Archive for category: Women’s Empowerment

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Gender Advocacy in Suriname

gender advocacy in SurinameSuriname is a developing country located just above the equator in northern South America, though it is also part of the Caribbean Community. Dutch colonial governance defined its history, but the nation gained independence in 1975. Despite its small size, the country is famous for its plentiful natural resources and vast rainforest cover. As one of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender equality is an important point of action for Suriname due to its links to poverty reduction and economic growth. In 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a brainstorming session on how the nation could address SDG 5 to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. This drew out equal economic participation, gender issues at work and respect for women’s voices as key to a sustainable future.

Gender advocacy in Suriname has come in various forms, from promoting women’s job opportunities to increasing their political representation. The country has made progress, such as increased labor force participation from 41.4% in 2011 to 44.3% in 2022. However, the World Bank also found that behind such statistics, nine in every 50 women aged 15-49 are in vulnerable employment positions, as of 2022.

Economic Opportunities

One important aim for the country is setting women up for economic success, uplifting women out of poverty and instilling financial stability. The Ministry of Home Affairs has targeted this by establishing its 2021-2035 Gender Vision Policy. This highlighted sector disparities, unequal access to economic resources and difficulties in women accessing formal work. Its answer to these issues was gender mainstreaming, allowing the application and monitoring of gender-responsive policies across departments.

While the full success of this vision is yet to be seen, the agricultural sector has already seen an increase in female participation from 4.65% in 2011 to 5.68% in 2022, according to the World Bank.

Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE), which is a program that focuses on supporting women-owned businesses in Suriname, also advocates for women’s professional development. The project is part of the Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit and originated in 2023. It aims to achieve gender advocacy by boosting the participants’ pitching, leadership and networking skills to empower women working in the sector.

Legal and Political Representation

Gender equality is established on a basic level in the Surinamese Constitution, as Article 35 declares that “Man and woman are equal before the law,” according to the Gender Vision Policy document. The Gender Vision Policy aims that beyond this “all legislation will have been adapted, strengthened and approved and implemented to promote gender equality and to eliminate gender-related discrimination.” In particular, this will involve intersectionality to address the discrimination against Indigenous women, promotion of equal pay and prevention of forced marriages.

Hope for the achievement of these aims can be inferred from the increasing political representation of women in Suriname. From 2011 to 2022, the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments has increased from 11.8% to 29.4%, according to the World Bank.

However, men still hold over double as many seats in parliament as women, so closing the gap is a long-term priority for the country.

Women’s Health

Menstrual and reproductive health are vital points of action for gender advocacy in Suriname. Addressing these issues allows women and girls to reach their full potential. As a part of this, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) has been working in Suriname on its mission to improve women’s health. Launched in 2021, its initiative to end period poverty has involved the provision of period pad kits. The First Lady of Suriname also received one of these kits in 2023. The Ministry of Public Health in Suriname has also addressed women’s health via a workshop in 2023 in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The importance of family planning to gender equality and poverty reduction raised, which is particularly relevant when the country’s contraceptive prevalence dropped from 47.2% in 2010 to 38.7% in 2018, according to the World Bank. The workshop showed positive aims for practical engagement, empowerment of women and raising awareness of their options.

Gender Advocacy in Suriname: Final Thoughts

Suriname currently scores 77 out of 100 in an index rating on the life cycle of a working woman, according to the World Bank. While progress in employment and politics has been significant, family commitments and social norms still hold women back. Gender advocacy in Suriname must maintain its diverse range of aims as well as the uniting principles of equality and empowerment.

– Daisy Outram

Daisy is based in Kent, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Ehsaas Program: Empowering Women and Fighting Poverty

The Ehsaas ProgramThe Ehsaas Program, launched by the Government of Pakistan, has become one of the world’s most recognized social protection initiatives. Ehsaas is a word in the Urdu language meaning “to feel,” representing empathy and a commitment to helping those in need. It is the Government of Pakistan’s comprehensive initiative to tackle poverty and inequality. Launched to mitigate the socioeconomic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ehsaas has provided financial relief to millions of vulnerable households, particularly women, through direct cash transfers. The program, led by Dr. Sania Nishtar (currently serving as the CEO of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance), continues to be a model for innovative and scalable poverty alleviation.

