Addressing gender-based violence and harassment
Gender-based violence and harassment is a widespread and serious global issue that affects individuals in the workplace, their communities, and homes. Gender-based violence and harassment is an umbrella term and can take many forms including physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm – and is characterised by being directed at a person because of their sex […]
How to Safeguard the Livelihoods of Women Farmers and Entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 Pandemic
In just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our world, creating an array of new challenges on every continent while reminding us of persistent inequalities. In many places, the pandemic threatens to reverse recent gains made to advance women’s economic empowerment. To understand why, meet Olivia Massarula. Olivia owns a small grocery shop […]
Rebuild Better. Rebuild Now
Hand in Hand, an NGO specialising in women’s economic empowerment, recently polled 800 our members in Kenya to find out how Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown measures were impacting their businesses. The results, if not entirely surprising, still managed to shock. Incomes had dropped by an average of 67 percent. Savings were down 69 percent and on course […]
How companies can take action to address white privilege
Like many, I have been reflecting on the injustice of racism since the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests and considering how my own actions might be perpetuating the interests of dominant white power structures within business. Over the last year the majority of my time was spent producing two Business […]
Indigenous Perspectives on Poverty Eradication, Corporate Engagement and the SDGS
Indigenous Peoples play an essential role in land management, clean water and in maintaining the diversity of global food systems. Even though they make up less than 5% of the world’s population, Indigenous Peoples manage more than 28% of the globe’s land surface. They continue to use traditional methods that have evolved over centuries that […]
To find out what ‘better’ looks like we must listen to those most affected
Plan International UK is responding to the global coronavirus crisis in over 50 countries; from delivering hygiene kits and life-saving public health information to vulnerable families and communities around the world, to ensuring children can continue their education when schools are closed. While the coronavirus crisis is having a devastating impact right across the world, […]
Developing Skills and Quality Jobs for Young People
The creation of jobs for young people may now be an even greater challenge than before the pandemic hit, with competition for positions being all the more fierce once economic activity resumes. In light of the enormous shock that COVID-19 has had on our economic system, how can we think differently about what is required […]
Masterclass Series: Gender Equality for Business
When it comes to the workplace progress in reaching parity has stalled. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap report found that at the current rate, it will take another 100 years to close the overall gender gap and 257 years to bring about parity in the workplace; in the 2019 report this number […]
Scalability, Sustainability and Participation in Value Chain
This is the second in a three part series, published in the lead up to Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers Forum online events 2020. Join the conversation exploring innovative ideas and tangible solutions for financing young entrepreneurs. Supporting youth-led enterprises is good for business and vital for inclusive economic growth. According to the World Bank, SMEs represent […]
Finding Innovative Ideas and Tangible Solutions for Financing Young Entrepreneurs
This is the first in a three part series, published in the lead up to Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers Forum online events 2020. To join the conversation exploring innovative ideas and tangible solutions for financing young entrepreneurs – the live event will take place on 30 July 2020. Please click here to register. Globally, more than […]
One Key to Getting People Back to Work? Childcare
Instead of finding support, many people have discovered deep fault lines in access to social services, including childcare. The childcare system has been deeply affected, with childcare centers around the world closed to protect children and workers. A survey in South Africa reveals that 68 percent of childcare center owners are concerned that they will […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Olu Olanrewaju
BFP: Please introduce yourself? OO: My name is Olu Olanrewaju. I work in the international affordable housing consultancy space. Assisting Private sector clients, Governments, development finance institutions such as KFW, Dfid, IFC and others in emerging economies to design and implement sustainable housing and urban development solutions. BFP: What is your personal take on the […]
Industries Post-COVID-19: A Gender-Responsive Approach to Global Economic Recovery
What most crises have in common is that they hit the most vulnerable and marginalized populations—among which women are disproportionally represented—the hardest. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, especially those facing multiple forms of discrimination related to poverty, race or disability, is increasingly being documented. As reported in the UN Secretary General’s “Policy […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Dr Myriam Sidibe
BFP: Please introduce yourself? MS: My name is Myriam Sidibe, I am from Mali and lived in over 20 countries around the world. From within Unilever, I have spearheaded a movement to change the handwashing behaviours of one billion people, the single biggest hygiene behavior change programme in the world, and conceived and established the […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Tomisin Fasosin
BFP: Please introduce yourself? TF: My name is Tomisin. I’m a Nigerian-American High School Junior residing in Maryland, USA. I serve in leadership capacities in my school & community, manage a lacrosse team and write poetry and short stories. I also enjoy fashion and activism, and love to speak up about issues like these. […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Naomi Cameron-Wyatt
BFP: Please introduce yourself. NCM: I am mixed, white British/black Caribbean, in my 30s, working in the cyber security industry and I live in the South East of England with my ten-year-old son. I am very aware of certain privileges awarded to me due to my upbringing in a white family, but equally, I am […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Dr Tauni Lanier
BFP: Please introduce yourself. TL: I am Dr Tauni Lanier. I work, live and thrive in South London. I am a systems entrepreneur, who facilitates a change to an entire ecosystem by addressing and incorporating all the resources and actors required to move the needle on a variety of social and environmental issues. My expertise […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Sizakele Marutlulle
BFP: Please introduce yourself? SM: My name is Sizakele Marutlulle. A human cis-woman, who lives a life tainted by historical impediments on account of my skin colour. A sociologist by training and strategist by occupation. I founded and lead Marutlulle + C/o – a Pan-African strategy and ideas lab that unlocks growth so pro-Africa individuals […]
Fighting Our Other Pandemic: Racism
Like you, we have looked on with horror and anger at the events that have been unfolding in the US. The horrific murder of George Floyd, the latest in a sad history of black people being killed by those meant to protect and serve. As the lawyer of the Floyd family put it at yesterday’s […]
COVID-19 Could Drive Millions of Women into Poverty, When They are Agents of Recovery
Women working in garment factories have already lost their jobs, often their households’ only income, while the pandemic is exacerbating other families’ food insecurity. For those living in areas of conflict, COVID-19 is exacerbating an already terrible situation. Like an earthquake exposing a fault line, as the pandemic plays out it is exposing deep structural inequalities. […]