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3 Programs Empowering Young Girls in India

Empowering Young Girls in IndiaWithin India, gender discrimination is very prevalent, especially for young girls. This news is shared across various channels and explicitly stated on sites like the Human Development Index, which show that the country ranks higher on gender gaps than the global average. However, such news fails to acknowledge the positive developments that are empowering young girls in India. 

Specifically, three programs in India are designed to help young girls thrive in their environments. These include the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, the Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) and the Balika Samriddhi Yojana.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

This program empowers young girls in India by providing financial assistance. It is a government banking scheme initially set up to help parents support their daughters’ educational goals. By setting aside this money and building a fund for these young girls, it helps this minority move away from a life of poverty. 

Systemic gender inequalities can lead to an unfortunate life, such as poverty. One cause can be a lack of education. Girls are not as fortunate as boys to be granted the right to learn. As a result, they miss out on opportunities and independence and end up relying on others. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana works to prevent that and help girls live a life full of education.

Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK)

MSK is a program that empowers young Indian girls, particularly those in rural areas. It does so in many ways. However, the focus areas include education, employment, literacy, health and related support services.

Rural girls are often the most at risk because they lack the opportunities that boys or children in urban areas have. These girls do not have the resources needed to escape a frugal lifestyle, which very often results in early marriages and a cycle of domestic work. Educating and supporting girls in rural areas is not only essential for their futures but also for long-term national development.

Balika Samriddhi Yojana

Balika Samriddhi Yojana empowers young girls by providing financial support to those from underprivileged backgrounds. It not only helps with finances but also supports parents to ensure a focus on young girls’ mental and physical well-being. It provides a stipend to parents after the birth of a girl and scholarships for the child to support her education.

By doing all of this, it helps ensure that the girl and her family move away from struggling livelihoods and work toward bettering their lives, leaving poverty behind and toward a brighter future.

Final Remarks

These programs not only focus on gender inequalities, hoping to lessen that barrier, but also aim to help build a life out of poverty and into something better. These are only three programs highlighted, but many others address the issue and shed new light on it, showing that community and support can go a long way toward empowering young girls in India.

– Danielle Johnson

Danielle is based in Knoxville, TN, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Economic Empowerment in Nepal

Women’s Economic Empowerment in NepalAfter the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 30 years ago, Nepal has made strong progress in women’s economic empowerment. The Beijing Platform, agreed upon by 189 countries in 1995, remains the most important global plan for advancing women’s rights. In 2025, global leaders reviewed progress during the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), also known as the Beijing+30 review.

Although progress has been made worldwide, major gaps remain. According to U.N. Women, women still perform 2.8 times more unpaid care work than men, and nearly 30% of women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence. These challenges underscore why countries like Nepal must continue to strengthen women’s economic and social rights.

Stronger Political Representation

Nepal’s 2015 Constitution requires that women make up at least 33% of seats in the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. By 2018, women held 33% of parliamentary seats and 41% of local government positions. This increase in representation gives women a stronger voice in national and local decision-making.

Greater political participation supports women’s economic empowerment in Nepal because women leaders often advocate for education access, property rights and equal employment policies. Nepal has also institutionalized gender equality and women’s empowerment through the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) frameworks to support equal opportunity across sectors, reinforced by the National Women’s Commission and parliamentary committees that implement gender-sensitive policies and programs. This legal commitment is further anchored in Nepal’s Gender Equality Act (2006), which abolishes discriminatory legal provisions and promotes equal treatment for women in areas such as employment, property rights, and public participation. These policies help expand access to education, protect legal rights and support women’s participation in development programs, including disaster response and climate action. By building stronger laws and institutions, Nepal is creating long-term systems that support gender equality.

Expanding Financial Access and Entrepreneurship

Access to finance plays a key role in women’s economic empowerment in Nepal. According to the World Bank, expanding financial inclusion allows women to start businesses, invest in agriculture and improve household stability. In 2026, the World Bank approved a $95 million operation to support sustainable and inclusive finance in Nepal, including measures that help women-led businesses access credit and grow their enterprises. Microfinance programs and cooperative banking models have helped increase women’s financial access in recent years.

Women entrepreneurs are also receiving new investment support. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested in programs that expand financing for women-led businesses. These investments help women grow enterprises in agriculture, retail and small-scale manufacturing.

In addition to funding, many programs offer business management and vocational training. For instance, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative provides entrepreneurs with business education, mentoring, networking opportunities, and access to capital. The program includes courses in leadership, marketing, and financial management. Combining financial services with practical training increases the chances that women-owned businesses will succeed long term.

