Passports to Progress

Bobbi Silten is chief foundation officer of Gap Inc., a specialty retailer whose brands include Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and others. Silten will participate in ICRW’s Passports to Progress event on March 8, a conversation focused on innovative ideas that can help improve women’s lives.

We asked Silten a few questions via e-mail about a program for female garment workers in which Gap Inc. and ICRW are partners. Here are her responses:

ICRW: ICRW partners with Gap Inc. on the Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) program in India and Cambodia. How did this program come about?

BS: In 2005, we reviewed our community investment approach to determine how we could make an even greater impact globally. We leveraged existing research to examine the needs in developing countries and determined where we as a company were best positioned to create lasting change. The research directed us to investing in women, which can help to transform not just women themselves, but also their families, communities and society as a whole. 

Globally, 80 percent of garment workers are women. Our partnerships with manufacturers around the world give us an opportunity to provide a venue to educate women and help female garment workers advance in the workplace and in their personal lives. Since the creation of P.A.C.E. based on these insights, ICRW has been working with us as our strategy and evaluation partner.

ICRW: Tell us a little about P.A.C.E.

BS: The garment industry is one of the largest employers of low‐skilled women workers worldwide. Despite their large numbers in the workforce, relatively few female line workers advance to positions in management, as they have limited opportunities to enhance the workplace skills they need for professional growth.  Also, they often have limited life skills, which can allow their personal challenges to impede their professional development as well as their personal growth.

In response to this need, we initiated the Gap Inc. P.A.C.E workplace education program. Our strategic research began in late 2005, program design and development took place in 2006 and a pilot program was launched in 2007 in two garment factories in India. The program has since expanded to Cambodia, and pilot programs have launched in Bangladesh, China and Vietnam.

An innovative factory‐based program, the main focus of the Gap Inc. P.A.C.E. program is to positively impact female garment workers in factories that make Gap Inc. products by providing them with foundational skills and support that will help them advance in the workplace and in life. The program leverages Gap Inc.’s partnerships with key vendor partners, ICRW and local in-country nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

ICRW: What has Gap Inc. learned from P.A.C.E.?

BS: In designing and implementing P.A.C.E., we recognize that there will be unforeseen challenges and we expect to learn as we go. We are continually reviewing the trainings, structure and implementation methodologies to provide the greatest benefit to the women in the program.  P.A.C.E. was designed to be adaptable to incorporate what we learn as we implement the program. A steering committee is in place to help facilitate these changes.

One example is the need to take different approaches to how we implement the program based on country-specific needs. When we expanded the program to Cambodia, 24 percent of the women enrolled in the first year of P.A.C.E. were not functionally literate, so a literacy module was added to the program.  As a result, participants who previously did not know the Khmer alphabet can write their names and basic words, and can read key words and signs that they encounter throughout the workday.

Another key learning is finding the right balance between quality and quantity. As we see the transformative impact of P.A.C.E., we are experimenting with ways to reach more women. While we look to have a broader impact, we have to make strategic decisions about the depth of impact we have on the women in the program.  Our direction is to maintain the transformative power and consistency of our program, even if it means that expansion is slower over time.

ICRW: What are the benefits of developing partnerships between for-profit organizations like Gap Inc. and nonprofits like ICRW?

BS: Addressing complex social challenges requires collaboration among multiple sectors and types of organizations. Partnerships between for-profit and nonprofit organizations are powerful because each organization brings their core competencies and expertise on how to best address societal issues. These relationships are essential to deepening impact and creating sustainable change.

P.A.C.E. demonstrates how such collaboration can work in practice. ICRW offers deep knowledge of the issues facing women in developing countries and expertise in evaluation, which is essential to help programs like P.A.C.E. improve and expand. Our implementation partners bring insight into local cultures, and deliver the program’s training. Our vendor partners enable us to reach women in the workplace and they deliver the training that help women develop the technical skills they need to advance. Gap Inc. has an in-depth knowledge of the complex garment industry and helps bring these parties together in the program design, development and implementation. 

ICRW: As part of ICRW’s 35^th anniversary celebration, you will be part of a March 8 discussion on innovations that have the potential to change the lives of women in developing countries. How is P.A.C.E. innovative in its approach?