Global Recognition and Impact

In a 2021 report by the World Bank, Pakistan’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program was highlighted for its remarkable reach, ranking fourth globally in terms of the number of people covered and third in terms of the percentage of the population served. The Ehsaas Emergency Cash initiative disbursed stipends of PKR 12,000 ($48) to nearly 15 million households, benefiting more than 100 million people—almost half of Pakistan’s population. The World Bank praised the program for its rapid rollout and extensive coverage, calling it one of the most impressive large-scale social protection measures worldwide.

Economic Empowerment Through Targeted Initiatives

A significant aspect of the Ehsaas Program is its emphasis on women’s empowerment. More than 50% of its initiatives focus on providing financial security to women. By targeting women for poverty alleviation and supporting the United Nations (U.N.) SDG 5 on gender equality, Ehsaas is empowering women economically and socially.

The Ehsaas Kafaalat Program provides direct cash transfers to low-income women, ensuring that they have the financial support needed for necessities such as food, health care and education. Women have been the focal point of the Ehsaas Interest-Free Loan Scheme, which enables them to start small businesses and gain financial independence. Nishtar highlighted how the empowerment of women is beneficial for society and the economy and that the “government is determined to lift seven million poorest women in Pakistan out of poverty and help them achieve their potential.”

Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods

The Ehsaas Aamdan Program provides sustainable assets such as sewing machines, shops, livestock and vehicles to help individuals generate long-term income. This asset-based approach empowers women to contribute to their families’ economic stability while fostering entrepreneurship at the grassroots level.

Similarly, the Ehsaas Nashonuma Program promotes gender-sensitive financial support for nutrition. Families receive $7.18 for girls and $5.39 for boys younger than 2 years of age, which not only provides vital nutrition for children but also encourages a shift in societal attitudes toward gender equality. By offering higher financial incentives for female children, the program aims to combat cultural practices like female feticide and emphasize the value of female children.

Final Remark

Ehsaas’ implementation provides valuable lessons for other nations, especially in light of the recent crises that have highlighted the need to redefine the role of the welfare state. This presents a unique chance to create a pivotal moment in advancing global social welfare. Moreover, its emphasis on gender equality mirrors the development strategies of economically advanced countries, which have leveraged the potential of their female populations to achieve sustainable growth.

This realization is paving the way for Pakistan’s future economic, social and political development, with women playing a crucial role in these advancements. By empowering women, the Ehsaas Program is driving Pakistan closer to achieving its national development goals while addressing the pressing issues of poverty and inequality.

– Irtija Ahmad

Irtija is based in Slough, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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JUST Empowers Women Entrepreneurs Beyond Credit Barriers

Credit BarriersIn the vast landscape of financial services, the barriers faced by individuals with low incomes and poor credit histories are often insurmountable. Traditional lending institutions rely heavily on credit scores, which can disadvantage those historically marginalized or who have fallen victim to financial setbacks. This systemic issue has contributed to the perpetuation of poverty, especially among minority communities. However, a groundbreaking organization named JUST is rewriting the rules of lending to address these credit barriers, offering a unique approach that makes a tangible difference in the lives of many.

The Traditional Lending Dilemma

For individuals like Leti, a Hispanic woman who experienced a profound personal loss, the conventional financial system can seem both impersonal and inaccessible. After the tragic loss of her child, Leti’s food truck business, once her lifeline, collapsed. As her financial situation worsened, she struggled to secure traditional loans and lacked savings to fall back on. With her prospects dwindling, Leti began cleaning homes to make ends meet.

A New Hope: JUST

Leti’s fortunes took a turn when she discovered JUST, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Hispanic and Black female entrepreneurs. Founded to provide financial assistance without relying on traditional credit scores, JUST operates on a trust and community support model. Its approach has proven effective: it has disbursed more than $21 million in loans with a remarkable 99% repayment rate.

Steve Wanta, CEO and co-founder of JUST, explains that their method represents a departure from the conventional financial system’s reliance on credit scores. “Our financial system in the United States is not designed to trust people, especially those without money,” Wanta asserts. “Credit scores don’t paint an accurate picture of capability for thousands of people who have, in some cases, been penalized by the system or can’t get a foothold in the first place. Building up a longstanding credit history is impossible without that initial foothold.”

Breaking down Credit Barriers

JUST’s innovative model involves assessing individuals based on their potential and character rather than their financial history. When Leti applied for a loan through JUST, the organization met her with an empathetic and supportive process. No one asked for her credit score or scrutinized the failure of her previous venture. Instead, it gave her a $750 loan based on trust and belief in her potential to succeed.

