Co-Impact

On today’s #InternationalDayofCareandSupport, we are so proud to spotlight some of our Program Partners across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, each advancing the right to care as a powerful lever for social and economic change. 💪🏽 These initiatives champion recognition, support, and transformation in caregiving, with goals that go from formalizing workers’ rights, improving care access, and empowering caregivers. Here’s how our partners are working with systems to achieve lasting impact within the #CareEconomy: Themis, Gênero, Justiça E Direitos Humanos in Brazil: Domestic workers are one of the most vulnerable groups in Brazil, with only a third having employment contracts. Working toward the formalization of domestic work, THEMIS partners with Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment. Through this initiative, THEMIS aims to increase paid domestic workers rights and improve their economic opportunities in Brazil. The Action Foundation (TAF) in Kenya: Bringing early childhood care and disability services to 17 counties, TAF supports children with disabilities and reduces the unpaid care burden on caregivers, championing Universal Health Coverage and better budget allocation. Working within the healthcare system, TAF addresses gaps in data reporting and utilization, aiming to enhance the capacity of both the ECD and healthcare workforce. Instituto de Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir (ILSB) in Mexico: Through education and care systems integration, ILSB collaborates with government stakeholders to address time poverty among caregivers and support child development with innovative care models. The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) in Kenya: TISA advocates for inclusive trade markets with support services for young mothers and women traders, fostering fair trade practices and safety policies for informal workers. Oxfam México: Advancing public care policies with a gender-sensitive approach, Oxfam México is working towards reducing economic disparities for unpaid caregivers in Mexico through advocacy and systems change. Watch some of our partners from the initiatives above talk about their work in our #SpotlighSeries below!

🗣 “The issue of period poverty is a top priority for me because this is a phenomenon that is affecting about 7 million girls in South Africa.” In the third Clooney Foundation for Justice's #WagingJusticeForWomen fellowship feature by Voice of America Africa, Tamika Thumbiran talks about the issues that drive her as a South African human rights lawyer. She spoke about how period poverty is keeping girls in South Africa out of school and hindering economic opportunities, in turn hindering progress towards #genderequality. Changemakers like Tamika are working to drive change from the ground up, through advocacy and strategic litigation. Watch the full interview to find out more about this, and other cases that have made a difference to women and girls’ lives.

We are delighted that Voice of America continues to highlight our program partner Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) and the trailblazing early-career women lawyers who took part in the #WagingJusticeForWomen fellowship.   Willietta Hughes is a Sierra Leonean lawyer, and former CFJ fellow, working at one of the country’s leading law firms. In her interview on Voice of America's Africa 54, Willietta explains her dedication to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and children. Watch the full interview here 🔽

We're thrilled to see Co-Impact featured in Cartier Philanthropy’s 2023-24 Annual Report! The recognition highlights our shared commitment to gender equality and inclusive leadership. Through the #GenderFund we mobilize resources to support locally-rooted initiatives working to transform health, education, and economic systems. Our Gender Fund initiatives focus on advancing gender equality and women’s leadership, as well as shifting harmful gender norms that limit progress. Dive into their full report for more inspiring stories 💪🏿

Check out this new video from our program partners at the International Budget Partnership (IBP)⬇️ Across South Africa’s informal settlements, basic water and sanitation services are not regularly maintained. MamQ, a longtime human rights advocate, joined forces with IBP and Asikivelane to track when communal taps, toilets and stormwater drains are not functioning. #DSDMonth2024

Congratulations to Angeline Murimirwa, CEO of CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education, who has been awarded the Africa Education Medal 2024 👏🏾. The medal recognizes leaders making a profound impact in education across Africa. CAMFED has 7,044 partner schools in underserved rural communities in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Ghana. At Co-Impact, we are proud to partner with organizations like CAMFED, who are playing a critical role in advancing gender equality and ensuring the meaningful inclusion of women in systems and societies. As Angeline shares, "The need is great, and we cannot do this alone - together we’re raising the flag for a more equitable world."

