The focus of the project is to facilitate and support women to come together as a group to advocate for increased investment and accountability in the governance of schools and Primary Health Care facilities for improved quality service delivery inthe target communities. The group will be called Women Advocacy Group for Education and Health (WAGEH). Low participation of women in decision making around education and health is a contributing factor to poor educational and health indices in the state. Basic education defined as primary and junior secondary education is the foundation for a prosperous and accountable society, yet it is underfunded. Women pay the highest price for low quality education due to low investment and lack of accountability. This is having direct implication for low retention of girls and children in schools, especially among low income and rural families. Similar picture applies to the primary health care services where women are protesting with their feet by not going to the hospital to give birth for example. However, the introduction of Basic Health Care Provision Fund in the state is a welcome development. To what extent such funding improves PHC care funding without citizens demand for accountability is in doubt. Despite being the leading stakeholders, women hardly participate in decisions concerning health and education in their communities. Health and Education community structures such as the school management committee (SBMC) and its health equivalent (Health Facility Committee/ Village Health Committee and Ward Development Committee) aredominated by men, the few women in such structures are ineffective because they lack confidence to participate,and they are constrained by social norms. The title of this project is Creating a Network of Women Advocacy Groups to Demand for Quality Service Delivery in Basic Education and Health.

1. Goal and Objectives

The goal of the project is to strengthen the capacity of women to demand for increased investment and accountability in the delivery of basic education and health by forming Women’s Advocacy Groups for Education and Health (WAGEH).

The project will set out to deliver the following objectives:

• Increase funding for basic education and health through advocacy
• Improve accountability in school’sand PHCs financial management and governance
• Improve women’s voice and participation on decision over schools and health facilities

Support WAGEH to monitor and document project implementation for lesson learnt