Promoting Localized Gender Discourse

Best Practices in Norm Change: Engaging Faith and Cultural Champions The Communities Care Program in Somalia offers a compelling example of how faith and cultural champions can be effectively engaged to shift social norms, particularly regarding violence against women and girls (VAWG). By leveraging community dialogues led by faith and cultural leaders, the program succeeded in promoting gender equality and challenging harmful practices deeply embedded in the social fabric. Exemplifying Best Practices The Communities Care Program aligns well with several best practices identified for engaging faith and cultural champions: Facilitating Dialogue: A key aspect of this intervention was creating open, community-led dialogues where sensitive issues could be discussed. Faith leaders, given their high status and respect in these communities, led discussions on topics such as sexual violence and women’s rights. By incorporating religious teachings that supported the protection of women, these dialogues allowed for community-wide reflection on harmful norms. This approach helped challenge entrenched practices and fostered a more inclusive environment for AGYW. Promoting Gender Equality Through Religious Teachings: One of the program’s strengths was its ability to reinterpret religious texts to align with progressive gender norms. By using their authority, faith leaders provided a framework where religious values were not seen as contradictory to gender equality, but rather as supportive of it. This helped legitimize the program’s goals in the eyes of the community and led to a greater acceptance of new norms around the protection of women. Community Engagement: The program’s reliance on respected local figures like faith and cultural leaders ensured high community engagement. By incorporating these leaders from the outset, the program built trust and credibility, which increased participation and fostered a deeper connection with the program's goals. Potential Missed Opportunities and Areas for Strengthening While the Communities Care Program demonstrated many best practices, it could have been stronger in certain areas: Training for Faith Leaders: Although faith leaders were engaged in promoting gender equality, there is no evidence that they received formal training on social or health issues such as sexual and reproductive health (SRH) or gender-based violence (GBV). Providing more structured training could have empowered them to speak more confidently and effectively on these topics. Engaging Men and Boys: The program primarily focused on addressing VAWG and promoting women’s rights. However, a stronger component for engaging men and boys in these discussions could have amplified its impact. The Communities Care Program successfully exemplified many of the best practices for engaging faith and cultural champions. #GBV #CommunityLeaders #CulturalChampions #CommunityEngagement #GenderEquality #NormsShifting #PublicHealth #Somalia

Gender-Responsive Communication Guide A gender-responsive communication refers to communication strategies, messages, and approaches that consciously consider and address gender norms, roles, relations, and inequalities. The aim is to promote gender equality and ensure that communication is inclusive, respectful, and empowering for all genders. Key Features of Gender-Responsive Communication: 1. Inclusive Language: Avoids sexist or stereotypical terms and includes both women and men (and other gender identities where relevant). 2. Representation: Ensures diverse and equitable representation of all genders in content, imagery, and voices. 3. Addressing Gender Inequality: Highlights gender disparities and promotes gender-equitable attitudes and behaviours. 4. Audience Sensitivity: Tailors messages to specific gender-related needs, roles, and expectations of different audiences. 5. Empowerment Focus: Aims to empower marginalised or underrepresented genders, especially women and girls. 6. Culturally Aware: Takes into account how local cultural norms and practices shape gender relations. For instance, in a health campaign on maternal health, a gender-blind approach may focus only on women as caregivers. Also, a gender-responsive approach includes men as supportive partners, addresses power dynamics, and promotes shared decision-making in reproductive health. UoN Anthropology and Gender Students Association, Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment (IFAGE), Makerere University Institute of Gender and Development Studies, Gender, Work & Organization, Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI), ADB Gender, CGIAR Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, HBS Race, Gender & Equity Initiative, Gender DEI, Gender & Health Hub, Gender Unit | Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, FEMNET - African Women's Development and Communication Network, Women's Empowerment Link, Women On Boards Network Kenya, Women Educational Researchers of Kenya, African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), UN Women, Native Women's Association of Canada,

💡 In the United States, philanthropy in the tech sector accounts for over $12 billion annually. These donations, often led by billionaires and corporations, shape global innovation agendas—from AI breakthroughs to space exploration. But here’s the catch: this centralisation of resources often sidelines the unique cultural and social needs of local communities. 🌍 Meanwhile, in the Arabic-speaking world: With over 420 million Arabic speakers, our region is rich in culture, history, and untapped potential. Yet, only 3% of web content is in Arabic. Our digital footprint is overlooked by global trends, and the knowledge economy struggles with underrepresentation. For instance, Arabic-speaking countries contribute just 5.15% of global scientific publications, despite representing 14.16% of the world’s population. This gap is a call to action: Today, at JobStack_ I had the chance to explore how localisation can bridge these divides, turning challenges into opportunities for tech innovation in the Arab world. 🌟 🚗 Take Careem, for example: As a regional success story, Careem adapted to cultural norms, such as introducing gender-segregated rides. But gaps remain—reports of women feeling unsafe highlight the need for deeper gender sensitivity in tech solutions. It’s not just about localization; it’s about inclusive localisation. 👩💻 Gender-Inclusive Strategies Are Key: Initiatives like Egypt’s “Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator” program, launched in partnership with the World Economic Forum, focus on increasing women’s participation in leadership roles and tech industries. Meanwhile, organisations such as TechWomen, and Womenpreneur-Initiative keep connecting women leaders from across the MENA region with global mentors and demonstrate the power of collaboration in fostering inclusive innovation. 💡 Localisation isn’t just a strategy—it’s a vision. From hiring local experts who bring essential cultural insights to creating knowledge in Arabic that resonates with our people, localisation is about crafting solutions that reflect who we are. It’s how we ensure the Arab world isn’t just a consumer of global tech but a driver of meaningful innovation. ✨ Thank you again Aya ElGebeely for having me. Let’s keep pushing for more spaces where our language, culture, and expertise are celebrated.

Promoting gender equality and youth inclusion in leadership roles across Africa has become more than necessary and needs more focused and intentional efforts in actualizing it. This requires a multifaceted, comprehensive and strategic approach that systematically dismantles societal, cultural, and institutional barriers. These barriers often manifest in deeply rooted norms, traditions, and structural challenges that limit access to leadership opportunities for women and youth. Challenging societal barriers involves dismantling stereotypes, fostering community dialogues, and raising awareness about the value of diverse leadership. Highlighting successful women and youth leaders can inspire change, while engaging grassroots organizations and promoting progressive values in schools can nurture inclusive attitudes. Promoting gender equality and youth inclusion in leadership roles across Africa drives social and economic development, strengthens governance, fosters innovation, and ensures diverse perspectives in decision-making. It empowers marginalized groups, builds inclusive societies, and aligns with the aspirations of Agenda 2063 for sustainable growth and prosperity. Key strategies in promoting gender equality and youth inclusion in leadership roles across Africa include: ❇️Education and Capacity Building   Ensure equal access to education, leadership training, and mentorship networks to empower women and youth with skills for leadership.  ❇️Policy and Legal Frameworks   Advocate for gender and youth quotas, anti-discrimination policies, and funding opportunities to support equal representation.  ❇️Awareness and Cultural Norms   Promote gender equality through community dialogues, media campaigns, and advocacy movements to challenge limiting norms.  ❇️Institutional Support   Prioritize diversity in recruitment, create leadership pathways, and foster inclusive workplaces that enable growth.  ❇️Youth and Women-Centered Platforms   Organize leadership forums and grassroots initiatives to empower women and youth at local levels.  ❇️Accountability and Evaluation   Monitor progress, celebrate achievements, and ensure accountability in promoting gender equality and youth inclusion. There is a big need in Africa that poses as a very great opportunity for your professional growth. Are you seeking ways to be relevant and valuable to yourself, society and your continent? Develop ideas or concepts for programs or partner with individuals or organizations that are already working in line with enabling women and youth to take on leadership roles in africa. Be part of the movement to bridge the gender and age divide gap in leadership and let us help Africa forge ahead.