Our program partners at the Waging Justice for Women initiative from the Clooney Foundation for Justice are committed to dismantling structural inequalities faced by women in Africa and beyond. By building a global network of gender justice advocates, they are fighting to end injustice against women while championing women in leadership roles in law. And through their advocacy, they are working to strengthen feminist legal networks and support systems, and inspire young girls to dream big—encouraging them to pursue higher education and shape the future of justice as tomorrow’s legal leaders. We're thrilled to share this interview by Esther Githui-Ewart with Liberian lawyer and Waging Justice for Women Fellow, Atty. Christine Tenneh Dono Sarboah, featured on Voice of America Africa. An advocate for children's rights in divorce cases, Christine is helping pave the way for legal reform in Liberia while ensuring children's needs are prioritized in family law. Watch the interview below and discover how Christine's work is opening doors to a brighter future for Liberia’s youth 👇🏿

“We learned with Co-Impact how we can work at the systems level and create impact in the lives of millions of people. I strongly believe scale is very important, as well as soul and depth. In our program, we focus on both things: we can complete the journey with the soul as well as the scale. This means scaling the mission, not the organization.“ This was one of the reflections from Ashif Shaikh from Jan Sahas at #UNGA79 last week. We had the privilege to gather at the sidelines of this global event with our incredible community of partners, advisors, Board members, and guests to celebrate the impact our partners are achieving in their communities and beyond. We were inspired to hear from program partners including Ashif, Dr Aparna Hegde (ARMMAN), and Grace Matlhape (SmartStart South Africa), as well as Kulula Manona (Department of Basic Education, South Africa). The message was clear: enduring change at scale is possible when we fund collaboratively, work at the scale of the problem and center partners and communities. A heartfelt thank you to our community for showing up, sharing, learning, and inspiring each other. And a special shoutout to our long-time funding partner, The Rockefeller Foundation, for hosting us in their space!

🎉 It’s our anniversary! We’re celebrating 9 years of #ChangingThePicture for a more inclusive and equitable international justice system. Since 2015, GQUAL has championed gender parity in international justice bodies and mechanisms, boosting women’s participation from 32.5% to 44%, with a focus on women from the Global South. Over the past 9 years, GQUAL has made significant strides toward achieving and sustaining gender parity in the UN Special Procedures and the OAS Inter-American System. We have advocated for the adoption of 12 UN and OAS resolutions that strengthen political commitments to gender equality. We have developed studies and roadmaps in collaboration with international bodies and experts to promote gender parity, and contributed to establishing international legal standards for equality, intersectionality and inclusion in participation. 🌍 As the first campaign dedicated to monitoring international appointments and advocating for women’s equal participation at the international level, our mission is to embed gender parity as a crucial criterion in the selection processes for international positions. This ensures shared leadership and expands the diversity of women in these spaces. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-dZZWc2 🌟 Our achievements have been made possible by a vast network of individuals, organizations, and institutions from various sectors, all contributing political commitments, ideas, advocacy, proposals, and research. A special thank you to Co-Impact for trusting our vision and partnering with us to continue this important work. And a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey with us: Maria Noel Leoni Zardo Viviana Krsticevic Alejandro Bautista Claudia Martin Alejandra Vicente Alfonsina Peñaloza Foteini Papagioti Priya Pillai, PhD Andra Nicolescu Nicole Ameline Nienke Grossman Laurel E. Fletcher Rea Abada Chiongson Katya Salazar Luzula Laura Clérico Gina Guillen-Grillo Veronica Hinestroza Marta Martinez Carmen Montón Giménez Melissa Upreti Andrea Castagnola Christie R. Jones Marita Perceval Clare Gibson Nangle J. Jarpa Dawuni Esq., Ph.D. Elisa Fornalé Angela Mudukuti Victor Madrigal-Borloz María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés Dayanara Salazar Medina Ylva Lennartsson Hartmann Alexandra McAnarney Agatha Ciancaglini Troller Andrea Pietrafesa Marta Martinez

What an inspiring panel discussion yesterday at Devex @ #UNGA79 with Olivia Leland, Yamide Dagnet & Kathy Baughman McLeod on the critical intersection of #genderequality and #climateaction. These two global challenges are deeply connected, and addressing them together is essential for achieving lasting solutions. Here are some of our key takeaways from the discussion: 👩🏾🌾 Women, especially in vulnerable communities, are often the most impacted by climate change, but they are also at the forefront of innovative and effective solutions. 🌍 Locally-rooted solutions and leadership can drive real change in systems, and as Olivia said, "#WomenInLeadership need to be at the forefront, driving these conversations at every level." 🫱🏾🫲🏽 Instead of imposing top-down approaches, funders should focus on supporting those who are already leading on the ground: "It’s about asking the partners what’s needed, rather than coming in with preconceived solutions." 🌿 Funding and action must prioritize the intersectionality of challenges faced by women in these communities – from economic pressures to social barriers – ensuring they are not only included but supported as key drivers of both gender equality and climate solutions. Have a 👀 at some more insights below and watch the recording in full here: https://lnkd.in/dbja-X_x