The overall objective of the evaluation was to contribute to the continued improvement of the support to gender equality in Africa, by assessing results and identifying lessons learned from the overall approach and the specific experiences of the activities funded under the “Women in Africa”- grant. In particular, the evaluation was expected to help enhance the foundation for future selection of activities and partners, by assessing the added value of the approach and the funded activities.

The evaluation focused on:

• The extent to which the portfolio of activities financed through the Women in Africa appropriation had been relevant for the promotion of gender equality in light of Danish policy priorities;
• The extent to which the portfolio of activities had promoted African ownership of gender equality initiatives by working with relevant regional networks and NGOs promoting gender equality in Africa;
• The extent to which the expected outputs and outcomes had been delivered, and the degree to which capacities, networks and practices of inter-organizational learning for enhancing gender equality had been strengthened;
• The extent to which the funds allocated had been efficiently spent, both in relation to the individual activities selected, and in relation to the portfolio of activities;
• The extent to which the results achieved were sustainable, with emphasis on the issues of ownership and capacity. By investigating these questions, the evaluation assessed the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the portfolio of activities; both at the overall level and by looking more in depth at selected activities.