UNDP conducted a gender need assessment in Maluku, North Maluku, and Central Sulawesi in 2004 and published the results in 2005. The recommendations from this assessment strongly indicate the need of capacity building activities for women in those post-conflict areas. In order to follow up those recommendations, UNDP is commissioning a need assessment for capacity building activities as the preparatory phase of a proposed women’s leadership and peace building program in Central Sulawesi, Maluku and North Maluku.

The aims of this preparatory phase are:

1. To consult with women’s organizations and activists concerning the proposed women’s leadership and peace building program;

2. To identify the needs of women for capacity building activities, and to determine the feasibility of the proposed program;

3. To gain input from women’s organizations and activists concerning the methodology and tools for building women’s leaderships and capacities;

4. To identify potential women’s participants and provincial capacity building needs assessment coordinators.

The preparatory phase will include a rapid mapping of selected capacity building program for women’s leadership and peace building program in Indonesia as well as globally. In addition, the preparatory phase will include a participatory women’s leadership and capacity building needs assessment workshop in which women representing local government and legislatures (government/political), women entrepreneurs and small owners (economic), and women from social and cultural organizations in Central Sulawesi, Maluku, and North Maluku will have the chance to develop a capacity building agenda.

Women from these post-conflict areas will be given a presentation on capacity building programs related to women’s leadership and peace building in other parts of Indonesia and globally, and share their experiences. Women will then identify for themselves what kind of capacity building activities are most needed. The preliminary objective of the capacity building activities is to increase women’s bargaining position within their respective organizations and advocate for community development programs advantageous to women and conducive to peace.

A particular focus of the capacity building needs assessment will be women participating in the SPADA (Support for Poor and Disadvantaged Areas) and PTD (Peace through Development) government sponsored programs.

Funded by Crises Prevention and Recovery Unit of UNDP
and SPADA Program of World Bank, 2005

Edriana Noerdin and Sita Aripurnami
Women Research Institute

Mark

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