What Works for Women and Girls

Promising Strategies:2. Community organizing can enable women to realize their rights to property and inheritance.An evaluation of GROOTS (Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood)Kenya, self-help and community organizations for women in Kenya which formed tostrengthen the visibility of women in development and decision-making, found that theintervention resulted in both increased awareness and an increase in the number ofwomen and girls receiving legal support (186 as a result of the intervention comparedto 15 in the six months prior to the start of the intervention). The intervention wassuccessful in raising women’s participation in their communities around the issue ofHIV/AIDS and property and inheritance rights for women and girls. GROOTS Kenyafocuses on: property rights, community responses to HIV/AIDS, women’s leadershipand governance and community resources and livelihoods. The intervention was evaluatedthrough discussion questions administered pre- and post- radio listening groupdiscussion and community discussions, focus group discussions with project beneficiariesand records of paralegals (GROOTS Kenya, 2007). (Gray IV) (community organizing,legal rights, Kenya)Property rights are legally protected in Zimbabwe. A non-profit organization trainedwomen and girls on comprehensive legal rights, resulting in 600 women regainingtheir property (Markham, 2008). (Abstract) (property rights, peer education, Zimbabwe)A project in Kenya in 2004 to improve the ability of widows to reclaim their property ledto 20 widows reclaiming their property. The project mobilized and educated widows;provided training for customary leaders, NGOs, faith based organizations and communitygroups and held public meetings with media coverage to raise awareness of theissue (Nyong’o and Ongalo, 2005). (Gray IV) (training programs, property rights, Kenya)3. Integrating legal services into health care can help ensure that women retain their property.A study in Zambia examined the impact of a video-based motivational interventionpromoting future planning in 1,504 HIV-positive couples in Lusaka, Zambia and foundthat motivational messaging integrated into HIV VCT services encouraged future planning.Following a group video session, couples randomized to the motivational armcould choose to write a will, identify a guardian for their children and make financialplans. Desirable behaviors modeled in the motivational video were measured at quarterlyintervals for a year and compared in intervention and control arms. Demographicmeasures including age, income and educational status were not associated with planningbehaviors. Participation in the intervention was associated with will writing (23%versus 5%) and naming a guardian (32% versus 17%) but not with other planningbehaviors. The intervention was noted if a male, a female or both wrote wills. The studypoints to the need to expand existing HIV and VCT services to meet other non-healthneeds of those living with HIV (Stephenson et al., 2008). (Gray III) (property rights, wills,Zambia)WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS315