Sustainable Development
In the past, development programs over-relied on major infrastructure and macro economics with little measurable impact on the lives of poor women, their families and communities. To be effective, development policies need to focus on equity and sustainability with women at the center. Women, especially indigenous women, have a special relationship to natural resources due to their primary responsibility for fuel and water collection, food production and household management. Investing in gender equality empowers women and actually increases productivity, efficiency and sustainability. A recent review of World Bank projects demonstrated that sustainability increased 16 percent when women were included in decision-making. Sustainable development policies and programs must include women’s full participation from conception to actualization and compliance monitoring.
What We Do
NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.
