.
  • Participants: Program design team

Steps

  1. Present the impact group definition and the domains of change that comprise the theory of change.
  2. For each domain of change, envision what changes should be captured for different life stages. Think not only about husband-wife relationships, but other gendered relations.
  3. Separately, repeat this exercise for female headed households.

Example: CARE Tanzania

Domain of Change 1

The Impact Group has access to basic services, resources, skills, knowledge and confidence to diversify their livelihoods, and become resilient to environmental shocks.

Aziza at 10
  • She goes to school and gets a good quality education;
  • Her curriculum includes environmental studies;
  • The health facility is nearby and affordable – they provide a good quality service and have skilled staff;
  • There is clean water nearby which is regularly available;
  • She shares work with her brothers and helps her parents;
  • She has time to rest and do homework.

Aziza at 17
  • She is completing secondary school;
  • She has access to adolescent-friendly health services;
  • She has enough water for her sanitation and hygiene needs;
  • She is learning sustainable farming methods at school;
  • She has joined groups.

Aziza at 35
  • She is married with an understanding husband, and only has 2 children;
  • Her family has enough food;
  • She is a member of a VSL group, and attends adult literacy classes;
  • She learns modern methods for sustainable agriculture.

Domain of Change 2

Cultural and social norms recognize and uphold rights of the Impact Group, enabling them to participate equally in family, local and national decision-making.

Aziza at 10
  • She and her community know and safeguard children’s rights;
  • She is able to participate in family decision-making and so is able to go to school and to share her work with others in the family;
  • She socializes with her peers and belongs to clubs or groups in the community and school;
  • She participates in the school governance/management structure and advocates for her needs and rights.

Aziza at 17
  • She participates in family meetings and in agricultural activities;
  • She is able to make informed decisions about marriage, the number of children she has/wants, her sexuality and sexual activity, future careers (she has access to information and is able to negotiate choices with her family and others);
  • She participates in community meetings, for example planning meetings;
  • She participates in savings groups and economic activities, which further boost her confidence.

Aziza at 35
  • She has control over assets and resources – e.g. a house, land, cattle, a boat;
  • She is a recognized leader in her community – perhaps chairperson of a village development committee, councilor or even parliamentarian;
  • She sends all of her children to secondary school and pays their school fees;
  • She contributes in the household;
  • She plays a role in household decision-making, such as what to plant or sell, how many children to have, condom use;
  • Her husband shares information with her;
  • She experiences a decrease in gender-based violence and has greater knowledge of laws and policies;
  • There are new male role models in the community;
  • She is able to make decisions about her own money – she has a small business and is able to take her own products to market;
  • Men/her husband shares household chores, tasks, farming, information

 

Domain of Change 3

Civil society, private sector, local and national governance systems and institutions are responsive to the needs and rights of the Impact Group.

Aziza at 10
  • She is enrolled in public school;
  • She is heard in the school and in the community;
  • She is assured of health services;
  • She is allowed to play, pray and rest;
  • She has a decent place to live;
  • She is free from hunger;
  • She is free from the threat of violence;
  • She has access to clean water and lives in a clean environment.

Aziza at 17
  • She has completed primary school;
  • She is free from the fear of early pregnancy or early marriage;
  • She participates in community decision-making;
  • She has an opportunity to earn a living and continue her education;
  • She has a safe and peaceful home;
  • She is free from hunger;
  • She has access to clean water and lives in a clean environment.

Aziza at 35
  • She has the opportunity to advance academically;
  • She has a forum for expressing her views, needs and to influence policy, including budgeting and planning at local and national level;
  • She has the right to own property;
  • She can choose how many children to have;
  • She has the opportunity to work;
  • She is free from gender-based violence;
  • She is free from hunger;
  • She has access to quality SRH services;
  • She has access to clean water and lives in a clean environment;
  • She has access to land.

 

Domain of Change 4

Critical ecosystems and natural resources (forest, marine, watersheds, agricultural and range lands) on which marginalized and vulnerable women & girls depend are healthy and intact.

Aziza at 10
  • Reduced workload for collecting firewood and water, thus more time for education.
  • Better fed due to more resilient agricultural practices. More pulses in diet due to intercropping. More food in general due to greater harvests.
  • Better educated with knowledge of conservation agriculture, climate change from improved school curriculum, environment clubs, etc.
  • Better health from improved nutrition.