Closing the Digital Gap

Digital access is becoming more important for economic participation. However, global data from the International Telecommunication Union shows that 65% of women use the internet compared to 70% of men. This gap limits women’s access to online work, digital banking and e-commerce opportunities.

Nepal is responding by expanding digital literacy and technology training programs for women and girls. These initiatives aim to reduce the gender digital divide and prepare women for jobs in an increasingly digital economy.

Simultaneously, legal protections remain important. The United Nations in Nepal has urged stronger enforcement of laws addressing gender-based violence, including domestic violence and human trafficking. Protecting women’s safety allows them to participate more fully in the workforce and public life.

Women and Climate Leadership

Women in Nepal are also playing important roles in disaster response and climate adaptation. Community-based women’s groups often lead local preparedness efforts, especially in rural areas affected by floods and earthquakes. However, women are still underrepresented in national climate planning and funding decisions.

Regional discussions during the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review in 2024 emphasized the need for women’s inclusion in sustainable economic transitions. Expanding women’s access to green jobs and climate-focused industries can support both gender equality and environmental progress.

Through continued reforms and participation in global forums such as the World Federation of United Nations Associations International Model United Nations, Nepal has shown commitment to reviewing and strengthening its policies. By improving financial access, increasing political representation and expanding digital opportunities, the country is building a foundation for lasting women’s economic empowerment in Nepal. Continued enforcement of laws and investment in women-led initiatives will help ensure that progress remains steady and inclusive.

– Anaisha Kundu

Anaisha is based in Skillman, NJ, USA and focuses on Business and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Women’s Cooperatives in Morocco Are Boosting the Economy

Women’s cooperatives in MoroccoWomen’s cooperatives in Morocco are becoming vital in driving development, reducing poverty and advancing female empowerment as the North African nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to boost economic growth.

Women’s Cooperatives in Morocco: A New Proud Tradition

The cooperative movement in Morocco is a relatively modern phenomenon, becoming prominent only in the late 20th century. Cooperatives were first established as a powerful response to limited employment opportunities for women seeking financial independence and a sense of solidarity and collaboration. They have since transformed into an economic force in both agriculture and artisanal production.

In 2025, there were 7,891 women’s cooperatives in Morocco, comprising more than 73,000 members. They involve 267,000 women who farm, produce and sell products ranging from embroidered textiles and carpets to livestock, agricultural products and cosmetics. This practice not only drives local economies but also unites rural communities, where 61% of women’s cooperatives in Morocco are located. 

It also empowers poor women with limited economic opportunities to gain financial agency, real market power and a stake in the nation’s future.

Toudarte, Agadir: Argan Oil

For the last 22 years, Toudarte has been at the center of a growing community of women finding solidarity, purpose and employment in a growing argan oil cooperative. Meaning “life” in Amazigh, Toudarte has, from the start, prioritized developing an operation that delivers sustainable products and practices for both the environment and the now 100 women who make up its ranks.

Not only does Toudarte empower and economically benefit a region and its residents, but its authentic, traditional production methods also protect a historic Amazigh practice from soulless industrialization. Since its founding in 2004, the co-op has seen steady success. The women at Toudarte now plan to expand their independent business and open an inn for guests who want to experience the argan forest and its production process.

Not only does this development signal an ever-improving economic outlook for Toudarte, but it also brings further hope to a rural community transformed by the presence and success of a women’s cooperative.

Al Kawtar, Marrakech: Homeware and Clothing

The majority of women’s cooperatives in Morocco are rurally situated, making the most of tight-knit, sometimes remote, communities with shared knowledge, interests and fortunes. However, the work of the minority that operates in urban centers like Marrakech is just as vital. That can easily be said of Al Kawtar, a homeware and clothing co-op that specifically offers women with disabilities the chance to earn a steady income and build a community.

The cooperative’s goals are to give women with physical disabilities the opportunity to independently earn a living based on their own talents and abilities. In the process, Al Kawtar creates a space for the most vulnerable women in Morocco to stand on their own two feet and receive fair market prices for their craft.

Coopérative Timnay, Sirwa: Textiles and Carpets

Coopérative Timnay takes the idea of community and self-reliance one step further, incorporating the larger local shepherding community and utilizing regional materials whenever possible. Vitally, it also uses a proportion of the cooperative’s profits to support the paid training of young women and to facilitate the benefits of membership, including health care, a group savings fund, child care and career progression.

Rather than merely a source of income, Coopérative Timnay offers the opportunity for a lifelong career. Understanding the extra demands that women in Morocco face, the charity ensures that a meaningful and rewarding future is available to those who might otherwise be forced to migrate for employment. Cooperatives like these protect Amazigh people and practices, allowing a prosperous future for the rural communities that desperately need it.

