Promoting Gender Equality through Social Innovation

From women-only taxi companies in New Delhi to smokeless stoves in Uganda, innovation can transform the lives of women and girls around the globe. While it is well known that social innovation and women’s empowerment are each processes that drive change, there is little research to date connecting social innovation to the empowerment of women and girls. This project will identify how social innovation connects to women’s empowerment through a partnership with MATCH International. This project will support MATCH through the launch, development and growth of the Women’s Fund for Social Innovation. As the first of its kind in Canada, the fund will invest in innovation projects proposed by women and girls in the global South. Through an extensive literature review, interviews with key players in the fields of social innovation and gender and development, and detailed case studies of the projects funded by MATCH, this project will help to shape the emerging field of “women and social innovation,” produce key recommendations, identify future areas of research and provide new insights to help empower women and girls in the developing world.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Bipasha Baruah

Student:

Sarah Saska-Crozier

Partner:

Match International

Discipline:

Gender and sexuality studies

Sector:

University:

Western University

Program: