Organization for Women and Development

PROJEKTA

NGO in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United States.

Address: Wim van Aalststraat 15 Paramaribo-Suriname P.O. box 1013 Tel. (597)439925 Fax (597) 439924 Email: [email protected]

Stichting PROJEKTA, Organization for Women and Development, was officially founded in Suriname on June 15th, 1993.

The main objective is to enable and to enhance the full participation of women and youth in a sustainable development process.

The women who founded PROJEKTA know that there is an urgent need in the community to improve the socio-economic status of women and youth. The lack of mechanics and institutional means to promote their incorporation in the development process is further widening the lag they experience and making it increasingly difficult to attain equality and equity within the society for women and men.

MISSION  to provide services in support of sustainable development, which places the well-being, physical integrity and personal security of women, men and children at the center in all social, economic, cultural and political development processes  to ensure the elimination of the gender-gap and enable women and men to develop according to their full capacity and own creativity.

ACTIVITIES To accomplish its mission, PROJEKTA operates the following areas:  information, education and communication  Advocacy. Especially for development policies  community-based development  training’s, workshops and seminars  program and project preparation, implementation and evaluation  basic gender data and research

The work in these areas is further enhanced through  collaboration with other NGO’s and the public and private sector  networking with regional and international organizations ORGANIZATION A volunteer Board of Directors governs the organization with limited terms. Its composition reflects a diversity of disciplines relevant in guiding the organization.

The activities of PROJEKTA are carried out through an Executive Bureau. The coordinating director, a team of full and part-time experts and a small administrative staff are responsible for the daily management and operation.

PROJEKTA is currently working on:

Capacity building through two separate programs: Nickerie is a comprehensive 4-year program aimed at NGO’s and individuals in the rural district of Nickerie. The program consists of on going institutional strengthening of NGO’s and local government, building of a local trainers and development workers network, promoting advocacy, use of media and community theatre for sustainable development.

Process management is an approach in which local community organizations in 3 indigenous villages are working towards the design and implementation of their own long-term sustainable community development plans. This program will also be implanted in one urban area in order to develop a comparative study on Community Development Strategy for the different kinds of communities in Suriname-urban, rural and hinterland.

Civic Participation To increase civic participation in decision making at all levels, PROJEKTA has started a series of programs, which combine public awareness campaigns, local capacity building and monitoring for civic participation and programs for schools. PROJEKTA assists local governments (ressortsraden) on request, in developing their strategies and implementing activities. The role of women in decision making is placed at the center of these activities.

New Generations Through gender and leadership training for youth, we hope to build a new generation of gender aware leaders, and new leaders in gender and development.

Gender in Education The coming years we hope to further challenge the current gender vision in the classroom and in education policy. Through awareness raising activities and training for teachers in teachers colleges the first steps towards a more equitable educational system are to be made.

Gender advice PROJEKTA offers advice and training to other NGO’s, in gender analysis, gender planning, Training for Trainers in Gender and Development and Training for Trainers in Capacity building.

Source: PROJEKTA / Library Anton de Kom University of Suriname