"What can companies do to help unleash the power of women's enterprises?"

Watch this video seminar by Shiela Yabo, Programme Manager at Solution Space, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.
To learn more click here.

"What can business do to help tackle GBV?"

Watch this video seminar by Dr Claudia Eger, Assistant Professor at the Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy at Copenhagen Business School.
To learn more click here.

"What can companies do to include and support women farmers?"

Watch this video seminar by Dr Esther Ngumbi, Assistant Professor of Entomology and African-American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
To learn more click here.

Lisa Manley, Mars

Listen to this podcast to hear from Lisa Manley, Global Vice President of Sustainability at Mars as she shares her insights and ideas on key trends spanning the business social impact space. During our conversation, Lisa provides us with insights into the work she and colleagues at Mars are focused on: human rights, supply chain collaboration, and next-generation sourcing; farmer incomes, including insight into their Farmer Income Lab, their platform for action on addressing poverty in global agriculture supply chains; and the opportunities for women, through their Full Potential Mars Platform on Gender.

Andrew Dunnett, Vodafone

What does it take to scale and grow social innovations? And how does a mobile phone company come to be leading the way business can tackle gender-based violence. Andrew Dunnett, the Group Director of SDGs and Sustainable Business at Vodafone and the Director of their Vodafone Foundation explains all. It is still rare for a social innovation to be successfully incubated, scaled, and then embedded into core business activities. Vodafone has a clutch of them. During our conversation, Andrew shares his vision of scaling impact for lasting good and how to make it happen. From partnering and incubating through to stakeholder engagement and influencing.

Catalina Garcia, AB InBev

Cata is the Global Director of Corporate Affairs with brewing giant AB InBev, and the Board Director of their Foundation. During our conversation, Cata generously shares the insights and experience that she has gained on her journey. Partnering, scale, stakeholder insight, measurement and campaigns are all hot topics for sustainability and the SDGs – Cata gives us a masterclass in how to activate against each of them and what it takes to make a good plan.

Rupa Dash, World Woman Foundation

Rupa Dash is the UN Award-Winning media entrepreneur turned philanthropist, whose sixty, 60-secs films highlight the power of women, first-hand. During our conversation, Rupa shares why she and her World Woman Foundation are on a mission to unlock the power of women and why investing in women-led enterprises will unlock huge potential. Whether you are an entrepreneur, working for a bigger business, or a funder, wherever you are in the world– there is advice in this podcast for you. From business case to motivation to practical actions.

Elizabeth Vazquez, WEConnect International

Elizabeth Vazquez is a world leader in women’s economic empowerment. Through her role as CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International she is on a global mission to increase supplier diversity and inclusion. During our conversation, Elizabeth shares with us why she thinks we should join her on the mission to include women-owned businesses in the supply chains of large businesses and Governments - only 1% of corporate supplier spend is on women-owned business. Elizabeth’s insight on why the pandemic lockdown might be helping smaller women-owned businesses.

Blerta Cela, UN Women

What would you do if your entire role, for one of the globe’s most prestigious organisations – the UN - was dedicated to supporting and encouraging gender equality? During our conversation Blerta shares how the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are making real impact with powerful practical business examples: from digital training schools to procurement policies from across Europe and Central Asia.

CARE and Cargill’s cocoa collaboration: Transforming lives together

By Maria Hinson Tobin, Director of Development, Corporate Partnerships at CARE, David Schwebel, Community Advisor, Cargill

Cargill and CARE understand the complexity of the interrelated challenges of community development, nutrition, improved livelihoods and women’s empowerment. Here they share the central lesson that they have both absorbed during their decade-long partnership to provide greater opportunity and improve the wellbeing of people in cocoa-growing communities. | READ ARTICLE

Will you partner with us to help small businesses survive the pandemic, thrive in the aftermath, and build self-reliance?

By Clive Allison, Global Sustainability Director, Unilever

While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unparalleled threat to the survival of small and start-up businesses, it has also brought opportunities for growth and scale. The Transform Survive & Thrive initiative is helping businesses build resilience and self-reliance. They are looking for partners – does your organisation have skills that could help? | READ ARTICLE

A new dawn for women smallholders in India

By Harmanpreet, Singh Lead – Smallholder Farming, Bayer India

The work of a female farmer begins well before dawn, and continues well after dusk, and yet in terms of empowerment, agency, and ownership, many women farmers are still in the dark. Harmanpreet Singh, Lead – Smallholder Farming for India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka talks about the evolution of Better Life Farming in India and its positive impact for women smallholder farmers and women agri-entrepreneurs. | READ ARTICLE

Supporting Women-owned Businesses in the Time of COVID-19

By Rebecca Pearson, President and Chief Marketing Officer, WEConnect International

Anyone who has ever worked directly with those receiving charitable distributions knows that most do not want a handout, but the opportunity to make their own lives better. Whether you call it pride or basic human dignity, it is a powerful life-sustaining force that has the ability to transform not just individual lives, but families and whole communities. Women business owners have an insatiable desire to succeed, and there is a growing body of research that actually shows that women are better entrepreneurs than men. | READ ARTICLE

The Fourth Industrial Revolution Needs Equality Tech

By Nikita Shrubsole, Digital Policy and Advocacy Officer and Nora Lindström, Senior Lead for Digital Programming and Influencing, Plan International

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a digital revolution disrupting industries and transforming societies. Our digital future must not be built on technology that contributes to reinforcing existing power structures and exacerbating inequalities. It must be founded on technology that advances equality and challenges harmful norms and stereotypes. The Fourth Industrial Revolution needs Equality Tech. | READ ARTICLE

Gender is a significant factor in private sector and disaster management

By Kontro M, CBi Gender Specialist consultant, The OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative

The Connecting Business initiative (CBi) new publication presents the importance of gender in private sector and disaster management, as well as the interconnections between these fields. It includes an introduction to the topic, the results of the research, a special chapter on COVID-19, three case studies and a mapping of close to 200 resources. | READ ARTICLE

A new dawn for women smallholders in India

By Elizabeth Nnoko, Communications Manager, Olam International

Longstanding traditions and practices relating to gender stereotypes and cultural acquiescence have a particular impact on the livelihoods and career opportunities for women in these communities where farming is often the biggest employer. | READ ARTICLE

Embroidered with empowerment, from mother to mother

By Laura Rana, Founder of Khushi Kantha (‘Happy Blanket)

Launching a social enterprise operating between the UK and Bangladesh during a global pandemic has been challenging! I’ve encountered all sorts of logistical issues in establishing production from afar – but my start-up journey has also made me consider some more fundamental questions about how Khushi Kantha can most effectively contribute to women’s empowerment and the #buildbackbetter movement. | READ ARTICLE

Data and Tech Acceleration in COVID-19: The Human Rights Impact on Vulnerable Garment Workers

By Jessica Witten, HERproject Associate, Hannah Ellis, Associate, Lale Tekisalp, Associate, BSR

COVID-19 has accelerated the pace at which factories across the world are digitizing. Whilst this can sometimes bring benefits for workers, for example in introducing digital wages, digitization poses a risk to the human rights of vulnerable workers who may lack information, power and skills they need at a time of disruption. | READ ARTICLE

Why we need to radically reimagine leadership to achieve gender equality

By Srabani Sen OBE, CEO and Founder, Full Colour and Chair of Trustees of ActionAid UK

Gender equality matters. Not just morally. Not just because all of the world’s people have a right to live on equal terms. Equality has a critical impact on whether economies and societies thrive. It is key to realising the SDGs and bringing about a fairer, more resilient future for us all. Mountains of research proves gender equality makes businesses more successful and profitable. So why is progress towards greater gender quality so glacially slow? | READ ARTICLE

Women in industry – why we need more gender-sensitive statistics

By Jenny Larsen, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)

COVID-19 is highlighting how a lack of gender-sensitive statistics threatens women’s health. But a shortage of good, reliable data on women is also holding back progress towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID), and hampering preparations for the changing employment landscape of the post-COVID economy. | READ ARTICLE

A Love Story Turned Passion Project

By Kevin Groom, Chocolate and Love

A love story turned passion project, this is an article about relationships. We see how a young couple have strived to build an ethical business founded on love. Chocolate and Love is a growing family business that supports equitable trade relationships for the purpose of driving social change from crop to consumer in the world of chocolate. | READ ARTICLE

Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ‘stay at home’ regulations, domestic violence and online bullying and harassment are expected to rise. What can companies do to support employees internally? What can they do to harness their core business strategies including marketing and innovation as well as philanthropy to respond to the increase in violence?

How Business Can Tackle Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work

This Toolkit provides a five step framework to help business tackle Gender Based Violence in the world of work. It includes top tips, a BSR Diagnostic tool and case studies illustrating how companies are starting to tackle this complex issue.

Gender Equality is Everyone's Business

This report illustrates why, where and how companies can engage men as allies to advance gender equality across their value chains. Whilst efforts to engage men as allies are relatively nascent, this report highlights examples of how companies are taking action including in supply chains, workplaces and through advertising. The report provides business leaders with insights and guidance to take action to engage men as allies at three mutually reinforcing levels: Individual, Organizational and Societal. 

As two global organisations, Cargill and CARE understand the complexity of the interrelated challenges of community development, nutrition, improved livelihoods and women’s empowerment. But they also know the tremendous impact that can be unlocked when they work together toward shared goals: learning from one another, challenging each other’s assumptions about what’s possible, and finding new ways forward to address critical community needs. That’s the central lesson that Cargill and CARE have absorbed during our decade-long partnership to provide greater opportunity and improve the wellbeing of people in cocoa-growing communities of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. This report provides a detailed view of the collaboration.

A first-of-its-kind study that offers insights into advancing economic prosperity of women smallholder farmers drawn from the experiences of grantees in Walmart's Market Access for Smallholder Farmers and Entrepreneurs portfolio working in Central America, Mexico and India from 2017 through 2020. During this timeframe, the Walmart Foundation awarded grants of more than $37 million to 13 grantees. The grants are expected to reach more than 175,000 smallholder farmers, 35% of whom are women.

Women play a powerful role in business, and research proves that unlocking opportunities for women bolsters communities, drives profitability and enhances value. Anna Laven (The Royal Tropical Institute) and Pabla van Heck (independent) worked with Mars Inc to develop insight-driven recommendations for potential future investments in women’s empowerment in the Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia, otherwise known as The Resilience Journey. The outcome of this work ‘Empathy Generation’ is documented in this report and is designed to inform further engagement with the Mars suppliers and implementing partners.

This CARE policy brief explores the unique factors of the COVID-19 pandemic that increase the risk of gender-based violence for girls and women, particularly in crisis-affected settings. The brief considers the implications for humanitarian and development programming, and makes recommendations for donors, policy-makers, and implementing organisations to prioritise GBV prevention, response, and risk mitigation approaches as essential parts of COVID-19-related programming.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have undoubtedly been, and continue to be, terrible for individuals, communities, and countries. Yet the crisis provides the world with a unique opportunity, an opportunity to build forward rather than back. The purpose of this report is to highlight how best this can be done, via a holistic approach to economic, climate and humanitarian policies, and by putting women and girls at the centre of recovery and reform. The report recommends that all actors must prioritise gender equity throughout their strategies for economic and financial recovery, environmental policies and humanitarian response. This means including women and girls in decision-making at all levels, shifting focus towards policies and measures that prioritise women and girls and strengthen gender equity, and engaging in organisational culture change that deconstructs harmful power structures and elevates and empowers women.

Guidance from CDC Group on gender-smart investing and gender-smart approaches to build value for businesses.

The pandemic has interrupted progress on gender equality, but it can be brought back on course. This year’s edition of “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot” brings together the latest available evidence on gender equality across all 17 Goals, underscoring the progress made, but also the progress interrupted as a result of COVID-19.

CDC, in partnership with EBRD and IFC, developed this guidance that provides emerging good practice in addressing gender-based violence and harassment risks for companies and investors, with an emphasis on emerging markets.

In partnership with IFC, CDC has published a new Guide for investors to help strengthen gender diversity and incorporate a gender lens into the investment process. The Guide introduces a framework to support fund managers to adopt gender-smart solutions across their own firms and at a portfolio level. Throughout the Guide we have provided explanations about why these steps are important as well as practical frameworks, checklists and tips to put these steps into action.

Nadirye Özmez is a member of the SADA Women’s Cooperative which has been established by Syrian, Turkish and Afghani women in March 2019. Nadirye is one of the beneficiaries of UN Women’s SADA Women’s Empowerment and Solidarity Center, which is co-financed by the European Union and the Government of Japan. Set up by the women of the SADA Center, the cooperative is active in Gaziantep province, southeast Turkey. Nadirye talks about her own experience at the SADA Center and the Cooperative.

“Thanks to SADA, I discovered my talents and improved my skills. I am learning together with my Turkish, Syrian and Afghani friends,” says Ümmühan Gül. Ümmühan was enrolled in vocational training at UN Women’s SADA Women’s Empowerment and Solidarity Center co-financed by the European Union and the Government of Japan, located in Gaziantep, southeast Turkey. Together with her friends from the center, they set up a Cooperative, which enables them to generate income. Watch Ümmühan’s story.

"SADA Women’s Center supported me and opened new paths in my new life. We established SADA Women’s Cooperative with Turkish, Syrian and Afghani friends together. There are no managers here, we are all each other’s managers,’ says Zukaa. Zukaa Neccar is a beneficiary of UN Women’s SADA Women’s Empowerment and Solidarity Center financed by the European Union and the Government of Japan. Watch Zukaa’s story.

Berivan Atilgan is one of the women who enhanced their employability skills thanks to a UN Women project entitled “Social and Economic Stabilization of Refugee Women and Adolescent Girls in Turkey,” which is funded by the Government of Japan and implemented in partnership with the GAP Administration and the Association for Solidarity with Asylum-Seekers and Migrants.

Emine Yavuz is one of the women who attended digital skills training courses at Multi-Purpose Community Center run by the Southeastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration. Supported by a UN Women project funded by the Government of Japan, the Centre offers vocational training courses including non-traditional skills such as coding and computer literacy and promotes social cohesion and dialogue between Turkish and Syrian women. Emine explains how the Centre helped her stand on her own feet, despite many challenges.

Why is the implementation of Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) essential? Georgian business companies share their experience about WEPs. Promoting and implementing WEPs is one of UN Women’s most important mandate to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment through the project “A joint Action for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Georgia”, funded by the Government of Norway.