receiving stigma and derision from the surroundings, have now acknowledged their rights as persons with (mental) disabilities and are rallying to advocate for their own rights. The IMHA engaged rightsholders in the formulation of a number of campaign and advo- cacy issues, as well as a creative design for a disability rights campaign based on the challenges they confront on a daily basis. “We would like to express our gratitude to Voice for giving incomparable support for our effort to “give back the voice” to women and men with psychosocial disabilities, one of the most stigmatised and discriminated groups in our society. We gained a lot of learning while also harvesting the results of this project. We now have new cadres and new networks that will contribute greatly to our advocacy effort in the future for the rights of persons with psychosocial disability”.
In 2021, we continued supporting grantee partners and rightsholders who are organizing themselves and their communities to access their rights. Despite various challenges and limitations, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rightsholders continued taking ownership by working on their own empower- ment. There were testimonies of boosted confidence and self-esteem among rightsholders, people who are facing marginalisation and facing discrimination overcoming self-doubt and internalised stigma, and rightsholders striving to become the best version of themselves while finding their voice and sharing their views. Below we share 3 stories from grantee partners highlighting these changes: A journey of self- confidence The Indonesian Mental Health Association (IMHA), an Empowerment grantee partner has been working to support people with psychosocial disabilities who barely have access to basic rights and services. Through awareness raising and trainings, more rightsholders are now aware of their rights and they are carrying out advocacy to challenge the status quo. Rightsholders who previously lacked self-confidence and were ashamed of their disability status, as well as To Empower: A process by which right- sholders gain power over their own life, take their own decisions, by creating safe spaces to meet, increasing their confidence, and building awareness and skills.
From spectating to acting
Sensitise Uganda implemented an Empowerment project aimed at enhancing secondary students’ civic participation through mock elections. The project conducted school-based election campaigns targeting school communities and outside communities includ- ing girls and boys, parents and leaders to create more awareness on civic and voter education. The concept of observing elections was introduced to empower students to know and understand their civic rights and duties, as well as the importance of casting their votes. Through this, rightsholders understood the role they have to play to promote democratic governance. “I started following national issues on TV because of the enlightenment I got from Sensitise Uganda”, Douglas, student at Progressive Senior Secondary School Kitintale. There is a need to widen the scope of intervention to reach even more students. “I felt good in my heart when my school was chosen among the schools that participated in the project. As a citizen, this exercise provided me a platform to participate in the national elections that were done in the country in January 2021 as a polling agent in my centre. I request Sensitise Uganda to expand the project to most of the areas in the country more especially rural-urban schools so that they also exercise it and they go and teach their people about how elections are done”.
at a glance
ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN PARTICIPANT
475 Empowerment projects supported 2016-2021 2035 rightsholder groups have a safe space to convene, share concerns and exchange ideas and experiences 842 formal and informal groups presented their own change agendas to external stakeholders
Our rights, our collective responsibility
In Niger, Voice Influencing grantee partner Timidria created a platform for awareness raising and active learning for women facing exploitation, abuse and or violence in North Niger on what their rights are and how they can rally together to pursue access to them. In 2021, there was significant progress in that some rightsholders reported a change in their mindset. People who thought there was nothing they could do to change their situation started taking charge of their lives and actively taking part in fighting against their own marginalization. “In the past, only the masters or their relatives had this right. We are now aware that this was a usurpation fostered by our lack of knowledge of our rights. Today, I can say: I said or I say. Before, we were told. We conduct our own awareness sessions on the themes
NAKIRANDA OLIVIA, STUDENT
Overall, these examples illustrate the dividends of empowerment efforts for grantee partners and right- sholders at multiple levels- individual (rightsholder), organisational (grantee partners) and community. The barriers to self-empowerment can range from self-stig- matisation and lack of awareness about individual and group rights, to express discrimination in exerting power as citizens. No matter the scale of the barrier, each step taken towards overcoming stigma, rights education and civic engagement, cascades wider social change.
of our choice, such as the participation of women in the communal councils”
AHAOUA HAROUNA, WOMEN’S GROUP OF DAÏBERI
Ms. Daisy Twesigye of The Electoral Commission launching the Mock Elections Toolkit developed by Sensitize Uganda as the Chief Guest
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