L4C is financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and CARE Austria.  The regional program is applying an integrated program approach and is implemented by CARE Austria in cooperation with CARE country offices in Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda with advocacy components in Austria, at EU level and in the Great Lakes Region. It directly contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially on Gender Equality (SDG5) and to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Expected Results

EXPECTED RESULT 1: 21 partner NGOs, partner government institutions and CARE offices demonstrate increased/continued progress towards gender equitable working cultures, organizational policies, and practices.

EXPECTED RESULT 2: 3,044 staff members at partner NGOs, CBOs, government institutions and CARE are applying increased technical capacities for gender equality programming to the benefit of vulnerable women and girls‘ progress towards gender equitable working cultures, organizational policies, and practices.

EXPECTED RESULT 3: Staff members of 15 partner NGOs and CARE have increased capacity in conducting more effective and inclusive influencing and have contributed to the success of ongoing advocacy on gender equality and women, peace and security (UNSCR1325, Kampala declaration, Maputo Protocol, implementation of national laws etc).

Program approach

In this context, the L4C pursues a threefold strategy approach by promoting (i) conducive environments at the organizational level to foster gender equality within L4C partner organizations and CARE offices, (ii) capacity development in selected gender-related programs and methods, (iii) supporting national, regional and international influencing efforts on gender equality and women’s rights. A full implementation involving partner organizations and addressing all 3 expected results areas (taking into consideration needed adaptations for each partner country) takes place in Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda. The aforementioned strategic approach will benefit from a regional exchange and use of synergy-effects. To this end, the implementation takes place at three inter-connected levels:

(1) At partner countries‘ level, where organizational development, capacity development of multipliers, promotion of gender responsiveness, such as programming and influencing/ advocacy interventions will take place.

(2) At cross-country level, where CARE and partners exchange knowledge and learning results, benefit from each others‘ expertise and engage together in evidence-based influencing.

(3) At international level (especially Austria, the EU and ICGLR etc.), where the focus will be on evidence-based influencing/advocacy, provision of technical support and knowledge management.

Central to the program is the organizational capacity development component in support of transforming social norms through: Engaging men and boys, strengthening women’s agency and participation in decision making, incorporating a psychosocial wellbeing approach, and on gender transformative programming, knowledge management and advocacy. Existing Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), Social Action and Analysis Groups (SAA) and other social structures of partners and CARE at the community level will be vehicles to initiate positive changes.