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 […]
Enabling greater inclusion of PWD’s amid the pandemic
The World Health Organization offers a definition of disability that encompasses three dimensions: 1) Impairment in a person’s body structure or function, or mental functioning 2) Activity limitation such as difficulty seeing, hearing, walking or problem-solving 3) Restricted participation in normal daily activities such as work, social interaction and recreational activities. Over 800 million people […]
Business Mentorship for LGBTQ Refugees
LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers around the world are fleeing their home countries due to life-threatening persecution and violence. Even when this vulnerable population arrives in a host country where same-sex relations are not criminalized, they can still face discrimination, isolation and fear of rejection. To help LGBTQ refugees integrate into their new communities and […]
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, […]
Gender-Based Violence and Tourism
Although the study of gender as a pertinent issue within tourism and hospitality has been on the agenda for 30 years, women continue to face injustice. Women make up between 60 and 70% of the labour force internationally (Baum, 2013), but are far more likely than men to be found in lower-paid, unskilled jobs. Women […]
SEMINAR VIDEO: WHY SHOULD COMPANIES HAVE PROGRAMMES TO DEVELOP WOMEN LEADERS?
PROFILE Vasanthi Srinivasan is Professor of Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management, and Chair of Digital Learning at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. Also, Vasanthi is a Past President of the Indian Academy of Management. WHAT THIS SESSION COVERS In this session Professor Vasanthi Srinivasan talks about her work and research on leadership development, […]
SEMINAR VIDEO: WHY IS THE PANDEMIC DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS?
PROFILE Ute Stephan is Professor of Entrepreneurship at King’s College London, Visiting Professor (Organizational Psychology) at TU Dresden, Germany, Honorary Professor at Aston Business School and at UCL, and a Fellow of the International Association of Applied Psychology. WHAT THIS SESSION COVERS In this session Professor Ute Stephan talks about her research project on Entrepreneurship […]
Seeing Purple!
Perhaps like me, your heart was touched by the story last month of Chris Nikic. The 21 year old American entered the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the first person with Down Syndrome to complete the Ironman event: swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running a 26.2-mile marathon. “You have shattered barriers […]
How Women Farmers and Entrepreneurs Can Build Resilience during COVID-19
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginie Adounon faced significant challenges with her business. In 2017, the 30-year-old mother of five decided to open a beauty salon in Bohicon, a city in southern Benin. Her shop was constructed out of bamboo, and during the rainy season, water would pour in from the ceiling. “I had no […]
Listening to women cotton farmers’ voices: The human cost of climate change
In my role with CottonConnect over the last six years, I have worked on social impact programmes to improve the health and livelihoods of women cotton farmers, and am aware of the specific needs of women in these communities. What I’m seeing now is how climate change contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty, from […]
Gender equality matters to business
We are living in challenging times. Uncertainty, complexity and the speed at which everything is moving around us, has forced us to reflect on our societies, our priorities within business and the future of our planet. The recent pandemic has lead businesses and individuals to evaluate their focus and in some cases their ultimate goals […]