Companies Can’t Ignore the ‘She-cession’ Created by the COVID-19 Pandemic
“Stronger engagement on gender equality is key to a sustainable global recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and building fairer, more inclusive, more prosperous societies. Women and girls are in the frontline of the pandemic and must be put in the driving seat of the recovery.” In this statement, Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, stresses […]
Seminar Video: What can companies do to include and support women farmers?
PROFILE Esther Ngumbi is an author, researcher, educator, mentor, speaker, and a champion for change around the issues of hunger, gender, education, youth activism, agriculture, sustainability, and public service. She works as an Assistant Professor, Entomology and African American Studies, at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She is the founder of organizations that […]
Seminar video: What can business do to help tackle Gender-based violence?
PROFILE Claudia Eger is Assistant Professor at the Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy at Copenhagen Business School. Her research explores the challenges and complexities of business in society with a focus on how social norms and values shape labour market inequality. In her recent work, Claudia studies the intersection of gender and violence in […]
Seminar Video: What can companies do to help unleash the power of women’s enterprises?
PROFILE Shiela Yabo is a Business Strategist, Venture Builder, and Project Manager with a passion for building inclusive ecosystems. With experience of entrepreneurship from both Africa and recently from Silicon Valley, she has a wealth of experience in new venture launch and support, and systems thinking and leadership through mentorship. She is currently Programme Manager […]
A new dawn for women smallholders in India
The work of a female farmer begins well before dawn, and continues well after dusk, and yet in terms of empowerment, agency, and ownership, many women farmers are still in the dark. In India, 85% of rural women are engaged in agriculture, yet only about 13% own land. Overcoming the gender gap with support and empowerment […]
Supporting Women-owned Businesses in the Time of COVID-19
When we think of lifting people out of poverty we generally think of traditional acts of charity: donating to organizations that provide food, water, clothing, shelter and medical supplies to the millions who are in critical need, often as a result of natural disasters or economic calamities. Unfortunately, COVID-19, a global pandemic with an economic […]
The Fourth Industrial Revolution Needs Equality Tech
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. It is impacting all disciplines, economies and industries, altering how companies, governments and individuals operate, from the way we live, work, and relate to one another, ultimately leading to societal transformation.[1] The impact […]
Gender is a significant factor in private sector and disaster management
One of the key considerations of gender in private sector disaster management is that women are overrepresented in the economic sectors that are hit hardest in disasters, as well as in the informal sector which is specifically vulnerable to disasters. Some might say the selection of career is a personal choice. But is it? The World […]
Putting Women in the Driver’s Seat
In many traditional farming communities, women handle most of the manual work in addition to having responsibilities for home and family management, as many of them have never driven a car. They are consigned to work in planting, weeding, and drying beds while also managing the feeding, education, and healthcare of their immediate and often […]
Embroidered with empowerment, from mother to mother
My ‘day job’ as an impact measurement consultant in the international development and humanitarian sectors is all about evaluating human consequences of other people’s decisions. But when it comes to starting my own initiative, I’m realising how difficult some of those decisions can be. Khushi Kantha (‘Happy Blanket’ in Bengali) aims to create opportunities for […]
CARE and Cargill’s cocoa collaboration: Transforming lives together
As two global organizations, Cargill and CARE understand the complexity of the interrelated challenges of community development, nutrition, improved livelihoods and women’s empowerment. But we also know the tremendous impact that can be unlocked when we work together toward shared goals: learning from one another, challenging each other’s assumptions about what’s possible, and finding new […]
Data and Tech Acceleration in COVID-19: The Human Rights Impact on Vulnerable Garment Workers
Workers in the global supply chain—the women and men who make the clothes we wear and produce the food we eat—may not be the first people who come to mind when we discuss workplace data protection. However, like corporate offices, factories are digitizing rapidly—a change accelerated further by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, supply chain workers […]
Why we need to radically reimagine leadership to achieve gender equality.
Gender equality matters. You know that right? Not just morally. Not just because all of the world’s people have a right to live on equal terms. Equality has a critical impact on whether economies and societies thrive. It is key to realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals and bringing about a fairer, more resilient future […]
Uncovering Vulnerability Inspires Authentic Leadership
What if executive coaching were made available to women early in their careers to increase and deepen their impact in the world? Executive coaching is typically a privilege offered only to the most valued business professionals. After 20 years of working her way into the C-suite, Jane Finette’s employer offered her that opportunity. The experience […]
Women in industry – why we need more gender-sensitive statistics
Since COVID-19 emerged in late 2019, scientists have been poring over the data to understand better how the virus behaves and how to fight it. After multiple clinical trials conducted around the world at record speed, there is now encouraging news on potential vaccines. But scientific studies show that many trials fail to take the sex […]
Diversifying livelihoods for Maasai people: The value of business
For Antonella Mpario, her first step into small-scale business as a beekeeper has proved fruitful in more ways than one. Not only does this bring much-needed funds for her and her community, but it has also resulted in greater equality for both her and her fellow female beekeepers in a traditionally patriarchal society. Antonella is […]
Clearing the Air in Darfur
Feeding your family and keeping warm are basic human needs. But in North Darfur, indoor pollution created by smoke from the firewood and charcoal used on household stoves is a major cause of death for women and children. 90% of households rely on wood and charcoal for their fuel. It’s expensive to buy and produces […]
I Am Purple: Youth-Focused Gender Empowerment
I Am Purple was a youth-focused gender empowerment programme, funded by DFID, now FCDO, that used digital platforms to change harmful social norms around gender equality among young men and women in Nigeria. This 5-year programme applied social norm theory to address 3 key areas: Women’s voice and leadership Women’s role in decision-making Violence against […]
Early Intervention Results in Greater Gains for Girls
If leaders are made, and not always born, then why not begin nurturing women leaders as soon as possible? Dr. Angela Reddix’s Envision Lead Grow program intercepts girls at 10 years old. Over the course of eight years, the program nurtures their entrepreneurial skills as they become “girl bosses.” Reddix was not content with building […]
Business Fights Poverty Fortnightly Round Up
At the beginning of December, we held the second in our series of online Virtual Summits – this time, with a focus on gender. Hosted in partnership with CDC, the 2X Challenge, UN Women and CARE International, the Gender Summit included live events, peer networking, and a wealth of online learning resources, from seminars to toolkits, reports, […]