Archive for category: Women’s Empowerment

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South Sudan Women and Their Empowerment

South Sudan WomenAccording to the World Bank, around four in five people in South Sudan live in extreme poverty, among the highest rates in the world. Grassroots enterprise projects such as the South Sudan Women Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWSEEP) help women and their communities build local business skills so they can obtain jobs and rise out of poverty. FAO programs support women farmers and entrepreneurs with training in vegetable production, irrigation, climate-smart agriculture and livestock-related livelihoods to strengthen household nutrition and income. The Construction of Women Economic Empowerment Centers (WECCs) provides skills training, financial literacy and vital support services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).

South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project

While the $70 million International Development Association (IDA) grant was approved in 2022, the current World Bank reporting describes the four-year SSWSEEP implementation as a $52 million project. While UN Women supports the implementation, the 2022 World Bank report says that the financing was an IDA grant. This support helps female entrepreneurs formalize and scale up their business activities and helps survivors of GBV access vital services that enable them to recover and rebuild their lives.

Survivors of GBV receive immediate safety and crisis intervention, health care and medical support, mental health and psychosocial support, and legal and economic empowerment. These services help women in poverty increase their social status in society. They provide access to education, training, business services and financing. As Aya Benjamin Warile, the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare for South Sudan indicated, “empowering women to participate fully in civic and economic life will make South Sudan more prosperous and peaceful.”

Agricultural and Agrifood Training

FAO-backed programs are helping some women farmers move from subsistence production toward more climate-resilient, market-oriented agriculture through training, tools and field-based support. The FAO has supported South Sudan’s food security, resilience and climate-smart agriculture in response to conflict, displacement and climate shocks. The organization has also supported development in the livestock sector, which gives millions of people in South Sudan a vital source of food, income and cultural identity. These programs show how targeted agricultural support can strengthen resilience and income opportunities.

Community Centers and Safe Spaces

Empowering South Sudan’s women and girls is the first step in fostering peace. In a country where four out of five people are in extreme poverty, women and girls ravaged by conflict, submerged by floods, and affected by repeated natural and human-made disasters are now caregivers, breadwinners and protectors for families and communities. Survivor networks and referral services empower women to support each other in seeking safety and recovery from GBV. In the business sector, villages provide women with savings and loan associations that enable them to start profitable enterprises so they feed their families and send children to school.

The Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (WSEEP), in collaboration with the World Bank and UN Women, has four components that show the steps to empower women. The project centers on providing community empowerment support to women and girls, establishing a women’s economic opportunity facility, enhancing services for survivors of GBV and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.

Women’s Economic Community Centers

The construction of five new women’s economic community centers (WECCs) in states across the country will enable the provision of social and economic services for women and girls at satellite sites in these states. The WECCs will offer integrated services such as starter kits and grants, GBV response and referrals, and training in business, leadership, financial literacy, advocacy, and peacebuilding. The second component of WSEEP allows technical assistance and grants for women-led small and growing businesses. Enterprises will be sustained through crucial investments such as purchasing key equipment, accessing digital technologies and upskilling staff.

Services for GBV Survivors

The third component of WSEEP provides critical services for GBV survivors, including a national GBV hotline and the establishment of a new safe house for survivors in Juba. The hotline gives GBV survivors access to psychosocial support, health, police, child support, legal aid, and shelter offered by a toll-free 24/7 line. The safe house provides affordable basic protection services and resources like accommodation, protection, clothing, medical care and counseling and legal support.

Policymaking

Under the fourth component, the Ministry for Gender, Child and Social Welfare focuses on policymaking and coordination on South Sudan women empowerment issues. The component trains and accredits ministry social workers to address GBV cases, support family mediation, meet ministry needs and finance training, workshops and conferences. By addressing the weaknesses and strengths of the challenges that women in the poverty-stricken country of South Sudan face, the WSEEP aims to help South Sudanese women live better, more productive lives.

– Stephanie Ou

Stephanie is based in San Jose, California/Santa Clara County, United States and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Employment and the Gender Wage Gap in Djibouti

Gender Wage Gap in DjiboutiWomen in Djibouti face barriers that can make it harder to find stable jobs and earn an income. Although Djibouti has laws supporting equal pay, there is not enough recent data to calculate a reliable direct gender wage gap. Instead, available data show differences in employment and informal work between women and men. These differences can help show some of the larger challenges women face in the labor market.

The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law data gave Djibouti a score of 87.5 out of 100 in 2025 for its legal framework on pay. This score measures whether certain laws supporting equal pay are in place. It does not measure how much women and men actually earn or whether employers consistently enforce equal-pay laws. Therefore, the score shows the country’s legal framework but cannot be used as a measurement of Djibouti’s actual gender wage gap.

Unemployment

One challenge facing women in Djibouti is unemployment. According to the UN Women Data Hub, the unemployment rate for women ages 15 and older was 35.9% in 2017, compared with 22.1% for men. These figures are from 2017, so they should not be treated as current 2026 unemployment rates. However, they show that women faced higher unemployment than men in the available data.

Women also had a higher rate of informal employment. In 2017, 64.9% of women’s non-agricultural employment was informal, compared with 45.3% for men. Informal employment can make it harder for workers to access protections and stable employment conditions. More recent information is needed to determine how these differences have changed.

The lack of current gender data is another challenge. UN Women reports that Djibouti has gaps in important gender-related data, including information about the gender pay gap. Without reliable and updated information about wages and employment, it is difficult to measure the size of the pay gap or track changes over time.

