Implementation through the government's Women's Affair Officers.
Type: Approaches
Creation: 2011-05-07 00:00 Updated: 2021-11-02 16:01
Compilers: Sa'dy Odinashoev
Reviewers: David Streiff, Alexandra Gavilano, Joana Eichenberger
Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied
- Country: Tajikistan
- Region/ State/ Province: Khatlon
- Further specification of location (e.g. municipality, town, etc.), if relevant: Muminabad
- Map: View Map
Description of the SLM Approach
Short description of the Approach
The use of the government appointed District Womens Affair Officer to mobilise women throughout the community to implement technologies.
Detailed description of the Approach
Aims / objectives: The aim of the approach was to empower women through support from the government’s Women's Affairs Officer (WAO), to implement low cost energy efficient technologies within individual households. Women being the primary users of energy within the household, can become the main agents for change in applying more efficient methods to the use of natural resources to meet their cooking, heating and energy needs. Therefore, reducing fuel costs, and dependence upon local natural resources. The district local government employs a WAO, who is the government representative for women’s issues in the district. Once the WAO became supportive of the idea, she was able to engage the Women’s Affairs Officers at the Jamoat level.
Methods: This approach is fundamentally a training pyramid approach. An expert conducted a series of training sessions to interested women on the details of the technology. The training involves demonstrations of the technology, it's benefits, information on how to purchase or make the material required, and how to implement the technology. The first session is a ‘Training of Trainers’. The participants are then provided with training materials, and are invited to replicate the training in their own community. The process is continuously repeated, subsequently broadening the target audience. Zamzam, the local women’s association of the district helped suggest potential community candidates for trainers, and provided practical training sessions on energy efficiency measures through the TOT.
Stages of implementation: The implementation of the project started with an inception meeting with the District Women’s Affairs Officer to sell the idea, and to gain the local government’s support. Once she was supportive of the idea, a district level meeting was held with all the Women’s Affairs Officers at the local level (i.e. Jamoat) and two women representatives from each Jamoat. At this meeting the ladies were introduced to the technology i.e. cooking stove modification and heat exchangers. The meeting further discussed on how each jamoat would receive training, and what training materials were to be distributed to the communities. The meeting enabled issues with the technology, logistics, monitoring and overall set up of the approach to be discussed. Afterwards an expert trained a group of women from each Jamoat on the technology and provided them with materials so that the training could be repeated within their own communities.
Role of stakeholders: This is a women's led approach, the Women’s' representative within the government, who are also Women’s association members, were responsible for organisation of the trainers, logistics and government documentation support. With support from Zamzam, the active women in the community were selected as trainers to receive training from the experts and provide subsequent outreach training to their communities.
Photos of the Approach
- 📍 Muminabad, Muminabad, Khatlon, Tajikistan
- 🗓 2009-06-07
- 📷 Odinashoev, Sa (Tajikistan, Muminabad)
- 📍 Shahrak, Muminabad, Khatlon, Tajikistan
- 🗓 2009-06-07
- 📷 Odinashoev, Sa (Muminabad, Tajikistan)