Dec 19, 2019 | by Anna Mecagni, Women for Women International
Jennifer Denomy, Technical Director for Vulnerable Populations at MEDA speaking at the #SEEP2019 session, Innovative Strategies to Maximize Resilience in Women's Economic Empowerment.
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of hosting a roundtable at the 2019 SEEP Annual Conference to share ideas and stimulate learning to promote inclusive markets and financial systems.
Women remain particularly vulnerable to shocks and stresses, including conflict, displacement, economic, or health crises. Women’s exclusion from markets, financial systems and even the social systems around them limits their resilience to and recovery from shocks – and ultimately, their communities’ efforts to rebuild.
Our roundtable session, Innovative Strategies to Maximize Resilience in Women's Economic Empowerment, brought experts working in Nigeria, Ghana, and Pakistan together to combine lessons and strategies from all over the world.
1. Holistic Programs Address Interconnected Challenges
Women’s economic exclusion compounds with other barriers, such as social and cultural exclusion. Talatu Salihu, Social Empowerment Officer at Women for Women International – Nigeria, stressed that programs must cultivate supportive environments for women’s power and work within the home, community, and country.
Women for Women International’s gendered graduation approach in Nigeria supports women in increasing savings, income and assets as well as helping them understand their rights and addressing local customs about women’s roles in the household. This approach combining social and economic empowerment programming has dynamic outcomes: Changing attitudes about women’s roles can liberate time for income generation. When women claim their social rights, it also increases access to assets, inheritance, and even land.
2. Create Market Demand by Connecting Women to Technology
Women living in poverty want to make strategic choices with their money. When purchasing new agricultural technology, many women – especially low-income smallholder farmers – tend to be risk-averse.
“They don’t necessarily want to invest in anything until they’ve seen [it] or understand that it would work for them,” explains Jennifer Denomy, Technical Director for Vulnerable Populations at MEDA.
MEDA’s agricultural market systems program in northern Ghana collaborated with companies to host technology fairs and invite women to see tools in action and understand how they could benefit their farming. Women felt more comfortable purchasing products in this setting and established relationships with suppliers, resulting in a demand-driven marketplace with women gaining ownership over new technology.
Panelists (L to R): Dr. Judith McFarlane, Aga Khan University, Talatu Salihu & Anna Mecagni, Women for Women International, and Jennifer Denomy, MEDA
3. Women’s Economic Empowerment Changes Social Dynamics
Gaining economic power can improve women’s status and bargaining power within households. They earn respect and their opinions are considered more valuable. Women participating in Women for Women International programs reported enhanced confidence and knowledge to lead better lives.
But practitioners must be intentional to ensure women don’t face backlash and be mindful of unintended consequences.
Dr. Judith McFarlane, Technical Advisor at Aga Khan University warned, “Men fear the idea of changing roles and ridicule they might experience if their roles change because so much of their identity relies on this idea of protecting family and providing for them.”
In Ghana, technology designed for agricultural usage evolved beyond its intended use. Women with “MotorKings,” small vehicles with carts, transported more than just produce: People, including village chiefs, request rides.
“We had to be cognizant of the fact that changing the dynamics [meant women perform] more public roles. Agriculture can be quite public. Selling things in a market can be quite public,” said Denomy. “We had to be really careful that we were aware of what we were suggesting that women do and that we were supporting them in any way that we could.”
4. Engage Men and Promote Positive Masculinity
Statistics can often overlook men living in extreme poverty. “As practitioners, we often make these assumptions when working with the very poor that men have access to many things that they in fact do not,” said Dr. McFarlane. “We disenfranchise them when we don’t include men.”
Dr. McFarlane works on a cash transfer program in Pakistan, with an added life skills component that helps women learn basic skills in income generation, conflict resolution, and about gender attitudes - and does the same with men. Tailored to local customs, men and women receive the same curriculum but in gender-segregated groups.
Curriculum challenges stereotypes of gender roles and family violence while seeking to foster positive masculinity.
“When we are challenging rigid gender norms, men need to be involved. You can’t challenge gender norms around women if men aren’t on board,” said Dr. MacFarlane.
5. Social Networks Pay Off
Across programs, practitioners stress the importance of building social networks. “Women form groups that build resilience,” said Salihu. “Social networks become women’s emotional and social support during crises.”
But these groups are also the foundation for economic resources. Together, they could collectively advocate towards goals or form savings groups for access to credit to expand businesses or cover large expenses, such as the MotorKings.
Thank you to Talatu Salihu of Women for Women International, Jennifer Denomy of MEDA, and Dr. Judith McFarlane of Aga Khan University for helping me lead this insightful discussion on the future if investing in women’s resilience and their economic empowerment.
Talatu Salihu, Women for Women International
The author, Anna Mecagni is the Senior Director for Program Design and Development at Women for Women International, guiding integrated programs supporting marginalized women in conflict-affected countries, including cash, business and vocational training, savings and lending groups, and men’s engagement. She brings 20 years of experience supporting inclusive development with marginalized populations. She earned a Masters degree at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and has enjoyed life and work experience in Senegal, Chad, Burundi and Mozambique.
Categories: Economic Strengthening and Recovery Financial Inclusion Women and Girls English Blog Womens Economic Empowerment Blog WebinarsBlogs
1621 North Kent Street, Ste 900,
Arlington, VA, 22209
P 202.534.1400
F 703.276.1433
Website Photos: © mari matsuri