What the Data Can Tell Us

The available information does not provide a reliable current percentage for the gender wage gap in Djibouti. However, the differences in unemployment and informal employment show that women and men do not have the same experiences in the labor market.

The World Bank’s 2026 Djibouti Economic Monitor also reports that unemployment is particularly high among women and young people and that informal employment remains widespread. The report uses evidence from Djibouti’s first nationally representative Labor Force Survey, providing newer information about the country’s labor market.

Collecting more information about women’s and men’s wages, occupations, working hours and access to different types of employment could make it easier to understand pay differences in Djibouti. Better data could also help policymakers identify areas where women face the greatest barriers.

A Program Supporting Women’s Economic Opportunities

One example of an initiative addressing women’s economic opportunities in Djibouti is the World Bank-supported Djibouti Support for Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Project. The project was approved in 2018 with $15 million in financing. It aimed to improve economic opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs by supporting new businesses, entrepreneurship training and access to financing.

The project worked with entrepreneurs through training, business-development services, grants and business-plan competitions. By the time of its completion, 2,359 beneficiaries had received grants, with women making up 60% of grant recipients. The project also provided 4,938 training-completion certificates and supported the registration of 740 new businesses. Women accounted for 55% of the entrepreneurs accessing project-supported services who registered new businesses.

These results show how programs can address some of the barriers that limit women’s participation in the economy. The project focused on helping women gain business skills and access to financial resources rather than directly measuring or closing a gender wage gap. Since Djibouti still lacks reliable direct pay-gap data, programs like this provide one way to expand women’s economic opportunities while better employment data is collected.

Looking Ahead

The gender wage gap in Djibouti cannot currently be measured reliably because important wage data are missing. However, available employment data show differences between women and men in unemployment and informal employment.

Improving gender-related labor data would make it easier to identify pay differences and track progress. At the same time, programs that provide women with business training, financing and employment opportunities can help address some of the barriers they face in the labor market.

Djibouti’s legal framework also provides a starting point. The country received an 87.5 out of 100 score for its legal framework on pay in the World Bank’s 2025 data, but that score does not show whether women and men actually receive equal wages. Combining legal protections, programs that expand women’s economic opportunities and better data collection could provide a clearer picture of women’s employment and pay equality in Djibouti.

– Neha Veerepalli

Neha is based in Redmond, WA, USA and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women Entrepreneurs in Fiji and Economic Opportunity

Women Entrepreneurs in FijiWomen entrepreneurs in Fiji are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s economic development, particularly through tourism and small businesses. Across urban centers, rural communities and local markets, women are creating businesses that provide income for their families while contributing to their communities and the wider economy. However, many women continue to face barriers to finance, markets, training and technology.

The Growing Role of Women in Fiji’s Economy

Women already make a significant contribution to Fiji’s business sector. In 2024, the Fijian government reported more than 5,500 registered women involved in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), alongside 18,742 self-employed women and 4,650 women working in handicrafts. Tourism provides important opportunities for women to turn traditional skills, local knowledge and cultural practices into income. Women participate through handicrafts, food businesses, cultural experiences, accommodation and tour services. These enterprises can connect rural and maritime communities with both local and international visitors. When women generate their own income, they can also strengthen household financial security and create opportunities for others in their communities.

Women’s Entrepreneurship and Poverty

Supporting women entrepreneurs in Fiji is also relevant to poverty reduction. Poverty remains a significant challenge in Fiji, with 24.1% of the population living below the national poverty line in 2019-20, according to the World Bank. Poverty was even higher in rural areas of Fiji’s main islands, at 36.2%, and reached 39.2% in the outer islands. Supporting women entrepreneurs in these communities can help create household income and local employment opportunities, linking women’s economic empowerment with broader poverty-reduction efforts. Entrepreneurship cannot eliminate poverty by itself, but sustainable women-owned businesses can provide additional household income and create economic activity within communities. This is particularly relevant in rural areas, where tourism, agriculture, handicrafts and food businesses can provide alternatives to limited employment opportunities.

Barriers Women Entrepreneurs Face

Despite their contribution, women continue to experience significant challenges when starting and expanding businesses. Women-owned MSMEs represent 19% of MSMEs in Fiji and face an estimated $111 million in unmet credit demand. Limited collateral and traditional lending requirements can make it difficult for women to access finance. Women also face unequal unpaid care responsibilities. UN Women reports that women and girls aged 15 and older in Fiji spend 13.9% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared with 4.9% for men. Limited access to digital technology and e-commerce is another challenge, particularly for tourism businesses that increasingly depend on online marketing, digital payments and booking platforms.

Training and Organizations Supporting Women

Training can help women develop the skills needed to build sustainable businesses. In 2024, Fiji’s Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, provided women in villages in Moala with training in bookkeeping, marketing, branding, inventory management and saving strategies. There are also measurable results from financial-literacy programs. UN Women reported that 190 women from four Fijian markets applied financial-literacy skills in 2024. Of these, 75 transitioned to formal banking through a structured savings program, while 90 vendors began using digital tracking tools and organized financial records. The Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC) supports women through training, networking and connections to business-support organizations. It has also worked with the Fiji Development Bank, recording measurable progress in expanding finance for women entrepreneurs. By November 2023, the Fiji Development Bank had approved more than 1,000 loans specifically for women-owned businesses, worth approximately FJ$2.5 million. By 2024, the number of active women-led accounts had risen to 2,943, compared with 490 in 2021, while women accounted for 30.31% of the bank’s total loan portfolio value. FemLINK Pacific is another organization supporting women’s participation and leadership in Fiji. Through its community media and development work, FemLINK helps women in rural and marginalized communities have greater opportunities to share their experiences, participate in decision-making and raise issues affecting their livelihoods. This type of community-level support can complement financial and business programs by strengthening women’s voices and connections within their communities.

