Women's Empowerment Initiative - Sierra Leone

OneVillage Partners launched their new Women's Empowerment Initiative on July 30th, 2013. Over a three year period between 2013 - 2015, they will be dedicated to give women and girls a greater voice in six rural villages in Eastern Sierra Leone.

Initiative goals (taken from their website here):

• Empower women to identify opportunities for change
• Create a critical shift in community perception that empowers women to openly acknowledge the barriers they face
• Increase their confidence and skills to make those opportunities a reality

Four ways to help women and girls accomplish these goals: 

1. Women's Self Help Groups
Sponsor Reflect circles to encourage dialogue, critical thinking, self-analysis, and personal & group goal setting. Help women understand their situations and what they can do to develop or improve through visuals and diagrams, aside from dialogue.

2. Women's Business Development
In addition to OneVillage Partners' microloan program in Sierra Leone already in place, the new initiative will also incorporate basic training to women on how to run a business so they can be self-sufficient. This includes training in numeracy, basic budgeting, and small business planning, as well as aiding in identifying opportunities for market growth in order to maximize future financial benefits. It's crucial to teach these skills to these women, who rarely have elementary level education and no background knowledge of loans or investments.

3. Targeted Health Trainings
Provide education on family planning options, infant care, and maternal health to reduce the risk of childbirth deaths in mothers and infant/toddler fatalities. Training and education plans will be tailored to fit the specific needs and knowledge of the different villages.

4. Family Savings for Girls to Attend School
In partnership with Village Savings and Loans Associations, OneVillage Partners will aid in education and help around families saving money to have daughters attend school. This is crucial in raising coming generations of empower girls and young women, who will carry on the strengths of women in their regions in the future. Now is the time to invest in these girls' educations and give them the power and the voice to speak up and create change from within.