As donors and partners assemble in Ghana for the 3rd High Level Forum On Aid Effectiveness, fear runs deep among gender advocates who are questioning if the new mechanism will work for the poor, particularly women.

The top-down approach, whereby project advisors are still drawn from donors and governments may not work under the current arrangement.

The New Aid modalities, born during the 2005 Paris declaration on Aids Effectiveness gravitates on four principles: Harmonisation, Management for Results, Ownership, Alignment and Mutual Accountability.

“Donors must exert pressure on governments to account for aid if the new modality is to succeed,” says Ms Norah Matovu-Winyi, Executive Director of African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET).

Matovu-Winyi argues although many developing countries have increased their annual budgetary allocations towards development since Paris, inequality still exists. “This gives a clear indication that all shall not be well by 2011, if nothing is done now,” she reiterates.

“Any arrangements negotiated between the donors and governments will not succeed unless they are democratised to include key beneficiaries who are people at the grassroots,” Matovu-Winyi stresses. "There is need to incorporate grassroots women’s organisations in processes and initiatives designed to reduce poverty."

Many development programmes have failed to address the needs of people in the rural areas – particularly women – making gender empowerment and general development a mirage.

“The fact that 20 to 75 per cent of governments in Africa are in the process of having democracy in place further complicates the matter for the New Aid Modality, whose principle objectives are likely to be realised in such a situation,” says Matovu-Winyi.

She adds: “It is also important that the 50-50 per cent principle of gender balancing in leadership opportunities, equal education for both boys and girls as well as issues pertaining to reproductive health are fully captured in the new funding modalities.”  

The call is for funds to be set aside to address gender-based violence that remains an obstacle to women’s advancement.

Any funding should be aligned and harmonised with the commitments made by governments to regional and international human rights and gender equality agreements such as Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA).

“Integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment into the aid effectiveness is crucial if sustainable development is to be achieved,” explains Matovu-Winyi.

FEMNET is in the process of providing monitoring and evaluation tools to help its members track achievements registered by governments on various targets. 

Before the commencement of the 3rd High Level Forum On Aid Effectiveness, FEMNET in collaboration with other organisations convened a women’s forum to assess the progress and shortcomings of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. 

The Forum’s main objective was to ensure that many people understood the New Aid modality.

FEMNET also organised a media round table to empower journalists on the Paris Declaration so that what they would bring out to the public would not only educate, but also inform policy.