Expanding Access to Finance

Fiji has also introduced its first MSME Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 and a National MSME Database, intended to improve access to government support for entrepreneurs, including women-led businesses in rural and maritime areas. These initiatives demonstrate why supporting women entrepreneurs in Fiji requires more than providing loans. Women also need access to training, technology, markets, networks and opportunities to participate in economic decision-making. Tourism offers a particularly important pathway because women can build businesses around Fiji’s local products, culture and knowledge while connecting directly with visitors. Women are business owners, market vendors, producers and community leaders. With stronger access to finance, training, technology and markets, more women entrepreneurs in Fiji could develop sustainable businesses, strengthen household incomes and contribute to more inclusive economic development.

– Lilia Clark

Lilia is based in Oxford, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Roots of South Sudan: Beadwork Offering Independence

Roots of South SudanYears of economic hardship and violence have severely impacted South Sudanese livelihoods. Prolonged instability and extensive displacement have uprooted millions of people from their homes, disrupted economic activity and increased economic insecurity. The World Bank reports that conflict and significant economic dislocation contributed to South Sudan’s poverty headcount rising from 51% in 2009 to 82% in 2016.

Women’s financial stability is further affected by conflict and displacement, which can worsen existing inequalities. Against the backdrop of the country’s escalating humanitarian crisis, UN Women reports that women and girls face particular challenges.

Displacement, however, does not take away women’s existing skills and knowledge. Some South Sudanese women are using traditional beadwork to turn a cultural skill into a source of income. Roots of South Sudan is a craft-based organization founded in Juba in 2009 that provides employment opportunities through traditional handicrafts such as beadwork for internally displaced South Sudanese women, as well as Sudanese and Ethiopian refugee women.

The organization helps displaced women turn their existing skills into income while maintaining cultural traditions by connecting traditional handicrafts with resources and wider markets.

Economic Barriers Facing Displaced Women

Conflict and displacement can disrupt livelihoods, making it more difficult for women to access the resources needed to provide a consistent income. Only five percent of women in South Sudan had an account with a formal financial institution in 2017, compared with 13% of men. The World Bank also notes that women’s participation in income-generating activities is limited by restricted access to markets, financial services, business training and productive resources. UN Women notes that access to capital, savings and skills can help displaced women increase their economic stability and diversify their sources of income.

Despite these barriers, South Sudanese women continue to draw on skills that can support their livelihoods. For example, women have passed traditional beadwork from one generation to the next, preserving a skill that can also provide an opportunity to generate income. Andariya documents the relationship between women’s livelihoods, cultural continuity and beadwork.

From Traditional Skill to Livelihood

Launched in Juba in 2009, Roots of South Sudan uses traditional beadwork to provide economic opportunities for internally displaced South Sudanese women from various ethnic backgrounds, as well as Sudanese and Ethiopian refugee women. Roots of South Sudan reports that its programs have provided economic, educational and trauma-healing assistance to more than 500 women, including internally displaced and refugee women.

Roots supports women in turning their existing skills into products that can reach wider markets by providing materials, training and other forms of support.

Market access is a key part of this model. Through its partnership with MADE51, a UNHCR initiative that helps refugee artisans reach international markets, Roots connects artisans with customers outside South Sudan.

Through collaborations such as the IBU Movement, Roots also provides opportunities for training, product development and capacity building. These forms of support allow women to build on existing skills while creating opportunities to earn an income from their work.

According to Roots of South Sudan, its members have generated more than $950,000 in direct income since 2011, with each member’s income estimated to support six to 10 family members. The income generated through beadwork can therefore extend beyond individual artisans to support households that depend on their earnings.

Rebuilding Independence and Community

Roots’ model focuses on building on displaced women’s existing skills rather than treating them solely as recipients of aid. Its Juba center brings together women from different South Sudanese communities, giving them opportunities to work together and exchange cultural knowledge and experiences.

Garland highlights how artistic activities such as beading can create spaces where South Sudanese women interact, share knowledge and discuss their experiences and culture. For women who have experienced displacement, these spaces can give traditional craft a role beyond income generation while helping maintain cultural connections and relationships across communities.

Preserving Culture

South Sudanese beadwork has cultural significance in addition to its value as a handcrafted product. While the practice itself is passed down from one generation to the next, beads, colors and designs can convey identity, social belonging and traditions. Cultural Survival and the Metropolitan Museum of Art document the cultural significance of beadwork across African communities.

For displaced women, continuing these practices can provide a way to build on existing skills while maintaining connections to their cultural heritage. Research on South Sudanese beadwork also shows how women adapt the craft as their circumstances change.

The expansion of traditional craft markets can create income opportunities while also raising questions about cultural ownership and fair compensation for artisans. Africa Press highlights the commercial potential of South Sudanese crafts, while Roots of South Sudan describes how the organization provides materials and helps artisans sell their work domestically and internationally.

Beadwork therefore carries both cultural and commercial significance, allowing a skill passed down through generations to become a potential source of income.

