Background

The African Women’s Economic Policy Network (AWEPON) is a faith-based non Governmental Organisation (NGO) legally registered in Uganda. AWEPON is an African network with active membership in 20 countries across Africa. AWEPON owes its origin to the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Women’s Desk that initiated faith-based consultations on the impact of economic policies on women, leading to the formation of a continental initiative in the name of AWEPON.

AWEPON was then launched as a network of CSO Africa engaged in women’s rights and gender equality, during the 1994 United Nation’s NGO regional preparatory conference that was held in Dakar Senegal. It was during the aforesaid conference that various participants expressed commitment towards the formation of AWEPON. This was particularly in response to a presentation by a group of women drawn from different countries and organizations in Africa. The main thrust of their presentations was on the impact of economic policies especially SAP’s and women’s own analysis of the economic crisis. The founding principle for the network was that women have the fundamental right to shape economic policies that impinge on their livelihoods.     

In a search for economic emancipation of women and eradication of poverty, the network believes in standing up against economic injustice as it is a prerequisite for elimination of feminisation of poverty and subsequently poverty eradication. Feminisation of poverty results from the fact that economic policy analysis is founded on principles that undermine the household economy.  Yet the biblical teachings ground economic analysis within the household economy. 

Economics originates from the Greek word oikonomos which when broken into sense units is a compound of two concepts “oikos and nomos”. “Oikos” literally means household and “nomos” means “rule” The basic and operational meaning of economics to AWEPON is “ the rule of the household” This takes into account the Biblical teachings on how to manage the household economy through equitable and just rules that recognize the care economy.

A good economist is a good steward and is therefore one “…who is faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season.” Luke 12: 42.

To AWEPON therefore, economic analysis starts at the household. This is where the economy is experienced, lived and where benefits or deprivation is most felt.  Women, according to most macro and micro economic analyses have been seen to be the most affected when the household economy is marginalized. There is need therefore to strengthen the voices of women in policy decision-making.

Vision:  AWEPON works towards achieving economic justice

Mission: AWEPON seeks to strengthen the capacity of women especially at the grass roots and    

                national levels to influence the shape of economic policy.

Objectives:  AWEPON aims to:

1. Be a forum for analysis, discussion and dissemination of information about existing economic policies.
2. Strengthen, through training and research, the capacity especially of rural based African women to lobby and influence policy.
3.  Link up groups, networks and individuals to share experiences on the economy.
4. To strengthen women’s capacity to develop alternatives to unjust economic policies.
5. To ensure that women’s needs and concerns become central in economic decision-making process of pertinent institutions.

Beneficiaries:  

§        The beneficiaries include member organisations which comprise of   Faith Based Organizations,  Women’s desk in African Church Council (women activities in the church), women’s organizations working on economic justice and other CSOs as well as development oriented NGOs, CBOs, Governments in Africa, Donors, The private business sector, academic and research institutions Intergovernmental bodies like ECOSOCC, IGAD among others and multilateral agencies

Approaches:

    To facilitate Member Organizations (MOs) to effectively participate in     

    influencing poverty reduction and governance policies and decisions at all   

    levels the following approaches will be used:

[1].            Research and Advocacy AWEPON- Evidence based advocacy has been of critical use in strengthening the voices of African women.  Studies are conducted in key economic policy areas with the strategic objectives of assessing impact and potential implications of key policies on women’s rights and the fight for economic justice.

[2].         Capacity building and economic literacy- Economic has often been seen and regarded as a technical issue as well as a domain for men to study.  The traditional Economic policy analysis also ignores gender and women’s concerns as central in formulation of economic policies.  AWEPON conducts training for young women and women’s organisations as a way of enhancing their policy analysis and advocacy skills.

[3].         Working with coalitions and alliances – As a means for social transformation, the women’s movement requires a critical mass of civil society organisations as well as civil movements to have a common voice.  AWEPON contributes to this by building both regional and international alliances with grass roots women’s organisations so as to have a strong voice to challenge economic injustice at all levels.  The role of the church and the ecumenical movements as well as the interfaith interactions provides a good foundation to civil movements and strategic alliances needed for social transformation. As a faith based organisation AWEPON takes a lead role in organising and strengthening these alliances.

               view strategic plan 2007-10