‘Fragile state’ is a common description for a poor country which faces severe development challenges but whose government and institutions lack the stability, legitimacy, capacity, or willingness to provide for the basic needs, and secure the basic rights, of the majority of its people – particularly those who are poor and marginalised. A fragile state is often affected by, or recovering from, conflict.
Many of the countries in which we work are also fragile states. Due to war and instability sections of society are marginalised and under-represented.
But as Suad Abdi, Progressio’s country representative in Somaliland, puts it, they are “fragile states, not fragile people”.
So our development workers support people to have their say in the decisions and policies that shape their lives in the countries where we work.
And through our policy and advocacy work, we stand alongside them as they press for greater transparency, accountability and responsiveness from their governments and institutions in order to achieve their social, economic and political rights. This includes our campaigning work for gender justice and our work to:
