Empowerment of Women in the Community

The Empowerment of Women in the Community Award celebrates organisations that have implemented impactful strategies or programmes to empower women in underserved communities, enabling them to escape poverty and contribute to sustainable development. Empowering women in this context means providing access to resources – material (e.g., income, food, housing) and social (e.g., education, healthcare, networks) – that allow women to break the cycle of poverty, achieve self-reliance, and improve their well-being.

This award recognises organisations that have either developed forward-looking strategies to alleviate poverty among women or implemented sustainable initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes, such as enhanced skills, increased income opportunities, or improved access to social resources. These initiatives should positively impact women and their communities, fostering economic inclusion, social equity, and long-term resilience.

Criteria for Entries

To ensure entries align with the award’s objectives, submissions should provide detailed, evidence-based information addressing the following criteria:

1. Strategies for future poverty alleviation
   • Describe specific strategies or planned initiatives aimed at empowering women in poor communities through poverty alleviation.
   • Examples may include community-based training programmes, microfinance schemes, partnerships with local organisations, or plans to improve access to education or healthcare.
   • Provide a clear timeline, measurable goals (e.g., number of women to be reached, income targets), and plans for monitoring and evaluating progress.
2. Sustainable initiatives for women’s empowerment
   • Detail programmes that have successfully enhanced skills or provided income-generating opportunities for women in poor communities.
   • Examples may include vocational training, entrepreneurship support, agricultural cooperatives, or job placement programmes tailored to women’s needs.
   • Provide evidence of impact, such as the number of women trained, jobs created, income increases, or specific success stories of women who have improved their livelihoods.
3. Access to social resources
   • Explain how initiatives have improved women’s access to social resources critical for poverty alleviation, such as education, healthcare, or community networks.
   • Examples may include literacy programmes, health clinics, mentorship networks, or initiatives to strengthen women’s leadership in community decision-making.
   • Share measurable outcomes, such as increased school enrollment, improved health metrics, or greater participation in community governance.
4. Community and sustainable development impact
   • Describe how the organisation’s efforts have positively impacted poor communities beyond individual women, contributing to broader sustainable development goals.
   • Examples may include job creation, environmental sustainability practices, or strengthened community infrastructure (e.g., water systems, childcare facilities).
   • Provide data on community-level outcomes, such as reduced poverty rates, improved living conditions, or long-term benefits for future generations.
5. Guidance for strong entries
   • Be evidence-based: Use quantifiable metrics (e.g., number of women reached, income growth, community outcomes) and concrete examples to demonstrate impact. Avoid vague or anecdotal claims.
   • Emphasise sustainability: Highlight how programmes or strategies are designed for long-term impact, with mechanisms for ongoing support and evaluation.
   • Focus on women’s empowerment : Ensure initiatives specifically target women, addressing their unique barriers to escaping poverty.