Posted Date: May 20, 2001
The Hunger Project, American Jewish World Service recognized for promoting gender equity
InterAction seventh annual “Mildred Robbins Leet Award for the Advancement of Women” was presented on June 4, to the Hunger Project and American Jewish World Service (AJWS) for their leadership and accomplishments in promoting gender equity 2000. Interaction established this award in 1995 to recognize member agencies that are making significant progress in attaining gender equity in their programs and management.
The Hunger Project has made the empowerment of women its highest organizational priority and has zeroed in on two critical issues as the key to ending hunger. The first is need for fundamental transformation in gender relations. The second is the importance of democracy at the local level, particularly in increasing women’s representation. The hunger project requires at least 50% women representation on the village councils it supports around the world, as well as on the boards and councils of its fundraising affiliates. Its own global board includes 7 women and six men.
The Hunger Project takes an innovative “campaign approach” to its work to bring greater visibility and attention to issues of gender equality and hunger. In 1999, the Hunger Project launched its African Woman Food Farmer Initiative, which provided loans and other services to women farmers and promoted their participation in village councils. In 2000 its South Asia Initiative was added. In India, this campaign provides training for women elected to local panchayats, a number now mandated at a least 1/3 under Indian Law. The campaign also includes media outreach to promote coverage of the challenges and successes of local women representatives.
Since its founding in 1985, AJWS has supported women centered projects in health, education, economic development, sustainable agriculture, and civil society. In 2000, AJWS established the Women’s Empowerment Fund to give special attention to women’s struggles and achievements throughout the developing world. The fund will expand the number of AJWS projects that empower women to organize against gender oppression and to improve their own circumstances.
AJWS works with local NGOs to support women and girls’ deal with particularly difficult issues and circumstances. In Senegal, the focus is on ending female genital cutting (FGC). Out of 350 villages where the program operates, 147 have ended FGC and many more are expected to do so in the near future.
In India, Dalit (formerly the Untouchables) women are organized into associations, which undertake collective action to access local government resources and participate in village development process. In Afghanistan, AJWS support provides vital services to women and girls living under severe oppression. Over 1500 girls, who are not able to receive an education under Taliban rule, attend a network of underground schools. Three mobile libraries service these home schools and three women’s clinics offer health care.
AJWS believes the success of its programs hinges on the communal outreach of local trainers, 90% of whom are women. Their training includes not only topics such as income generation and nutrition, but human and women’s rights as well as gender equality issues.
The commitment to women’s leadership and empowerment is also reflected in the organization’s own management and policies.
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