Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are five takeaways from the most recent AVPN virtual conference that dedicated a full day to discussing gender and women empowerment. 

• How is your philanthropy promoting female empowerment and advancing women's rights?

• Learn why philanthropists should invest in women's movements. 

2020 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action – the UN Women-led blueprint to advance women’s rights, when women empowerment should have achieved significant success. We are far from that, and will actually need another century to reach gender parity. That is certainly not helped by the ongoing pandemic, which threatens to negate even the limited gains made. Across every sphere, from education and health to economy and security, the impacts of COVID-19 have been exacerbated for women and girls.

I was hence delighted to see AVPN dedicate a full day to Gender in the recent Virtual Conference.

The question is not whether corporates should care about gender, but how they can do so effectively. In a multifaceted ecosystem of investors, nonprofits and public policy actors, what roles can corporates play to advance the gender agenda? Here are five key takeaways from the AVPN Virtual Conference.

  • First, understand the gendered effects of happenings around us, and take active steps to support impacted female employees. As schools and care facilities temporarily close due to COVID-19, women have to juggle increased care work alongside their full-time jobs.
  • Second, make gender-related issues more accessible and relatable.  Surfacing topics like feminism and gender equality can push people away, for they are not easily understood.
  • Third, move from a purely philanthropic to a more entrepreneurial mindset. In Asia, various corporates are increasingly adopting venture philanthropy practices to improve outcomes for women and girls.
  • Four, use technology discerningly. COVID-19 has accelerated digitalisation and moved many aspects of daily life online. Yet women and girls have benefitted disproportionately from digitalisation, as Virginia Tan of Teja Ventures pointed out.
  • Five, go together to go far. Issues affecting women and girls cut across various domains, and require players with different expertise to come together, pool resources and achieve impact that may not be possible singly.

Read the full article about women empowerment by Gladys Ng Kai Xin at avpn.