Craft-Based Livelihoods

Beadwork alone cannot solve the underlying causes of poverty, violence and displacement in South Sudan. However, when women have the means and opportunity to earn from skills they already possess, craft-based work can contribute to rebuilding their livelihoods. In addition to teaching women how to produce crafts, Roots’ production model helps remove some of the practical obstacles that can prevent women from engaging in paid employment by providing childcare, meals and transportation alongside organized orders and access to materials.

Other livelihood projects similarly combine skills development with practical financial support. For instance, UNHCR has provided start-up grants, digital access and vocational training to refugees and host communities. These examples suggest that the viability of craft-based livelihoods depends not only on the skill itself but also on creating the conditions that allow women to turn that skill into a steady source of income.

Final Thoughts

Conflict and displacement can take away livelihoods and increase economic insecurity for women and their families, but they do not take away the skills women already possess. Beadwork demonstrates how these existing skills can generate income while helping women rebuild their livelihoods and maintain cultural traditions. Roots’ experience suggests that addressing poverty does not always require women to start from scratch; economic opportunities can also be built around the knowledge and skills they already possess.

– Zeba Vagh

Zeba is based in Melbourne, Australia and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Remittance to Nepal Grows Safer as Transfers Go Digital

Remittance to NepalAfter eight years working in hospitality in Japan and South Korea, Surendra Bal returned home and opened a guest house in Bhojpur district, sourcing vegetables and meat from his own farm instead of buying them elsewhere. “I am able to serve organic meals to my guests,” Bal, 48, told the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2022, adding that the arrangement also creates work for his neighbors.

In hill villages across Nepal, a monthly transfer from a family member working in Qatar or Malaysia often decides whether a household eats well, keeps a child in school or repairs a leaking roof. Remittances to Nepal now reach well over a third of the country’s households, and new research shows the money is arriving faster, cheaper and more securely than at any point in the past 30 years, partly thanks to a new generation of digital transfer systems.

A Quarter of the Economy

Remittance to Nepal accounted for 26.3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, one of the highest ratios in the world, according to a June 2025 report by the Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility (CESLAM). Nepali migrant workers sent home approximately $10.76 billion that year, a sum exceeding the combined value of Nepal’s foreign aid, tourism income and exports. Drawing on four editions of the Nepal Living Standards Survey, the report notes that the share of households receiving remittances increased from 10.8% in 1996 to 35.6% in 2023, while the average amount received per household rose by 17 times over the same period, from 18,215 Nepalese rupees (about $330) to more than 315,000 Nepalese rupees (about $2,413).

A Growing Role for Women

Women remitters represent a small yet rapidly growing share of the total. Only 4.5% of remitters were women in 2004, and they contributed only 1.3% of the total value remitted that year. By 2023, women made up 19.9% of remitters and accounted for 10.4% of remittances sent to Nepal, reflecting a broader rise in women’s labor migration over the same period. Women remitters still transfer smaller average amounts than men, mostly because more of them work in lower-paying jobs or in India, where wages for migrant labor remain relatively low.

Formal Channels Replace Informal Ones

The formalization of remittance to Nepal has accelerated sharply over the past decade. Informal channels made up just 7% of the money entering the country in 2023, a drop from 30% in 2011. These informal channels include personal couriers, cash carried home by returning workers and hundi, an unregulated network of brokers who move money between countries through trusted contacts rather than physically transferring cash, verified using a code passed between sender and recipient. Banks and licensed remittance service providers now carry 92.8% of the total value of remittance to Nepal. Recipient households cited daily consumption as the leading use of that income (72.3%), followed by loan repayment tied to the cost of migration itself.

Provincial Gaps Remain

These benefits do not reach every part of the country evenly. Households in Gandaki, Koshi and Bagmati provinces received an average of more than 400,000 Nepalese rupees (about $3,000) in 2023, while those in Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Madhesh received roughly half that amount (about $1,500). The gap traces back largely to destination, meaning migrants from lower-receiving provinces more often work in India, where average earnings and remittance amounts fall short of those from the Gulf states, Malaysia or higher-income countries such as Australia and Japan.

A New Digital Corridor

A new digital payment corridor could help to close the gap. In June 2026, the Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched a real-time digital remittance service linking Nepal’s National Payments Interface with India’s Unified Payments Interface, targeting the single largest and lowest-earning corridor in Nepal’s remittance system.

Nepal and India conduct an estimated $1.5 billion to $2 billion in annual financial transactions, with much of it still carried in cash across the open border, according to NCHL Chief Executive Officer Neelesh Man Singh Pradhan. The new system lets Nepali workers in India send money directly through mobile banking apps instead. Eight Nepali banks, including Nabil Bank, Everest Bank and more, connect to the platform, and each transaction carries a service charge of just 150 Indian rupees (about $1.55). Nepal Rastra Bank designed the service to discourage informal networks like hundi and to give migrant workers greater control and security over their earnings, according to central bank spokesperson Guru Prasad Paudel.

Closing the Rural Gap

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have pushed for similar progress nationwide. The two organizations convened a panel in 2024 that found rural financial inclusion still trails urban areas by 10 percentage points and that high transfer costs continue to push some remitters toward informal channels. Government incentives, such as preferential access to company share offerings for migrant workers, are helping narrow that gap alongside continued investment in digital transfer systems.

Looking Ahead

As more of the money flowing into Nepal moves through transparent, low-cost digital corridors, the millions of families who depend on remittance to Nepal stand to keep more of what their families abroad send home, and to receive it faster and more safely than ever before.

– Naveeshaa Rengasamy

Naveeshaa is based in Lille, France and focuses on Global Health and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Updates on SDG 5 in Haiti  

SDG 5 in HaitiThe United Nations’ fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) aims to achieve gender equality through the empowerment of women and girls. It involves addressing concerns such as gender-based violence, maternal health, economic opportunity and representation in government.

In Haiti, the achievement of SDG 5 and other development goals has been hindered by decades of political instability, social unrest and natural disasters. Some of the main barriers to women’s equality in Haiti include widespread sexual violence and limited access to economic opportunities. 

SDG 5 Indicators in Haiti

Despite progress in some areas, the Sustainable Development Report asserts that major challenges remain for Haiti’s achievement of SDG 5. This assessment is based largely on the following indicators:

  • Maternal Health – Haitian women have poor access to maternal health services and limited agency over decisions regarding their own health care. As a result, Haiti has a lifetime maternal death risk of one in 67, the second highest outside of Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Education – Gaps in educational attainment between boys and girls have narrowed in recent decades, as school attendance has increased overall. However, adult men are more likely to have completed secondary and tertiary schooling, reflecting women’s historic disadvantage. In 2017, 26.1% of men in urban areas had pursued higher education compared to 14.9% of women.
  • Employment Opportunities – Relative equality for women in terms of labor force participation has been achieved. However, gendered segregation within the labor market confines women to certain low-wage industries, such as retail, trade and textile manufacturing.
  • Representation in Government – The Haitian Constitution requires that women hold at least 30% of posts in public administration. Haiti’s Parliament, last active in 2019, failed to meet this quota, with women holding 2.5% of lower house seats and 3.6% of senate seats.

Seven male members made up the Transitional Presidential Council, which originated in 2024 to reestablish democracy amidst the ongoing power vacuum and rise of armed gangs.

Haiti’s Current State: Displacement and Sexual Violence 

Since the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, armed gangs have gained control more than 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince and major roads throughout the country. As of October 2025, gang violence had forcibly displaced 1.4 million people.

In this climate of violence and instability, women and girls are especially vulnerable. In makeshift camps, a lack of security puts women at risk of sexual violence. Armed gangs often use rape as a tactic of fear or coercion. Of the 5,857 reported cases of sexual assault in 2024, 64% were attributed to armed gangs and 61% of victims were internally displaced persons.

Survivors of sexual violence lack support and legal recourse, as systems for addressing sexual abuse in the camps are lacking or nonexistent. U.N. programs currently in place aim to train police officers to prevent sexual violence.

Moving Forward: UN Efforts and Haitian-Led Organizations

The United Nations currently has a number of programs in place to make progress towards SDG 5 in Haiti. Current UN Programmatic Interventions aim to address sexual and gender-based violence in Haiti, protect and empower displaced women, and enable women’s political participation.

Several Haitian-based organizations, many of them women-led, are working to address these issues on the ground. 

Nègès Mawon, a female-founded organization, has been working since 2015 to provide support to survivors of sexual violence, including medical care, legal support, economic assistance and psychological services. The organization’s safe houses provide a refuge for women escaping domestic and gang violence. In reference to the ongoing state of violence and instability in Haiti, co-founder Pascale Solages stated, “Women and girls are the first victims of this crisis.” In 2024, Nègès Mawon provided support to 1,800 women and girls. 

Another Haitian-based feminist organization is Marijàn, which originated in 2020 to promote gender equality and defend the rights of women and girls in Haiti. The organization’s program on gender-based violence provides psychological, legal and medical support to survivors. Marijàn uses education programs, community mobilization and political advocacy to further its mission of justice and dignity for women and girls in Haiti.

Although many challenges remain and Haiti is not on track to achieve SDG 5 by 2030, the efforts of United Nations agencies and Haitian-based NGOs have the potential to address the current humanitarian crisis in Haiti and its disproportionate effects on women.

– India Kaz

India is based in Seattle, WA, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Stitch by Stitch: Afghan Women Fight Poverty with Zardozi

ZardoziAccording to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), nearly 85% of Afghan women rely on less than $1 a day to successfully support their families while facing barriers to education, employment or economic authority within the household. Since 2020, the UNDP reports that Afghanistan that a devastating 29% economic downturn has gripped the nation, prompting women to find creative solutions in their fight against poverty.

Cherma Dozi, a well known and traditional Afghan embroidery style, celebrates underappreciated culture in the Middle East. It stands as one of many Zardozi patterns that showcases regional culture and beauty. Taking advantage of this common hobby is Zardozi, which is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that takes its name directly from the Afghan embroidery it promotes. It teaches women and girls in Afghanistan to create traditional stitching, protecting their economic opportunities under an oppressive government. This organization seeks to help women and girls find viable employment, participate in local markets and amplify their voices in the government.

Protecting Women

Zardozi embroidery utilizes basic fabrics that often fill Afghan homes and in local markets. Located in community spaces, Zardozi runs an embroidery business program, teaching women to sell their creations for profit. By learning how to sew this embroidery upon dresses, shirts and traditional attire, the program helps the girls to become proficient in sewing, embroidery and business skills. Nearly 1,000 Afghan women participate in the program. They currently operate four main centers in the cities of Kabul, Mazar, Jalalabad and Herat. These women also earn grants of $100 to get started. Notably, Zardozi formulates connections with local merchants and stores to purchase their goods.

Zardozi invites all women to participate, from advanced to beginners, all women, no matter their age. Nearly 2.2 million Afghan girls receive no formal schooling, emphasizing the importance of these programs. Serving as a vital alternative to typical school, these women learn, bond and grow as empowered leaders. By partnering with local markets, these women gain economic footing under an oppressive government. They develop a larger societal presence, stable connections and continued business growth even after graduating out of the program.

Preserving Culture

Historians believe Zardozi originated in Persia, and it remains a popular Middle Eastern embroidery technique. Throughout generations, women pass down familial techniques, formulating unique designs based on regional location and cultural lineage. More than 500 years old, Zardozi derives its name from two Persian words: “zar,” meaning gold, and “dozi,” meaning embroidery. It has appeared throughout history on traditional, royal attire for Asian countries. Using stones, beads and metallic thread, Zardozi creates stacked designs with layers of details and heavy material. Designs leap from the outfit, often favoring bright colors to symbolize luck and creativity.

Utilizing this ancient technique as a business foundation, Zardozi preserves key Afghan culture in the process. According to the University of London, traditional Afghan embroidery faces the risk of dying out due to a lack of interest from younger generations, volatile markets and competition from machine made products. Zardozi empowers these women to commercialize their products, protecting this vital craftsmanship from extinction.

Helping Afghanistan

Zardozi’s program transforms a traditional hobby into a powerful monetary asset, tackling systemic poverty in an innovative way. The program equips Afghan women with the market tactics, accounting basics and business skills to develop a sustainable livelihood.

As families pass down unique forms of Zardozi stitching from generation to generation, they teach young girls these sustainable practices allow them to support themselves while keeping their heritage alive. With Zardozi, women learn key skills and receive essential monetary support to combat local poverty, moving them one step closer to true economic gain, stability and a brighter future for all in Afghanistan.

– Maya Tung

Maya is based in Summit and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Top 5 Projects Supporting Female Empowerment in Laos

Female Empowerment in LaosLaos is a landlocked country bordered by Thailand, Vietnam, China, Myanmar and Cambodia. Despite steady growth in Southeast Asia, Laos remains one of the least developed countries in the region, with a largely rural population. Gender equality remains one of the country’s most pressing development challenges, but momentum for change is building through projects supporting female empowerment in Laos.

History of Gender Inequality

While Laos ranks 137 out of 189 on the Human Development Index, it improves on the Gender Inequality Index, ranking 113 out of 162 countries. The Global Gender Gap Report places Laos 36 out of 156 in 2021, yet the country falls to 112th for education, revealing how uneven progress can be.

On the legislative side, the picture of female empowerment in Laos looks more promising. The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law index scores Laos at 88.1 out of 100, above the regional average. However, legal frameworks do not always translate into lived equality. Women earn only 77% of men’s average monthly income and are far more likely to work as unpaid family laborers. Although women own 43% of businesses partly or fully, most still operate in the informal work economy, where there is limited social protection. Further, women work 1.3 hours longer per day than men on average.

The representation of women in Lao politics tells a similar story. Women hold only 21.9% of seats in the National Assembly, a decline from 27.5%, and fewer than 3% of village chiefs in rural areas are women. Culturally, early marriage remains widespread, with one-third of Lao women marrying before the age of 18 and one-tenth before the age of 15. More concerning, 30.3% of ever-partnered women have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence, with almost half of survivors not reporting abuse due to stigma and fear.

The 2018 Global Slavery Index found that approximately 62,000 people live in modern slavery across Laos, with traffickers moving 90% of victims between Laos and Thailand, where girls ages 12 to 18 make up the majority of cases. Laos has passed several laws aimed at supporting female empowerment, including the 2014 Law on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Children and the 2019 Law on Gender Equality. However, gaps still persist, and this is where on-the-ground projects become essential.

Projects Supporting Female Empowerment in Laos

One forward-looking initiative advancing female empowerment in Laos is the Women’s Economic Inclusion through E-Commerce project. Developed in partnership with the Institute of Industry and Commerce, the project embeds gender equality, disability and social inclusion principles into digital trade. In a country where women remain concentrated in informal, low-skill work, access to digital markets can be transformative. The project has already trained 64 women across Laos in online selling and customer engagement, tackling both the symptoms and root causes of women’s economic exclusion.

Launched in November 2025, backed by the Australian government and implemented by U.N. Women and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), WE RISE TOGETHER 2.0 is a four-year regional initiative that focuses on the power of community by supporting women’s economic empowerment. In many parts of rural Laos, women rely on informal networks for support and advice. This initiative strengthens those networks by bringing women together to share knowledge, build confidence and collectively address local challenges. WE RISE TOGETHER 1.0 achieved considerable success, training 467 women-owned businesses in Vietnam alone, and the second program continues to build on that momentum.

In January 2026, the Lao Women’s Union and The Asia Foundation launched the project titled “Strengthening the LWU in Amplifying the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security.” This forms part of The Asia Foundation’s broader regional AMPLIFY program, operating across 80 villages in eight districts across Bokeo and Savannakhet provinces. It aims to promote women’s leadership in conflict prevention and resolution, strengthen village-level conflict resolution committees and security units and support research and knowledge generation.

Action Education launched the GEVEE project in 2023, aiming to boost entrepreneurship and employment for women, particularly those from ethnic minorities. The program uses vocational training, entrepreneurial education, small grants and mentoring workshops. So far, the GEVEE project has reached 986 women from rural and ethnic backgrounds, including 116 secondary school girls. GEVEE’s three-year cycle demonstrates that long-term sustained support can transform entire communities.

