The title of VGIF’s parallel event at the 58th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58), “The Transformative Impact of Investing in Women and Girls: Learning from Leaders on the Ground,†is more than a memorable catchphrase; it encapsulates VGIF’s goals and the work of our grantees. It also ties together the diverse experiences of our four distinguished panelists, who shared statistics, case studies, stories of success, and critical challenges that they face in their efforts to improve the lives of women and girls in Nepal, Nicaragua, and Rwanda.
Aruna Thapa, Helen Rodriguez, Rose Cunningham Kain, and Shirley Randell, as well as the panel discussion moderator, Rajiv Joshi, kept a roomful of activists and leaders busy
taking notes to bring back to their respective constituents. As each speaker highlighted the most important aspects of her work, it became clear that the power among women at the grassroots level is one of the world’s most valuable resources. The energy they exude, and the wealth of knowledge and expertise they possess, are exactly what the global community needs to invest in to end poverty, women’s inequality and social injustice.
Among the issues arising from panelists’ experiences there were four topics that seemed consistently important to the speakers: economic opportunities, legal rights to land and resources, ending gender-based, and empowering women to attain leadership and decision-making positions within their communities.
Current VGIF grantee Aruna Thapa, project director of Namlo Nepal, explained
that “the way to empower women is to help them access economic opportunities,†while other panelists and audience members nodded in
 agreement. Rose Cunningham Kain, a former VGIF grantee, and Helen Rodriguez stressed the importance of human rights for indigenous and rural women, who are impacted disproportionately by the consequences of climate change, aggressive state development policies, and gender-based violence. Shirley Randell, a VGIF Board Member who has worked in Rwanda for many years, highlighted political representation among women in decision-making roles as a path towards a more equitable future. In her speech, Aruna smiled warmly at the audience and said, “I want to fly.†As we see it, she already has wings, and she’s lifting herself and her community high above inequality and exclusion.
Although “Learning from Leaders on the Ground†was our goal, the panelists provided much more than lessons on strategy and best practices. Their palpable commitment to the communities they live and work in was contagious, and their strength, even in the face of serious challenges, a source of motivation and inspiration. Natalia Caruso, Program Director at Madre put it best: “I wanted to congratulate everyone for the wonderful event last week! It was so inspiring to hear the stories of partners around the world and the changes they are trying to make at the local level… A big applause from all of us at MADRE!!â€
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