Mary was a transformational leader who incorporated gender programming into one of the largest foreign aid programs in U.S. history. She brought expertise and professionalism to the demanding position. Under Mary's leadership, a gender analysis was conducted for every program in every sector of the largest USAID mission in the world. Many policies stayed just on the books, but Mary achieved tangible results by ensuring that gender issues were incorporated into funding decisions. Colleagues say Mary is the smartest gender expert, with years of on-the-ground experience in challenging places. She challenges existing beliefs and thinks outside the box. Mary's work led to increased awareness of gender issues across USAID and coordinated efforts to address them.
The document discusses ways to engage Ghanaian diaspora youth in Ghana's development. It notes that while Ghana recognizes the potential contributions of its diaspora, initiatives to engage youth are lacking. Surveys found that diaspora youth are interested in volunteering, education, enterprise and investment opportunities in Ghana. However, barriers like lack of information, bureaucracy, cost of volunteering, and a top-down approach prevent their involvement. The document recommends establishing formal volunteering programs, investment platforms, and partnerships to actively engage diaspora youth.
The document summarizes the findings of a survey conducted by Education For Employment, Bayt.com, and YouGov that compared the perceptions of young female job seekers, recently employed young women, and hiring professionals in the Middle East and North Africa region. The survey aimed to understand barriers preventing young women from entering the workforce by examining expectations around recruitment, desirable job attributes, the role of networking, employer attitudes towards hiring women, available benefits, and other factors. Key findings indicate mismatches between what young women want from employers versus what is offered, as well as a lack of awareness of available support programs. The analysis seeks to identify approaches to reduce employment barriers and inform future research on the topic.
First Jobs for Young Women in the Middle East and North Africa [WHITE PAPER]Bayt.com
"First Jobs for Young Women in the Middle East and North Africa: Expectations and Reality" is a research initiative from Education For Employment (EFE), Bayt.com and YouGov that provides insight into factors that inhibit or discourage young women from securing a first job. The recommendations are based on a survey of over 2,300 young women and employers across the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) and complement existing research on women’s labor force participation in the region.
There has been growing concerns about the fact that African media has failed to commit itself to ensuring that the gender question becomes a standard of measure for press freedom and access to information on the continent. The use of the female body as a mere decoration or as an attention-getting device diminishes women's self-esteem and ignores other aspects of women's personality, their human potential and contributions to economic empowerment for development. Women are underrepresented in political, social and economic reporting; this results in limiting the freedom of expression caused by self-censorship by a male dominated industry. It is a cause of concern on the portrayal of women in household-related roles, mostly in advertisements for household products, particularly because of the repetitiousness of the housewife image. The media does not fully recognize the dynamism that women display in the economic, cultural and social lives of their communities through their associations and informal networks channeled into creating new models of participation and leadership. This paper therefore explores the need for positive women access and use of the media for economic empowerment in Africa; it examines the challenges facing the portrayal of women in the media and makes recommendations on how increase women's representation in decision-making structures in media houses and develop structures and frameworks for gender mainstreaming based on laws and policies for sustained economic empowerment of women. This paper explores secondary data from text books, and journals to conclude that, without meaningful commitment in the form of policy changes and the provision of resources to address women conditions and involvement in the media representation; Africa cannot hope to see a breakthrough in its development and renewal. It recommends that, greater awareness and supportive environment needs to be enhanced by the media for women to be more self-reflective and have a greater awareness of their own weaknesses, challenges, strengths and opportunities. Women should be exposed to more in-depth training and development to gain not only knowledge and skills but also wisdom in order to be authentic leaders with integrity. Also, there should be is an urgent need to increase the knowledge and ability of mass media professionals to create more awareness on gender issues.
Ms. Fontaine is praised by her employer as the most stellar and technically competent gender advisor over 17 years, with extraordinary adaptability to diverse environments. Her advocacy and influence has shaped US interagency assessments, planning, and training on gender issues in Afghanistan. She is an engaging speaker who is passionate, knowledgeable, insightful, and motivating. Colleagues describe her as the most qualified gender expert in the country. Her energy and passion for women's rights has been infectious while maintaining professionalism and activism for Afghan women. Her diplomacy, skills, and hands-on assistance has won trust across the mission and benefited the entire US mission and people of Afghanistan.
Roberta Rubin, the director of Project KICK at Florida State University, recommends Tiffany Bustamante for employment. Bustamante initially volunteered for Project KICK, a drug prevention and peer mentoring program, and later became an interventionist. Rubin supervised Bustamante for over two years and observed her strong leadership, interpersonal and organizational skills when working with children and implementing new program activities. Bustamante excelled at her duties for Project KICK while attending university full-time and volunteering for other organizations, and maintained high academic achievement. Rubin asserts Bustamante is an excellent candidate who will accomplish tasks with great competence and professionalism.
OBJECTIVE:
Seeking for a Leadership Executive Management Position in the private business sector, non-for-profit organisation, and tertiary industry globally.
Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo graduated from Illinois State University with a master's degree in political science and applied community development. She spoke to current graduate students about her experience in the program and the impact it had on launching her career in international development. Nancy discussed the challenges of graduate school and working while starting a family, but emphasized that the program gave her the skills and confidence to create change through her work with the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso and later positions in government and higher education. She encouraged students to make the most of their time in the program to gain experience that can help others.
The document discusses ways to engage Ghanaian diaspora youth in Ghana's development. It notes that while Ghana recognizes the potential contributions of its diaspora, initiatives to engage youth are lacking. Surveys found that diaspora youth are interested in volunteering, education, enterprise and investment opportunities in Ghana. However, barriers like lack of information, bureaucracy, cost of volunteering, and a top-down approach prevent their involvement. The document recommends establishing formal volunteering programs, investment platforms, and partnerships to actively engage diaspora youth.
The document summarizes the findings of a survey conducted by Education For Employment, Bayt.com, and YouGov that compared the perceptions of young female job seekers, recently employed young women, and hiring professionals in the Middle East and North Africa region. The survey aimed to understand barriers preventing young women from entering the workforce by examining expectations around recruitment, desirable job attributes, the role of networking, employer attitudes towards hiring women, available benefits, and other factors. Key findings indicate mismatches between what young women want from employers versus what is offered, as well as a lack of awareness of available support programs. The analysis seeks to identify approaches to reduce employment barriers and inform future research on the topic.
First Jobs for Young Women in the Middle East and North Africa [WHITE PAPER]Bayt.com
"First Jobs for Young Women in the Middle East and North Africa: Expectations and Reality" is a research initiative from Education For Employment (EFE), Bayt.com and YouGov that provides insight into factors that inhibit or discourage young women from securing a first job. The recommendations are based on a survey of over 2,300 young women and employers across the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) and complement existing research on women’s labor force participation in the region.
There has been growing concerns about the fact that African media has failed to commit itself to ensuring that the gender question becomes a standard of measure for press freedom and access to information on the continent. The use of the female body as a mere decoration or as an attention-getting device diminishes women's self-esteem and ignores other aspects of women's personality, their human potential and contributions to economic empowerment for development. Women are underrepresented in political, social and economic reporting; this results in limiting the freedom of expression caused by self-censorship by a male dominated industry. It is a cause of concern on the portrayal of women in household-related roles, mostly in advertisements for household products, particularly because of the repetitiousness of the housewife image. The media does not fully recognize the dynamism that women display in the economic, cultural and social lives of their communities through their associations and informal networks channeled into creating new models of participation and leadership. This paper therefore explores the need for positive women access and use of the media for economic empowerment in Africa; it examines the challenges facing the portrayal of women in the media and makes recommendations on how increase women's representation in decision-making structures in media houses and develop structures and frameworks for gender mainstreaming based on laws and policies for sustained economic empowerment of women. This paper explores secondary data from text books, and journals to conclude that, without meaningful commitment in the form of policy changes and the provision of resources to address women conditions and involvement in the media representation; Africa cannot hope to see a breakthrough in its development and renewal. It recommends that, greater awareness and supportive environment needs to be enhanced by the media for women to be more self-reflective and have a greater awareness of their own weaknesses, challenges, strengths and opportunities. Women should be exposed to more in-depth training and development to gain not only knowledge and skills but also wisdom in order to be authentic leaders with integrity. Also, there should be is an urgent need to increase the knowledge and ability of mass media professionals to create more awareness on gender issues.
Ms. Fontaine is praised by her employer as the most stellar and technically competent gender advisor over 17 years, with extraordinary adaptability to diverse environments. Her advocacy and influence has shaped US interagency assessments, planning, and training on gender issues in Afghanistan. She is an engaging speaker who is passionate, knowledgeable, insightful, and motivating. Colleagues describe her as the most qualified gender expert in the country. Her energy and passion for women's rights has been infectious while maintaining professionalism and activism for Afghan women. Her diplomacy, skills, and hands-on assistance has won trust across the mission and benefited the entire US mission and people of Afghanistan.
Roberta Rubin, the director of Project KICK at Florida State University, recommends Tiffany Bustamante for employment. Bustamante initially volunteered for Project KICK, a drug prevention and peer mentoring program, and later became an interventionist. Rubin supervised Bustamante for over two years and observed her strong leadership, interpersonal and organizational skills when working with children and implementing new program activities. Bustamante excelled at her duties for Project KICK while attending university full-time and volunteering for other organizations, and maintained high academic achievement. Rubin asserts Bustamante is an excellent candidate who will accomplish tasks with great competence and professionalism.
OBJECTIVE:
Seeking for a Leadership Executive Management Position in the private business sector, non-for-profit organisation, and tertiary industry globally.
Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo graduated from Illinois State University with a master's degree in political science and applied community development. She spoke to current graduate students about her experience in the program and the impact it had on launching her career in international development. Nancy discussed the challenges of graduate school and working while starting a family, but emphasized that the program gave her the skills and confidence to create change through her work with the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso and later positions in government and higher education. She encouraged students to make the most of their time in the program to gain experience that can help others.
This document summarizes key findings from Plan International's 2023 State of the World's Girls report, which focuses on girls' and young women's activism. Over 1,000 adolescent girls and young women activists across 26 countries were surveyed. The research found that girls and young women are actively campaigning on issues like gender equality and gender-based violence, though many face challenges like safety fears, lack of funding, and criticism from their communities. Despite obstacles, most activists are determined to continue their important work for change.
Plan International’s Because I am a Girl CampaignPeter Kuperman
Plan International's Because I am a Girl campaign supports girls in underprivileged communities around the world. The nonprofit organization advocates for children's rights and believes every child deserves protections to help build a better future. The campaign identifies barriers to gender equality like lack of education, nutrition, and reproductive rights. It helps girls understand how education allows women to marry later, have fewer healthier children, and earn more money over their lifetime.
Contracted by Centre for Development Results to create their first publication, Women Leading Change. Highly visualized reading experience that highlights women leading UK aid projects worldwide. Publication has since been seen by UK MPs, government, and DFID, and it is the first in a series of quarterly publications that highlight UK aid consultancies’ impact on global development.
This newsletter provides updates on Gender Justice work across Oxfam affiliates. It discusses Oxfam's involvement in the 16 Days of Activism against gender violence in November and December, including various events held. It also describes a training series held in Afghanistan to promote gender justice within Oxfam and with partners. The newsletter announces upcoming events and meetings on the gender justice calendar and provides a round-up of 16 Days of Activism activities across the organization.
The document summarizes a forum held in South Africa to discuss challenges facing young Black women and ways to improve their career opportunities. It notes that while political changes have occurred, economic transformation has been slow, disproportionately impacting Black women. The forum featured a panel of three young women and corporate leaders. Key challenges discussed included gender inequality starting in childhood and continuing through education. Participants agreed that mentorship, role models, early interventions and corporate programs are needed to help young women develop skills and visions of their potential. Companies can create opportunities like internships and empowerment initiatives to help address barriers young Black women face.
The intern gained valuable skills and experience from interning at the Women's Foundation of Palm Beach County. She learned how to use social media, edit videos, and network with women leaders. As an intern she helped plan programs, organize events, and supported professional development activities. The internship provided opportunities to collaborate with leaders across many fields and start networking for her own business. She is grateful for learning event planning skills that will help her business in the future.
The document discusses women's empowerment in India. It covers topics like principles of empowerment, the importance of education, action plans, violence against women, economic participation, and access to technology. The key aspects of empowerment discussed are increasing women's self-reliance, decision making power, and participation in development. While progress has been made in education and economic participation, gender gaps still exist and more work is needed to fully empower women in India.
Conference report -train the trainers maria wörth may 2010Kate Wiseman
The document summarizes a week-long workshop hosted by SAVE (Securing An Open Society With Equity) to train women leaders from various countries in strategies for empowering mothers to prevent the spread of violent extremism. Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in storytelling exercises, shared best practices, and developed social media and outreach plans. The workshop aimed to unite women in a global network, build practical intervention strategies, learn conflict resolution techniques, and develop leadership skills to implement the Mothers for Change campaign.