Leti’s experience with JUST showcases the effectiveness of its approach. Before receiving a loan, she cleaned four houses a week, barely making ends meet. After joining the JUST community, she secured the funding to revitalize her business. With support from JUST’s peer coaches and a network of women entrepreneurs who had overcome similar challenges, her cleaning business flourished. What started as a one-person operation has become a successful enterprise, now employing more than 30 people.

Final Note

The success of JUST’s model underscores the power of trust in financial transactions. JUST has created a lifeline for those who might otherwise be excluded from the financial system by offering loans based on character and potential rather than credit scores. This approach supports individual entrepreneurs and fosters community development and economic empowerment.

As Leti’s story demonstrates, providing opportunities to those who might be overlooked can lead to remarkable outcomes. With continued support and innovation, JUST is paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable financial landscape, proving that trust and community can be powerful tools in the fight against poverty.

– Sakshi Bhagat

Sakshi is based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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The Chomuzangari Cooperative: Food Security in Masvingo

The Chomuzangari Cooperative: Food Security in MasvingoIn many rural, impoverished parts of Zimbabwe, women are the primary producers of staple food within households. However, many face discrimination that detracts from their access to resources and decision-making capabilities. The Chomuzangari Cooperative bolsters female participation, empowerment and mental health in these areas. Furthermore, the Cooperative directly enhances food security, water access and education. Individuals who have directly experienced the challenges of rural life in Zimbabwe drive the success of the Cooperative. The Welsh Government, through Hub Cymru Africa, largely funds and supports this initiative.

Women in Masvingo

In the Chivi District of Masvingo Province, where women form the majority of the population at 787,098, they traditionally play a diminished role in community decision-making. The Chomuzangari Cooperative aims to empower these women by boosting their confidence and self-esteem, ensuring their voices are heard and their participation increases. The theory is simple: with more resources and confidence, women can enhance food production in the area. A significant method for bolstering self-esteem is through education. To make education more accessible to everyone in the community, the Cooperative has introduced e-learning resources, including Raspberry Pi technology.

Mental Health

In addition to enhancing learning, water access, sanitation and hygiene, the Cooperative also focuses on destigmatizing mental health in Zimbabwe. Typically, mental health services are concentrated in hospitals in major urban centers, leaving rural areas poorly served. Rural mental health care suffers from stigma, resource constraints and staff shortages. Moreover, care for the mentally ill often falls on women, which can be traumatic and detrimental to their mental health. By boosting female self-esteem, the Cooperative hopes to not only support women through these challenges but also empower them to advocate for improvements in the mental health system.

3 Success Stories of Women in Masvingo

  1. Nutritious Veg Gardens. By encouraging women in Masvingo to gather and share nutrient-rich recipes and foods, the community saw a significant boost in local nutrition. Women in the area started a one-hectare nutrition garden where they planted nutritious crops such as rodade tomatoes, Texas Grano onions, cabbage, kale and much more. This initiative dramatically improved the quality of life for women and enhanced food security in the region, as it eliminated the need for women to travel 90 kilometers to Chivi Growth Point or 140 kilometers to Masvingo town to buy fresh vegetables.
  2. Access to Clean Water. Following a collaborative initiative with Hope Foundation, funded by the Welsh Government, thousands of Chomuzangari residents now have access to clean drinking water. The program financed the installation of a borehole, a solar pump and a 5,000-liter storage tank. Local volunteers contributed by making bricks and installing parts of the system. This development ended the previous burden of walking 3-8 kilometers to collect water. Now, nearly all women in the district live within 500 meters of a water point. This significantly reduces food insecurity and prevents children from missing school to fetch water.
  3. Protection of Crops. Due to a new fence constructed with the help of 67 volunteers, 600 women can now grow more food for their families. This fence, which encloses a hectare of garden space for growing vegetables, was funded by a grant from the Welsh Government. The initiative recognizes that protecting crops from animals is essential for fostering food security in the region.

Looking Ahead

The Chomuzangari Cooperative has significantly enhanced the perception of women and the quality of life in entire communities throughout the Masvingo region. Before the project began, the changing climate, discrimination and limited resources severely hindered women’s ability to provide food for their families. Although these challenges persist, the Cooperative’s ongoing efforts and funding have greatly mitigated their impact.

– Bea Newington-Bridges

Bea is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Helen’s Daughters and Saint Lucia’s Female Farmers

Saint Lucia's Female FarmersSaint Lucia is known to many as a resplendent island paradise of luminous white-sand beaches and rich tropical forests that spill into the Caribbean Sea. However, this magnificent fresco belies an often precarious living reality. The country’s tourism-dependent economy and heavy reliance on imports, coupled with its susceptibility to natural disasters, render it highly vulnerable to external shocks and trap many Saint Lucians in chronic insecurity. Saint Lucia’s female farmers and women in general find their development further impeded by deeply entrenched gender roles which limit their engagement in the formal sector and manifest in a vast wage gap of 27.4%  A 2020 World Bank estimate placed a woman’s lifetime productivity in Saint Lucia at just 63% of her potential.

Helen’s Daughters is a non-governmental organization (NGO) blending the empowerment of Saint Lucia’s women with its overall development. It trains and supports female farmers, viewing them as long-overlooked drivers of change.

The Roots of Helen’s Daughters

Keithlin Caroo, the organization’s founder, told the BBC that she established Helen’s Daughters to “address the systematic exclusion of rural women in the agricultural sector.” The strong concentration of women within the informal economy and the blurring of economic and non-economic activity on small-scale family farms have long shrouded their contributions to agriculture in Saint Lucia, limiting their access to support systems, resources and growth prospects.

In a podcast interview from February 2024, Caroo describes witnessing her grandmother’s contributions to the family’s agricultural business dematerialize as she listed her occupation as “housewife” on official records. She remembers thinking that, given more opportunity, she “would probably be one of the most successful farmers in the area”

Caroo recognized that Saint Lucia’s female farmers needed “an ecosystem of other women in farming and agriculture” and set out to create one. She points out that Helen’s Daughters exists “not to negate men’s roles in the field”, but to address “a developmental issue in the region” that confines women to the margins of the agricultural sector.

Training Programs for Saint Lucia’s Female Farmers

Since its inception in 2016, Helen’s Daughters has cultivated a thriving network of female farmers, reaching 1,200 women as of 2022. The NGO operates two training programs in Saint Lucia, as well as Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which focus on sustainable agriculture, financial literacy, business development and marketing.

It also organizes guided commercial farm visits, where the women it serves can gain expert knowledge of sustainable and productivity-boosting farming practices. Furthermore, seeking to increase the visibility of Saint Lucia’s female farmers, Helen’s Daughters operates an agri-tourism experience, allowing visitors to learn firsthand about the women’s trials and successes through tours and markets.

In 2022, Helen’s Daughters partnered with global chocolate retailer Hotel Chocolat to establish the Agri-Apprenticeship Programme, which provides three women every year invaluable experience in managing a farm. They receive mentorship and training throughout the process and, upon completing the apprenticeship, can use start-up funds from Helen’s Daughters to establish their agricultural enterprise.

Caroo shared in a podcast that, “One of the critical and key areas of Helen’s Daughters is that seed of empowerment; of self-belief; of belief in yourself as an agricultural entrepreneur.” This focus on the nourishment of burgeoning female potential is pertinent in an economy where women engage heavily in entrepreneurship but where the vast majority of small businesses with limited growth capacity are woman-owned, according to the World Bank report.

Tilling Saint Lucia’s Socioeconomic Landscape

One of Helen’s Daughters’ major focuses is strengthening female farmers’ ability to engage in the economy. It organizes quarterly markets where women can grow their customer bases and establish firm roots within the sector through networking. In 2022, 95 of Saint Lucia’s female farmers benefited from this initiative and sales amounted to $37,415, according to Helen’s Daughters 2020 annual report. Helen’s Daughters also connects the rural women it supports to larger enterprises such as hotels and restaurants, allowing them to significantly boost their income.

This demonstrates a wider focus on Saint Lucia’s development. The Caribbean imports between 80% and 90% of its food.  However, in the podcast, Caroo points out that more than half of this produce could be grown locally. She believes Saint Lucia, and the region at large, to be “stuck in a very dangerous cycle” of dependency. Still recovering from the profound wound that the collapse in tourism triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic left in its economy, the country is now keenly feeling the sharp increase in import prices precipitated by the war in Ukraine. Helen’s Daughters’ integration of small-scale farmers into Saint Lucia’s economy is therefore testimony to a vision of increased resilience and autonomy for both the women it supports and for entire communities. As Caroo puts it, “If a nation cannot feed itself, it’s not free.”

Food Sovereignty and Health

Another facet of Helen’s Daughters’ commitment to “food sovereignty and health,” as Caroo pointed out in the podcast, of Saint Lucia is its focus on nutritional marketing within its training programs and its creation of a cooking channel showcasing local recipes and products. According to Caroo, the organization is teaching farmers how to capitalize on the fact that, currently, “health is trendy”, and is encouraging consumers to “recognize that there is value in food that’s locally available.”

Helen’s Daughters also holds quarterly wellness fairs. According to its website, these clinics allow rural people to access health information, dietary advice and checkups at no cost and pay homage to the farmers who work tirelessly to support their families at the expense of their own wellbeing.

Empowering Saint Lucia’s Female Farmers

Helen’s Daughters provides Saint Lucia’s female farmers with the tools they need to transform the island’s natural abundance into increased prosperity and agency for themselves, their families and their communities. At the organization’s core is a commitment to the living realities of rural communities, long masked by an image of tropical splendour but vibrant and beautiful in their own right.

– Leila Powles

Leila is based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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3 Projects Supporting Women in Tanzania

3 Projects Supporting Women in Tanzania Tanzania, an East African nation with more than 65 million people, boasts Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, iconic wildlife and exquisite beaches. Formed in 1964 through the union of Tanganyika, a former German colony and Zanzibar, an imperial trading island, Tanzania has a history of gender inequality. Women in Tanzania have historically faced a variety of barriers to equal opportunities. However, the country has made significant strides in social, economic and political realms. Since 2021, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female president, has led the nation, symbolizing progress toward gender equality.

Tanzania’s 1977 constitution prohibits gender discrimination and women hold 37% of parliamentary seats. Despite a female labor force participation rate of 80%, surpassing the Sub-Saharan African average of 63%, Tanzanian women face significant challenges. Their central role in households often restricts their participation in paid employment and many lack financial education and opportunities for entrepreneurship. To address these ongoing issues, three organizations are actively working in Tanzania to help women realize their financial and societal potential.

Forever Projects

The Forever Projects program promotes self-sufficiency among Tanzanian women, guiding them from poverty to independence. Initially, the program provides essential formula milk for malnourished babies and other life-improving items. Subsequently, it trains women in disease prevention and financial security, equipping them to start businesses and assume vital community roles. An Australian family moved to address the orphan crisis in Tanzania and founded the charity. It operates at the community level, collaborating with local partners like hospitals and police forces.

A central theme of the program is “Empowerment,” designed to enable women to help themselves. For instance, a 65-year-old participant received training in nutrition and commerce. This allowed her to nurture her malnourished grandson and launch her own business. Forever Projects aims for lasting impact, helping communities escape poverty cycles. The charity reports that 91.7% of participants gain confidence in their futures, with many tripling their income, fostering socially and financially secure lives, thus reducing poverty, child abandonment and disease.

EngenderHealth

The central aim of the EngenderHealth program is economic empowerment. It targets young people and women, who face various cultural norms and educational barriers to the working world. Funded by Shell Tanzania and Equinor, it connects subjects to work for Lindi Municipal Council and Mtama District Councils in Tanzania. EngenderHealth promises to investigate the barriers to economic empowerment as part of this 2023 to 2025 program. With this evidence, it will propose points of action for economic empowerment to best match community needs. These may include proposals made by World Bank Program Leader Inaam Ul Haq, who recommended Tanzania “end child-marriage, lower school dropout rates and provide childcare support”.

Her Initiative

Her Initiative is a nonprofit organization that aims to shift negative cultural views and financial disempowerment of women via digital inclusion. Its approach is based on teaching women important skills, linking them to opportunities and developing an encouraging environment. Its impact has indirectly reached 25 million young women. Mshiko clubs is one of its projects, it seeks to combat girls leaving education prematurely. It teaches financial freedom, focusing on how to save money and find sources of income beyond the school curriculum. This sets up their vision of guiding young women to choose and create opportunities for themselves and others.

Impact

These programs exemplify the broad impact of gender-responsive empowerment in breaking the cycle of poverty and boosting a country’s economy. Tanzania’s poverty rate dropped from 35.6% in 2000 to 26.4% in 2018 and the country advanced from a low to lower-middle-income status in 2020. Mara Warwick, World Bank Country Director, partially attributed this change to the “expansion of women’s economic opportunities.” For Tanzanian women and the country as a whole, these ongoing efforts are crucial for reducing poverty and fostering growth.

Looking Forward

Tanzania has made notable strides in promoting gender equality. Organizations like Forever Projects, EngenderHealth and Her Initiative have played a key role in empowering women. These initiatives focus on providing women with the tools to achieve financial independence and improve their communities. As Tanzania continues to lower its poverty rate, the expansion of women’s economic opportunities remains critical to sustaining progress and fostering long-term national development.

– Daisy Outram

Daisy is based in Kent, UK and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Transforming Women’s Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan AfricaEducation is one of the most effective solutions to poverty. In many countries with high poverty rates, the education system is highly unsatisfactory, with women disproportionately affected. Around 34 million adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa drop out of secondary school. When women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa receive education, poverty reduction happens more quickly. Furthermore, each additional year a girl spends in school leads to a 20% increase in her earnings.

Recognizing this, many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focus on women’s education in Sub-Saharan Africa later in life and making schools more accessible for young girls. Zambia, Kenya and Ethiopia are among the countries where education systems have required additional support.

Women’s Education in Zambia

Zambia’s education system shows a clear gender disparity in school completion, from primary to college education. Many girls in rural areas face significant barriers to education, including long distances to schools, a lack of resources, early marriages and unintended pregnancies. Only 27% of girls in Zambia complete upper secondary school and among the most impoverished, just 3% do. Additionally, 29% of girls are married before turning 18, often before they have finished their education. However, NGOs have stepped in to make education more accessible for young women.

Bright Hope works with local churches in Bolivia, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Haiti to provide hope and aid to those living in extreme poverty. In Zambia, the organization has established a girls’ dormitory in a rural area, making education a safer and more accessible option for young women. Luke Peterson, the Director of Strategic Relationships and Ally Communications, told The Borgen Project, “These girls often traveled long distances to attend school, walking the long journey before and after dark and many of them were abused on their way to and from school.” This led to high dropout rates and trauma from the abuse.

Bright Hope created safe places for these young women to stay while pursuing their education. Peterson added, “This dorm was just completed and is one of the only buildings in the village with security, electricity and running water and the girls are very excited for the fall semester to start!” Bright Hope has helped make education more accessible for them.

Women’s Education in Kenya

Similar to Zambia, Kenya’s education system also suffers from a significant gender disparity. Contributing factors include long, unsafe distances to schools, early marriages and culturally defined gender-biased roles. Girls in Kenya are often expected to clean, cook, fetch water and sell firewood or charcoal daily. This leaves them with little time to study compared to boys. Only 18% of Kenyan women aged 25 and older have completed secondary education and just 27.8% of girls who finish primary school enroll in secondary education.

In response, Bright Hope has established a farm in Turkana, Kenya, where it has more than 225 farmers, all of whom are mostly women and they grow fruits and vegetables. Peterson spoke about the lead farmer, Elizabeth and said, “She has been growing her food for many years and with her profits from the farm, she can send her kids to university in Nairobi.” Bright Hope’s farming initiative has empowered women, providing them with opportunities for success in a country where they have traditionally been confined to specific roles.

Women’s Education in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, women’s access to education is limited. Only 25% of girls attend secondary school, with even fewer in rural areas where schools are scarce. Those who do attend often face abuse, inadequate bathrooms and gender-biased lessons that discourage them from staying in school. Additionally, early marriage and economic hardship force many girls to drop out. However, with the help of NGOs like the Malala Fund, women’s education is seeing significant improvements.

The Malala Fund expanded its Education Champion Network to Ethiopia in March 2020. The champions—Martha Nemera Woyessa, Amsale Mulugeta and Getaalem Kassa—are working in the Amhara region, where 600,000 girls are out of school. They engage with local communities to improve school conditions. Furthermore, they advocate for policies that prevent child marriage and work to end gender-based violence. Their mission is to accelerate progress by challenging systems, policies and practices to ensure that all girls have access to 12 years of free, safe and quality education.

Final Note

Long distances to schools, abuse and gender-discriminative roles severely limit women’s education in sub-Saharan Africa. However, through the efforts of NGOs like Bright Hope and the Malala Fund, women and young girls are gaining hope for a brighter future.

– Ellie Buss

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

Photo: Pexels

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Second Round of Women in the Digital Economy Fund

Women in the Digital Economy FundAn estimated 1.1 billion women in low- and middle-income households lack access to mobile internet. In response, the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has committed to improving women’s access to digital technologies and teaching digital literacy strategies.