Finally, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) has been empowering women in political leadership roles. Between February 2024 and April 2025, WFD ran the program “Strengthening parliamentary oversight and promoting women’s political leadership in Laos,” working to increase the capacity of women representatives at the national level. WFD also recently ran “CEGGA II Extension Program – Strengthening Accountability in Laos,” which supported female candidates in the election earlier this year. Women subsequently increased their share of seats to 29.7%, up from 21.9% in 2021.

Looking Ahead

While women in Laos face inequality and economic obstacles, these projects are giving women access to skills, platforms and opportunities. Legal frameworks provide a foundation, but the collective action of these initiatives drives real change. With continued investment and community-focused action, Laos is moving steadily toward a more equal future.

– Helen Turnbull

Helen is based in Cardiff, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women in Latin American Politics and The Fight Against Poverty

How Women in Latin American Politics Are Changing the Fight Against Poverty Like most of the world, Latin America has historically been governed almost exclusively by men. However, a shift has begun in recent years. Women in Latin American politics are no longer an anomaly — they are increasingly a defining feature of the region’s political landscape. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Latin America and the Caribbean’s 30.4% share of women cabinet ministers is the second highest in the world, after Europe. Women hold 36.8% of Latin American legislative seats, well above the global average of 26.7%. The evidence demonstrates that this shift in political representation is having real consequences for poverty reduction and social development.

A Region Rewriting Its Political History

The story of women in Latin American politics is one of steady, hard-won progress. The first woman to be directly elected president in the region was Nicaragua’s Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in 1990. Since then, 14 women have served as heads of state across Latin America. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet served two full terms and became one of the region’s most recognized leaders. Honduras’ Xiomara Castro took office in 2022 as the country’s first female president and first left-wing leader in over a decade. In October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s 66th president, becoming the first woman to hold the office in the country’s history.

Sheinbaum’s victory was not a narrow one. She won with nearly 60% of the vote, the largest margin of any candidate since the end of one-party rule in 2000. A climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, she entered office with her party holding a supermajority in the legislature’s lower house. At her inauguration, she declared: “Now is the time of transformation, now is the time of women.”

What Women in Power Mean for Poverty and Social Spending

The rise of women in Latin American politics has measurable implications for how governments spend and who they spend it on. According to the World Bank’s Gender Strategy 2024-2030, women’s leadership improves outcomes in a variety of development priorities, including community services, food security and children’s health and education. Research from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has also shown that more women in leadership positively correlates with better social outcomes and more inclusive economic growth.

The data from the region supports this. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the region’s poverty rate hit its lowest recorded level in 2024, at 25.5%, a decline of more than 7 percentage points since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Extreme poverty also fell, affecting 9.8% of the population. ECLAC attributes much of the 2024 improvement to outcomes in Mexico, where social spending programs lifted 9.5 million people out of poverty over six years.

A peer-reviewed study published in Health Affairs found that increases in women’s political representation in Brazil were directly associated with reductions in child mortality, driven by greater investment in health care and social services. The research concluded that female politicians tend to place a higher priority on the provision of public goods, including health and education, a pattern increasingly visible across the region.

Mexico’s Sheinbaum

Claudia Sheinbaum represents a distinct kind of political leader in Latin America. She rose through academic and scientific institutions before entering politics and shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for her work on the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As mayor of Mexico City, she expanded the city’s COVID-19 testing capacity and promoted public-private partnerships for renewable energy.

As president, Sheinbaum has committed to hiring 20,000 government doctors and nurses, opening more welfare offices and expanding access to public health care for senior citizens. She has also committed to raising the minimum wage to 2.5 times the basic needs threshold. However, she inherits a significant budget deficit and an economy growing at just 1.5%, meaning her ability to fund these commitments will depend heavily on attracting foreign investment and expanding the private sector.

Honduras’ Castro

Xiomara Castro’s presidency in Honduras offered another example of women in Latin American politics driving change in difficult conditions. Castro served from 2022 to 2026 as Honduras’ first female president and the country’s first left-wing leader in more than a decade, in a country consistently ranked among the most dangerous in the world and one of the poorest in the region. Her administration focused on social investment, anti-corruption efforts and expanding access to health care and education in rural areas, the communities most affected by poverty. According to U.N. Women, nine countries in Latin America adopted laws to stop violence against women in politics in the 2024-2025 period, a development that Castro actively supported at the regional level.

Challenges That Remain

Despite the progress, important obstacles persist. Of the 14 women who have served as heads of state in Latin America, only five have completed their full terms, reflecting structural barriers to women’s political success that remain deeply embedded. Many female leaders have faced impeachment, military coups or forced removals from office in circumstances that male leaders in similar positions did not. In October 2025, Peru’s Dina Boluarte became the latest female head of state to be removed from office, leaving only Sheinbaum as a democratically elected woman president in the region.

At the legislative level, while Latin America outperforms the global average, gaps remain. Women are still primarily assigned to head ministries of health, social affairs and gender equality rather than portfolios carrying more political and economic weight such as finance, defense or foreign affairs. According to the IPU, women hold just 22.9% of cabinet minister positions globally as of 2025, down from 23.3% the previous year.

