The Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Network for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) Project

Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) is partnering with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa), and the Rene Moawad Foundation to implement  the Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Network for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) for Girls Education project. This consortium is funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). For the next 3 years, the consortium aims to empower adolescent girls and advance gender equality in seven target countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the Middle East: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Jordan, and Lebanon. The overall objective of the project is to facilitate feminist Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in advancing gender-transformative education and empowerment for marginalized adolescent girls based on sustainable and locally driven approaches. The IGNITE Consortium will support feminist and youth led CSOs in accelerating gender equality through sub-granting and collaborative organizational capacity strengthening in finance, administration, technical areas, and research.

Women’s rights organizations and feminist CSOs are leading the fight for justice and equality for all girls, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and organizations. However, these groups often face resource shortages and marginalization due to various forces and ideologies. They also endure significant social and political backlash, putting their own safety and security at risk. Through this project, the FSF Consortium will support feminist CSOs and Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) working in our target countries and/or at a regional level. The CSOs will:

– Provide direct support to adolescent girls and their families, removing barriers to education at individual, family, and community levels.

– Collaborate with schools and other sub-national institutions to enhance support for adolescent girls in school and increase access to education for out-of-school girls.

– Conduct research and advocacy to advance the rights of adolescent girls, including access to education.

This partnership with PASGR-a research institution in the Global South, the Rene Moawad Foundation-a feminist grant-making agency and the International Rescue Committee- an international humanitarian agency and UAF-Africa presents a perfect blend to bring about tangible and lasting change for adolescent girls at the individual and community levels, especially for those impacted by crises and armed conflict.

The project has three main components:

Component 1: Provision of flexible funding to CSOs to support the schooling and empowerment of girls and adolescents.

The Consortium Partners have collaboratively designed a Call for Proposals (CfP) to champion Feminist Principles and inclusion in terms of political commitment, eligibility criteria, programme design, funding mechanisms, and governance. In this component, €5 million euros will be given out as grants to eligible CSOs through the CfP. The CfP will be popularized through different platforms and disseminated in multiple formats and languages. In the last phase of this component, there will be pre-award reviews before granting funds. This will involve reviewing the applications, seeking endorsements from referees, and performing due diligence. The funds will be disbursed once they have been approved by all partners, and capacity assessments and follow-up capacity support have been provided.

Component 2: Mutual capacity- and experience-sharing

This component focuses on mutual capacity and experience sharing between project partners and technical advisors through a tailored mentorship program, needs assessments, in-country training, regular webinars, and annual meetings. Rene Moawaad Foundation and UAF will provide a tailored accompaniment/mentorship program for their grantee/partners throughout the grant period. This program will draw on the experiences of the grantees themselves. Each grantee partner will respond to a needs assessment, which will identify the top priorities for capacity building. The aim is to establish learning partnerships and a culture of reciprocity based on balanced power and trusting relationships. These partnerships will prioritize the safety, well-being, and agency of those involved and impacted by the project.

Component 3: Operation and international promotion

The last component aims to generate learning and research related to empowerment and education of adolescent girls. PASGR will leverage its vast experience to directly design and lead specific pieces of research. Additionally, some CSOs will be funded through this project to carry out research, advocacy, and influencing work. The consortium members will then translate the research into accessible knowledge products and use them to promote positive changes in practice and policy. They will also leverage their networks and draw on resources to influence national governments, key donors, education, and gender equality practitioners on national level policy and investment priorities. In cooperation with AFD, IRC, and other FSF consortium partners across the globe, PASGR will explore a range of communication methods and strategies to maximize the distribution of our research and learning. PASGR will leverage its Research Policy framework (Utafiti Sera Framework) to influence policy update of the research evidence from the project. We will share these globally as well as across CSOs and activist networks in the 7 target countries.

Project Organization Structure

Global Steering Committee

The global Steering Committee is composed of feminists, activists, academics, practitioners, and young women. At least 50% of the committee members are selected from CSOs/WROS and activists in the 7 target countries to provide strategic advice and quality assurance. This committee meets regularly to offer insight and feedback on key aspects of the project.

The Program Management Unit (PMU)

Led by the project director, the unit is responsible for leading and driving the project deliverables to ensure excellence in day-to-day management. The PMU collaborates with consortium partners to make decisions on strategic and operational matters that impact program performance. Through this management structure, the four partners collectively endorse accountability to the program and uphold feminist principles that support women’s movement in the global south while achieving the project objectives. The PMU is committed to incorporating the Consortium’s feminist principles into all aspects of project design, planning, implementation, and learning. Its long-term goals include dismantling systems of discrimination, oppression, and marginalization that affect women and girls.

Stay tuned for more updates as this dynamic project progresses. We will keep you informed on all the deliverables.