Are grassroots Non-governmental organization actors policies pro-poor? Questioning inclusive beneficiary targeting and people-centred policy rhetoric in Ethiopia

The study analysed the interface among pro-poor targeting, gender inequality and women beneficiaries of programme-based grassroots level intervention in urban setting in Ethiopia. Using feminist lenses of service delivery, social capital, intersectionality and change theories, a quasi-experimental time design was employed to assess the intervention impacts. From desk review, questionnaire and interviews data, the impact of the much-advocated pro-poor grassroots urban agriculture programme prove mixed results. The study result shows that grassroots interventions are neither inclusive in targeting nor it prove pro-poor purpose. The evidence shows a widening gender gap even among beneficiaries. The study thus concludes that interventions by grassroots non-governmental organizations are neither pro-poor in purpose nor the actors are inclusive in targeting. The study revealed doubts on people-centeredness of grassroots interventions and actors. Thus, a feminist rights-based inclusion framework should inform grassroots interventions since such framework is based on intersectional perspectives, gender-sensitive indices and critical of categorical targeting of beneficiaries. The grassroots evidence finally brings new insights on agriculture – programme-based urban agriculture and women empowerment in agriculture index and brings new insight on intervention logic of women rights in policy design and evaluation.   Key words: Feminist women empowerment, pro-poor intervention, people-centred targeting, grassroots actors, women rights.