The Difference Maker in the Fight Against Poverty?

Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been significant progress in reducing poverty in Morocco, with the national poverty rate steadily decreasing. COVID-19, droughts and the international impact of the Russia-Ukraine war interrupted this trend in the early 2020s. However, with an improving economy in 2023–24, the World Bank expects poverty to resume its two-decade-long decline, falling below 3.9%.

Women’s cooperatives like those mentioned above have the potential to further advance this development by providing women and families with the financial resources they need to improve their economic outlook. Regional surveys prove that membership in a co-op can more than double a family’s household income. An improved income of this scale also offers individuals the freedom to hold bank accounts, build savings and access credit, opening the door to long-term increased prosperity.

The empowerment of women in any developing country is essential to its social and economic success. Women gaining personal and financial autonomy means a larger working population, greater and more diverse markets, higher average incomes and smaller, more prosperous families. The cooperative movement, therefore, has become a driving force in reducing poverty in Morocco. 

It has offered a future for its women, who are more able than ever to access essential opportunities for personal and economic growth and security.

– Evan Meikle

Evan is based in Kingston upon Hull, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Economic Enticement of WCAH In Tanzania

The Economic Enticement of WCAH In Tanzania In the United Republic of Tanzania, women, children and adolescent health, often referred to as Women, Children and Adolescent Health (WCAH), has consistently been one of the country’s significant epidemiological burdens. Since 2022, the country has recorded more than 100 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 births. Despite this, research has shown that when WCAH in Tanzania is adequately invested in, it can be economically beneficial for the country.

The WCAH Crisis

WCAH was originally a framework proposed during the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global movement, “Every Woman Every Child,” to encompass strategies aimed at investing in the health and rights of women, children and adolescents.

As it stands, WCAH in Tanzania is under strain due to different factors. Tanzania has made strides in reducing mortality among its under-five population. However, due to limited access to health services and a shortage of health care workers with the proper skills to manage the causes of maternal death, the maternal mortality ratio remains high.

Malnutrition in children and adolescents remains an important health issue in Tanzania. UNICEF reports that 30% of children across Tanzania experience childhood stunting due to malnutrition.

WCAH in Tanzania and the Economy

There are still many expected advancements with WCAH in Tanzania and the Tanzanian government, along with many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), continues efforts to address them. Evidence suggests that investing in WCAH in Tanzania can lead to economic returns.

When women lack access to quality maternal care, it can lead to complications after birth, including a higher likelihood of underweight newborns and miscarriages. In some cases, mothers may be unable to return to work for extended periods. Women in low-income countries such as Tanzania play a key role in the labor market. By investing in appropriate treatment programs, the costs of maternal and newborn health care can be lowered, and absences from the workplace can be reduced, increasing overall productivity.

Invest in the Children, Invest in the Future

NGOs such as Action Against Hunger promote initiatives like the “Equip for In-School Nutrition Services Project,” where children learn to engage in agricultural practices that support improved nutrition. By investing in the nutrition of children and adolescents, they are more likely to stay in school and pursue higher education. They also leave school with greater knowledge about safer pregnancies and healthier children, which can contribute to reducing maternal and newborn deaths.

By collaborating with more organizations to provide maternal health and childhood nutrition support, women and young girls may have greater opportunities for economic participation, contributing to Tanzania’s overall economic growth.

– Bernice Attawia

Bernice Attawia is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Parliamentary Quotas Increase Women’s Political Representation

Parliamentary QuotasWomen across the Western Balkans have faced historical barriers to political participation, despite the increasing implementation of democratic reforms and efforts to integrate with the European Union (EU). However, parliamentary quotas in the Western Balkans have emerged as a central policy tool, increasing women’s presence and representation in inclusive decision-making. Such reforms demonstrate how prioritized political measures can reshape government structures and contribute to poverty reduction within the region.

Parliamentary Quotas Aim To Correct Political Imbalances

Multiple nations in the Western Balkans have now adopted quota systems to address the existing gender disparities within their political institutions, including Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Parliamentary gender quotas require a political party to include a minimum percentage of women on candidate lists during elections. Legislators design these measures to tackle the persistent structural barriers.

Unequal access to party networks, campaign financing and political mentorship are all consequences of the absence of gender quotas. By incorporating gender quotas into electoral law, women’s visibility in politics can increase and governments can expand opportunities for female politicians to compete for office on an equal footing with men.

Women’s Representation Has Increased Following Quota Laws

The implementation of quota legislation resulted in countries in the Western Balkans achieving measurable gains in women’s parliamentary representation. Serbia is now ranked among the top nations in Europe for women’s representation in the national parliament, with women holding 37.2% of parliamentary seats. Additionally, steady increases were reported in Montenegro and North Macedonia.

This reflects the effectiveness and positive impact of quota requirements on election eligibility, as well as how they can rapidly change the gender composition of political institutions when properly enforced.

Effective quota systems rely on enforcement and in Montenegro and Serbia, electoral commissions require parties to comply with quota laws; failure to do so may result in disqualification from elections. These stringent enforcement mechanisms have prompted political parties to recruit and train female candidates, rather than placing them in symbolic or noncompetitive positions. As a result, parties have expanded leadership pipelines for women, increasing long-term political participation beyond a single election cycle.

Why Women’s Political Representation Matters for Poverty Reduction

Women’s political participation plays a crucial role in poverty reduction. Research indicates that women legislators are more likely to prioritize policies related to education, health care, social protection and labor rights compared to men. Effectively, these policy areas disproportionately benefit low-income households, including children and marginalized communities.

In the Western Balkans, inclusive governments have supported the expansion of social assistance programs, gender-responsive budgeting and family benefits. All these reforms play a massive role in reducing poverty risk, especially for single mothers and rural populations.

Despite notable gains, challenges remain as cultural resistance, unequal access to campaign financing and uneven enforcement continue to limit women’s political advancement in parts of the Western Balkans. Women from rural areas, ethnic minorities and low-income backgrounds remain underrepresented. This highlights the need for complementary reforms. Without continued political persistence, quota systems risk stagnation or symbolic compliance.

Looking Ahead

The effectiveness of parliamentary gender quotas in the Western Balkans has proven to be an impactful strategy for increasing women’s political representation in the region. With continued international support and legal reform, women’s leadership can further expand and reduce poverty by promoting an inclusive and responsive government system. As the region advances toward greater political and economic integration, women’s representation remains essential to maintaining long-term stability and equitable growth.

– Hana Abulkheir

Hana is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Cooperatives in Guatemala

Women’s Cooperatives in GuatemalaIn the highlands of Guatemala, women’s cooperatives are writing a tale of defiance against poverty. Historically marginalized groups of women have united through cooperatives to become the lifeblood of their local economies. The benefits are cascading in metamorphic ripples, transforming entire communities in their wake.

Economic Independence

The most immediate impact is a dramatic rise in household income. Cooperatives like the Cojolya Association guarantee members more than twice the local market rate, shattering legacies of exploitation and establishing women as primary economic actors. This empowerment was a product of necessity, born from the ravages of a civil war that left countless women widowed.

Survivors, now solely responsible for the welfare of their families and the rehabilitation of their communities, founded cooperatives like Trama Textiles, which has grown into a network of more than 400 weavers. Cooperatives like Ixoq Ajkeem demonstrate the power of a collectivist approach with their strategy of pooling resources, leveraging bulk orders and constructing common storefronts. In this way, women’s cooperatives in Guatemala integrate vulnerable and disparate artisans.

They unite them under a single, resilient organizational model. This structure protects families from economic volatility. It also shields individual producers from the unpredictability of the market.

Investing in Health and Nutrition

This economic power creates a direct second ripple: improved family health and nutrition. As primary earners, women consistently reinvest in their families’ well-being, marking a critical shift in a country where a severe poverty crisis drives chronic malnutrition. Through cooperatives, this care becomes institutionalized.

UPAVIM, for instance, has channeled its collective resources into a medical and dental clinic while also initiating targeted campaigns, like a soymilk program, to combat child malnutrition. The women of rural Guatemala continue to teach a lesson in ingenuity by using the cooperative model to transform earnings directly into community health care, ensuring the windfalls of their work are felt throughout their entire locality.

Keeping Children in School

The third ripple and perhaps the most foundationally transformative, manifests in education. Protection from poverty enables children to return to the classroom instead of toiling away in the workforce of manual labor. This commitment is structurally embedded in cooperatives like UPAVIM, which operates its own school.

It also provides members’ children with scholarships for school supplies and meals. These efforts significantly reduce costs and make education accessible to many more families. The result is both tangible and visible. Children in school uniforms are now a common sight.

This change reflects their mothers’ success in securing a right to education denied to earlier generations by poverty. It also signals systemic transformations capable of breaking long-standing cycles of deprivation.

Building Skills and Confidence

The impact of women’s cooperatives in Guatemala transcends material gain, mounting to a fourth ripple of personal empowerment. Beyond the loom, women receive vital training in financial literacy, business management and leadership, highlighting cooperatives as institutions for holistic human development and collective self-sufficiency. This newfound expertise fuels a powerful shift in communal identity. As one weaver from the Aj To’ooneel cooperative asserted, “Women today are entrepreneurs.”

This transformed identity is reproduced at home, reshaping the perceptions of forthcoming generations. “The children of the artisans are seeing that women also have an important role or they occupy the same position as men in the family,” observed Lidia Garcia of Mercado Global. This cycle of empowerment, once begun, becomes self-perpetuating.

Strengthening the Entire Community

These individual ripples converge into a fifth: community fortification, transforming cooperatives into vital civic institutions. Aside from its school, UPAVIM established a health clinic and bakery, establishing a grassroots community support system. This role as a community pillar becomes most evident and most critical during crises.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, cooperatives like Multicolores, Kakaw Designs and Mercado Global leveraged their networks to facilitate emergency food baskets, hygiene supplies and public health information when state aid was insufficient. Ultimately, these women’s textile cooperatives in Guatemala amount to something far greater than the sum of their parts; they weave a stronger, more resilient social fabric for the future.

Final Remarks

The story of Guatemala’s cooperatives is a testament to how women’s empowerment creates a cascade of change. From individual economic independence to healthier families, educated children and resilient communities, the ripple effect is lifting rural communities in Guatemala out of poverty. These cooperatives demonstrate that the most sustainable path to development is not through top-down aid alone, but by empowering those at the heart of communities to become the architects of their own futures.

– Georgio Moussa

Georgio is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How are the USAID cuts impacting Afghan girls and women?

Afghan girls and womenThe dissolution of the USAID was a devastating blow to global humanitarian efforts. It hit Afghanistan particularly hard, where the funding supported vital programs, including education and health. It made the consequences even harsher for Afghan girls and women, for whom the suspended funding only exacerbated their vulnerability.

USAID

An independent agency of the government, USAID, was the primary organization which, over the decades, delivered tens of billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. Between 2014 and 2023, USAID’s top sectors of assistance were Health, at $80.7 billion, and Humanitarian Assistance, at $65.1 billion.

Since its establishment, USAID has helped save millions of lives through diverse programs. This includes war relief in Ukraine, improving maternal and child health, running HIV prevention programs that saved the lives of more than 25 million, and providing support during the humanitarian crisis in Congo.

In March 2025, the Trump administration announced that it would eliminate 83% of USAID programs. Of the 6,200 global programs, close to 5,200 were cancelled, while the remaining would be taken over by the State Department.

Helping Afghanistan

The United States of America, through USAID, has been the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan since 2013. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in 2024 alone, the U.S. funded more than $700 million in humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, which accounted for 45.6% of the country’s total aid. With the aid Afghanistan received that year, more than 20 million people received assistance and support, with women making up 29%.

In 2025, the U.S. suspended $562 million in remaining aid to Afghanistan. This impacted programs that supported education, healthcare, and famine preparedness. It severely affected women, as the government had already curtailed their freedoms.

Education

Soon after the Taliban took control of the government in Afghanistan, it suspended education for girls and women beyond primary school, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to restrict female secondary and higher education. It banned more than 2 million girls and women from receiving education. According to UNESCO, by 2066, this could result in estimated losses of almost $10 billion, a figure amounting to two-thirds of the country’s present GDP. This could risk driving more people into poverty.

USAID cuts have disrupted funding that attempted to tackle the inaccessibility to education through online and underground programs for Afghan girls and women. The cuts also led to the termination of scholarships of more than 80 girls from Afghanistan who were studying in Oman. Despite a reprieve, their future remained uncertain, filling them with dread.

Health

Following the cuts, out of 900 UNFPA-supported clinics in Afghanistan, it may no longer be possible to support 500 of them.

Every two hours, a woman in Afghanistan dies from pregnancy, childbirth or related complications, most of which are preventable with skilled healthcare. The country has one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, and the funding would have been used to run these clinics, provide psychosocial support, family health services and mobile care. The cuts will therefore impact 6.9 million women and children in Afghanistan.

Food Insecurity

The funding cuts have also eliminated food aid, affecting famine-prevention programs and leaving millions without support. While the United States resumed global food aid, it did not do so in two countries, including Afghanistan. The women and children there, who already bear the brunt of the hunger crisis, face an added risk of malnutrition, illness and death. While women-headed households are already facing difficulties, two-thirds cannot meet the cost of basic food needs, a statistic 20% higher than that for male-headed households. In response, women have been forced to resort to dangerous strategies to survive, some of which include seeking cash handouts or arranging marriages for their young daughters.

