ashoka's wise women's initiative for social enterpreneurship

7/29/2019 AShoka's WISE Women's Initiative for Social Enterpreneurship

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Ashokas WISE: Womens Initiative for

Social Entrepreneurship

Female Social Entrepreneurship and Cultural Barriers

In the Middle East North Africa and South Asia:Challenges and Opportunities

Ashoka

2012


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Indicators of womens status in the MENASA region

There are hundreds ofwomens rights organizations in

the region fighting forwomens empowerment - yet women

are still marginalized in most areas of their daily lives.Civil society

Government

Support

Grassroots

support

Lack of

positive role

models

Most Muslim-states governments have constitutions in

support of gender-equality, and high political figures thatpromote womens advancement but these are not

implemented by lower level government officials

Feminists are often seen as disconnected from real

womens needs and womens rights as something that

has already been achieved

Popular media predominantly portrays women negatively -

dependent on male relatives, illiterate, of limited intellectual

capacity and materialistic shaping young womens

expectations and perceptions of themselves


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Striking figures in the region

Regional female economic participation is 33.3 % ,

compared to the global average of 55.6 %For example, in the UAE, women outnumber men in all

levels of education, but make up only 28% of the labor

market.

EconomicParticipation

Political

Participation

Health

Education

Womens political participation in many MENASA states

constitutes only 6.5.%,in comparison to the worldsaverage of 16%.

Women in MENASA region have a lower life expectancy

than the world average.

For example, only in the MENA region 65 million adults are

illiterate. 2/3 of them are women.


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About Social Entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneurs are men and womenwith innovative solutions that arechanging the face ofsocietys most pressingproblems.

They improve healthcare and education,shatter the cycle of poverty, protect theenvironment, and defend the rights ofmarginalized people.

Characteristics: Pragmatism, persistence,sound ethics. Strong leadership andeffective management enables them topermanently change systems for the better.


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What does Ashoka do to support women in the region?


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Currently: Empowering Women Through our

Women Fellows

We help them realize their idea by offeringthe following: Networking opportunities with peers anddonors Capacity-building, financial and technical

support so they can expand theirorganizations and increase their outreach They are able to reach mo re people,who in turn become more gendersensit ive.

We accelerate their progress as civil society leaders by: Providing regional and international visibility Promoting their position as community role-models


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Our Female Fellows are Improving Health in the Region

People with disabilities in the

MENASA are isolated fromsociety, while women with

disabilities are even more

ostracized.

Ola Abu Al Ghaib founded the

first organization in the MENAworld that solely targets physicallydisabled women. Her organizationis advocating for legal changes andproviding these women with crucialservices.

Healthcare in the MENASA is

generally of deplorable

quality. Governments invest

little in the healthcare system,

leading to poor sanitation and

lack of competent of staff

Magda Iskander trains young

uneducated women to be homehealthcare providers. In doing so,she is both meeting the needs ofthe homebound and creating jobsfor women who lack otheremployment opportunities.


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Our Female Fellows are Reforming Education in the Region

Teaching methods are

authoritarian and based

on rote memorization.

Jacqueline Sfeir is promoting a

pedagogy in the Levant whichfosters critical thinking and

progressive social structures.

Jacqueline encourages female

participation, a view which is

taken home and spread by the

young students.

Lynn Freiji is bringing creativityand discovery back into science

and environmental studies through

her interactive learning center.

Unjust gender notions take

root in education curricula and

classroom dynamics.


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Our Female Fellows are Helping the Regions Most

Marginalized People

Although ignored, sexworkers are abundant andactive in MENASA region.Theirsocial marginalizationmakes them vulnerable todiseases and violence.

Raana Mahmood formed theGeriatric Care Foundation (GCF) of

Pakistan to promote the welfare

and well-being of the elderly and

help meet the changing medical,

legal, and social needs of senior

citizens in Pakistan.

Reda Shokry is fighting the spread

ofHIV/AIDS among youngimpoverished women who turn to

prostitution. She is also teaching

them about theirlegal rights.

Elderly people are a growing

social group in Pakistan, as the

life expectancy rates increase.

Many of them face social

exclusion and lack of answers for

their social, health andeconomical needs.