Looking Ahead

The rise of women in Latin American politics is not simply a story about representation but a story about outcomes. As the evidence from Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and the broader region makes clear, women in political leadership tend to prioritize investments in health, education and social protection that have the most direct impact on poverty reduction. Latin America’s poverty rate reached its lowest level on record in 2024, and the growing presence of women in government is part of the explanation. Researchers and international organizations point to the need to build on this momentum, not only by increasing women’s representation in elected office but by ensuring the institutional conditions that allow them to govern effectively.

– Chloe Bonnefil

Chloe is based in Miami, FL and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Gender Pay Gap for Roma Women in North Macedonia

gender pay gap for Roma womenThe gender pay gap remains one of the most overt and measurable indicators of disparity globally, rooted in traditional attitudes that disproportionately assign unpaid domestic work to women. In North Macedonia, this gap persists at roughly 12%, often driven by the concentration of women in lower-paying sectors like care and education. However, the situation is most critical for Roma women, who face a ‘double-burden’ of gender inequality and social exclusion.

Due to a combination of rationed socio-economic rights and a discriminatory job market, Roma women are hence bound to a “vicious cycle of poverty.” In fact, the World Bank (2024) reports that 87% of the total Roma population in North Macedonia live in material deprivation, with women suffering the most severe impacts. Compounded by a staggering 81% NEET rate (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) among young Roma women aged 18-24, the depth of the pay disparity compared to both men and non-Roma women is a significant challenge that demands targeted intervention.

While the overall landscape of pay parity does not entertain a ‘quick fix’, dedicated programs and organizations are beginning to turn the tide. By focusing on formalizing labor and providing specialized entrepreneurship tools, the following three initiatives are creating a new blueprint to reduce the gender pay gap for Roma women in North Macedonia. 

1. The Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI)

The Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI) acts as a cornerstone for economic mobility by bridging the gap between “informal potential and formal enterprise” for marginalized groups. The initiative successfully lays the foundations for Roma people to build sustainable career portfolios through three primary objectives:

  • One-to-One Mentoring: REDI provides direct coaching focused on building essential business acumen, leadership skills and operational know-how.
  • Employment Support: The program offers comprehensive career guidance, including CV development and job placement.
  • Digital Transformation: REDI aids Roma-led businesses in adapting to a changing digital environment.

By taking a bottom-up approach, REDI has established a supportive framework through which Roma people and women are able to build their own opportunities. Within the first 6 months alone, REDI was able to map 140 Roma entrepreneurs and 273 unemployed Roma individuals. 

2. ROMANSE 

The ROMANSE (Social Entrepreneurship for Young Roma Women) project is a specialized initiative that the European Union funded. Established in April 2024 and set to run through March 2027, the project is a collaborative effort between the Roma Resource Centre and the Women’s Rights Initiative of Shuto Orizari in North Macedonia, alongside international partners from Greece and Belgium. The program aims to tackle the ‘double discrimination’ of gender and ethnicity by promoting social entrepreneurship to subsequently enable the integration of Roma women into society and the economic sphere. In order to fulfil this objective, ROMANSE utilizes several key strategies:

  • Capacity Building for CSOs: The project strengthens Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to better support Roma women in business.
  • Targeted Training: Young Roma women receive specialized training to develop business skills.
  • Grant Schemes: ROMANSE provides essential funding through “grant schemes for grassroots CSOs.”
  • Community Awareness: By facilitating local partnership and awareness-raising activities, the project fosters a supportive environment for Roma-led businesses.

To date, the project has already initiated focus groups and digital training modules to ensure that young Roma women have the resources to secure equal-pay positions in the modern labor market. By focusing on sustainable business models rather than just temporary aid, the program is ensuring a long-term reduction in the wage gap for North Macedonia’s most vulnerable group.

3. The World Bank: Investing in the ‘Care Economy’

The Government of North Macedonia, with support from the World Bank, has restructured how care is valued in North Macedonia through its Social Services Improvement Project (SSIP). This initiative tackles the gender wage gap at its roots by formalizing historically unpaid domestic and caring roles into professional, stable career paths. The SSIP established a contracting model that combines “public resources with private expertise” that offers home-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities. Since 2021, the project has achieved significant measurable results for marginalized groups: 

  • About 773 professional caregivers have gained formal employment through SSIP-funded services, particularly women and Roma.
  • About 120 Roma women joined the workforce through an innovative social mentoring scheme, supported by World Bank and the European Union, that provided them with training and certifications as professional care providers.
  • Approximately 1,600 elderly beneficiaries now receive home-based support enabling them to live both more comfortably and independently.

Looking Ahead

Although there is still a long way to go to close the gender pay gap for Roma women, the efforts made by these programs demonstrate a clear path forward. By dismantling the barriers to formal employment, these programs are ensuring the integration of Roma women into economic society as well as laying the crucial foundation for future financial independence. 

The transition into the formal workforce offers far-reaching social benefits that extend beyond a paycheck. Stable, registered employment provides Roma women with increased security through personal pension contributions and the freedom that comes with financial autonomy. By utilizing a bottom-up approach, these development schemes do more than offer immediate relief; they actively dismantle the cycle of generational poverty. As education and employment rates rise among Roma women, the positive effects directly manifest in the next generation. Supported by a mother earning a steady, fair wage, young girls are no longer forced to enter the labor market prematurely or marry early as a means of survival. Instead, reducing the gender pay gap for Roma women safeguards their futures, paving the way for a generation of empowered young women, ultimately strengthening the economic fabric of the entire country.

– Jessica Daly

Jessica is based in Tunbridge Wells, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash