WACSI Completes Four-Country Partner Visit Mission to Advance Women’s Empowerment Under FAME Project

July 13, 2026 In Newsroom By WACSI

WACSI Completes Four-Country Partner Visit Mission to Advance Women’s Empowerment Under FAME Project

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[Africa, 20 June 2026] – The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) has successfully concluded a cross-country due diligence mission across Benin, Guinea, Morocco, and Togo as part of preparations for the second cohort of organisations to be supported under the FAME (Feminism: Action and Mobilisation for an Inclusive Economy).

**Group photo of the WACSI team and representatives of the Association Solidarité Féminine (ASF) during a due diligence visit to Morocco.**

Conducted between May and June 2026, the mission assessed the institutional, operational, governance, administrative, and financial capacities of pre-selected civil society organisations and consortiums seeking support under the initiative.

The mission followed a regional call for proposals launched in February 2026 under the second funding window of the FAME Project. The call attracted 49 applications, including 22 from consortia. Following an initial review, 25 organisations and consortia—including 12 consortia—were shortlisted and underwent a standardised due diligence process aligned with WACSI’s grant management framework and the accountability requirements of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

The assessment covered organisations applying under three key programme components: women’s economic empowerment, institutional strengthening of women-led organisations, and advocacy and policy influence aimed at driving systemic change.

More than a compliance exercise, the due diligence process sought to determine whether prospective partners possess the institutional systems, governance structures, and operational capacity required to manage grant funding effectively and deliver sustainable results. Across the three programme components, the review examined organisations’ readiness to advance women’s economic empowerment, strengthen women-led civil society, and contribute to policy and advocacy efforts that promote inclusive and ecological economic transformation.

Strengthening Confidence in Local Actors

As development actors increasingly recognise the importance of locally led development, the mission provided an opportunity to examine the readiness of women-led organisations and civil society networks to implement transformative interventions within their communities.

A multidisciplinary WACSI team comprising representatives from the Policy Influencing and Advocacy, Monitoring and Evaluation, Finance, and Communications units conducted the assessments through field visits, interviews, systems verification, and extensive document reviews.

Group photo of the WACSI team and representatives of the Femmes en Situation de Handicap during a due diligence visit to Morocco.

The mission examined governance structures, legal compliance, financial management systems, human resource capacity, donor experience, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, consortium coordination arrangements, and organisational accountability systems.

The findings reveal a diverse but promising portfolio of organisations with strong potential to advance women’s rights, economic empowerment, and social inclusion across the four countries.

Strong Pipeline of Organisations Ready for Investment

The due diligence exercise identified several organisations and consortia with well-established institutional systems and demonstrated experience implementing donor-funded programmes.

In Togo, the WILDAF Togo Consortium stood out for its robust governance structures, sound financial management, and leadership of a national network comprising 35 organisations, positioning it well for coordinated programme implementation.

In Benin, both the RIFONGA-Benin Consortium and the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) Consortium demonstrated institutional maturity, extensive donor experience, and strong national engagement in advancing women’s rights and inclusive development.

The assessment also highlighted strong institutional capacity in Morocco. Association Solidarité Féminine (ASF), with more than four decades of experience supporting vulnerable women, demonstrated solid governance systems, operational expertise, and strategic partnerships. Similarly, the LDDF-INJAD Network showed strong institutional readiness and recognised expertise in advocacy, community mobilisation, and addressing gender-based violence.

In Guinea, organisations including OSH Guinea and the TWIN/RIFA Consortium demonstrated credible governance structures, sound accountability mechanisms, and experience implementing initiatives that promote women’s empowerment, social inclusion, and community development.

Community-Based Organisations Show Strong Potential

While the assessment identified several highly mature organisations ready to manage larger grants, it also revealed a vibrant ecosystem of smaller, community-rooted organisations with deep local legitimacy and strong connections to the women and communities they serve.

Across Guinea, organisations such as AFESE, MEMAV, RAGED, FEPA, and various women-led cooperatives demonstrated strong relevance to local development priorities and women’s economic empowerment.

Many of these organisations are already supporting women through market gardening, agricultural production, entrepreneurship, vocational skills development, and community mobilisation initiatives. However, the assessment also highlighted common institutional challenges, including limited financial management systems, weak monitoring and evaluation structures, inadequate governance mechanisms, and insufficient formalisation of administrative processes.

Rather than viewing these gaps as barriers, the findings underscore the importance of pairing financial support with targeted capacity strengthening to enable emerging organisations to grow into resilient and sustainable institutions.

WACSI’s Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant, Elom Kossi Joel Ayale, supporting Femmes en Situation de Handicap members in reviewing due diligence documentation during a visit to Morocco.

A Differentiated Approach to Funding and Capacity Strengthening

One of the mission’s key conclusions is that a one-size-fits-all approach to funding would not adequately respond to the realities of the civil society landscape across the four countries.

The report recommends a differentiated funding model that balances support for mature organisations with investments in the institutional development of emerging actors.

Under this approach, organisations with strong systems and proven track records would be able to move quickly into implementation, while organisations with promising interventions but identifiable institutional gaps would receive conditional support alongside tailored capacity-strengthening measures.

This model reflects a growing recognition within the development sector that sustainable impact requires not only strong projects but also strong institutions capable of managing resources effectively, adapting to changing contexts, and sustaining results over time.

Building a Stronger Ecosystem for Women’s Rights and Economic Empowerment

Beyond informing funding decisions, the due diligence mission provided valuable insights into the broader ecosystem of women-led organisations operating across Benin, Guinea, Morocco, and Togo.

The findings point to a growing network of organisations committed to advancing women’s economic empowerment, leadership, rights, and participation in decision-making processes. They also reveal significant opportunities for collaboration, peer learning, advocacy, and coalition-building among organisations working towards shared goals.

Importantly, the mission reinforced the critical role that women-led civil society organisations continue to play in addressing social and economic inequalities, amplifying the voices of marginalised groups, and driving locally led solutions to development challenges.

Looking Ahead

The findings from the due diligence mission will inform final funding recommendations and validation processes under the FAME Initiative. They will also guide the design of future institutional strengthening interventions aimed at helping partner organisations improve governance, accountability, resource management, and programme delivery.

As the FAME Initiative moves into its next phase, the assessment highlights a clear opportunity to invest in organisations that combine strong community connections with a commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

By strengthening both mature institutions and emerging grassroots actors, the initiative seeks to contribute to a more resilient, inclusive, and locally driven civil society ecosystem—one capable of delivering lasting change for women and girls across West and North Africa.

The mission ultimately confirms that while organisational capacities vary, the region is home to a strong and strategically relevant pipeline of women-led organisations and civil society networks with the potential to drive transformative impact, influence policy, and strengthen communities for years to come.

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