Business fights Poverty

Gender Summit

2023 Post Event Summary

Online | Nairobi | London

Coinciding with International Women's Day,
the Business Fights Poverty Gender Summit was the perfect opportunity to come together to share the latest thinking and action around gender equity.
Over the course of the two days, we put on a series of highly interactive webinars and hybrid workshops, featuring world-leading thinkers and practitioners. Together, we explored how to enhance the lives and livelihoods of women around the world, and empower them to thrive.

This is your chance to gain access to the latest insights, with voices from across the globe.

We tackled tough questions like...

How can we create a more equitable world for female entrepreneurs?

How can we ensure gender equity is at the heart of decarbonization efforts?

How can we drive health equity by empowering women?

How can companies collaborate to tackle gender-based violence in the workplace?

Session by session resources

WEDNESDAY 8th March

Watch our panel-led workshop to discover the latest trends and lessons on how to support female entrepreneurs.

PANEL-LED DISCUSSION: ENTERPRISE

Watch our panel-led workshop to discover the latest trends and lessons on how to support female entrepreneurs. Our opening speakers will ignite your creativity, encouraging you to tackle the areas that need addressing. You'll then dive deeper into small breakout rooms with lead table discussants, exploring key questions on how to unlock the potential of female entrepreneurs. With Business Fights Poverty facilitators moderating the session, we'll come back together to share our newest thinking and actions. Don't miss out on discovering how to overcome the hurdles holding female entrepreneurs back!

Opening Speakers: Beatriz Tumoine, Global Social Impact Director, Cemex Maggie Rarieya, Global Partnerships Director, Amref Health Africa Natasha Kwakwa, Global Impact, Global Head, Standard Chartered Bank Jaylan ElShazly, Disruptive Technology acting Lead, Gender and Economic Inclusion Group, IFC Antony Karanja, Co-Founder, OYE Elsie Wandera, Operations Manager, Brands on a Mission

Lead Table Discussants: Sherifatu Mustapha, GESI and Design Coordinator, Ghana, iDE Abigail Musinga, GESI Manager, Zambia, iDE Natalie Vergara, Head Platforms, Mercy Corps Ventures Kathy Tan, Founder & CEO, Amalu Coaching, LLC & partner to Fundación Paraguaya Leanne Melnyk, Head of Impact and Partnerships, Quizrr

Moderator: Zahid Torres-Rahman, CEO, Business Fights Poverty

A Fireside Chat with two social impact pioneers as they share their insights on what it takes to be a successful female entrepreneur.

FIRESIDE CHAT: YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS

Join a Fireside Chat with two social impact pioneers as they share their insights on what it takes to be a successful female entrepreneur. Discover how to get started, build a business, and receive valuable endorsements from other organizations. Get practical advice on how to succeed as an entrepreneur and make a difference in your community. Hear stories about affordable healthcare in Kenya and the positive impact of a global initiative to tackle inequality. Don't miss out on this inspiring discussion about female entrepreneurship and social impact.

Speakers:
Natasha Kwakwa, Global Head of Impact, Standard Chartered Bank

Naom Monari, Founder, Bena Care Lt

Interviewer:
Katie Hyson, Director, Thought Leadership and COO, Business Fights Poverty

A workshop to learn how to manage Scope 3 emissions and integrate a gender lens into your decarbonisation plans.

PANEL-LED DISCUSSION: CLIMATE JUSTICE

Join our workshop to learn how to manage Scope 3 emissions and integrate a gender lens into your decarbonisation plans. Discover what other companies are trialling in this space, and share your own tips and lessons. As part of the co-creation process, your input will help shape a framework that's fit for purpose and truly useful. Don't miss this chance to be part of some truly innovative work and contribute to early thinking around the design of the framework.

Opening Speakers: Emma Cox, Global Climate Leader, PwC Justin White, Manager, Human Rights & Gender Equality, Global Sustainability, Mars Inc Jacqui Machin, Ethics & Sustainability Manager - Climate, John Lewis Partnership Katharine Teague, Head of Advocacy, AB Sugar Ian Michell, Group Technical and Procurement Director, Flamingo Horticulture Investments

Lead Table Discussants: Rachel Cracknell, Climate Change and Environment Lead, Ethical Tea Partnership Hernan Zunino, Social Impact Manager, Latin America, Twinings Peris Ochieng, Ethical Sourcing Manager for Africa, Twinings Franziska Deininger, Gender & Climate Consultant, IFC Alexandra Lockyer, Programme Manager, Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) Hester Le Roux, Senior Business Advisor, Private Sector Engagement, Care International UK

Moderator:
Zahid Torres-Rahman, Co-Founder and CEO, Business Fights Poverty

THURSDAY 9th March

Discover how businesses can help champion female-led enterprises in this Twitter Space session.