Looking ahead

While USAID cuts have been a devastating blow to women’s socioeconomic conditions in Afghanistan, other initiatives continue to work to support and empower Afghan women and girls.

U.N. Women Afghanistan and the Government of Japan have launched a notable initiative to strengthen women’s leadership and resilience in Afghanistan. It aimed to reach over 25,000 people by directly supporting 3,700 women. The program equips women with resources and opportunities to not only improve their own livelihoods but also to build a sustainable future for their communities. Running for one year, it would increase women’s access to finance and technology.

UNDP also continues to provide a lifeline for 8 million women, with its core funding exhibiting long-term results. A $4 million seed investment in 2024 enabled more than $34 million in additional funding to support nearly 80,000 female-led micro and small businesses, create almost 400,000 jobs, and positively impact over 2.7 million people. Some of the initiatives taken include developing women’s digital skills, providing solar power, implementing microcredit programs, and enhancing their financial literacy, among others. Through these efforts, the UNDP has fostered women’s entrepreneurship in Afghanistan, helping women achieve economic independence.

– Priya Doshi

Priya is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Updates on SDG 5 in Argentina

SDG 5 in ArgentinaArgentina has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, and according to the Sustainable Development Report, it is one of the few countries, not just in Latin America, but globally, that is on track to achieve SDG 5 by 2030. Argentina has implemented “100% of the legal frameworks under the SDG that promote, enforce and monitor gender equality.” This article dives into updates on SDG 5 in Argentina.

Sustainable Development Goal 5

In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) replaced the Millennium Development Goals, aiming to transform the world. As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, all United Nations member states adopted the SDGs, which comprise 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at achieving development by 2030. 

 The fifth goal, or SDG ,5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Its targets include ending all forms of discrimination, violence and harmful practices against women, among others. It also aims to ensure women’s equal representation in leadership at all levels of different spheres of life.

SDG 5 Progress in Argentina

The following section highlights recent updates on SDG 5 in Argentina, based on certain indicators of the goal. Among the indicators that the goal uses to measure progress, one focuses on the labor force participation of women by evaluating the ratio of female-to-male labor force participation. As of 2024, the rate was 73.73%, an increase from 67.59% in 2000, representing a slow but sustained rise.

Another indicator, measuring the ratio of the mean years of education that women and men aged 25 and older received, reached a peak of 104.92% in 2021. With relation to this indicator, the country has remained predominantly consistent over the last two decades, routinely surpassing the intended target of 100, demonstrating that, on average, women receive more years of education.

Meanwhile, a third indicator has shown a drastic improvement from the turn of the century. From holding less than 30% of seats in National Parliaments, the country, at its best, in 2024, witnessed nearly 45% of women leaders. There has been a slight dip in 2025, but so far it seems to be on track to achieve 50%.

Furthermore, the vulnerability of female employment in Argentina has also improved since 1991. As of 2023, the rates were 20.6% among women and 23.8% among men. In both cases, it is lower than the average rate in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lower vulnerable employment rates also have a relatively positive impact on poverty in the country, given that workers in vulnerable employment are more likely to fall into poverty.

Areas for Continued Growth

While Argentina has made notable progress in achieving SDG 5, certain areas require continued work to address necessary gaps. One such aspect that remains a challenge is physical and/or sexual violence. In 2018, among women aged 15-49 years, 4.5% reported that they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.

With respect to labor, men spent 9.2% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, while women and girls aged 15 and above spent more than 20%. The adolescent birth rate per 1,000 women aged 15-19 also rose to 0.9 in 2021. Though not a concerning figure, it was a slight increase from 0.8 in 2020.

Additionally, Argentina is working to close existing gender data gaps to fulfil its SDG 5-related commitments. A key area where data gaps exist is gender and poverty. Given that the female poverty rate is higher than the male poverty rate globally, this data could have a significant impact on empowering women and alleviating poverty in Argentina.

UN Women’s Initiative

Nonetheless, various initiatives have been and continue to be put in place to overcome these challenges. One such example is the Connected to the Future: The Potential of Digital Training to Accelerate Equality initiative, which U.N. Women launched in collaboration with Nokia aimed to bridge the digital divide. This multisector collaboration aims to enhance women’s access to employment in key sectors and to promote entrepreneurship through training and the development of local networks in Argentina.

As a part of the initiative, 80 women from across 52 municipalities in Puntos Mujer participated in the training surrounding cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, personal finance and digital violence, among others. The program also supports the U.N. Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025, particularly the digital inclusion strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean and encourages women’s economic empowerment in digital spaces, which is a feature critical for sustainable economic development in communities.

The Women’s Forum for Equal Opportunities

The citizens are also empowered, and they, too, are increasingly championing women’s rights throughout the country. For instance, indigenous and feminist women’s groups throughout Argentina are campaigning to stop racist sexual violence and femicide. The Women’s Forum for Equal Opportunities is one such organization. It has established women-led community networks by training local leaders on gender issues to assist survivors of violence. This has played a significant role in supporting survivors from regions with no access to telephone lines or the internet.

Looking Ahead

While Argentina faces some challenges in its path to achieving SDG 5, the programs and initiatives being implemented are working actively to bridge the gap by the end of the decade. 

– Priya Doshi

Priya is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Psychology of Hair: Female Empowerment in African Hair Salons

African Hair SalonsWithin the female-oriented walls of a hair salon, women receive treatment with kindness, respect and a sense of belonging that they seldom find elsewhere. The rapport and understanding between stylist and client go further than just beautification. Nowhere is this more true than across Africa, where hair salons become places for socially disadvantaged women to regain their quality of life. Increasingly, these spaces are also becoming hubs for new initiatives around mental and sexual health, reflecting a growing emphasis on female empowerment in African hair salons.

Hair Salons as Mental Health Care

Whether it is their subordinated social, political and economic status, or the threats of domestic violence, sexual assault and harmful traditional practices that still permeate many African cultures, women bear a heavy burden in African society. To add to this, Women make up 80% of the 12.7 million refugees and asylum seekers forcibly displaced from West and Central Africa every year.

The lack of safe institutional spaces and the scarcity of mental health professionals further exacerbate this multifaceted gender oppression. These subordinated women are often unable to seek support in wider, male-dominated society. As a result, many remain both vulnerable and powerless in society.

Recognizing the strong tendency for women to casually open up to their hairdresser, humanitarian organizations have begun training stylists in delivering mental health support – particularly for women who may use the salon as their first port of call in a crisis.

Learning New Skills

Hairstylists universally hold a unique caregiving position in society that cannot be easily replicated. In accordance, the Heal by Hair program, active across Togo, aims to equip these workers with skills in active listening, recognizing emotional distress and delivering psychological first aid. Delivering training sessions across three days and receiving nearly 250 applications, the program successfully trained stylists to become the first hairdresser mental health ambassadors on the African Continent. The initiative allows both for stylists to conduct risk assessments and refer clients to professional services and for these women to take control of their own mental health through access to resources.

Perhaps it is the connection that forms through sharing eye contact in the mirror, the comfort of talking to someone outside their inner circle, or the hours of idle time to be filled with conversation – but something about hair salons makes people want to talk. By reshaping the vulnerable conversations that naturally occur in African hair salons into therapeutic and healing dialogues, this augmentation of female empowerment offers an outlet and camaraderie which ultimately reshape the lives of young women.

Hair Salons as Sexual Health Care

For many African women, seeking sexual health support at a clinic is difficult because of fears of being dismissal, stigma or exposure – not to mention challenges around cost and distance. As a result, they often have limited access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, leading to higher rates of unintended pregnancies, unsafe terminations and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

This risk is avoidable. Acknowledging the accessibility and trustworthiness of African hair salons has helped shift the way of delivering SRH services. Their informal, familiar environments make salons ideal spaces for women to discuss and receive sexual health care safely and without judgement.

Across southern Africa, salons have started training stylists to deliver STI testing, hormonal and injectable contraceptives and HIV prevention medications – all from the salon floor.

Stylists also learn how to deliver education and counselling to young girls, offering them autonomy to make informed choices about their bodies. This sense of female empowerment in African hair salons can be carried through to real-world scenarios, and is often the key factor in improving their futures. In turn, such initatives prevent socioeconomic consequences of unsafe sexual practices, such as school dropout and generational poverty.

Safe Spaces

Salons become both literal and symbolic safe spaces, an everyday space which encompasses many of their needs. These initiatives have gained momentum across several African countries and even attracted attention from major publications such as Vogue and Elle, affirming that this focus on female empowerment in African hair salons is revolutionary in regard to women’s health. Amongst women who share similar stories and struggles, women forge chosen families rooted in empathy and mutual support, empowering them to find strength in one another to face an uncertain future.

– Emily Wooster

Emily is based in Birmingham, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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TEGAs: Empowering with The Girl Effect Program

TEGAsThe Girl Effect program reaches millions of girls in 20 countries across Africa and Asia, using multimedia approaches to give them the tools, knowledge and confidence to take control of their health, education and livelihoods. In a conversation with Authority Magazine, Jessica Posner Odede, CEO of Girl Effect, emphasized that the program works by meeting young girls where they already are: online. Using media and technology to deliver content they want and trust, Posner Odede said, “We create safe spaces for girls — sharing facts, and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, relationships and so much more.”

Providing Space for Girls

The Girl Effect Program provides spaces where girls can ask questions and obtain accurate information–without shame or possibly dangerous scrutiny from those around them. One of the program’s most innovative tools is its AI-powered chatbot, Big Sis, in South Africa. Big Sis acts as a virtual big sister, responding instantly and privately to questions about sex, relationships and health. Posner Odede said, “By using chat technology, we’ve created this ‘virtual big sister’ that can respond to every girl instantly and privately.” Since its launch, more than 75,000 girls have started chats with Big Sis and sent over 1.3 million messages. Data shows that after advice from Big Sis, 76% of girls intend to access a health service before starting a new relationship, a figure that is 12% higher than among girls who have not used it.

Following the success of Big Sis, the Girl Effect program expanded to India with Bol Behen (a phrase that means “Speak! Sister” in Hindi), a chatbot that communicates in Hinglish. Posner Odede explained, “Girls sometimes feel more comfortable talking to a robot, because they are not afraid of being judged. In other words, they feel empowered to ask questions around topics that might be considered explicit elsewhere.” Within two years, Bol Behen facilitated 98,000 conversations and 1.6 million messages, increasing users’ knowledge of sexual health by an average of 15% compared to non-users.

TEGAs

The Girl Effect program also relies on networks of Tech-Enabled Girl Ambassadors (TEGAs) aged 18–24, who collect real-time insights from their communities using mobile tools. During the pandemic, when face-to-face research became impossible, 29 TEGAs in six countries participated in Hear Her Voice, a program wherein they documented their realities and recommendations for Girl Effect through digital diaries.

Posner Odede expanded, “The pandemic made face-to-face research impossible, so we ran a project called Hear Her Voice where TEGAs shared digital diaries with us — turning the camera on themselves to document their reality, resilience and recommendations for the support they needed.” This approach allowed the program to respond quickly to emerging challenges and ensured that the girls themselves shaped ongoing programming.

One TEGA, Rahma from Tanzania, exemplifies the impact of the program. Through the program, Rahma launched a liquid soap business, learned skills online and created income for her household. Posner Odede shared, “Rahma is using technology to start her own business and take control of her livelihood. She thinks the community should see a girl as a person with power, because that is the way she sees herself.” Through the program, Rahma launched a liquid soap business, learned skills online and created income for her household–all with the power of the internet.

Adapting Programs to Local Contexts

Media and entertainment form another core component of the Girl Effect program. TV dramas, radio shows, magazines and digital content deliver lessons on health, relationships and education. Posner Odede explained that the program adapts content to local contexts and challenges harmful societal myths. One such ‘myth’ was misinformation about vaccines, including the HPV vaccines.

“We have been using knowledge and insight gained from our work with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi and Tanzania — where we used our TV dramas, radio shows, magazines and digital content to improve girls’ knowledge about the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer, including challenging myths about it — as the foundation of our approach to tackle misinformation around vaccine hesitancy when it comes to COVID-19.”

Partnerships like the one with Gavi strengthen the program’s impact. Posner Odede emphasized the importance of working with organizations that share their goals: “We are really lucky to have partnered with a host of such organizations, such as Vodafone Foundation.” Such collaborations allow the program to expand its digital infrastructure and further ensure safe, secure and scalable spaces for girls.

Learning New Skills

In providing these online safe spaces, the Girl Effect program seeks to enable girls to enact change in their real communities. Posner Odede described how the initiative arms girls with skills to negotiate and challenge societal norms: “Do not underestimate the power of girls to change both their own lives, and the lives of those around them. At Girl Effect, we arm girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible ‘for a girl’.”

Posner Odede articulated the program’s ultimate goal: “It would have to be realizing gender equality in every aspect of girls and women’s lives. This is Girl Effect’s key aim and we are proud to be working towards it.” Through its integrated approach of media, technology, research and community engagement, the Girl Effect Program works hard to address the complex challenges facing girls in poverty, from gender inequality and health misinformation to limited access to education and economic opportunity.

The Future

As the Girl Effect Program and the network of TEGAs expand across Africa and Asia, it provides a scalable and reproducible model for empowering girls while strengthening communities. Posner Odede concluded, “We know that when a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, her community, her country.” The Girl Effect program demonstrates that supporting girls is not only a matter of creating equity, but a strategic investment in the well-being of our global society.

– Kelsey Eisen

Kelsey is based in San Francisco, CA, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr