Breakthrough - MDG3 – Women’s Equality and Empowerment

Discussion Highlights

Key Questions:

• What projects/activities initiatives are you involved in that are successfully supporting economic/political empowerment of women?

• What is successful about the current alliance/ networks you participate in?

• How can a Breakthrough Alliance strengthen efforts to achieve sustainable empowerment and equality outcomes?

• Work together grounded in common purpose and values

• Work needs to be grounded in women’s reality

• Importance of intergenerational contributions

• Working at different levels – grassroots, national and international

• Recognise the challenges of difference and inequality between members of network – brings different levels of resourcing, capacity. Risk of competition.

• Power sharing, establishing non-patriarchal models.

• People without faith need to be open to people with faith, and vice versa.

• Respect, solidarity and recognition of individual people’s contribution

Recommendations

• Alliance based on sharing of common focus and values

• Networks break where trust is broken – must recognise diversity of people involved and different contributions

• Importance of grassroots, national, regional and global networks linked by face to face as well as email and media technologies

• Avoid hierarchy, but need a champion and leadership in public spaces

• Keep focussed on a clear common task, motivate and keep the ball rolling