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“Sixty years
have passed since the founders of the … [UN] … inscribed on
the first page of our Charter, the equal rights of women and
men. Since
then, study after study has taught us that there is no tool
for development more effective than the empowerment of
women. No
other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity …
reduce infant and maternal mortality … improve nutrition and
promote health … [and increase] the chances of education for
the next generation.
And I would venture that no policy is more important in
preventing conflict, or in achieving reconciliation after a
conflict has ended.” – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the
Beijing + 10 meeting in New York, March
2005 |
The
Investing in Women in Development (IWID) Fellows Program,
sponsored by the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), was created in 1999 with the
following three goals:
1.
To
assist USAID Missions, Bureaus, implementing partners and NGOs
in integrating gender considerations in the Agency's work as
required by the Automated Directives System (ADS). IWID Fellows
contribute to the advancement of USAID's policies and
strategic objectives while building organizational capacity to
address critical gender issues.
2.
To
promote full and equal participation of women and men in
developing countries' economic and social transformation by
making USAID programs gender
sensitive.
3.
To
continue the expansion of a cadre of international
field-experienced professionals committed to enhancing women
and men in development activities and working in the field of
international development.
The
IWID program recruits mid-career
technically experienced US applicants from the technical
sectors that USAID works in, and places them with USAID
Missions, Bureaus and implementing
partners.
Why
have an IWID program?
Incorporating
gender issues into international development programs
(mainstreaming) makes these programs both more efficient and
more effective.
Such programs are more likely to reach their intended
audience and more likely to have a greater impact. Incorporating gender
not only helps women and girls, but men and boys as
well.
The
importance of taking gender into account is supported by
research. A
recent ground breaking study by the organization InterAction found that “
… [G]ender mainstreaming confirmed that addressing the issues
of both men and women can directly confront poverty and bring
about profound cultural change in gender roles, labor
distribution, and harmful practices. In its proven ability
to dramatically improve the lives of both women and men,
gender mainstreaming can lead to tangible, enhanced, and more
sustainable outcomes for women – and men – in resource poor
communities with conservative religious and cultural
traditions that oppress women and
girls.”
-
Executive Summary, Revealing the Power of Gender
Mainstreaming, InterAction
The Office of
Women in Development (EGAT/WID) at USAID sponsors the IWID
program. The WID
office was established in 1974 to help ensure that women
participate fully and benefit equally from U.S. development
assistance programs.
The WID office
has a critical role in USAID as the central point of technical
leadership on gender issues in social, economic and political
development. It
provides: technical leadership on gender-related issues within
USAID and the wider development community; support to field
missions; identification of new and emerging gender related
issues and development of multi-disciplinary approaches
through which to address them; and proactive actions to
facilitate and promote greater responsibility for, and
institutionalization of, gender considerations throughout
USAID.
The
Institute of International Education is the world leader in
the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent,
non-profit organization founded in 1919, the Institute has a
network of offices worldwide and designs and implements
programs of study, training, and professional development for
students, educators, and professionals from all sectors with
funding from government and private sources. These programs include
the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowships, administered for the
U.S. Department of State, and the Global Training for
Development program administered for USAID. IIE
has been managing the IWID program since
1999.
For
the latest IWID news and announcements, please click here.
To
read about current and past IWID Fellows, please click
here.
For
highlights of the work being done by IWID Fellows,
please click here.
To
see where IWID Fellows have had an impact, please click
here. |