Launched in March 2023, the first round of WiDEF initiatives focused on funding local organizations to support women in nearby communities on a more personal level. The newly released second round is aimed at the private sector. The gender digital divide significantly hampers global economic progress, limiting an entire market of consumers and producers due to longstanding gender inequality.

Establishment of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund

Though WiCEF is a relatively new program, announced less than two years ago, it has already shown significant success in advancing digital education at both individual and community levels. USAID has committed more than $50 million in funding as part of its advocacy for gender equality, while the Gates Foundation has added $10 million to support the initiative. As part of its budget, WiCEF ensures that more than half of its funding is dedicated to improving digital opportunities in Africa, where some of the world’s largest mobile internet gender gaps exist.

With a focus on addressing gender disparities, WiCEF continuously researches the best ways to introduce gender-equitable digital solutions, prioritizing women-led and women-oriented innovations and products. Each selected candidate receives between $50,000 and $150,000 in digital support.

Overarching Goals and Initiatives

USAID highlights five core outcomes of its WiCEF program:

  1. Access and Affordability: Ensuring digital devices and internet-enabled services are affordable, sustainable and accessible for diverse communities of women.
  2. Relevant Products and Tools: Designing and providing women access to digital products and tools, including smartphones and other mobile technologies, that can contribute to income-generation purposes
  3. Literacy and Skills: Enhancing women’s digital skills and literacy to help them participate meaningfully in the digital economy and other digital spaces.
  4. Safety and Security: Addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence while promoting digital user protection.
  5. Data and Insights: Leveraging sex-disaggregated data to identify social barriers that cause disparities in technology use and to inform the development of more gender-equitable programs.

Consequences of the Gender Digital Divide

Samantha Power, Administrator of USAID, highlighted that the gender digital divide “hinders developmental progress… ingraining existing inequities into the fabric of societies of the future,” emphasizing the deepening of gender inequalities in the digital age. Access to digital technologies, along with the tools to navigate them, has become a privilege many women are denied, further exacerbating economic, political and social disparities. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that there are approximately 244 million more men than women using the Internet as of 2023, a statistic that will only increase if not addressed adequately in the following years.

The lack of digital education for women has additionally inhibited economic growth, specifically for developing nations, with the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership approximating that countries have lost more than $1 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) from female exclusion in the digital world. Closing the gender digital divide—the overarching goal uptaken by WiCEF—will deliver around $700 billion in GDP growth while generating up to 64 million new jobs for women in the next five years.

Opening of Second Round of Applicants

The opening of the second round of applicants for WiCEF will only further the work of USAID and the Gates Foundation on an economic scale, now expanding technical assistance into private sector enterprises. Businesses across developing nations aiming to close the gender digital divide will now have access to tools for effective research and evaluation, with data-driven feedback to assess their usage of products among women. Additionally, WiCEF provides education on user design, product adaptation and business modeling, strengthening the foundation of these companies and the women impacted by them.

– Eileen Lincoln

Eileen is based in Oakton, VA, USAs and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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BabesGotBytes: Teaching Women Digital Literacy in South Africa

BabesGotBytesAmanda Gxagxa, Lihle Menzeleleli and Phindiwe Nqanqaru founded BabesGotBytes in 2018, a nonprofit focusing on teaching women and young girls skills needed for careers in tech. Based in Cape Town, the organization is working to close the career gap for women and girls by empowering them to learn new skills through training in technology and innovation.

BabesGotBytes offers a variety of local school programs for students of all ages and free adult classes ranging from basic computer literacy, coding, software and web development, programming and entrepreneurship, among many others. Weekly meetups occasionally feature guest speakers, are open to newcomers interested in the developer’s community and allow like-minded individuals to connect and network.

Industry Changes and Growth

South Africa currently has one of the highest unemployment rates at 33%, with more than 8.4 million people unemployed. According to the Q2 Labor Force Survey for 2024, the industries most affected by job losses are retail, restaurants and hotels, agriculture, domestic work in private households and construction. Increases, however, are in manufacturing, community and social services, utilities, transportation, mining and finance.

The Information Technology (IT) industry is also growing steadily as South Africa has become more advanced in technology. As a central hub for startups and foreign subsidiaries, in one analysis, a growth of 36% was reported for the IT industry within the last three years, with an almost 5% increase in revenue for these companies.