This handbook provides guidance for women candidates running in political campaigns in Fiji. It covers topics such as setting up a campaign team, campaign planning, fundraising, messaging, voter outreach, and working with the media. The handbook aims to help women develop effective campaign strategies to increase their chances of electoral success. It includes advice and lessons learned from women who ran in Fiji's 2014 election.
The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women presents their Peace Through Business program which aims to empower women economically, socially, and politically. The program provides business education and skills training to women in Afghanistan and Rwanda over 8 weeks. It then selects 15 women from each country to spend 3 weeks in the US for leadership development including a mentorship with an American businesswoman. Graduates are committed to passing on what they learned by teaching and mentoring others in their communities. The goal is that economically empowering women leads to greater stability and capacity for peace in their countries.
The annual report summarizes the Fund for Gender Equality's (FGE) work in 2017-2018. It funded 26 projects across 32 countries totaling $8.1 million. Projects addressed 14 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and $2.7 million was disbursed. Key results included reaching over 100,000 direct beneficiaries and influencing policies benefiting millions. The report provides an overview of projects and results by world region.
Dr. Anne Mwangi of Kenya has worked to empower women and girls through her career in public health. Inspired as a girl to become a doctor to help others, she pursued further study in Australia to respond to HIV/AIDS issues. Returning to Kenya, she now manages the national Paediatric HIV Program, coordinating care for HIV-infected children. She defines empowerment as allowing girls education and choices over marriage, children and careers to promote independence.
Women's empowerment in agriculture lessons from qualitative researchCGIAR
This presentation was given by Ruth Meinzen-Dick (International Food Policy Research Institute), as part of the Annual Scientific Conference hosted by the University of Canberra and co-sponsored by the University of Canberra, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and CGIAR Collaborative Platform for Gender Research. The event took place on April 2-4, 2019 in Canberra, Australia.
Read more: https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/aisc/seeds-of-change and https://gender.cgiar.org/annual-conference-2019/
Women’s empowerment in agriculture: Lessons from qualitative researchIFPRI Gender
Overview of qualitative findings from the GAAP2 project and how they relate to the development of the quantitative pro-WEAI survey and how they illuminate quantitative pro-WEAI findings
This letter provides a strong recommendation for Ms. Svetlana Ivanova for her work over three years as the lead Financial Analyst for USAID's Democracy and Governance program portfolio in five Central Asian countries. As the Financial Analyst, Ms. Ivanova demonstrated high professionalism in financial analysis and reporting, managing recipient audits, and ensuring compliance. She also provided capacity building assistance to local organizations. Additionally, Ms. Ivanova created and led financial management training and successfully led the Local Solutions Working group, encouraging collaboration. The letter concludes by praising Ms. Ivanova's strong work performance, professionalism, interpersonal skills, and ability to create positive working relationships, making her an integral member of the team.
The evaluation report summarizes an awareness campaign on violence against women conducted by mass communication students at a university. A pre-campaign survey found that 54% of female students were unaware of violence against women. The campaign used printed materials, posters, badges, ribbons, slogans, and a campus radio program to raise awareness of the issue over 23 days. On International Women's Day, a seminar was held with a multimedia presentation. The campaign was successful in increasing awareness and knowledge of violence against women and women's rights among the targeted students based on feedback received. Long-term, the campaign aims to reduce actual cases of violence by empowering women through education.
This document summarizes a report on women's economic empowerment in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2012. It provides context on international agreements and Afghanistan's national policies related to women's rights. It then assesses the status of women's human rights, including in education, health, political participation, and safety. It analyzes women's economic participation and key sectors like agriculture. It discusses the impacts of greater rights and opportunities on women's economic roles. The document concludes with recommendations to strengthen policies supporting women's sustainable empowerment.
The role of agriculture in the economic empowerment of women in the ejisu jua...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a journal article about the role of agriculture in empowering women economically in the Ejisu Juaben Municipality in Ghana. The summary is as follows:
1) Agriculture is the main economic activity in the municipality and women play a central role in food production and distribution, however, women have limited access to resources like credit, extension services and land compared to men.
2) The study found that these limitations reduce women's ability to increase productivity and income, hindering their economic empowerment.
3) The study concludes there is a need to address challenges like land tenure systems and unequal access to productive resources in order to improve women's economic empowerment, household food security and national development
This document summarizes key findings from Plan International's 2023 State of the World's Girls report, which focuses on girls' and young women's activism. Over 1,000 adolescent girls and young women activists across 26 countries were surveyed. The research found that girls and young women are actively campaigning on issues like gender equality and gender-based violence, though many face challenges like safety fears, lack of funding, and criticism from their communities. Despite obstacles, most activists are determined to continue their important work for change.
Plan International’s Because I am a Girl CampaignPeter Kuperman
Plan International's Because I am a Girl campaign supports girls in underprivileged communities around the world. The nonprofit organization advocates for children's rights and believes every child deserves protections to help build a better future. The campaign identifies barriers to gender equality like lack of education, nutrition, and reproductive rights. It helps girls understand how education allows women to marry later, have fewer healthier children, and earn more money over their lifetime.
Contracted by Centre for Development Results to create their first publication, Women Leading Change. Highly visualized reading experience that highlights women leading UK aid projects worldwide. Publication has since been seen by UK MPs, government, and DFID, and it is the first in a series of quarterly publications that highlight UK aid consultancies’ impact on global development.
This newsletter provides updates on Gender Justice work across Oxfam affiliates. It discusses Oxfam's involvement in the 16 Days of Activism against gender violence in November and December, including various events held. It also describes a training series held in Afghanistan to promote gender justice within Oxfam and with partners. The newsletter announces upcoming events and meetings on the gender justice calendar and provides a round-up of 16 Days of Activism activities across the organization.
The document summarizes a forum held in South Africa to discuss challenges facing young Black women and ways to improve their career opportunities. It notes that while political changes have occurred, economic transformation has been slow, disproportionately impacting Black women. The forum featured a panel of three young women and corporate leaders. Key challenges discussed included gender inequality starting in childhood and continuing through education. Participants agreed that mentorship, role models, early interventions and corporate programs are needed to help young women develop skills and visions of their potential. Companies can create opportunities like internships and empowerment initiatives to help address barriers young Black women face.
The intern gained valuable skills and experience from interning at the Women's Foundation of Palm Beach County. She learned how to use social media, edit videos, and network with women leaders. As an intern she helped plan programs, organize events, and supported professional development activities. The internship provided opportunities to collaborate with leaders across many fields and start networking for her own business. She is grateful for learning event planning skills that will help her business in the future.
The document discusses women's empowerment in India. It covers topics like principles of empowerment, the importance of education, action plans, violence against women, economic participation, and access to technology. The key aspects of empowerment discussed are increasing women's self-reliance, decision making power, and participation in development. While progress has been made in education and economic participation, gender gaps still exist and more work is needed to fully empower women in India.
Conference report -train the trainers maria wörth may 2010Kate Wiseman
The document summarizes a week-long workshop hosted by SAVE (Securing An Open Society With Equity) to train women leaders from various countries in strategies for empowering mothers to prevent the spread of violent extremism. Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in storytelling exercises, shared best practices, and developed social media and outreach plans. The workshop aimed to unite women in a global network, build practical intervention strategies, learn conflict resolution techniques, and develop leadership skills to implement the Mothers for Change campaign.
This handbook provides guidance for women candidates running in political campaigns in Fiji. It covers topics such as setting up a campaign team, campaign planning, fundraising, messaging, voter outreach, and working with the media. The handbook aims to help women develop effective campaign strategies to increase their chances of electoral success. It includes advice and lessons learned from women who ran in Fiji's 2014 election.
The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women presents their Peace Through Business program which aims to empower women economically, socially, and politically. The program provides business education and skills training to women in Afghanistan and Rwanda over 8 weeks. It then selects 15 women from each country to spend 3 weeks in the US for leadership development including a mentorship with an American businesswoman. Graduates are committed to passing on what they learned by teaching and mentoring others in their communities. The goal is that economically empowering women leads to greater stability and capacity for peace in their countries.
The annual report summarizes the Fund for Gender Equality's (FGE) work in 2017-2018. It funded 26 projects across 32 countries totaling $8.1 million. Projects addressed 14 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and $2.7 million was disbursed. Key results included reaching over 100,000 direct beneficiaries and influencing policies benefiting millions. The report provides an overview of projects and results by world region.
Dr. Anne Mwangi of Kenya has worked to empower women and girls through her career in public health. Inspired as a girl to become a doctor to help others, she pursued further study in Australia to respond to HIV/AIDS issues. Returning to Kenya, she now manages the national Paediatric HIV Program, coordinating care for HIV-infected children. She defines empowerment as allowing girls education and choices over marriage, children and careers to promote independence.
