'Girls Mean Business' - the corporate launch of the 'Because I am a Girl' Report 2009 - was held on 17 September 2009 in partnership with Credit Suisse as part of a Global Education Initiative.
The focus of this event is on the role of the private sector in promoting education and economic empowerment of girls and young women in poverty.
Case studies were presented to a panel of industry experts chaired by Sir David Bell, Director of Pearson, Chairman of the FT and Plan UK trustee. Cherie Blair, Founder, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, was the keynote speaker.
The presentations below showcased projects where business played a vital role in the provision of educational and economic opportunities for girls and young women.
There is increased momentum to empower adolescent girls economically, for many reasons including recent attention to the productive effects of microcredit, especially for women.
This presentation highlights lessons learned from programmes in this area run by Empower, focusing on one partner, Lua Nova, in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. Lua Nova (“New Moon” in Portuguese) works with adolescent mothers, many of whom have histories with drug use and have lived on the street. Lua Nova saw that these young women needed viable, safe ways to earn income as well as parenting classes, counselling, drug treatment and other support. The presentation looks at the ups, downs and lessons learned from their work.
The Youth Career Initiative (YCI) is a six-month education programme that provides disadvantaged young people with life and work skills. The purpose is to empower participants to make informed career choices and realise the options available to them, enabling them to improve their employability and enhance their long-term social and economic opportunities.
The Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI) is a programme to pilot test innovative approaches to promote the transition of young women aged 16-24 to productive employment in five low-income, post-conflict countries (Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal, South Sudan and Rwanda).
The initiative began in Liberia (in 2008) through a public-private partnership between the Bank, the Nike Foundation and the Governments of Liberia and Denmark.
It was then expanded to include the other countries, and was officially launched in October 2008. Reflecting the public-private partnership that is a guiding principle of the AGI, the Bank is developing partnerships with other interested public and private sector organisations.
Standard Chartered Bank Goal is a Standard Chartered Bank community investment initiative which uses sport and life skills education to transform the lives of disadvantaged girls and young women. The programme empowers adolescent girls living in urban settings by providing knowledge and offering a safe place to play.
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