College Degrees Are Essential

With more highly skilled jobs in demand, education plays a significant factor. Having a college degree puts candidates in a better position to secure employment, with graduates making up only 9% of unemployment overall. School systems in South Africa require high schoolers to complete an exam in their final year, known as the “matric,” in order to graduate and for entrance into universities. If the matric isn’t passed, the student is considered to have an “educational attainment less than matric.”

What this means to employers is that although the candidate has a secondary-level education, they didn’t graduate high school. Those without matric qualifications make up a staggering 39% of unemployment. For those living in rural areas, access to schools is limited and many lack infrastructure; teachers often pursue jobs in larger cities where they’re provided with more stability and income.

Gender and Race Add Barriers

Women face many challenges due to expectations of traditional gender roles with fewer resources or role models, with 29.9% of the unemployed, while men, 26.3%. They often face discrimination, receive lower wages and don’t advance as frequently in the workplace. Racial inequalities put Black Africans at an even further disadvantage as the most unemployed race at 37%, deepening the wealth gap and poverty level compared to other racial groups. In relation to this, Black Africans are also the least educated despite making up the majority population.

BabesGotBytes’ Impact

In a few years, BabesGotBytes has expanded into a large operation, partnering with Rlabs in 2023 to develop a six-month digital literacy program for disadvantaged communities. It has hosted workshops and webinars with companies such as Amazon Web Services Cloud, Arduino and Orange Cybersecurity. In December, it organized the Makers Hackathon, where students showcased their skills. This year, it launched a summer robotics camp for children ages 7-15 and participated in Womhub’s GirlsEng Innovation Camp. Recently, it announced its most ambitious project yet, collaborating with Zoho to launch a one-year boot camp to train and mentor 40 women and girls, further advancing their skills and experience.

– Tanita Love

Tanita is based in Chicago, IL, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Female Starvation in Gaza

Female starvation in GazaThe October 2023 attack by Hamas has left irreversible damage on the whole city of Gaza. Every hour, two mothers are killed and nearly 1 million more have been left to live amongst the rubble without safe shelter and without enough food or clean water to survive. Food insecurity and starvation affect women in Gaza in multiple ways. “U.N. Women estimates that at least 557,000 women in Gaza are facing severe food insecurity, and find themselves facing old and new gender-based vulnerabilities.”

Female Starvation in Gaza

For the sick and injured, for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, there is virtually no medical help left. Not only is there no medical help left, but breastfeeding mothers are using 25% of their body’s energy just by feeding their children, in comparison the brain only uses 20%. Therefore, mothers especially are starving and desperately fighting to also keep their children alive. “The situation is particularly concerning for mothers and adult women, who often prioritize feeding others over themselves and report greater difficulty accessing food compared to men, leading many to skip meals or reduce their intake to ensure their children are fed,” the U.N. reports.

“Seven out of 10 women interviewed by U.N. Women reported weight loss in the last 30 days, and more than half experience frequent dizziness.” This statistic truly represents the female starvation in Gaza. “I prefer to give the children food first. Then as a mother, I might not eat so I can feed my children. That’s just how life is now. That’s motherhood,” a mother displaced to Rafah, southern Gaza said.

WFP and Action Against Hunger

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that it can only meet 20% of its monthly targets, leaving thousands of families at risk of starvation. This 80% is consistently being shown, especially when one in five pregnant women in a central Gaza clinic struggle with malnourishment. Despite high demands, only a small percentage of people receive help. The WFP is assisting more than 1 million people a month in Gaza due to 96% of the population in the city of Gaza being in a crisis level of hunger or worse.

In Gaza, Action Against Hunger has supported more than 200,000 women and girls through their water, sanitation and hygiene services, alongside food baskets, according to its website. In particular, it has a program to “prevent malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children under 5 years old.”

WEFAQ

Wefaq Society for Women and Child Care, a local women’s organization, is managing to maintain help and support through the hazardous living conditions that are so very prominent in Gaza today. It provides hot meals through the community kitchen to help reduce the rates of hunger within the female population. Winter clothes and accessories are provided alongside blankets and mattresses for comfort and warmth. Hygiene kits, and other essential items like menstrual supplies, milk and nappies for babies. WEFAQ also provides counseling to help aid and rebuild women’s confidence in themselves and their communities.

The female starvation situation in Gaza is very obviously going to be an ongoing issue but through the support of multiple organizations like AAH and WEFAQ, women will finally get the support they truly need.

– Sadie Virgin

Sadie is based in Newport, Wales, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash