Description

Group members gain public speaking and leadership experience, develop a greater sense of identity within the group, and use the economic empowerment gained through the savings and lending to save for the future and invest in businesses.

Across the country we work in, where most of the working population relies on agriculture for income, drought and inconsistent rainfall can plague regions and leave smallholder farmers struggling to make ends meet. In times like these, women and children are hit the hardest. PROJECT SHE empowerment groups help community members build their savings to weather these financial storms as well as give them a voice and community decision-making power to help prepare for and respond to these emergencies.

Together, the combined organization will deliver sustainable change to women’s lives. PROJECT SHE share the same values and a mission of working side-by-side with communities at home and around the country. Our efforts will increase the impact of proven programs and leverage complementary but unique geographic footprints and technical expertise.

We know girls that are educated will go on to earn higher wages, raise healthier children, and make more informed choices about their lives. We also know education is key for launching women towards empowerment. Still, we need to notice the influence that self-esteem has on lifting women up.

Today, some societies are further ahead than others, but after generations of being held to traditional gender roles, girls tend to suffer from low self-esteem. These ideas are created by society, media, and even family members.

Instead, we need to change the message and contradict everything society has always told them for years. Girls need to hear that they do belong and they are visible. By teaching them a different perspective and about their rights as women, we give them a reason to believe in themselves. Self-doubt questions the idea of deserving more. Once a girl stops doubting herself, she will no longer feel defined by others. Girls who are given the chance to learn the power of their self-worth can change not only their narrative but society’s narrative of them.

Many women have found themselves juggling increased unpaid care work while contending with reduced income, and in some cases also trying to do full-time paid work in crowded households. Scarce family resources compounded with household responsibilities falling primarily on the shoulders of girls, aberrates at-home schooling, where available, from a necessity to a quixotic luxury. Given the pivotal role girls’ education plays in gender equality at large, these trends will have more far-reaching consequences, perpetuating a detrimental cycle.

In order to uphold the progress, the women have rightfully earned, we must first understand the true gravity of the situation women are facing. Widespread, readily available, disaggregated data will serve as a focal channel to illustrate where girls’ needs are being overlooked and how resources ought to be allocated to mend the chasm. After actively seeking out girls’ voices, we must then make space for them in decision-making.

The world desperately needs women and girls to serve as architects behind response strategies, as they will be more likely to provide a lens that accounts for the economic, social, health, and violence-related issues discussed herein. Recognizing the needs of women through gender disaggregated data is only one piece of the equation; the other is cognizant and empathetic leadership that understands how to respond. While it’s apparent that we still have work to do, I remain optimistic. Women already have a voice; we simply need to listen. With this simple and seamless advance, we will build a more equitable and brighter place for everyone.