The Need for Tailoring Women's Empowerment Projects for Vulnerable Groups: Case Study- Widows.

Women's empowerment is an essential goal for achieving gender equality and sustainable development. However, the one-size-fits-all approach to women empowerment projects sometimes falls short of addressing the unique challenges faced by vulnerable groups of women, such as those from marginalized communities, low-income backgrounds, or with disabilities. To promote inclusion, specially tailored women empowerment projects for vulnerable groups are crucial.

What are vulnerable groups?

Here are a few examples:

1. Women with Disabilities: Women with disabilities face unique challenges in accessing education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Specialized projects should focus on building accessible infrastructure, providing skill development programs, and advocating for inclusive policies.

2. Rural Women: Women in rural areas often lack access to modern infrastructure, quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Tailored projects should address rural-specific issues, such as agricultural training, access to microfinance, and rural healthcare services.

3. Indigenous Women: Indigenous women often experience multiple forms of discrimination based on their ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Tailored projects should recognize and respect their cultural heritage and involve indigenous communities in decision-making processes.

4. Survivors of Trafficking : Women who have survived trafficking require specialized support for rehabilitation, skill-building, and reintegration into society. Tailored programs should prioritize their unique needs and offer trauma-informed care.

Case Study: Widows

Loneliness is perhaps the biggest challenge for widows. As widows move through their own experiences of grief, loss, or trauma after the death of a spouse, they may also face economic insecurity, discrimination, stigmatization, and harmful traditional practices based on their marital status. The United Nations reports that “apart from the feeling of trauma, grief or loss following the death of their husband, widows often face economic insecurity, discrimination, stigmatisation and harmful traditional practices, simply because of their marital status. In many countries, widows do not have equal inheritance rights, they may be stripped of their land, evicted from their homes or even separated from their children. Furthermore, they may be denied access to inheritance, bank accounts and credit, which can have a significant financial impact on them, their children and future generations”.

Oftentimes, daughters of widows face similar challenges, including being denied the right to inheritance, especially due to the concept of male child preference.

Addressing the needs of widows and their daughters is vital to promote gender equality.

The Need for Specially Tailored Projects

1. Addressing Unique Challenges: Vulnerable groups face unique challenges that mainstream women empowerment programs may overlook. Tailored projects can identify and address these specific issues, such as cultural insensitivity, accessibility barriers, or discrimination within communities.

2. Building Trust and Participation: Vulnerable women are more likely to engage in empowerment initiatives that are designed with their needs and perspectives in mind. Tailored projects build trust within these communities, and encourage greater participation and cooperation.

3. Maximizing Impact: By tailoring empowerment projects, resources can be allocated more effectively to address the most pressing issues faced by vulnerable women. This approach ensures that investments have a more significant and sustainable impact.

4. Promoting Inclusivity: By recognizing the diversity of women's experiences and identities, specialized projects promote inclusivity They send a clear message that every woman, regardless of her background, deserves the opportunity to thrive.

For this year's International Day of the Girl Child, we choose to spotlight the challenges faced by girls and women from these vulnerable groups.

This day is a time to celebrate the power and potential of girls and young women, while mobilizing communities to take greater action to address the challenges girls and young women continue to face around the world.

We are bringing together a widowhood foundation and a women-in-tech organization, to discuss the challenges faced by widows and their daughters and how to help them acquire 21st tech skill and build successful careers in the tech industry.

Join the event.