This International Women's Day, themed "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress," TheCSRUniverse chats with Ms. Naghma Mulla, the CEO of EdelGive Foundation, a force for women's empowerment. Ms. Mulla, a leader in a traditionally male-dominated field, tackles the interview with refreshing honesty. She delves into the challenges of dismantling entrenched biases that often paint women's leadership efforts as complaints. But Ms. Mulla doesn't shy away from optimism. She shares her vision for a future fuelled by collaborative philanthropy, where women-led organizations have the resources and support to thrive, particularly in developing economies.
Get ready for a conversation brimming with Ms. Mulla's strategies for shattering glass ceilings and fostering a future where women lead the charge.
Interview with Ms. Naghma Mulla, CEO, EdelGive Foundation
Q. As a leader in a traditionally male-dominated field, what are your biggest challenges and triumphs in advocating for women's leadership and empowerment? Moreover, how do entrenched biases and societal norms pose obstacles to your advocacy for women's leadership, and what strategies do you employ to surmount these barriers?
A. The primary obstacle to women's leadership and empowerment is the deeply rooted biases that persist despite existing structures. Often, efforts to advocate for women's roles in leadership are misinterpreted as solely women's issues, rather than concerns affecting everyone, including men, institutions, and society at large. It is a challenge to present arguments without them being dismissed as mere complaints from disgruntled women. These biases are entrenched in our behaviours, workplaces, and homes, and make speaking out seem more like defiance than constructive feedback. The key to overcoming this is through persistence and consistency. As a woman leader, it's crucial to continuously advocate for change and exemplify it through actions. For instance, promoting women's leadership starts with ensuring diverse representation within my team and collaborating with other female leaders. Actions must consistently support our words as the strategy for genuine progress.
Q. Given the G20's emphasis on fostering women-led development, how can collaborative philanthropy be utilized to bolster women-led organizations and initiatives, particularly in burgeoning economies like India?
A. The 2023 G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration emphasizes boosting economic and social empowerment, narrowing the gender digital gap, promoting gender-inclusive climate initiatives, and ensuring women's access to food security, nutrition, and well-being. These facets collectively present a remarkable opportunity to holistically address challenges to women’s progress. By merging the efforts, investments and knowledge of various stakeholders, collaborative philanthropy amplifies the resources available for tackling social issues. In the case of women-led organisations, a collaborative approach can foster end-to-end solutions. These can include setting up enterprise, access to finance, training and skill development, digital access, and creating mentorship and networking platforms for growth. Beyond this, collaborative philanthropy can play a crucial role in advocacy, pushing for policy changes that remove barriers to women's economic involvement and leadership by funding research and engaging in policy dialogue to promote gender-inclusive regulations.
Q. What systemic reforms are imperative to ensure the amplification and validation of women's voices across all echelons of society?
A. Representation lies at the crux of the amplification of women’s voices. Even though women have progressed by leaps and bounds over the past century, their participation in the economic and political spheres – especially in decision-making roles is limited. Without adequate representation at the leadership levels – whether at political or organizational levels, the issues faced by the larger groups of women are sidelined. Therefore, improving representation in leadership roles should be a foundational step. Anti-discrimination policies, transparency about wages, incentives for women-led businesses, encouraging education in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) where women are underrepresented, their inclusion in climate-positive policies and disaster planning, and implementing systemic reforms to eliminate patriarchal structures is the way forward for women across all social strata.
Q. As International Women's Day approaches, what are your hopes for the future of women in leadership, both locally and globally? How does EdelGive support women-led social enterprises, considering the unique challenges and opportunities they face?
A. Extensive research supports the crucial role of women leaders in driving economic growth and enhancing inclusivity. While the global and Indian landscape shows a modest uptick in the number of women in leadership roles, this trend is poised for significant growth, thanks to a stronger emphasis on women-led development and the increasing participation of women in education and vocational training. Despite these positive developments, the pervasive influence of patriarchy necessitates the adoption of inclusive, gender-specific policies. Such policies are essential to ensure that women from all social strata, especially those from grassroots and marginalized communities, have equal access to the benefits of education and skill development.
For instance, Yasmin Attar associated with Manndeshi Foundation located in Satara, Maharashtra. She married young and dropped out of school, transformed her life by starting a bangle-making business with a loan from a cash credit program. Her success led her to open a grocery shop, significantly improving her family's finances. Initially unsupportive, her husband now backs her decisions, encouraging her to expand her business. Yasmin's journey highlights the impact of women in decision-making roles and their ability to drive positive change within their families and communities.
Q. How does EdelGive's innovative approach ensure long-term impact, and how is technology shaping its philanthropic practices to amplify its impact on women's development?
A. EdelGive Foundation ensures a long-term impact on women's development through strategic support for grassroots organisations and advancing women’s leadership through our UdyamStree initiative. In the previous edition of the initiative, we embarked on a mission to elevate the socio-economic status of women through entrepreneurship, recognizing its ripple effect on the welfare of their families. We spotlighted the inspiring journeys of entrepreneurial women across India, delving into the economic and societal barriers they faced. Through UdyamStree, we managed to shift the narrative around women's entrepreneurship, building a comprehensive knowledge base and raising awareness about the resources available to aspiring women entrepreneurs.
In the current phase, we are concentrating on building evidence on women’s leadership and capturing challenges which women leaders face in their careers. We recently launched a report titled, “A Study on Pathways to Leadership for Women in Finance and Economic-Sectors.” This report surveyed 60 individuals across the corporate, development, and academic sectors, with more than 95% being women in leadership positions. It sheds light on the obstacles women face on their journey to leadership roles. Drawing on secondary data and insights from these women leaders, we proposed recommendations to foster an environment that supports women's progression to leadership positions.
Technology amplifies its efforts by enabling data-driven decisions and enhancing partners’ capacity. For instance, AALI is a women led organisation based in Lucknow, which works on the issue of access to legal justice for women survivors of gender-based violence, POCSO and also works with judiciary and police for their CB. We supported AALI with a case management system that consolidates litigation details, improving efficiency and reducing trauma for gender-based violence survivors by minimising repetitive questioning. This open technology platform is also adaptable for use by other organisations to enhance their efficiency.
Q. Collaboration is a cornerstone of your philanthropic philosophy. How do you foster meaningful partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and what are the key challenges and opportunities in this approach?
A. In collaborative philanthropy, the key to success is aligning diverse partners towards a shared vision. It's crucial to establish a clear purpose and a solid governance structure right from the start. This clarity ensures that each partner knows their role, facilitating effective decision-making and resource allocation. Trust-building with grantees is also fundamental, balancing guidance with the flexibility for innovation. By leveraging the unique strengths and resources of each partner, collaborative philanthropy amplifies impact, addressing societal challenges more holistically and sustainably. It is a journey of shared commitment, aiming for meaningful, lasting change in the communities we serve.
Q. How can EdelGive's unique model inspire other companies to integrate social impact into their core business, especially for women's initiatives, considering the challenges and opportunities of ESG investing?
A. EdelGive Foundation's approach, focusing on collaborative philanthropy, strategic grassroots investment, and long-term commitments, offers a blueprint for companies aiming to integrate social impact, particularly women's initiatives, within their core business strategies. Emphasising capacity building, inclusive ESG frameworks, measurable impacts, and stakeholder engagement, EdelGive demonstrates how sustained support and gender-sensitive investments can drive meaningful change. Companies can also prioritise women's empowerment, within their organisations, ensuring that their policies, and ecosystem are aligned to give women equitable opportunities for their career advancement.
Q. What advice do you have for aspiring philanthropists and policymakers, especially in women's empowerment and social justice, to create lasting change?
A. As philanthropists and policymakers, it's crucial to maintain a connection with grassroots realities and fully acknowledge the complex, intersectional challenges women encounter throughout their lives. Ensuring that the women at the heart of our initiatives are not just beneficiaries but active contributors to the solutions we devise is fundamental. To achieve this, we must establish platforms that amplify women's voices and engage in meaningful dialogue with the broader community to dismantle gendered biases obstructing women's advancement. Crafting policies and programs for women's empowerment must be deeply informed by these lived experiences to ensure they are effective, impactful, and sustainable.
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