Vanuatu
Together with nimble teams of ‘Special Agents’, we have been working alongside Mary and the women to establish their own national, registered, representative body: Mitingar Women and Girls Association. Mitingar is now piloting a duplicatable model that can be shared with other grass roots women around the globe.
Mary Jack has represented the women of Vanuatu for over 40 years; within Vanuatu, in the Pacific region, at the United Nations and in meetings with global dignitaries such as Hilary Clinton.
In this time, Mary has supported countless international aid initiatives, and witnessed millions of aid-dollars making very little impact on the ground. In late 2021, with nothing changing six years after the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Pam, Mary said “Enough!” and reached out to Wendy and the Agency of Women.
The Agency of Women has worked with Mary to support her vision to build a national, grass-roots women’s organisation. Completing Phase 1 of the project build, ‘Mitingar Women and Girls Association’ (Mitingar) is now a Vanuatu registered not-for-profit community organisation governed by a substantial local and international executive board.
As project partners, the Agency of Women is providing the ongoing resources and support necessary for Mitingar to achieve its mission and establish its own independent funding channels. As an Agency of Women ‘pilot project’, the successful development of the ‘Mitingar Model’ will provide a duplicatable model that will benefit grass-roots women around the globe.
Phase 2 of the project build is now underway. Over the next 3 years, with the support of 30 Patrons, Mitingar is building its organisational infrastructure to connect Vanuatu’s grass roots women across 83 inhabited islands in all five provinces. Learn more about this project and how you can help Mary help the women of Vanuatu.
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 11 AM MST
- Context and Situation Analysis
The Agency of Women (AOW) operates in a global context where increasing collective capacity for peace and sustainability is crucial. Evidence shows that peace agreements including women are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years[2]. AOW recognises that women’s social leadership capacity is an underutilised resource for this goal. Simultaneously, there’s a need for individuals to develop core competencies in cooperation and collaboration through practical experience.
- Target Groups
– ‘People of talent’ seeking to enhance collaboration skills
– Women leaders (grassroots and organisational)
– Elder Women contributing experience-based wisdom
– Women of Wisdom across age all groups
– Communities benefiting from women-led initiatives
- Long-term Impact
AOW envisions a world with enhanced collective capacity for peace and sustainability, driven by empowered women leaders and individuals skilled in cooperation and collaboration. Empowering women’s leadership aligns with UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls for women’s leadership in maintaining and promoting peace and security[2].
- Outcomes
– Increased individual capacity for cooperation and collaboration
– Enhanced social leadership capacity among women
– Successful implementation of women-led community initiatives
– Integration of Elder Women’s wisdom in decision-making processes
– Role modelling Women of Wisdom to inspire and encourage women’s leadership
– Widespread ripple effects of improved collaboration across all life domains
- Activities
– Facilitating collaborative projects supporting women-led initiatives
– Providing platforms for skill-sharing and mentorship
– Hosting workshops on collaboration and leadership skills
– Creating opportunities for Elder Women to share insights
– Publishing inspirational Women of Wisdom content
– Developing and implementing women-led community projects
- Change Mechanisms
– Deliberate practice model combining skill development with real-world application
– Synergistic collaboration among diverse participants
– Self-perpetuating cycle of individual and collective capacity building
– Intergenerational knowledge transfer
- Assumptions
– Practicing cooperation in real projects enhances individual and collective capacities
– Women’s social leadership is key to building peace and sustainability[2][4]
– Collaborative models amplify individual impact and create ripple effects
– The wisdom of Elder Women is crucial for informed decision-making
– Role modelling Women of Wisdom supports the development of women’s leadership
- Diagrammatic Representation
This Theory of Change reflects AOW’s core strategy of combining deliberate practice in collaboration with the development of women’s social leadership, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of positive change. It aligns with JASS’ belief that “achieving fundamental and lasting change in women’s lives is only possible when women have the collective power to challenge inequality and oppression”[1].
Citations:
[1] https://justassociates.org/who-we-are/change-theory/
[2] https://www.un.org/fr/desa/we-need-more-women-leaders-sustain-peace-and-development
[3] https://www.oxfamnovib.nl/Redactie/Pdf/Theory%20of%20Change%20WEMAN.pdf
[4] https://press.un.org/en/2022/dsgsm1810.doc.htm
[5] https://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/capturing_change_in_womens_realities.pdf
[6] https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/content/news/female-leadership-environmental-peacebuilding-ievgeniia-kopytsia-speaks-british
[7] https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/UNDG-UNDAF-Companion-Pieces-7-Theory-of-Change.pdf
[8] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/women-s-leadership-in-environmental-action_f0038d22-en.html