AMINA - Women Leaders in the Governance of Algerian Civil Society

The project “AMINA – Women Leaders in the Governance of Algerian Civil Society” is a cooperation project which aims to strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organizations as governance actors.

The project targets Algerian women working in Local Institutions and Civil Society Organisations. As final beneficiaries, the project targets the most vulnerable populations, the local communities of the suburbs and the rural areas in the province of Algiers in Algeria.

Through the creation of the network, with representatives of LA form all over south EU and North Africa all the region will benefit due to the sustainability of the project and the common project that will be developed.

Moreover, for the project activities, such as public events and workshops, more than 5000 persons will benefit from the collaboration between north Africa and south Europe will be further developed.

The project “AMINA – Women Leaders in the Governance of Algerian Civil Society” is a cooperation project which aims to strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organizations as governance actors.

The project refers to the Lot 1 Priority 1 of the call for proposal and intends to develop social dialogue between European CSOs and Algerian CSOs, between State Authorities and Non State Actors, to support women active in Local Authorities and CSOs in Algeria.

Through their experience in the field, the partners have seen the need to strengthen women’s skills and their leadership roles within LAs and CSOs in the Euro-Mediterranean Region.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

•  Improving the capacities of local actors through the selection, training and strengthening a public-private female management group (Local Authorities and CSOs) expert in setting up and management of cross-border projects, particularly in the context of community programs and policies for neighbourhood areas, as well as in strategic planning for local development.

•  The improvement of connections and cooperation between local and international actors through the creation and development of a technical assistance network for women’s leadership, specific to the Euro-Mediterranean area, with a seat in Algeria and with the cooperation of Project Partners. This project also aims to make a connection with CSOs in Europe to ensure a permanent exchange of good practices and the sustainability of Algerian CSOs.

AMINA PROJECT IS BASED ON TWO MAIN AXES

1. Improving the capacities of local actors through the selection, training and strengthening a public-private female management group (Local Authorities and CSOs) expert in setting up and management of cross-border projects, particularly in the context of community programs and policies for neighbourhood areas, as well as in strategic planning for local development.

2. The improvement of connections and cooperation between local and international actors through the creation and development of a technical assistance network for women’s leadership, specific to the Euro-Mediterranean area, with a seat in Algeria and with the cooperation of Project Partners. This project also aims to make a connection with CSOs in Europe to ensure a permanent exchange of good practices and the sustainability of Algerian CSOs.

Study Research

Conduct a study research to collect the needs and priorities civil society and women in both sides of the Mediterranean Sea. The studies shed light on the under-exploited female potential especially in Algeria and in the Euro-Mediterranean region.  

Training

Strengthen the governance of the Algerian civil society through a “training of trainers” and the transfer of strategic skills to a group of women selected as “intermediate beneficiaries”.

The first module of the activity took place in the city of Palermo (Italy), where 30 Algerian women, representatives of Local Authorities and Civil Society Organisations, were trained for a period of 1 month (120 training hours) on 6 different topics. The objective of this activity, related as well to the project’s objective, was to strengthen the governance of the Algerian civil society through a training of trainers and the transfer of strategic skills to a group of women selected as intermediate beneficiaries. 

The second module of the training took place in Algeria. Six of the thirty beneficiaries of the first module were selected to implement the training in Algeria to 60 local women. The training themes were the same and again three were 6 different groups. The training lasted 4 moths and were implemented approximately120 hours of training/ group. 

The training improved the capacities of the beneficiaries in setting up and management of cross-border projects, particularly in the context of community programs and policies for neighbourhood areas, as well as in strategic planning for local development.

Theme 1:

Conciliatory policies and corporate well-being, joint opportunities and contrast to discrimination

Theme 2:

Sustainable development and creation of microenterprises

Theme 3:

Cultural policies and tourism strategies for the valorisation of the territory

Theme 4 and 5:

Policies in favour of Minors, Children and Adolescents AND Foreign minors and the concordance with the Institutions

Theme 6:

Combating violence against women

Networking

The project proposes the creation of a local network between the AL and the Algerian CSOs and with the connection of the Euro-Mediterranean region to ensure a permanent exchange of good practices and sustainability of Algerian CSOs with participation in the project, partnership and international activity.

There were contacted and gathered 20 women leaders from 14 different countries of the Mediterranean. The network was called “Jasmine” based on the flower’s name that grows in all the Mediterranean countries. The objectives of the network were:

•  To establish direct relationships between women managers working in the private or public management sectors; 

•  Guarantee assistance in management

•  Develop strategic relations

•  Foster cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean

•  Strengthen the influence of women in decision making process

Facilitate and support growth of young women future leaders.

Pilot Project

Through a “pilot project”, the project aims to test new skills and promote innovative approaches to stimulate the coordination of the various stakeholders present on the Algerian territory, including local authorities and territorial administrations, social, economic actors, the private sector and civil society.

The first pilar is Mediter Expo, a rotating international fair that Méditer – Réseau Euro-Méditerranéen pour la Coopération – A.I.B.S.L. – organizes within the Amina project: “les femmes leaders dans la Gouvernance de la société Algérienne”. The first edition of this exhibition will take place in Palermo, a city that will open the doors of its historical sites to welcome, in this unique occasion, the diplomatic and institutional representations of many Euro-Mediterranean and Sub Saharan African countries as well as regional food and wine companies. Particular attention will be given to women entrepreneurs and to a series of side events, such as thematic meetings, concerts, shows, photographic documentation, tastings and other female driven initiatives.

The second pillar of the pilot project was dedicated to the publication of the book of testimonies of women leaders. The book is published in 5 languages and is titled “The world is mine”