TWITTER SPACE: ENTERPRISE

Discover how businesses can help champion female-led enterprises in this Twitter Space session. Although women-led businesses are increasing, they still only make up 25-35% of all organisations globally due to challenges such as limited access to financing and the inability to own assets. Join us as we examine how global agriculture and other sectors can offer women more opportunities, why it's harmful to exclude men from gender conversations, and how innovation can create a happier and more equal world.

Speakers: Jean Claude Niyomugabo, Co-Founder, Speke Farms Daniele Fiandaca, Co-Founder, Token Man Tashmia Ismail-Saville, Chief Business Development Officer, Mitacs Ajaita Shah, Founder & CEO, Frontier Markets

Moderator:
Katie Hyson, Director, Thought Leadership and COO, Business Fights Poverty

A thought-provoking Fireside Chat on the critical role of women in vaccination uptake.

FIRESIDE CHAT: VACCINATION EQUITY

Join us for a thought-provoking Fireside Chat on the critical role of women in vaccination uptake. With rates of preventable diseases falling globally, women are essential in ensuring the health and wellbeing of communities. Learn how greater vaccination uptake by women can lead to greater equality and participation in the labour force. We'll discuss how socio-economic factors such as income and education can impact vaccination outcomes, and explore challenges to ensuring gender equity in vaccination. Don't miss this opportunity to explore how we can better support marginalised women to increase vaccination uptake.

Speakers: Rachel Eagan, Researcher, The Vaccine Confidence Project, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Roopa Dhatt, Executive Director, Women in Global Health

Interviewer:
Ciara O’Rourke, Global Public Policy Director – Vaccination Confidence & Equity, MSD

A workshop on developing workplace policies to address gender-based violence (GBV) across multiple markets.

WEBINAR: GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

A workshop on developing workplace policies to address gender-based violence (GBV) across multiple markets. Learn from real-life examples and explore the importance of collaborating with external networks and campaigns. With one in three women experiencing physical or sexual violence during their lifetimes, GBV is a prevalent problem that impacts both employees and businesses. Discover how the workplace can offer unique opportunities to address different forms of GBV and create a safe space for those affected by domestic violence. Don't miss out on this important discussion.

Opening Speakers: Arné Rust, Brand Director, Carling Black Label, Hansa and Lion, Anheuser-Busch InBev Pamela Zaballa, Chief Executive Officer, NO MORE Foundation Ana Inés Alvarez, Executive Director, Avon Foundation, AVON Carly Newman, Project Manager, The Kering Foundation

Moderator:
Jane Pillinger, Visiting senior research fellow at Dept. Social Policy and Criminology, The Open University

MEET SOME OF OUR amazing speakers...

Katie Hyson

Director, Thought Leaderships and COO

Business Fights Poverty

Natasha Kwakwa

Global Head, Community Impact

Standard Chartered Bank

Jane Pillinger

Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Department of Social Policy and Criminology

Open University

Elsie Wandera

Operations & HR Manager

Brands on a Mission

Ian Michell

Group Technical and Procurement Director

Flamingo Horticulture Investments

Ajaita Shah

Founder & CEO

Frontier Markets

Katharine Teague

Group ESG Director

AB Sugar

Tashmia Ismail-Saville

Chief Business Development Officer

Mitacs

Franziska Deininger

Gender & Climate Consultant

IFC

Hernan Zunino

Social Impact Manager, Latin America

Twinings

Rachel Cracknell

Climate Change and Environment Lead

Ethical Tea Partnership

Jacqui Machin

Ethics & Sustainability Manager - Climate

John Lewis Partnership

Justin White

Manager, Human Rights & Gender Equality, Global Sustainability

Mars Inc

Abigail Musinga

Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI), Zambia

iDE

Sherifatu Mustapha

GESI and Design Coordinator, Ghana

iDE

Alexandra Lockyer

Programme Manager

Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW)