BS: The innovation of our programs is derived from two foundational strategies: leveraging our company assets and creating a virtuous cycle in everything we do.

We recognize that we have assets beyond cash that can help us make a deeper impact than by writing a check alone. In the case of P.A.C.E., our knowledge of garment production and the workplace, and our partnership with strategic vendors open doors to engaging with female factory workers. We also leverage our in-country teams, who support program implementation. These company assets help enhance our impact.

With P.A.C.E., all of our partners offer a unique set of assets, which enables the team to create a collective impact more than any of our organizations could do working individually. We also all take part in a “virtuous cycle,” benefitting from the partnership and our work on the program. We believe that this is an innovative element of our program that makes our work sustainable.

The women enrolled in the program gain new skills and experience positive results at work and in their personal lives. Our NGO partners who implement the program engage with the vendor’s human resources professionals to both learn and transfer their knowledge.  The vendor is getting a more skilled and reliable workforce. Meanwhile, ICRW and our other partners are gaining new insights through P.A.C.E. that can help their investments in women more broadly.  And Gap Inc. is able to achieve its social mission of “fulfilling personal promise” and strengthening the communities where we do business.  We believe this is truly a virtuous cycle.

Cherie Blair is the founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which works to strengthen women entrepreneurs’ access to resources they need to establish and grow successful businesses. Blair will be one of four panelists at ICRW’s Passports to Progress event on March 8, International Women’s Day. Their discussion will focus on innovative ideas that have the potential to change the lives of women and girls in developing countries.

In anticipation of our event, we asked Cherie Blair a few questions via e-mail about the work of her foundation. Here are her responses:

ICRW: Why is it important to focus on women entrepreneurs in developing countries?

CB: Women entrepreneurs, and especially those at the small and medium enterprise level, are the drivers of their economies. Women tend to invest 90 percent of their income back into their families and communities, much more than men. I wanted to focus on women entrepreneurs in developing countries because I have seen with my own eyes that there are a number of women out there with the potential to do so much if only they had some support. Women have made great strides in education over the last ten years, and although we still have a long way to go, there are a number of educated women who have the ability to become financially independent, but are prevented from doing so because they lack access to the tools needed to succeed in business such as technology, business skills or finance. When I set up my foundation, it was clear to me that if I could support women in their efforts to become successful entrepreneurs, this could help transform their lives for the better, and benefit their families and communities in the process.

ICRW: What have been the opportunities and challenges toward progress in this area?

CB: Women around the world face similar challenges in setting up and expanding new businesses. For example, many find it difficult to get a loan approved, while others lack business skills training. Many women are unable to access or use the technology needed to manage their businesses, and many do not have the peer networks that they need to get ahead. But there are great opportunities here. With the right support, women can not only succeed as entrepreneurs, but also substantially contribute to their countries’ economic growth.

ICRW: Your foundation works with a wide range of partners, from local organizations to private sector companies to public sector entities. How have you been able to bring these organizations together toward a common purpose?

CB: These different organizations have clear incentives to work together and so it makes sense for us to join efforts. None of us could achieve half as much on our own. We need the private sector for the innovation it can offer, the public sector for regulatory frameworks in the long term, and local organizations for the valuable knowledge they can offer which ensures our work reaches the right people in the way that is most beneficial for them. By working together we amplify our results.

The mWomen programme under the leadership of the GSMA Development Fund is a good example. On the back of our joint report, mobile operators came together with the aim of closing the gender gap in access to mobile phone technology. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the State Department launched the mWomen initiative last year. Nonprofit organizations such as my foundation are working together with local community-based organizations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to improve health, education, finance and business opportunities for women through mobile phone technology.

ICRW: Your foundation and ICRW are working on a project that investigates how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help women conquer barriers that may limit their business efforts. How do you think the mobile phone, a type of ICT, can contribute to women’s empowerment?

CB: The mobile phone is absolutely vital for development, yet 300 million women are missing out on the benefits. This simple tool has the potential to transform their lives. If we are able to reach more women with mobile technology, it will bring valuable health benefits, education and increased income opportunities.

ICRW: As part of ICRW’s 35th anniversary celebration, you will be part of a March 8 discussion on innovations that have the potential to change the lives of women in developing countries. What is one innovation you think the private and public sectors need to pay more attention to, and why?

CB: The role of ICT is changing the lives of women in developing countries for the better:

It is in the best interests of the private and public sectors to ensure more women have access to ICT as it opens new opportunities, from allowing women to access information about market prices, thus increasing their profits, to ensuring women have vital information about pre-natal healthcare – thereby reducing the risk of infant mortality. I am a firm believer that by being better connected, women feel safer, are able to find more employment opportunities, start businesses, access banks more easily, and altogether benefit socially and economically.

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will join three other panelists on International Women’s Day for the launch of ICRW’s Passports to Progress 35^th anniversary discussion series.

The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) on Feb. 10 announced that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah will participate in a March 8 ICRW discussion about breakthrough innovations for women in developing countries.

Shah will join Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Bobbi Silten, chief foundation officer at Gap Inc., and Tim Hanstad, president and CEO of Landesa for the event, which kicks off ICRW’s Passports to Progress 35^th anniversary discussion series. The discussion will be moderated by Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent.

“Administrator Shah is leading the charge to transform USAID into the world’s premier development organization,” said ICRW President Sarah Degnan Kambou. “He is identifying innovative approaches to make development more efficient and effective, including by elevating gender throughout all of the agency’s policies and programs.”

“Administrator Shah’s insights will be invaluable to our March 8 discussion, and we are thrilled that he will be part of our panel,” she said.

Through USAID Forward, Shah has outlined an ambitious agenda to reform USAID’s business model by investing in new partnerships, focusing on high-impact results and emphasizing innovation. In a recent speech at the Center for Global Development, he stressed that he is “not trying to build an updated version of a traditional aid agency,” but rather “to build something greater: a modern development enterprise.” Shah hopes to foster an environment where staff are encouraged to partner with the private sector and academia to identify creative solutions for rapid, large-scale change.

Shah, who is also a medical doctor, recently served as the under secretary for research, education and economics and chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Shah served as the director of agricultural development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Roxanne Stachowski is ICRW’s external relations associate.

The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) will celebrate its 35^th anniversary with a year-long discussion series at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

“Passports to Progress” kicks off on March 8, International Women’s Day, and aims to advance global dialogue on how to empower the world’s women. The first gathering will focus on breakthrough innovations that have the potential to change the lives of women and girls in developing countries. Speakers include Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Tim Hanstad, president and CEO of Landesa and Bobbi Silten, chief foundation officer for Gap Inc. The conversation will be moderated by NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell.

“Our March 8 event brings together smart, entrepreneurial thinkers who are tackling critical issues facing poor women and their communities in truly innovative ways,” ICRW President Sarah Degnan Kambou said.

Subsequent gatherings will address investments in ending violence against women, how to advance women’s economic potential and how to measure global progress on gender equality.

The planned topics each represent an emerging or long-standing issue that will be pivotal in development work around women and gender. “In today’s rapidly changing world, it’s more important than ever to take stock of what we’re learning and apply that knowledge to our work moving forward,” Kambou explained. “We intend for this series to be a launching pad of new ideas to address the challenges and opportunities in global development in the coming years.”

The discussion topics for Passports to Progress also represent key areas of research and strategic advice for ICRW throughout its 35 years.

The organization was founded in 1976 as a program of the Federation of Organizations for Professional Women in response to concerns voiced at the first International Women’s Conference in Mexico. During the conference, participants suggested that development efforts were benefiting women and men unequally – to the detriment of entire societies. At the time, women’s roles, contributions and constraints were invisible to those who determined how countries spent funds to combat poverty, hunger and poor health. ICRW was established to make the invisible visible.

“What makes ICRW unique is that we identify and understand the often unseen, complex intersections in women’s lives that affect progress on achieving gender equality and alleviating poverty,” said Kambou, who was appointed president in 2010. “Our empirical evidence demonstrates to policy makers and program designers how to navigate those intersections.”

Gillian Gaynair is ICRW’s writer and editor.