Through the , implemented by 91影视 on behalf of USAID, we鈥檙e working to expand the horizons of women in rural areas of Mali through the deployment of something very simple 鈥� small diesel generators, referred to as multifunctional platforms. These platforms help reduce daily time spent on chores, providing affordable electricity for refrigeration, lighting and other appliances, as well as pumping water and grinding millet.

Using a context-specific approach, the ACCORD team was able to access traditionally isolated communities that historically have not been supportive of women鈥檚 participation in activities outside the home. The team鈥檚 strategy was unique in that they gained support from village male elders first, emphasizing the advantages villages stood to gain from the income generation that the multifunctional platforms could bring.

The project saw doors being opened that improved women鈥檚 well-being beyond freeing up their time.聽Providing a setting where women could come together regularly gave them the opportunity to network and discuss priorities in their communities 鈥� particularly issues related to their participation in economic and social life, the challenges they face when it comes to advocating for their needs, and the potential contributions women could make to minimize conflict.

The project also demonstrated that these women, given the right training and tools, are fully capable of managing business operations. The ACCORD team supported the training of platform management committees in financial oversight, basic literacy and numeracy, and association management, as well as helped facilitate dialogue around preventing/reducing conflict and gender-based violence.

A village community comes together around one of the multi-functional platforms.聽

The women from the platform management committees, including Safarou, traveled to the city of Gao to attend an event that attracted more than 500 women leaders and organizations from across the region to highlight women鈥檚 priorities and help influence a national policy agenda. These women, the same women who鈥檇 never left their villages, traveled by boat for the very first time to speak up for themselves and share their experiences. Their presence on a national stage is the direct consequence of increased autonomy and greater self-confidence.

I鈥檝e followed the activities supported by the Mali ACCORD Project closely and have been personally marked by the women鈥檚 courage and resiliency. The reallocation of women’s time results in greater visibility, increased access to disposable income and improved skills 鈥� all of which enable women to gain greater recognition for the work they do. I call that progress. These women are certainly pressing forward with renewed strength and hope, not only for their families, but for their communities as a whole.

I鈥檝e worked with 91影视鈥檚 International Development team for the past five years as a gender and social inclusion adviser, and I鈥檝e seen the impact our projects are making in the lives of women in many corners of the world. However, the success of the Mali ACCORD Project speaks to me on a deeper level, particularly because it resonates so strongly with this year鈥檚 International Women鈥檚 Day theme #PressForProgress.

This blog post is part of a series celebrating聽聽and this year鈥檚 theme, .

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This May, people from over 60 countries came together to take part in an important conversation on gender equality 鈥� focusing on how solutions and investments in health, rights, gender equality and economic empowerment can yield impressive benefits across the development spectrum. Held in Copenhagen, Denmark, the 4^th Women Deliver Conference was the largest gathering on girls鈥� and women鈥檚 health, rights, and well-being in the last decade and one of the first major global conferences following the launch of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The conference brought together an incredible line-up of influencers 鈥� from policymakers, to issue experts, to business leaders. Participants not only came from across the world but also across sectors to share their expertise. Despite the distance and diversity in experience, they all shared a common message: Empowering girls and women is not only the right thing to do; it鈥檚 the smart thing to do to build a better world.

(Above image, left to right: 91影视’s Silvia Boscolo, senior project manager; Dina Scippa, gender advisor; Simone Anzboeck, associate director).

This message really resonated with me, causing me to draw strong linkages between central themes at the Women Deliver conference and our own central message at 91影视: Built to deliver a better world. Through the projects that we implement for our clients across the company as a whole, and specifically within our International Development team, we help transform communities, develop economies, drive growth, and most importantly, improve lives. Every day, we deliver new opportunities for clients and communities. We work tirelessly to bridge the gap between what is and what can be.

Through our work, we are helping change the International Development landscape to deliver sustainable, transformative outcomes. It cannot be ignored that gender equality, meaningful participation, and empowerment are critical drivers of inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. Such processes not only facilitate the design and implementation of both development policies and projects, but are also important for men and women to mobilize collectively and to increase their ability to exercise influence over decisions that affect them. In connecting expertise across services, markets, and geographies to deliver transformative outcomes, our approach and commitment to promoting gender equality and socially inclusive practices is fundamentally at the core of what we do.

I was proud to represent 91影视 as one of the exhibiting organizations at Women Deliver and was pleased to be able to share success stories about the dynamic International Development programs along with our organization鈥檚 commitment to gender equality and social inclusion. The Women Deliver conference created a platform for development practitioners to share really inspiring work going on with women and girls, and we can all appreciate, with good reason, why there should be sustained efforts to focus on their empowerment. Panelists at the conference, both men and women, all agreed that when a woman or girl is empowered, she becomes a catalyst 鈥� creating ripples of positive change that lift up everyone around her, including boys and men.

Boys and men need to be equal partners to make strides in empowerment of women and girls, which includes fostering a culture of respect, seeing girls and women as capable and powerful, and overcoming entrenched stereotypes. Overall, if interventions that focus on the empowerment of women and girls can take place early enough, girls can be supported to stay in school longer, delay their first birth, and acquire important skills that can propel them forward in terms of economic empowerment.

We are in a unique moment in history 鈥� one we must seize to not just move the needle but to change the landscape for girls and women. The launch of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Women Deliver conference, and other landmark events taking place 鈥撀爈ike the White House State of Women Conference happening this month 鈥� all signal a unique opportunity for all of us to remain committed to making real progress for girls and women. We shouldn鈥檛 wait any longer for equality. Now is the time to move with urgency.

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I recently had the opportunity to meet with eight members of the Lakes State Women鈥檚 Association, a local women鈥檚 organization committed to making a difference in their communities. The meeting was held at one of 91影视鈥檚 regional offices in South Sudan that is home to the Viable Support to Transition and Stability (VISTAS) program, implemented in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Women discussing conflict mitigation strategies related to cross-border issues in South Sudan.聽

The purpose of my visit was twofold: to聽gain an understanding of key issues and gender-based constraints in conflict mitigation, and then to establish ways women can be further integrated into community-based reconciliation activities.

Meeting with the women from the organization and hearing their personal stories gave me tremendous insight into the challenges women face in South Sudan. Each woman shared her opinions and perspectives on the most critical issues facing their community. Some spoke about losing family members in the conflict, while others shared firsthand experiences with gender-based violence and the impact that insecurity has had on their livelihoods.

Dina Scippa meeting with Lakes State Women鈥檚 Association in South Sudan.聽

After everyone had a chance to speak, one woman raised her hand and said, 鈥淒espite all of these stories, it is important for you to know that we have not lost hope.鈥澛燛ven though these women represent various sub-clans that have been in conflict for years, they see the benefit of putting aside their differences for a common goal 鈥� hope for a better future.

Although the factors that influence women鈥檚 vulnerability are complex, solutions do not have to be. Often, it simply takes allocating the necessary time and resources to ensure that women鈥檚 perspectives are heard and incorporated into the design of program activities. 91影视 was able to engage women from the community, solicit their opinions and discuss potential solutions for mitigating conflict. After learning about their experiences and hearing their ideas, we are equipped with a more inclusive understanding and are better positioned to design impact-driven activities that respond to the unique needs of both men and women.

91影视 employee, Saida Rose, 聽from our VISTAS South Sudan Program, working in our regional office in Pibor.

Recognizing that substantial change takes time, 91影视鈥檚 projects in South Sudan and beyond have contributed to the conversation about promoting female empowerment and women鈥檚 participation in meaningful ways. By taking necessary measures to systematically address gender considerations in our programming, we can find innovative and sensitive ways to foster change, improve outcomes for women and secure hope for a better future.

Dina Scippa is 91影视鈥檚 Gender Advisor, working within the global International Development services group. Dina ensures that 91影视鈥檚 International Development programming and services address gender and social inclusion considerations in a meaningful and holistic way. She provides technical backstopping to programs globally, including for 91影视鈥檚 projects implemented on behalf of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Australian Government鈥檚 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and the European Union. 91影视 is one of the world鈥檚 largest International Development service providers, with 2,000 corporate and project staff operating in 113 countries.
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