Ashokas WISE: Womens Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship

Female Social Entrepreneurship and Cultural Barriers In the Middle East North Africa and South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities
Ashoka 2012

Indicators of womens status in the MENASA region

Civil society There are hundreds of womens rights organizations in the region fighting for womens empowerment - yet women are still marginalized in most areas of their daily lives.

Government Support

Most Muslim-states governments have constitutions in support of gender-equality, and high political figures that promote womens advancement but these are not implemented by lower level government officials Feminists are often seen as disconnected from real womens needs and womens rights as something that has already been achieved Popular media predominantly portrays women negatively dependent on male relatives, illiterate, of limited intellectual capacity and materialistic shaping young womens expectations and perceptions of themselves
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Grassroots support

Lack of positive role models

Striking figures in the region

Economic Participation Regional female economic participation is 33.3 % , compared to the global average of 55.6 % For example, in the UAE, women outnumber men in all levels of education, but make up only 28% of the labor market. Womens political participation in many MENASA states constitutes only 6.5.%, in comparison to the worlds average of 16%.

Political Participation

Health

Women in MENASA region have a lower life expectancy than the world average.

Education

For example, only in the MENA region 65 million adults are illiterate. 2/3 of them are women.
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About Social Entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneurs are men and women with innovative solutions that are changing the face of societys most pressing problems. They improve healthcare and education, shatter the cycle of poverty, protect the environment, and defend the rights of marginalized people. Characteristics: Pragmatism, persistence, sound ethics. Strong leadership and effective management enables them to permanently change systems for the better.
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What does Ashoka do to support women in the region?

Currently: Empowering Women Through our Women Fellows

We help them realize their idea by offering the following: Networking opportunities with peers and donors Capacity-building, financial and technical support so they can expand their organizations and increase their outreach They are able to reach more people, who in turn become more gender sensitive. We accelerate their progress as civil society leaders by: Providing regional and international visibility Promoting their position as community role-models
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Our Female Fellows are Improving Health in the Region

People with disabilities in the MENASA are isolated from society, while women with disabilities are even more ostracized. Ola Abu Al Ghaib founded the first organization in the MENA world that solely targets physically disabled women. Her organization is advocating for legal changes and providing these women with crucial services.

Healthcare in the MENASA is generally of deplorable quality. Governments invest little in the healthcare system, leading to poor sanitation and lack of competent of staff

Magda Iskander trains young uneducated women to be home healthcare providers. In doing so, she is both meeting the needs of the homebound and creating jobs for women who lack other employment opportunities.
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Our Female Fellows are Reforming Education in the Region

Teaching methods are authoritarian and based on rote memorization. Lynn Freiji is bringing creativity and discovery back into science and environmental studies through her interactive learning center.

Unjust gender notions take root in education curricula and classroom dynamics.

Jacqueline Sfeir is promoting a pedagogy in the Levant which fosters critical thinking and progressive social structures. Jacqueline encourages female participation, a view which is taken home and spread by the young students. 8

Our Female Fellows are Helping the Regions Most Marginalized People
Although ignored, sex workers are abundant and active in MENASA region. Their social marginalization makes them vulnerable to diseases and violence. Reda Shokry is fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS among young impoverished women who turn to prostitution. She is also teaching them about their legal rights.

Elderly people are a growing social group in Pakistan, as the life expectancy rates increase. Many of them face social exclusion and lack of answers for their social, health and economical needs.

Raana Mahmood formed the Geriatric Care Foundation (GCF) of Pakistan to promote the welfare and well-being of the elderly and help meet the changing medical, legal, and social needs of senior citizens in Pakistan. 9

However, women social entrepreneurs face challenges at every stage of development

Girls
Prevalent authoritarian methods of child rearing and education Excruciating limitation prescribed by commonly-held ideas about girls' and women's potential and proper place in society Even girls with potential are forced into traditional, subservient roles

Would-be Social Entrepreneurs

Lack access to the social and capital resources that would allow them to build networks outside of a corporate or institutional context Forsaking the foundation that they have fought tooth and nail to build is too big a risk

Social Entrepreneurs
Successful SEs still need added support in order to achieve maximum social impact Limited access to resources and ironclad "Good Ole Boys" mentality 10 More family obligations than men, so expanding their initiatives means sacrificing valuable time and energy and/or operating more efficiently than male

How Ashoka will Address these Challenges Ashoka is developing an initiative that will provide critical support to potential and current women social entrepreneurs in our region:

Womens Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship (WISE)

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Ashoka WISE MENASA WISE will address the 3 main challenges impeding women from reaching their full potential as social entrepreneurs 1. For girls We will introduce a specialized Youth Venture program for girls and young women at the preparatory, secondary, and university levels.

2. For would-be SEs Positioning women Fellows as examples of success, providing access to our networks to assuage fears of leaving traditional work, skills training
3. For current women SEs (Ashoka Fellows) Promote practical collaboration and sense of community, offer 12 specialized training

Our Plan: Ashoka WISE YV for Girls

Implement Youth Venture (YV) for Girls in the MENASA Region. Through YV, Ashoka will motivate young women to become active and empowered contributors to their societies. We will do this by setting up programs in schools at the preparatory, secondary and university levels throughout the region. YV will promote girls development of skills and exposure to active citizenship from a young age. YV will encourage gender equality, by instilling in girls the confidence and competence fundamental to their ability flourish in and improve their society.
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Our Plan: WISE for Potential and Existing Women SEs

We will create a critical mass of Women Social Entrepreneurs, enabling the success of would-be and existing women SEs through the following: A network of women social entrepreneurs to share expertise and strategies for success. Ashoka will coordinate mentorship for all program participants. Media campaign highlighting successes of existing women Fellows Specialized services: Problem-solving sessions Community-building activities Critical training in management, networking and leadership
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Our Plan: WISE for Potential and Existing Women SEs

We will also address the specific needs of each group by: Nurturing potential women SEs, with: Seed funding, enabling women to start initiatives even without access to traditional social and monetary resources Mentoring opportunities with women Fellows Providing expanded support to current women SEs, through: Electing more women SEs to the Ashoka Fellowship Extra strategic support to expand or replicate their initiatives Collaborative initiatives among women Ashoka Fellows Mentoring opportunities with successful women entrepreneurs from around the world
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Summary of WISE

Through our Fellowship Program, Social Entrepreneurship for Women Initiative and Youth Venture, we intend to: Expand our network of female social entrepreneurs who are providing innovative, ethical and sustainable solutions to the regions most urgent social challenges. Foster a regional movement of women who are economically empowered, who are leaders in their households, communities and fields of work, and who are not afraid to break through barriers, whether cultural or material, to achieve more just and equitable 16 societies.

What is Ashokas Added Value?

Our established networks and partnerships we know the NGOs in the region that can implement WISE and make this initiative a smashing success Our Fellows the regions most innovative civil society leaders who are already transforming their communities, and can mentor other and women to overcome embedded social inequalities

Our relation with the Media which will allow us to iniate a media campaign in support of WISE and highlight positive female role-models
Our due diligence the people we work with, support and make it to our Fellowship have to pass a number of strict selection criteria before they enter our network Our methodology mirrors itself on the corporate sector in terms of quality, efficiency, and professionalism, and the civil sector in terms of 17 social commitment and grassroots support

Thank you! For more information please reach out to:

Dr. Iman Bibars Vice President Ashoka: Innovators for the Public Regional Director of Ashoka Arab World ibibars@ashoka.org

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