Hester Le Roux

Senior Business Advisor, Private Sector Engagement

Care International UK

Emma Cox

Global Climate leader

PwC

Kathy Tan

Founder & CEO

Amalu Coaching, LLC

Jean Claude Niyomugabo

Co-Founder

Speke Farms

Leanne Melnyk

Head of Impact and Partnerships

Quizrr

Natalie Vergara

Head Platforms

Mercy Corps Ventures

Jaylan ElShazly

Disruptive Technology acting Lead, Gender and Economic Inclusion Group

IFC

Roopa Dhatt

Executive Director

Women in Global Health

Antony Karanja

Co-Founder & Head of Operations

OYE

Daniele Fiandaca

Co-Founder

Token Man

Rachel Eagan

Researcher, The Vaccine Confidence Project

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Carly Newman

Project Manager

The Kering Foundation

Ana Inés Alvarez

Executive Director, Avon Foundation

AVON

Pamela Zaballa

CEO,

NO MORE

Arné Rust

Brand Director, Carling Black Label, Hansa and Lion

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Naom Monari

Founder

Bena Care Ltd

Beatriz Tumoine

Global Social Impact Director

Cemex

Ciara O’Rourke

Director - Global Vaccines Public Policy - Vaccination Confidence & Equity

MSD

Maggie Rarieya

Global Partnerships Director

Amref Health Africa

Zahid Torres-Rahman

Co-Founder and CEO

Business Fights Poverty

More Gender Resources

Supporting the Economic Empowerment of Women in Coffee

The contribution that women make to the coffee value chain often goes underappreciated and undercompensated. However, TechnoServe Global Gender Director Cristina Manfre argues that by shining a spotlight on the roles women play across the value chain, we can help them to improve their incomes and economic empowerment.

Agriculture, Gender, Gender Equality, Life on Land, Livelihoods, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Women

April 18, 2024

Empowering Domestic Workers with Jenny Hoobler

Empowering domestic workers – Social Impact Pioneer Professor Jenny Hoobler unveils the critical role of domestic work in today’s workforce.

Equity, Equity and Inclusion, Gender, Gender Equality, Social Enterprise, Social Impact, Women

April 18, 2024

3 Proven Strategies that Create Impact for Women Entrepreneurs

CARE USA’s Rathi Mani-Kandt shares insights on supporting women entrepreneurs and the privilege of collaborating with local partners to foster substantial systemic change for women.

Equity, Equity and Inclusion, Gender, Gender Equality, Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Impact, Women

April 16, 2024

The Business Agenda on Equity with Jane Nelson, Harvard Kennedy School

Jane Nelson of Harvard Kennedy School explains how the business agenda on equity has evolved over the past 20 years.

Equity, Equity and Inclusion, Gender, Gender Equality, Gender Summit, Social Enterprise, Social Impact, Women

April 2, 2024

FemTech and the Gender Health Gap

A recent report from Citi Global Insights explores the gender health gap, and the contribution that FemTech – which applies digital technology to address health conditions that impact women– can make to closing it.

Equity, Gender, Gender Equality, Health, Women

April 2, 2024

How can we ensure communications are human-centred, empathetic and engaging?

Join us for this online written discussion to exchange perspectives, examples, and experiences on how to communicate difficult social issues effectively. Thursday 23 May, 3pm to 4 pm GMT / 9am to 10am EDT/

Gender, Gender-Based Violence

March 27, 2024

How can we mitigate the impact on and provide support to vulnerable individuals during the transition from 3G mobile networks?

Join us for this online written discussion to exchange perspectives and experiences on the transition away from 3G mobile networks. Delve into the ramifications of this shift and discusses strategies to address any unintended effects. Thursday 09 May, 3pm to 4 pm GMT / 9am to 10am EDT/

Gender, Gender-Based Violence

March 27, 2024

How can companies support survivors of domestic violence and abuse through the workplace?

An Insights Paper from the Workshop which gathered a decade of insights and practical guidance to build supportive, safe work environments for all. Discover how your company can be a key player in preventing domestic violence, empowering survivors, and enhancing workplace safety and well-being. Opening Speakers: Christel Adamou, Director, Office of Professional Ethics and Conduct, Asian Development Bank Susan Bright, CEO, Employers Initiative Against Domestic Abuse Natalie Deacon, Director Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Avon International Katie O’Brien, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Anglo American Pamela Zaballa, CEO, NO MORE Claudine McMahon, Head of Culture and Inclusion, Vodafone Shabnam Hameed, Gender Based Violence Specialist, IFC Moderator: Jane Pillinger, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Department of Social Policy and Criminology, Open University

Equity, Gender, Women

March 22, 2024

How will AI shape equity across societies?

A Fireside Chat conversation on the nexus of AI and equity. This insights paper will offer insights into the complexities, challenges and opportunities of utilising AI to foster inclusiveness. Explore practical strategies and ethical considerations essential for ensuring that AI contributes positively to society. Interviewees: Edward Tay, Associate Professor (Practice) in Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Institute for Training and Research & Adjunct Associate Professor, Asian Institute of Digital Finance, National University of Singapore Kacper Łodzikowski, Vice President, AI Capabilities, Pearson David Norman, Managing Director, Cooperative AI Foundation Sian Hawkins, Director of External Affairs, Cherie Blair Foundation Interviewer: Zahid Torres-Rahman, CEO, Business Fights Poverty

Equity, Gender, Women

March 22, 2024