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However, women social entrepreneurs face challenges at

every stage of development

Girls Prevalent authoritarian methods of child rearing and education

Excruciating limitation prescribed by commonly-held ideas about girls' and

women's potential and proper place in society

Even girls with potential are forced into traditional, subservient roles

Would-be Social Entrepreneurs

Lack access to the social and capital resources that would allow them to build

networks outside of a corporate or institutional context

Forsaking the foundation that they have fought tooth and nail to build is too big

a risk

Social Entrepreneurs

Successful SEs still need added support in order to achieve maximum social

impact

Limited access to resources and ironclad "Good Ole Boys" mentality

More family obligations than men, so expanding their initiatives meanssacrificing valuable time and energy and/or operating more efficiently than male


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How Ashoka will Address these Challenges

Ashoka is developing an initiative that will provide criticalsupport to potential and current women social

entrepreneurs in our region:

Womens Initiative forSocial

Entrepreneurship

(WISE)


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Ashoka WISE MENASA

WISE will address the 3 main challenges impeding womenfrom reaching their full potential as social entrepreneurs

1. For girls We will introduce a specialized YouthVenture program for girls and young women at the

preparatory, secondary, and university levels.

2. Forwould-be SEs Positioning women Fellows asexamples of success, providing access to our

networks to assuage fears of leaving traditional work,

skills training

3. For current women SEs (Ashoka Fellows) Promotepractical collaboration and sense of community, offer

specialized training


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Our Plan: Ashoka WISE YV for Girls

Implement Youth Venture (YV) forGirls in the MENASA Region. ThroughYV, Ashoka will motivate young womento become active and empoweredcontributors to their societies. We will dothis by setting up programs in schools atthe preparatory, secondary anduniversity levels throughout theregion.

YV will promote girls development

of skills and exposure to activecitizenship from a young age.

YV will encourage gender equality, by instilling in girls the confidenceand competence fundamental to their ability flourish in and improvetheir society.


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Our Plan: WISE for Potential and Existing Women SEs

We will create a critical mass ofWomen Social Entrepreneurs,enabling the success of would-be and existing women SEs

through the following:

A network of women social entrepreneursto share

expertise and strategies for success. Ashoka willcoordinate mentorship for all program participants.

Media campaign highlighting successes of existing women

Fellows

Specialized services:

Problem-solving sessions

Community-building activities

Critical training in management, networking and

leadership


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Our Plan: WISE for Potential and Existing Women SEs

We will also address the specific needs of each group by:

Nurturing potentialwomen SEs, with:

Seed funding, enabling women tostart initiatives even without

access to traditional social and monetary resources

Mentoringopportunities with women Fellows

Providing expanded support to current women SEs, through:

Electing more women SEs to theAshoka Fellowship

Extra strategic support to expand or replicate their initiatives

Collaborative initiatives among women Ashoka Fellows

Mentoring opportunities with successful women entrepreneurs from

around the world


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Summary of WISE

Through our Fellowship Program, Social Entrepreneurship for Women

Initiative andYouth Venture, we intend to:

Expand our network of female social entrepreneurs who are

providing innovative, ethical and sustainable solutions to the regions

most urgent social challenges.Foster a regional movement of women who are economically

empowered, who are leaders in theirhouseholds, communities and

fields of work, and who are not afraid to break through barriers,

whether cultural or material, to achieve more just and equitable

societies.


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What is Ashokas Added Value?

Our established networks and partnerships we know the NGOs inthe regionthat can implement WISE and make this initiative a smashing

success

Our Fellows the regions most innovative civil society leaders who are

already transforming their communities, and can mentor other and

women to overcome embedded social inequalities

Our relation with the Media which will allow us to iniate a media

campaign in support of WISE and highlight positive female role-models

Our due diligence the people we work with, support and make it to

our Fellowship have to pass a number of strict selection criteria before

they enter our network

Our methodology mirrors itself on the corporate sector in terms of

quality, efficiency, and professionalism, and the civil sector in terms of

social commitment and grassroots support


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Thank you!

For more information please reach out to:

Dr. Iman Bibars

Vice President Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

Regional Director of Ashoka Arab World

[email protected]

ashoka's wise women's initiative for social enterpreneurship

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