The African Development Bank Group has approved approximately $3.7 million to launch a new governance and gender equality initiative in South Sudan, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
The Building Resilience and Inclusive Development through Governance and Equality (BRIDGE) project will, among other priorities, help the countries tackle governance gaps that enable gender-based violence and discrimination to persist by strengthening justice institutions, enhancing women's representation, and empowering civil society to demand accountability. The Bank will implement the project in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The grant agreement was signed in November by the Bank's Director General for East Africa, Alex Mubiru, and his UNDP counterpart, Matthias Naab. The signing marks a major step toward operationalising the initiative.
BRIDGE aims to bolster transparency, accountability and inclusiveness in public institutions across the three countries, while expanding opportunities for women's leadership, skills development and meaningful role in national decision-making processes.
As the Bank observes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence - a global campaign to end violence against women and girls - the project stands as a practical institutional response to governance weaknesses that perpetuate inequality and gender-based violence
Through collaboration among the Bank, UNDP and the African Union Commission, BRIDGE will equip justice-sector institutions, women leaders and civil society organisations with targeted tools to advance gender-responsive governance.
"Real progress happens when everyone has a voice in shaping their future," said Dr Jemimah Njuki, Director of the Gender, Women and Civil Society Department at the African Development Bank Group. "Through this project, we're supporting gender-responsive budgeting, stronger leadership opportunities for women, and practical skills development to ensure that governance is inclusive of and reflects the needs of all citizens."
South Sudan, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau continue to face challenges linked to fragility, resource constraints and economic pressures - conditions that disproportionally affect women and young people. By strengthening national institutions, accountability systems and public-sector capacity, the project aims to create more resilient pathways toward stability and inclusive growth.
The funding comes from the Bank's Transition Support Facility, created in 2008 to provide additional concessional financing to countries affected by fragility and conflict.
UNDP will lead field implementation through its existing networks and partnerships, working closely with governments, civil society, and both formal and informal justice systems to uphold the rule of law, resolve disputes, and improve access to justice. This approach will help embed reforms at institutional and community levels.
The Bank's Gender, Women and Civil Society team will provide technical guidance and policy support to strengthen institutions, promote inclusive governance, and track progress, particularly regarding women's participation in decision-making.
