P5 · Child Rights & Civic Space

Civil Society Strengthening Program (CSSO)

Sida - CSSO: Demanding and supporting the fulfilment of children’s rights across Africa

CSSO Program has five mandatory quality perspectives of reaching most marginalized and deprived children, child rights programming, responding to the climate and environmental crisis that threatens children’s survival, learning and protection, and promoting and integrating gender equality, and Conflict sensitivity.

Overall Goal: The global Civil Society Strengthening Program (2022-2026), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has the overall goal to: Support a strong civil society that demands and supports the fulfilment of children’s rights– holding states to account and mobilising and empowering children and their communities.
East and Southern Africa Region Footprint:
Kenya flagKenya Uganda flagUganda Tanzania flagTanzania Ethiopia flagEthiopia Zambia flagZambia Zimbabwe flagZimbabwe Mozambique flagMozambique South Africa flagSouth Africa
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Civil Society Capacity: Civil Society Organisations are well functioning and have increased their independence, sustainability, and competency as child rights actors in a changing context.
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Children’s Agency: Children express their views and organise themselves around issues of their concern.
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Child Rights: CSOs advocate and hold states to account for the fulfilment of children’s rights and equitable access to quality services.
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Civic Space: CSOs have opportunities for civil society influence, and Save the Children acts to uphold and expand civic space.

Four key outcome areas are linked to the overall ambition and program goal, directly linked to the Swedish government´s strategy that guides funding for the global Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) program and the Child Rights Programming approach.

Sida (Swedish Int. Dev. Cooperation Agency)
Funding & Strategy
Save the Children
Child Rights & Civic Space Partner
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
National & Regional Advocates
Implementation Period: 2022 – 2026
Geographic Region: East and Southern Africa
Strategic Focus: Child Rights Programming