Women's empowerment in agriculture lessons from qualitative researchCGIAR
This presentation was given by Ruth Meinzen-Dick (International Food Policy Research Institute), as part of the Annual Scientific Conference hosted by the University of Canberra and co-sponsored by the University of Canberra, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and CGIAR Collaborative Platform for Gender Research. The event took place on April 2-4, 2019 in Canberra, Australia.
Read more: https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/aisc/seeds-of-change and https://gender.cgiar.org/annual-conference-2019/
Women’s empowerment in agriculture: Lessons from qualitative researchIFPRI Gender
Overview of qualitative findings from the GAAP2 project and how they relate to the development of the quantitative pro-WEAI survey and how they illuminate quantitative pro-WEAI findings
This letter provides a strong recommendation for Ms. Svetlana Ivanova for her work over three years as the lead Financial Analyst for USAID's Democracy and Governance program portfolio in five Central Asian countries. As the Financial Analyst, Ms. Ivanova demonstrated high professionalism in financial analysis and reporting, managing recipient audits, and ensuring compliance. She also provided capacity building assistance to local organizations. Additionally, Ms. Ivanova created and led financial management training and successfully led the Local Solutions Working group, encouraging collaboration. The letter concludes by praising Ms. Ivanova's strong work performance, professionalism, interpersonal skills, and ability to create positive working relationships, making her an integral member of the team.
The evaluation report summarizes an awareness campaign on violence against women conducted by mass communication students at a university. A pre-campaign survey found that 54% of female students were unaware of violence against women. The campaign used printed materials, posters, badges, ribbons, slogans, and a campus radio program to raise awareness of the issue over 23 days. On International Women's Day, a seminar was held with a multimedia presentation. The campaign was successful in increasing awareness and knowledge of violence against women and women's rights among the targeted students based on feedback received. Long-term, the campaign aims to reduce actual cases of violence by empowering women through education.
This document summarizes a report on women's economic empowerment in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2012. It provides context on international agreements and Afghanistan's national policies related to women's rights. It then assesses the status of women's human rights, including in education, health, political participation, and safety. It analyzes women's economic participation and key sectors like agriculture. It discusses the impacts of greater rights and opportunities on women's economic roles. The document concludes with recommendations to strengthen policies supporting women's sustainable empowerment.
The role of agriculture in the economic empowerment of women in the ejisu jua...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a journal article about the role of agriculture in empowering women economically in the Ejisu Juaben Municipality in Ghana. The summary is as follows:
1) Agriculture is the main economic activity in the municipality and women play a central role in food production and distribution, however, women have limited access to resources like credit, extension services and land compared to men.
2) The study found that these limitations reduce women's ability to increase productivity and income, hindering their economic empowerment.
3) The study concludes there is a need to address challenges like land tenure systems and unequal access to productive resources in order to improve women's economic empowerment, household food security and national development
1. WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY
Mary wasa transformationalleaderin incorporating genderprogramming into oneof thelargestforeign
aid programsin U.S.history.Shebroughtdedication and a high level of expertise,butjustasimportantly,
real professionalism,to thisdemanding position.When Isay real professionalism -- Imean shewas
driven but patient,sheembraced constructivecriticism even asshe provided it, and shebroughta great
senseof humorto this challenging environment.
The results wereprofound and willhavea lasting impactforwomen and girls in Afghanistan.Under
Mary'sleadership a genderanalysiswasconducted forevery programin every sector in the largest
USAIDmission in the world.Working with Mary,a critical genderpolicy wasimplemented forUSAID
Afghanistan -- thispolicy documentwasultimately cited the mosttimes as the modelto follow when
USAIDrolled outits worldwidegenderpolicy. Many commitmentsremain rhetoricaland policies stay on
the booksbutaren'tputinto practice -- Mary achieved tangibleresults by ensuring thatgenderissues
were actually incorporated into resourcing decisions,which in turn led to more sound development
practices.
I worked very closely with Mary forovera year,learned a greatdeal fromher on incorporating gender
into ourwork,and would gladly workwith her again. (MarkKerr, formerly RegionalLegal Adviser,
USAID/Afghanistan)
* * *
Oneof the firstthingsyou notice aboutMary is thatshe is literally the smartestgenderperson in the
room.The second thing you noticeis thatshe is NOT an ivory-towered academic,butrathera woman
who hasspentlegitimate time on theground in someof the mostfemale-unfriendly placesin theworld –
and we’renot talking for2-4 week tours,we’retalking years…yearsof living and learning the intricate
cultural nuancesof a place in a way thatshe can articulate the mostefficient courseof action to address
a problem.Shewill challengeyourexisting beliefs and force you to think outsidethebox aboutroot
causesof a problemthatactually makea difference…sheismostcertainly notthe kind of person who will
advocateforpre-packaged ideas….Sheisvery thoughtful,deliberateand holisticabouther approach to a
problem.Shehasan uncanny abilityto translatecomplicated cultural and customary normsin an easy-
to-digestway.Shealso happensto havea great,dry senseof humorand an easy laugh.I’velearned so
much fromher, and any organization would benefitgreatly by having heraspartof their team.” (Neilish
Shelat,ProgramOfficer,USAID)
* * *
It is my great, good fortuneto haveknown and worked with Mary Fontaine herein Afghanistan forover
3 yearsnow. During thattime shehasbeen a colleague,a mentorand a friend. Her knowledgeand
experiencein thefield of genderissuesis immense and herwillingness to shareit alwayscomeswillingly
and graciously. Her drive and dedication to the goalof improving thelives of Afghan women continues
to inspire. Mary is someonethatI can (and have) turned to forinformation and supportaboutany and
all genderissues. Ourbrainstorming sessionsgavedirection to the strategiesthat were then developed
forbothprovincialand regional levels. Mary is passionateaboutherbeliefs,butalwaysapproachable
and open to discussions. HerdeparturefromAfghanistan leavesa holethat will notsoon befilled. A
2. neworganization and otherwomen will benefitfromher expertiseand passion,butherlasting effortsfor
the women of Afghanistan willimpactpositively forgenerationsto come. (Elizabeth Smithwick,formerly
SeniorDevelopmentOfficer,Eastern Afghanistan)
* * *
It is my pleasureto providea reference forMary Fontaine,KabulUSAIDSeniorGenderSpecialist and
formerGender UnitDirector, whomI haveworked with at USAIDasa colleagueand lived beside here at
the USEmbassy compound in Kabulasa friend for overtwo years.
As the Genderpoint of contactin the Officeof EconomicGrowth and Infrastructure,Ihaveinteracted
with Mary extensively overthe lasttwo yearsthrough formaland informalmeetings,briefings,work
sessions,and emails. As the co-chairof the Interagency GenderWorking Group,Ms.Fontaineled the
effortto craftan Inter-agency GenderStrategy thatincorporated a knowledgeableand practical
approach to empowering Afghan women. Throughouthertime in Afghanistan,Ms.Fontaineworked
with all USAIDoffices,otherUSGentities, and other donorsand organizationsthroughoutAfghanistanto
raise knowledgeand action levels to empowerwomen and reducegenderinequities.
As theUSAIDgenderexpert,Ms.Fontainemadeoutstanding contributionsto theUSMission,the welfare
of Afghan women and Afghanistan. A majoraccomplishmentin hertenureat USAIDincluded the
implementation of a USAIDpolicy to conducta Gender Analysisforevery projectto informits design,
implementation and monitoring to ensurethatAfghan women areempowered andgenderinequitiesare
addressed and reduced—34completed in thefirst two years. AnothermajoraccomplishmentwasMs.
Fontaine’sconception,design and procurementof thelargestwomen-empoweringprojectin the
world. This “Women in Transition”[Promote] projectaimsto create a leadership group of Afghan
women in the economic,political,civil society, and privateand public sectorsto protectand further
women’srightsin all areas. These two seminal accomplishmentsaredirectly due to Ms.Fontaine’s
expertiseas a women’sdevelopmentprofessional,herwriting skill and her ability to persistagainstall
odds. Ms.Fontaine’stirelessworkwith all USAIDofficeshasresulted in an increase of awarenessof
genderissuesMission-wideand a coordinated effortto addresstheseissues.
I recommend Ms.Fontainewithoutreserveasa talented professionalwith theenthusiasm,ability and
stamina to makeimportantthingshappen.(Susan Coleman,PhD,SeniorProgramEconomist,
USAID/Kabul)
* * *
I wantto recognizeand praiseMary Fontaine’s performanceastheSeniorGenderAdvisorfor
USAID/Kabul. Forthelast two years I had theprivilege of working with Mary on genderissues. I want
to emphasizeherpatience,professionalismand utterdevotion to all things“Gender” in the Mission,
resulting in increased visibility and institutionalization of “Gender”as a seriouscross-cutting issuewithin
USAIDand in Afghanistan. Mostimportantly, Iwantto recognizeher effortsin advocating forand
securing a projected $600 million over thenextdecade to supportgenderframework and
programming. Becauseof Mary,USAIDstaffnow regularly speakof…”genderand genderaudits”in
routineprogramdeliberations – nota small featas the culturepreviously wasto assumegenderefforts
were accomplished by simply adding a sentenceto projectdocumentsthatmerely stated the intention to
considergenderin programdesign and delivery.
3. No doubt,Mary’s efforts(WITand POWER) will haveresounding impacts in the coming yearsif
implemented asdesigned and will result in many changed lives especially forwomen and girls. By that
time, Mary’snamewill mostly likely be forgotten butthelegacy will live on. Such an impactis what
thoseof us passionateaboutsocialchangeand eagerto makeprogresson women and girls’issues in the
world admire and seekto emulate. Forthis, Mary is our role model.
Mary wasable to achievethese featsnotjustbecauseof her passion and knowledgeof genderissues,
butbecauseshe mobilized similar minded women and men through herstrong
personality, frequent requestsforideas,smalland large meetingsand her ability to workwell with
othersand her practice of inclusiveness. As someonebased in thefield, I valued Mary’srequestsfor
inputsand her teamspirit. I felt my ideaswere welcomed and thatMary served as the leader of the
gendergroup and a good teamplayer with a good senseof humor. Working with her wasa pleasurein
spite of the grim statisticswe were dealing with on the treatmentof women and girls in Afghanistan. I
believe Mary hasmadesignificantcontributionsto the Mission in her promotion of thewell-being of
women and girls in Afghanistan and wish to documentthateffortforposterity. (DunniGoodman,former
EconomicOfficer,USAID,Bagram,Afghanistan)
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I first worked withMary in 1994, when shehired me as a ProjectCoordinator.Atthetime,Mary wasthe
Director of SavetheChildren’sEgyptField Office,and I wasa relatively new graduatewith about2 years
of experience undermy belt.
I hadn’thad many supervisorsbefore,butIhavehad many since,who havehad varying degreesof
competency in management.Ihaveand still use Mary asthe standard againstwhich othersare
compared.
Communication isoneof her mostoutstanding abilities. Wheneversheassigned me a new worktask,it
wasaccompanied by a conversation thatprovided mewith all thecontextI needed to understand the
priority of the taskand the expectationsshehad forit. Her information-sharing wasnotrestricted to just
the basicfacts,as so many managerstend to do,butwasrich with detail, background and context. Her
conversationswerealwaysvery well-tailored to her audience.
As a relatively inexperienced person,thiswasinvaluableto me. Every taskincluded a lesson abouta new
aspectof internationaldevelopment.They werelearning experiencesthat wentbeyond thetaskat hand
and provided mewith knowledgethatIcould carry with me throughoutmy career.
This is not to say thatMary wascontrolling or micro-managing. Along with thedelegation of taskscame
a greatdeal of trust. It wasthe kind of trust thatmadeonewantto be worthy of it. I and my colleagues
had a distinct feeling thatwe were Mary’s protégés,and itwasup to usto proveher right.
Whetherpositive or negative,feedbackwasshared immediately and clearly so thatwe were understood
exactly whatcould improveour work.Negativefeedbackwasneverhurtfulordemeaning;itwas kind,
constructiveand delivered as much to improveourselvesasthe assignment. Positivefeedback,on the
otherhand,wasloud and public.This applied to all staff,notjusta few favorites.
4. Finally,Mary’sconstantencouragementkeptusreaching forhighergoals,notshying away fromthem.
Today,20 years later, I missthe “reach forthe stars”approach thatcharacterized hermanagement
style. While I thoughtImightnotbe “ready”for a task,Mary had a way of sensing my potentialand
giving me opportunitiesto learn and grow.
All thistookplace in an atmospheremadeenjoyableby Mary’sgreatsenseof humor,a characteristic
thatcomes fromherlove of laughterand of life. I can honestly say thatunderherleadership,it wasa joy
to go to work. (SaharShahin, ContractsAdministrator, CreativeAssociatesInternational)
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