Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Plus Nutrition Women's Empowerment Group/Hasken Mata (Women's Light): Operational Guidelines

"WEG [Women's Empowerment Group] meetings create opportunities for women to learn about nutrition and recommended maternal, infant, and young child practices."



These Operational Guidelines provide guidance on the rules and procedures to implement the Women's Empowerment Group (WEG)/Hasken Mata model developed by Breakthrough ACTION - Nigeria. It discusses the systematic approach and effectiveness of the WEG/Hasken Mata model and offers step-by-step guidance on how to implement WEG activities. The guide is designed for use by any group, organisation, or individual who is interested in systematically supporting and promoting women's empowerment, with a focus on health-related issues.



As explained in the document, the WEGs or Hasken Mata (Women's Light in English) model seeks to create a safe space for women and strengthen their capacity and agency to: practice priority health behaviours - in particular related to maternal, newborn, and child health plus nutrition (MNCH+N); engage in discussion and decision making confidently with their spouses; and participate in economic empowerment activities. The WEG approach was developed based on insights arising from a formative assessment that showed that many women do not have the agency or ability to make decisions and act on issues related to pregnancy, childbirth, and child health care. The WEGs bring together 15-35 women who are committed to their health and the well-being of their children and family. The women are also willing to work together on financial empowerment through savings and loans and through learning new skills.



The Operational Guidelines are based on the Breakthrough ACTION - Nigeria's experience implementing the WEG model in five Nigerian States and incorporate lessons learned about what has worked during implementation.



The document consists of the following chapters:



Introduction - provides an overview of WEG/Hasken Mata approach to promoting women's health and gender equality and how it was developed. It outlines the significance of the WEG and its principles, focusing on the empowerment of women and addressing health-related issues, in order to establish a clear and shared understanding of the programme's objectives and the role of the WEG in achieving them.



Membership and Participation - looks at how to foster inclusivity and collective engagement by identifying a diverse group of members and promoting active participation once the WEG is formed. This process is facilitated by the WEG community facilitator, local government area (LGA) supervisor, and supporting personnel from participating projects.



Governance and Management - offers descriptions of effective governance and management structures that ensure transparency, accountability, and correct decision-making to oversee the WEG's day-to-day operations, resource allocation, and strategic planning. It highlights the roles and responsibilities of each management member within the WEG and emphasises their importance in ensuring effective governance. These structures and systems are established during the first month of group formation.



Meetings and Activities - notes that meetings and activities are the foundation of the WEG. They provide opportunities for WEGs to, for example, collect and disburse funds, share priority health behaviour messages, offer food demonstrations, and play card games. The most critical components of the meetings and time together as the WEG are to (i) share and learn about MNCH+N behaviours and (ii) undertake resource mobilisation and management.



Resource Mobilisation and Management - highlights various funding sources available within the WEG and provides insights into the practices employed to acquire these resources. This chapter emphasises the importance of effectively utilising the resources to maximise their impact in promoting women's empowerment.



Communication and Networking - explores the communication and networking needs of the project and the different platforms on which information sharing can take place. Communication and networking are essential for facilitating collaboration, information sharing, and developing strategic partnerships. These activities create a supportive and interconnected environment, enabling the WEG to effectively promote the activity, exchange knowledge and experiences, and mobilise collective action.



Monitoring and Evaluation - examines the roles of WEG members and WEG supervisors or facilitators in systematic data collection, analysis, and assessment, through which the WEG can monitor and evaluate the progress of its activities to help it make informed decisions and continuously improve.



The Operational Guidelines document is accompanied by a "Women Empowerment Group/Hasken Mata Training Manual" (currently not available online). This training manual provides guidance on training for the implementation of the WEG activities and offers step-by-step guidance on how to conduct WEG/Hasken Mata's training-of-trainers (TOT) sessions. In addition, guidance is provided for step-down training for the community facilitators themselves, who will in turn train the WEG with the same document when formed.