Civil Society in Strategic Partnership

Impact goal: Society is characterised by strong civil society engagement for just, inclusive and sustainable development.

For Digni, a strong civil society is a condition for lasting sustainable development. A strong civil society is therefore both an end in itself and a means of reaching the overall vison of human dignity.

All 28 projects ended in 2021 reported results on civil society as this is a mandatory thematic area. They had in total 4 399 070 beneficiaries, of whom 445 851 were direct and 3 953 219 indirect beneficiaries. The projects organised 78 211 persons, with 66 % women, into 5 078 different kinds of groups and associations during the project periods. The groups included among others Environment Committees, Water and Sanitation groups, Youth groups, Parent Teacher Committees, Women’s groups, local Community Development Committees, Self-help Groups, and Loan and Saving Groups. Some of them have been officially registered, so they can access government-initiated trainings and funds for Income Generating Activities.

Depending on the projects’ thematic areas, the group/association/organisation members have been trained in various areas such as organisational and leadership skills to function more effectively; gender equality to promote equal opportunities for women; and advocacy to hold governmental actors accountable and claim their rights. In addition, the asset-based approach Use Your Talents have been frequently used to encourage the mobilisation and use of local already existing assets.