Strengthening women's empowerment in fragile and conflict-affected settings

A recent review published in Campbell Systematic Reviews found that certain interventions can successfully support women's empowerment and gender equality in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

In the review of 104 studies published between 2009 and 2021 that covered 55 programs in 29 countries, most interventions had significant positive effects on their intended outcomes: for example, asset and cash transfers increased access to credit and income, and capacity building increased skills. There are no significant negative effects of any included interventions; however, few interventions led to positive effects on the attitudes of men towards women, prevalence of intimate partner violence, or women's participation in decision-making processes.

"This review looks closely at what works to promote women's empowerment in fragile and conflict affected settings," said corresponding author Etienne Lwamba, of the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation. "It highlights the need for the thoughtful consideration of context in the design and implementation of gender-sensitive and gender-transformative programs in order to realize greater impact, and is an invitation to target women's empowerment and gender equality intentionally with context in mind."