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ENGAGE: WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT and ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
Learning Forum in Ethiopia
Ethiopian project partner, Women in Self Employment (WISE) hosted the first in-person planning session for all project partners since the global Covid-19 pandemic forced a sudden online adoption in 2020 – shortly after the initiative was launched.
Project partners from the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), Christian Commission for Development (CCDB) in Bangladesh, Centre Haïtien du Leadership et de l’Excellence (CLE) in Haiti, as well as staff from Coady Institute in Canada travelled to Addis Ababa in September 2020, while partners from the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India joined the group virtually.
The project’s Planning Steering Committee met to review progress, goals and outcomes, and future planning. Coady Staff Veronica Torres led the groups through a two-day Learning Forum focused on the collective research component of each organization’s ENGAGE initiative, where team members had the opportunity to learn from and contribute to each other’s work.
WISE hosted partners at their campus for a day of educational panels. UN Women Ethiopia, ActionAid Ethiopia, and the Addis Ababa Women’s Affairs Office presented a panel titled, ‘Beyond Economic Empowerment: Unleashed Potential in Leadership Beyond Business Venture’ and ENGAGE partners presented a panel focused on Asset-Based and Citizen-Led Development (ABCD). Research partners also met with WISE/ENGAGE program participants for a series of interviews.
Project partners from Haiti, Tanzania, and Canada also joined WISE in celebration of their 25th anniversary, which featured an exhibition from WISE members and program participants and a congratulatory speech from Ethiopian President, Sahle-Work Zewde.
Read the latest ENGAGE Newsletter for updates from partners in Bangladesh, Haiti, India, and Tanzania.
