Strategies for Gender Equality and Effectiveness in the Field
For more information, contact Nasserie Carew
Peer Exchanges: AJWS’ Strategy for Mutual Empowerment
By
American Jewish World Service
In 2006, American Jewish World Service was one of several organizations awarded funds from the Nike Foundation’s Grassroots Girls Initiative (GGI). The GGI focuses on adolescent girls, a vulnerable and often neglected population in development programs. This initiative seeks to provide a holistic approach to help adolescent girls thrive by focusing on education, health and security, economic rights, social rights, and leadership development.
AJWS granted GGI funds to grassroots organizations in Ethiopia, India and Kenya to empower girls, create safe spaces, and help them become agents of change in their communities. Projects include designing social support networks and leadership training for Ethiopian girls, promoting economic empowerment for tsunami-affected Indian girls, and operating peer education programs on HIV/AIDS for Kenyan girls.
In-country and cross-national exchanges among grantees are a unique and exciting feature of AJWS’ participation with this initiative. Adapted from a model by Groots International, peer exchanges bring together field workers, community volunteers and organizational staff to share information, compare objectives and strategies, and define areas of mutual support. New solutions often emerge for participants as they inspire one another with innovations and successes.
Given that gender discrimination pervades every region of the world, AJWS has found that one of the best ways to energize women is to give them a chance to come together and showcase their own work. Through peer exchanges, AJWS helps to break down isolation, create synergies, and assist women as they work together to transform their lives.
During the past few years through its core grant making program, AJWS has brought together African women to share stories and ideas for improving HIV prevention and care strategies for people living with HIV/AIDS. In Kenya, peer exchanges allowed participants to share recipes for developing nutritional supplements for nursing mothers and pregnant women as well as people living with HIV/AIDS. Women and youth agricultural workers in Central America met to share cultivation strategies. In each of these exchanges, women shared their wisdom and experiences and brought back new ideas and approaches to their communities. They became role models for each other, affirmed each other as leaders, and motivated each other to do even more.
AJWS is now developing peer exchanges with GGI grantees, including a planned exchange among the organizations in India and another that brings together organizations in Ethiopia and Kenya. The organizations involved have begun the process of selecting topics and strategizing about the formats. The peer exchanges themselves will begin in early 2008 with group meetings, visits to participating organizations and issue-specific trainings, such as legal rights and peer education in reproductive health.
