The third DAWN Training Institute was held from November 17 to December 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa. Over a hundred applications were received and selection based on stated criteria to ensure independence and fairness was carried out by a committee. Out of the 35 selected participants, 28 attended the training for three weeks.

The DAWN Research and Regional Coordinators had worked together for more than a year holding two Steering Committee Meetings to conceptualize the training; fine-tune its aims and objectives and programme content; and prepare a course reader. Particular attention was given to providing an environment that would place participants from diverse backgrounds at ease, and make them able to cope with the demands of the programme. Team teaching and support were provided by DAWN Coordinators, with six external resource persons with sound knowledge of DAWN Thematic Areas, invited from Latin America, USA, Brazil and South Africa.

The methodology adopted was very interactive. Peer groups provided a good opportunity to share experiences in depth and a space for more inclusive engagement among participants. Case studies also enabled participants to do research while building team spirit and inspire group confidence. The group presentation was quite rewarding, allowing participants to test their own learning level.

The value of the training was on the understanding of how the women's movement is interlinked and how it can make interlinkages with other social movements. Some participants felt they would try to replicate some of the learning strategies from the DTI in their own work areas.

An evaluation by both participants and trainers indicated that the training was a great success. Below are some of the commitments they made:

*Use information gained to strengthen analysis;
*Facilitate dialogue with peers on DAWN's interlinkages analysis;
*Apply a more holistic analysis to work at the national level;
*Identify new advocacy sites and make linkages and interlinkages;
*Introduce different perspectives and interlinkages analysis to students;
*Use the DAWN analysis to look at current work and programmes;
*Integrate DAWN analysis into training modules for young women;
*Engage in research and advocacy

Back to HOME

The second DAWN Training Institute, held in Montevideo, Uruguay ran for 20 days, from November 6 to 26, 2005. A total of 26 women from 16 different countries participated in the training.

The primary objectives were to share DAWN's analysis and wealth of experience in global advocacy for gender justice; to impart an understanding of the changing terrain of this struggle and of the interplay of new agendas around gender and development; and to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of global feminist advocates in order to strengthen furture global and regional advocacies and campaigns.


The training has promised mutual benefits for DAWN and the young feminists from the South. The training equally made it possible to effectively share DAWN's considerable experience over the past 20 years in feminist advocacy at the global level with the young feminists.

The training programme was divided into three parts: introduction of the DAWN Research Themes and background analyses of issues under each theme; discussion of inter-theme and global/regional linkages, highlighting DAWN's on-going linkages work and the challenges it presents; and dialogue on advocacy and activism surrounding the 4 thematic areas at all levels.

Participants were encouraged to begin each day with entries in personal journals to assess the previous day's discussion and to prepare for the next sessions. Most ended the day with exercises that energized them for evening activities. After the training, the participants warmly expressed their appreciation to DAWN, especially to the trainers who include Cecilia Ng, Anita Nayar, Francoise Girard and Zo Randrimaro, for sharing their expertise to them.

Back to HOME