Aziza at 17
  • More access to higher levels of education due to shifted work load.
  • Less vulnerable to sexual exploitation as collection of water and firewood from distant locations reduced.
  • Reduced cooking burden due to fuel efficient stove.
  • Better health from improved nutrition.
  • Better educated with knowledge of conservation agriculture, climate change from improved school curriculum, environment clubs, etc.

Aziza at 35
  • Improved access to sustainably used natural resources – water, farmland, forests.
  • More income generating opportunities from sustainable use of natural resources.
  • Less vulnerable to sexual exploitation as collection of water and firewood from distant locations reduced.
  • Reduced cooking burden due to fuel efficient stove.
  • Better educated with knowledge of conservation agriculture, climate change.
  • Opportunities for leadership in village conservation committees, etc.
  • Clear land rights will assure equitable access to grazing lands, contributing to improved income levels from animal husbandry.
  • Better, more economically and environmentally sustainable future.
  • Lower long-term agriculture work load from conservation agriculture practices. Same land can be used for higher productivity and higher productivity and closer to home. No need for moving further and further from home to pursue slash-and-burn agriculture.
  • By becoming more economically self-sufficient they are less vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
  • Marine resources sustainably harvested for fisherwomen involved in fish farming, crab ranching, coastal fishing, fish marketing, seaweed farming,
  • Increased income from tourism related to proximity to national parks. Markets for handicrafts, food, lodging. Revenue sharing from park fees.
  • Carbon finance income from REDD and Energy projects.
  • Clean and renewable energy for night lighting, cooking. Solar lights, fuel efficient.

The characterization of the impact group that ensued from this exercise is as follows:

CARE Tanzania calls the typical marginalized and vulnerable woman in rural underserved and environmentally restricted areas, Aziza, and here is how it characterizes her. Aziza is often divorced, widowed or separated. If she is married, then she is married with a difficult husband, and has more than 4 children. Her family has insufficient food. She is illiterate and not a member of any group in the community. She is not aware of modern methods for sustainable agriculture. She does not have control over assets and resources – e.g. a house, land, cattle, a boat. She is not a recognized leader in her community. She cannot send all of her children to secondary school and pay their school fees.

She contributes in the household, but her contribution is not appreciated. She plays no role in household decision-making, such as what to plant or sell, how many children to have, or condom use. Her husband does not share information with her. She experiences an increase in gender-based violence and has no knowledge of laws and policies. The male role models in the community are stereotypes. She has no money of her own and is, therefore, unable to make decisions about money. Men/her husband do not share in household chores, tasks, or farming. She has no chance or opportunity to advance academically.

She is not aware of the forums for expressing her views and needs.  She does not know how to influence policy, including budgeting and planning at local and national level. She does not have the right to own property. She cannot choose how many children to have. She does not have the chance or opportunity to get a decent work. She is not totally free from hunger. She has a number of obstacles in accessing to quality basic services. She does not have access to clean water and lives in an unclean environment. She does not have access to land and uses natural resources – water, farmland, and forests – in unsustainable manner. She has limited income generating opportunities from sustainable use of natural resources. She is more vulnerable to sexual exploitation because she collects water and firewood from distant locations. She experiences increased cooking burden due to her fuel inefficient stove. She has no knowledge of conservation agriculture, climate change. She is not aware of the opportunities for leadership in village conservation committees, etc. Unclear land rights weaken her equitable access to grazing lands, contributing to improved income levels from animal husbandry. Her future is economically and environmentally unsustainable. Her long-term agriculture work load is more from ignorance of conservation agriculture practices.  Same land cannot be used for higher productivity and higher productivity and closer to home. Need for moving further and further from home to pursue slash-and-burn agriculture. By being less economically self-sufficient she is more vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Marine resources are unsustainably harvested. She has limited income from tourism related to proximity to national parks. No markets for handicrafts, food, lodging.  No revenue sharing from park fees. No carbon finance income from REDD and Energy projects. She uses unclean energy for night lighting, cooking.  No solar lights and no fuel efficiency.

 

Resources