Statistics
Stories
Women's Rights
Education promotes women's economic independence. Women who are literate and numerate are more likely to have both an independent income and a stronger voice within the family. We receive many reports from ACDC in Congo and Acatbli in Togo about participants whose family owns a small business or market stall. In the past, the man handled everything to do with money. But when he sees that his wife's new math skills are getting the books in order and making the business profitable, he allows her to take on an increasing role in decision-making.
For many, it is in the ALEF group that they first learn about laws and international conventions that guarantee women's equal rights. A key objective of the ALEF approach is to equip women to stand up to oppressive norms, and drive change in their families and communities. This is not only a matter of learning about legal rights, but also about women gaining new confidence as they discuss and analyze gender equality issues, share their experiences, and find concrete solutions. Participants give each other strength, helping and encouraging fellow students to stand up for their rights.
A woman in Matugga, Uganda, told how, after her husband's death, her in-laws wanted to throw her out of the family home and take back "their son's house". She brought a group of friends from the ALEF group, along with the facilitator, who took the woman's side in front of the elders and explained that the law entitled her and the children to their share of the inheritance.
A participant in Congo told us that her daughter had become pregnant and the boyfriend had refused to acknowledge paternity. With the support of the group, she went to the authorities and eventually the father was forced to pay for the birth and child support.
Challenging patriarchal norms is also about giving men new perspectives. For men who participate in the ALEF groups, this is often the first time they have sat and listened while women lead the conversation on social issues and talk about the injustices they have endured. Many female participants report that their marriages have changed since they started talking to their husbands about topics discussed in the group. In Uganda, 100% of surveyed participants at the end of Level 3 agree with the statement that “my spouse respects me and listens to my opinions”, compared to only 58% at the start of level 1.
Corruption and Abuse of Power
Many of the communities where our partner organizations operate are plagued by serious corruption. Schools and health services sometimes charge for services that are legally free. Officials invent non-existent taxes and fees, employers cheat employees on wages. There are police officers who abuse their power to extort money from law-abiding citizens, but let real criminals go if they can afford to pay. People who cannot read and write are particularly vulnerable, both because they can be more easily deceived and because they rarely dare to speak up.
Corruption is therefore a recurring theme in the lesson texts. We receive many reports from our partner organizations about participants who have been inspired by group discussions and started to stand up for their rights.
A woman in Kimwani, Uganda, told us that before she joined the study group, she used to always agree to pay to see the doctor when she was in hospital. She didn't know, until the group read a Level 1 text about corruption in the healthcare system, that what she was paying was an illegal bribe to get what she was entitled to for free.
We also receive reports about groups that have acted together to challenge rights violations in the area, e.g . the study group in a village where the local landowner, a priest, tried to force the population into more and more unpaid labour. Together, the group wrote an open letter outlining their grievances, and sent it to the authorities and local civil society. They succeeded in putting an end to the landowner's abuse of power.