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To date, the activities of the committee have revolved around raising awareness
of the community on women's employment and self employment. Interviewees
report that the committee chose to focus on field-based awareness-raising
activities about women's employment and marketing their services because it
was not initially clear about its responsibilities. Members also feel that the
project has particularly increased their capacity in relation to awareness raising
on women's employment. It should be noted that field visits are remunerated
with a transportation fee that could act as an incentive for choosing field-based
work. This raises the need to address the incentive structures behind the
implemented activities. It also requires close coordination with the work of
WNC to avoid overlaps.
While the bureau is also expected to provide job counselling and career
advisory services, the interview shows that the bureau has in effect no physical
bureau or office hours when potential beneficiaries can approach or contact the
bureau if they were interested in such services. The bureau members currently
meet at the Oxfam office in Seyoun for its own meetings. Moreover, committee
members feel that they have limited capacity to provide BDS services despite
the training provided. Particularly, they expressed the need for further training
in marketing. So far, the committee estimates that it has provided around 15
advisory services on marketing. A key achievement that does not directly fall
under the scope of the MoU is the facilitation services provided to women who
are already self-employed in marketing their products in school exhibitions and
in the local market. These women have asked the committee to inform them of
other future exhibitions. In that sense, the Bureau seems to have been engaging
in business facilitation as opposed to business consulting services.
As for skills development, according to an Oxfam report on achievements of
the livelihood component from January 2006 to July 2008, selected bene-
ficiaries identified by member organisations, who wish to start up a business,
were trained. More skills development training sessions are planned for August
2008 to include animal health and veterinary services, packaging, recycling and
training for jobseekers at the employment office. The mobilisation of women
interested in receiving training to start up a business is considered a success,
even if the numbers are modest. However, the bureau reports that, to its
knowledge, none of the women have started up a business so far. This could be
explained by women's fear of failing in running a business or men's influence
on not allowing them to engage in projects that are funded by foreign donors.
The interview with the bureau expresses a need to work more closely with the
CoC in Seyoun. The Seyoun CoC expressed its willingness to cooperate more
closely with the bureau, particularly in relation to provision of skills training
and marketing of products. The bureau is also aware that it needs to strengthen
its linkages with the private sector, but does not seem to have a clear idea about
how to approach private companies. Moreover, links with the employment
office have been initiated, as the committee has referred two jobseekers to the
office.
The team views that it is too early to assess the contribution of BDS services to
Objective 3. At the time of the evaluation, the advisory bureau has been