GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
Save the Children’s commitment to gender equality focuses on creating a world where all children, regardless of gender, have equal opportunities and are valued and respected. We aim to address the root causes of gender inequality and promote the rights and well-being of girls and boys through integrated and transformative approaches. Our approach to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) is to be sensitive at a minimum and transformative wherever possible.
We strive to meet immediate needs while working towards long-term systemic change. Ensuring that all children, regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, have equal opportunities is central to our mission. We work to address systemic barriers and promote structural changes for equity across all our programs. We utilize our extensive experience, influential advocacy platform, and strong partnerships with governments, communities, and civil society organizations to challenge harmful social norms, empower marginalized groups, enhance economic opportunities, advocate for policy changes, and integrate GESI considerations into all sectors of our work.
Our key approaches include:
• Challenging Social Norms: We work to change harmful social norms and practices that perpetuate discrimination and exclusion. Our community-based interventions, awareness campaigns, and engagement with cultural and religious leaders promote gender equality and social inclusion.
• Empowerment and Leadership: We empower marginalized and excluded groups, including girls, children with disabilities, and minority communities, by promoting their leadership and active participation in decision-making processes. This includes providing educational opportunities, leadership training, and advocacy platforms.
• Economic and Social Empowerment: We support initiatives that enhance economic and social opportunities for marginalized groups, ensuring they have access to resources, skills training, and livelihood opportunities. This helps to reduce dependency and promote empowerment and self-reliance.
• Systemic Change: Our programs aim to influence policies and systems to create an enabling environment for GESI. We work with governments, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to advocate for and implement policies that promote gender equality and social inclusion.
• Integrated Programming: Our GESI work is embedded in all sectors, including health, education, child protection, and nutrition, in both development and humanitarian contexts. We ensure that GESI considerations are central to program/project design, implementation, and evaluation, and that our programs are responsive to the needs of all children.
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Response: We are committed to preventing and responding to gender-based violence, recognizing it as a critical barrier to gender equality and child protection. Our programs address GBV through community awareness campaigns, support services for survivors, and partnerships with local organizations to create safe environments for children and women.
