Empowering Women and Girls in the Commonwealth

This project supports the realization of a life of dignity for women and girls from disadvantaged communities in Bangladesh Malawi Mozambique Pakistan and Sri Lanka by adopting a holistic approach that focuses on empowerment through social and community support and recognition educational attainment and economic opportunities. The project promotes gender equality and provides skills for livelihood training to 75 000 women and girls allowing them to better support themselves and their family and contributing to reducing poverty in their communities. Based on its expertise the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) harnesses the potential of appropriate learning-enhancing technologies to achieve both speed and scale. Project activities include: (1) holding awareness sessions and public campaigns on gender equality human rights sexual and reproductive health and rights gender-based violence the right to an education etc.; (2) building capacity of local women’s rights and civil society organizations to support women and girls’ empowerment; (3) establishing open schooling and safe learning centers offering back-to-school services; (4) providing context-specific and labour market relevant vocational courses skills training and entrepreneurship; and (5) supporting enhanced access of women farmers and entrepreneurs to market and institutional financial services.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) strengthened social actions by empowered women and girls with or without disability against the dominant social norms that perpetuate gender inequality and gender-based violence; (2) improved equitable attainment of lower secondary education including vocational education among women and girls with or without disability; and (3) enhanced livelihood opportunities for women and girls with or without disability.