Why ‘Raising Your Voice’ is crucial in development, and getting harder in many countries

October 16, 2015
Today is Blog Action Day (as if you didn’t know) and this year’s theme is ‘raising your voice’. That resonates with me for both positive and negative reasons. On the negative side, in dozens of developing countries it’s getting a lot more dangerous to raise your voice, if what you say is not congenial to the government. States are busily
Read more >>

From ‘baby-making machines’ to active citizens: how women are getting organized in Nepal (case study for comments)

July 9, 2014
Next up in this series of case studies in Active Citizenship is some inspiring work on women’s empowerment in Nepal. I would welcome comments on the full study: Raising Her Voice Nepal final draft 4 July ‘I was just a baby making machine’; ‘Before the project, I only ever spoke to animals and children’; ‘This is the first time I have
Read more >>

Building women’s leadership in the most difficult places (Pakistan) – case study for your comments

June 2, 2014
Next in the series of draft case studies on active citizenship, some fascinating work on women’s empowerment in Pakistan. Any comments on this draft paper (RHV Pakistan consultation draft) greatly appreciated. Well known for its highly articulate and influential women, Pakistan is also notorious for the severe restrictions placed on women’s personal and political liberties. The Raising Her Voice (RHV) programme
Read more >>

What’s the added value of bringing together projects on the same issue in lots of countries?

November 12, 2013
I’m always on the look out for particularly interesting and innovative Oxfam projects, and usually big them up on this blog (think Tanzania, Tajikistan, We Can). After a few years of doing this, one of the striking (and depressing, at least for me) things is how seldom these pioneering projects have (so far, anyway) been picked up and adapted/replicated elsewhere.
Read more >>

Femicide, anger and struggle: stories of women's activism in Honduras

May 24, 2012
Read more >>