[ad_1]
IESC Home Affairs team encourages inclusivity
By David Hartingh, President and CEO
This week, IESC is celebrating International Women’s Day, a global event that aims to raise awareness of women’s issues, celebrate their contributions, and inspire everyone to work together to create a more inclusive world for women. It is also an important opportunity to celebrate the economic, social and cultural achievements of women, while also reflecting on the progress that has been made and the important work that needs to be done to achieve gender equality.
This year’s theme is “Inspiring Inclusion”, which celebrates diversity and women’s empowerment on International Women’s Day and beyond. It is a call to action to challenge stereotypes, oppose gender assumptions and behaviors, and maintain inclusive thinking. The theme also emphasizes the need to seek out and recognize women’s unique perspectives and contributions in all aspects of society to help build a more gender-equal world.
At IESC, we understand the critical role women play in driving sustainable economic growth, but we also recognize that women and girls face unique challenges in accessing economic opportunities. To better understand and address these constraints through our global programs, we conduct extensive local research and gender analysis to guide our program implementation. We also collaborate and seek partnerships with local women’s organizations and develop customized activities and targets that are data-driven and context-specific. During program implementation, we disaggregate results by sex to ensure that our efforts have an impact for women. The focus on incorporating gender considerations into program design and implementation reflects our fundamental belief that when women are economically empowered, their families and communities also experience positive economic outcomes.
At IESC, one of the ways we celebrate International Women’s Day is by sharing stories that highlight women’s economic empowerment and its importance in promoting inclusive economic growth. Throughout the week, we will be showcasing the achievements of female program participants on our social media channels.
This includes IESC’s team of market-led production experts, who are providing technical assistance under our new USAID Caribbean Agricultural Productivity Improvement Activity (CAPA). These women’s leadership and technical support have been instrumental in identifying demonstration farms to support farmers in Guyana, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This also includes our inspiring program participants, such as young women who are gaining practical and in-demand coding skills to support Georgia’s growing ICT sector, and bold entrepreneurs who are launching new tourism-focused businesses and supporting Sri Lanka’s tourism renaissance. We look forward to sharing these stories and achievements with you.
I would also be remiss if I did not recognize the tremendous contributions of the women who help IESC achieve its vision of economic opportunity for everyone and for people and communities to thrive. This includes the women who staff our headquarters in Washington, D.C., and program offices around the world, our partners and collaborators, our dedicated volunteers and advisors, and our esteemed Board members.
We are honored to be part of this global movement to amplify women’s voices, celebrate their achievements, and raise awareness about gender equality issues. Thank you for celebrating International Women’s Day 2024 with us!
#IWD2024 #InspireInclusion
[ad_2]
Source link
