Women’s voices in civil society organizations: Evidence from a civil society mapping project in Mali

BY KATRINA KOSEC AND EVGENIYA ANISIMOVA

How can women’s voices be amplified in a situation of prevailing patriarchal norms? Even more importantly, what should be done so that these voices are not only heard, but also acted upon?

A new issue brief by IFPRI, the IFPRI-led CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), and the CGIAR GENDER Platform adds important insights into the conversation around these questions. It summarizes evidence from the Civil Society Mapping Project in Mali, where—as in much of Africa—civil society organizations (CSOs) play a critical role in helping citizens organize and pursue shared objectives, often with the goal of holding local authorities accountable. The findings indicate Malian women have high participation rates in nearly all types of CSOs, but suggest they face constraints in translating that participation into political influence.

Photo credit: Swiatoslaw Wojtkowiak/FAO