A new horizon

More than all the explanations and case studies, nothing will help you understand us better than a little exercise in foresight. Here is a vision of the world in 2030 as Empow’Her sees it.

The date 2030 is not chosen randomly. It projects us a decade into the future, like a mirror to the 10 years we have just spent. Above all, it is the date set by the international community for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2015, the United Nations adopted this global call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all human beings live in peace and prosperity. Among these goals, the United Nations wants to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Our experience shows us that there is still a long way to go, and by setting its objectives on this timetable, Empow’Her subscribes to this egalitarian and ecological vision of the world and wants to contribute to it in its own way.

In 2030, women will have the same opportunities as men for economic emancipation, they will no longer be financially dependent on their spouses and will be able to decide freely and completely on their own future.The projects in which women are involved contribute to building a fairer, more sustainable and more inclusive world.They help each other and promote a new way of working and collaborating, favoring dialogue over competition, and societal and environmental impact over growth.

They are influential and inspiring, and generate vocations among other women as well as men. The players in the entrepreneurial and economic ecosystems are aware of the increased obstacles faced by women in their path to emancipation, and have put in place corrective actions while transforming themselves towards greater inclusion. They are no longer afraid to call themselves feminists.

Our means of action

To achieve the change we want to see, we’re going to carry out new projects, work on new approaches, and open up new levels of intervention.

We have already identified a number of key areas which we consider to be of prime importance, and on which we have already begun to work in 2022.

We have neither the ambition nor the pretension of trying to carry out these projects on our own. We know that, despite the goodwill and know-how of our teams, Empow’Her will not be enough, and that the success of our approach will depend on collaboration. So we will be forging alliances, spreading our expertise to other ecosystems, and doing our utmost to replicate our impact by supporting other organizations committed to feminist entrepreneurship. To achieve the world we aspire to, we are convinced that collaboration will be the key.

Our new shared governance

A theory of change is more than just a declaration of intent; it is also the operational expression of an organization, method and governance. Over the past year, we have worked a lot on reshaping our organization to be in line with the new theory of change and the impact we aim to achieve.

This process is in line with Empow’Her’s strong dynamic of growth, and we see it as a healthy way to adapt at a crucial moment in our growth. We are thus moving from a phase of extensive growth to a convergence phase, from an opportunistic approach to a chosen one. From 2023 onwards, this evolution will be reflected in the expansion of Empow’Her’s governance structure and the renewal of its operating methods.
Inspired by the principles of collective intelligence and holacracy, our governance system, which already includes a General Assembly, a Board of Directors and Executive Committee, will be enhanced by the introduction of «strategic committees”, spaces for monitoring, reflection and study, focusing on the implementation of Empow’Her’s global strategy for a specific theme or geographical area. In order to better connect the governing bodies with the teams in the field - and in particular the Board of Directors, which makes the main strategic choices - these committees will be made up of both members of the Board of Directors and employees from the various local teams. These new bodies will enable Empow’Her to gain in organizational efficiency, while facilitating the establishment of a more participative framework. In all, 5 strategic committees will be created: Africa, Europe, Impact and Gender, Advocacy and Reputation and Risk.

This development is accompanied by other changes, notably the establishment of composition criteria for the Board of Directors to ensure diversity and representativeness within the governance of Empow’Her. It also comes with a reorganization of the salaried teams.
These numerous efforts are aimed at strengthening our coherence and our strength to act. To maintain strong entrepreneurial skills to understand the mechanisms at work, innovate and support women, while strengthening our expertise and multiplying our impact. To continue to grow while controlling the growth of our organization.

Focus on …

The “Risk” strategic Committe will be responsible for monitoring financial and extra-financial risks, as well as managing alerts concerning Empow’Her’s existing body of rules, charters and policies.

The «Impact & Gender» strategic committee will act as a watchdog for the organization’s impact approach. It will contribute to strategic thinking, will monitor progress on the 2030 plan, reflect on and give an external point of view on impact measurement analyses, and of the links with the external ecosystem.

The «Advocacy & Reputation» strategic committee will be responsible for defining campaigns and overseeing the partnership strategy and overseeing the «Advocacy & Reputation» strategic committee.

This development is accompanied by other changes, notably the establishment of composition criteria for the Board of Directors to ensure diversity and representativeness within the governance of Empow’Her. It also comes with a reorganization of the salaried teams.

These numerous efforts are aimed at strengthening our coherence and our strength to act. To maintain strong entrepreneurial skills to understand the mechanisms at work, innovate and support women, while strengthening our expertise and multiplying our impact. To continue to grow while controlling the growth of our organization.

2023 Perspectives

As part of our trajectory towards 2030, we will be launching new projects in previously unexplored territories with new themes in 2023.

The publication of a study on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Entrepreneurship

A new multi-year project focusing on Eastern Europe

New Methodological Endeavours.