The Empowering Indonesian Women for Poverty Reduction Program (MAMPU)

The Empowering Indonesian Women for Poverty Reduction Program (MAMPU)

An independent evaluation of Phase 1 of the program (2012–2016, approx. $53.5 million), which included a team member from the Office of Development Effectiveness, was finalised in 2016⁸. The evaluation found that MAMPU was performing strongly against its design objectives. For example,

the program influenced government services and policies to increase the access of poor women to rights, services and livelihoods. In 2015, the MAMPU partner organisation for female-headed households, PEKKA, successfully lobbied the Central Statistics Agency to improve data collection on female-headed households to better target social assistance. This improved access to social assistance will in turn improve these households’ economic circumstances. As at June 2016, the number of villages where MAMPU partners work is 1,600 across 26 provinces. More than 2,000 local groups have been established with membership of more than 50,000 women who are increasingly speaking out about the priorities that affect their lives, giving them greater influence in their local communities. 

The independent evaluation found there was a strong case for MAMPU to proceed to a second phase. Phase 2 (2016–2020, approx. $60 million) will expand and deepen efforts with government, civil society, parliamentarians and the private sector to target improvements to selected policy and regulatory reforms that constrain progress on poverty reduction, particularly for women. The program will focus on five thematic areas where reform and working with coalitions would make a significant difference for poor women: increasing women’s access to jobs and removing workplace discrimination; improving women’s access to government programs for social protection; improving conditions for women’s overseas labour migration; strengthening women’s leadership for better health and reproductive rights; and strengthening women’s leadership to address violence against women.

The independent evaluation also found a number of areas where MAMPU could improve. At the time of the evaluation, the program did not adequately focus on people with disabilities and had not sufficiently demonstrated that it achieves value for money. Recommendations to improve such areas were accepted by DFAT’s Indonesia program.