The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO)

In the fight to end gender-based violence, there’s a stark fact that’s hard to shy away from. Put simply, the majority of GBV perpetrators are men and boys, accounting for more than 90% in most estimates.  On today’s episode, we hear from a variety of perspectives about how to work with men and boys to end GBV. Host Reena Ninan speaks with Gary Barker, Founder, CEO, and President of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice. Barker has worked in dozens of countries over the course of three decades. His organization has also conducted decades of research on men and boys' attitudes toward gender equality, including gender-based violence. Senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem also talks to Laxman Belbase, Co-Director of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 1,000 groups from some 90 countries. They are creating a shared vision for how to work with men and boys for gender equality. Plus, reporter Ebere Ekeopara covers women recently elected to local traditional councils in Southeastern Nigeria – a phenomenon that began just a few years ago. She speaks with Faithful Ani, a new member of the traditional council in Umuode, Nigeria, John Onovo, chief of the Umuode council, as well as Blessing Uchendu, the head of gender programming at the South Saharan Development Organization, a nonprofit leading local advocacy on GBV. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests Interviewed: Gary Barker, Founder, CEO, and President of Equimundo Laxman Belbase, Co-Director of MenEngage Blessing Uchendu, South Saharan Development Organization Faithful Ani, Member of Umuode Council John Onovo, Chief of Umuode Council Nnenna Anozie, Human Rights Lawyer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What works to prevent gender-based violence from occurring in the first place? In this episode, reporter Leah Kahunde Ndung’u profiles a leading community-based prevention model called SASA! from the nonprofit Raising Voices in Kampala, Uganda. She also examines the Ugandan government’s newly launched national policy to prevent gender-based violence. Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Avni Amin from the WHO. She is one of the chief architects of the World Health Organization’s “RESPECT” framework, a global blueprint for policymakers on best practices for preventing gender-based violence. Amin is head of the Rights, Equality and Wellbeing throughout the Life Course Unit, which is part of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests Interviewed: Avni Amin, WHO Unit Head, Rights, Equality and Wellbeing throughout the Life Course Yvette Alal, Technical advisor at Raising Voices Zainab Kyotungire, SASA activist Jacinta and Solomon, couple with whom Zainab works Lillian Magezi, gender specialist and researcher formerly affiliated with Uganda Christian University Natsnet Ghebrebrhan, Co-Director of Raising Voices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the media, gender-based violence is often considered a sexism or cultural problem. But what if it were viewed as an economic issue?  In the newest season of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to thought leaders around the world about what works to reduce gender-based violence.  GBV not only affects nearly 1 in 3 women in their lifetime; It is also a huge drain on the economy. UN Women estimates that GBV costs countries about $1.5 trillion per year, or approximately 2% of global GDP. But greater financial security and autonomy can help protect women from violence.  We begin with a conversation between host Reena Ninan and Sonya Passi, founder and CEO of FreeFrom, a U.S. nonprofit working to end gender-based violence. Passi believes the main challenge for survivors is economic insecurity. Because of this, her organization focuses on directly empowering survivors economically. Then, reporter Elna Schütz travels to a very special clothing store from Mosaic Training Service and Healing Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests Interviewed: Sonya Passi, Founder and CEO of FreeFrom Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan, Executive Director of Mosaic Training Service and Healing Centre Rozita, Mosaic Clothing Store Worker Dr. Deidre Pretorius, family medicine expert from the University of the Witwatersrand Nonnie, Mosaic Clothing Store Worker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gender-based violence affects nearly 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.  Beyond the trauma it causes, it is also a huge drain on the economy. UN Women estimates that GBV costs countries about $1.5 trillion per year, or approximately 2% of global GDP.  But greater financial security and autonomy can help protect women from violence.  In season 10 of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we examine what it would take to end gender-based violence. Host Reena Ninan and reporters around the world talk to changemakers and thought leaders about the most effective strategies for reducing GBV, including economic security, prevention programs, engaging allies, and curbing online harassment.  The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Amazon is the world's biggest tropical rainforest, spanning across nine countries in South America. It is a major source of biodiversity and plant life, containing around one tenth of the world’s known species and over a billion acres of dense forest. But for decades now, this vital resource has been under threat. Nearly 20 percent of the Amazon forest has been lost or degraded. This is largely due to deforestation, where people cut down trees and clear land for other, oftentimes more profitable purposes. A significant aspect of reducing deforestation is making it financially viable to keep the forest. But how?   In our season finale of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we focus on efforts to make supply chains more sustainable: from the source to the end product. We start in the Amazon, where we look at ways to profit from the rainforest without destroying it. And we end up in the boardroom to hear from the president of the outdoor apparel brand Patagonia. First, we hear from Maria Jose “Chochi” Iturralde, executive director of the nonprofit Fundacion Pachaysana. She helped launch Fundacion Pachaysana, based in Ecuador, to provide financial incentives for local people in the Amazon to preserve their forest and their land, such as through regenerative agriculture. This is part of a new economic model called “the bioeconomy,” which uses renewable biological resources, processes, and innovations to produce food, materials, and energy. Then, we hear from leaders at Natura, a global beauty company that sources many of their products from the Amazon rainforest. We speak with Charmian Love, global ambassador at Natura, and Fernanda Rezende Facchini, Natura’s senior sustainability and procurement leader in Latin America, about their bioeconomy work in the Amazon. Finally, host Zainab Salbi sits down with Jenna Johnson, President of Patagonia. The California-based outdoor apparel brand was founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, a rock climber and adventurer who cares deeply about the environment. Patagonia’s mission has always been to “save our home planet.” Their current president Jenna Johnson shares how fulfilling that mission means meticulously scrutinizing every step of their supply chain. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by Daughters for Earth. Guests interviewed: Jenna Johnson, President of Patagonia Maria Jose “Chochi” Iturralde, Executive Director of Fundacion Pachaysana Charmian Love, Global Ambassador at Natura Fernanda Rezende Facchini, Senior Sustainability and Procurement Specialist at Natura in Latin America Recommended reading: Foreign Policy Analytics: Protecting Biodiversity and Driving Development Through Women’s Leadership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices