Women are building more equal future

Getting girls into kindergarten classes is one of the best ways to build a better future for women—and to fight against inequality and poverty. That has been a priority for Laila Dicko, secretary of a coordinating body for women’s associations in her community of Macina, in rural Mali.

Dicko’s early efforts as a leader were concentrated on getting more young girls into school. She helped establish new facilities, where “hundreds of little girls now attend kindergarten,” she says, and she now participates in local government meetings, where “I bring up the gender dimension of economic, social, and cultural development plans.”

Having women’s voices in decision-making spaces is crucial to ensuring the rights of women and girls are respected—the right to an education among them. Unfortunately, it can be rare. Oxfam estimates that only one in four seats in national parliaments are held by women, and more than half the countries in the world lack laws that specifically prohibit discrimination against women.

The effects on inequality and poverty are real: Discriminatory policies and gaps in legal protection prevent women from enjoying their basic human rights and push more women and girls into poverty.

That’s why a critical focus of Oxfam’s work is to promote feminist leadership around the world. In 2023–2024, our programs to advance women’s rights and gender equality reached 794,000 people via 191 projects, many of them efforts to promote women’s leadership so there are more people like Dicko in positions to influence social norms, policies, and institutions. Oxfam supports women-led organizations that provide training, coaching, mentorship, and networking opportunities for aspiring women leaders in 13 countries, including El Salvador, Colombia, and Vietnam, and in the Middle East and Northern Africa region.

The objective is to help women leaders transform power relations, build respect for equal rights, and create a society that recognizes the leadership potential of all people, including women.

Here are a few examples

• The promotion of women leaders in Malawi has helped increase the number of women in the 193-member parliament from 32 to 45 seats.
• The Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations developed policy recommendations and held training programs to encourage government institutions such as the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs to allocate funds for nursery or child day care centers for government workers. The ministry now has staff dedicated to work on issues related to unpaid care and women workers.
• Oxfam signed an agreement with the Kenyan Council of Governors to support the development of women leaders. The agreement includes a mentorship and a local- and regional-level women’s leadership training strategy, with the goal of producing more women leaders who can strengthen policies around gender issues and inequality. Seven members of the Women Governors Caucus of Kenya are collaborating on a strategy for this work.
• In the United States, Oxfam is working with local partners to address the root causes of economic inequality affecting Black women in Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The New Era for Black Women Initiative, launched in 2023 and designed to promote leadership among Black women, is part of Oxfam’s effort to help create a Black women’s policy and advocacy agenda that addresses racial, gender, social justice, and economic inequality.

“Supporting women leaders and women’s rights organizations is one way we are creating a more equal future,” says Alivelu Ramisetty, Oxfam America’s chief gender justice and inclusion officer. “When they are in positions to influence policies, women can eliminate harmful social norms and belief systems, and help create a more just society that can advance women’s rights and end poverty.”