A Collective Voice for Gender Justice: From Grassroots Action in Nigeria To Policy Impact in The Gambia

The Women Against Violations and Exploitation (WAVE) Foundation and The Daisy Network provides support for female genital mutilation (FGM) survivors and works to put an end to FGM across the country. The Daisy Network has spread to several states and has reached more than 3,000 people through their advocacy efforts.

The Girl Generation (TGG) practices intergenerational healing and provides trauma-informed support to women who have survived female genital mutilation (FGM). TGG aims for FGM to be recognized as a form of sexual violence rather than a cultural practice and does so by hosting mother-daughter forums for generations to cope and heal from their traumas together. TGG estimates they’ve reached about 300 women and girls so far, with hopes to expand the group to other communities.

A parametric heat insurance program covering 276,800 women workers across India provides automatic cash payouts (₹300-1,250) when temperatures exceed city-specific thresholds for consecutive days, successfully delivering financial relief during extreme heat events. However, the program faces sustainability challenges due to heavy subsidies, trust issues when thresholds aren't met, and the need for behavioral change among beneficiaries.

Twenty women in Kaduna, Nigeria formed a cooperative in 2015 that pooled their farm labor earnings to collectively purchase land, transforming them from hired laborers earning ₦2,000-₦10,000 per day into independent landowners who now harvest enough to support their families' education and healthcare while contributing food to their community.

Lideresas indígenas—desde sus comunidades: los pueblos Lenca, Kakawira y Nahua-Pipil—decidieron organizarse y crear el Observatorio Nacional Sijsihuat Mejmetzaly, donde están aprendiendo a levantar datos desde sus propias realidades. Juntos, por la primera vez, han comenzado a nombrar las múltiples violencias que atraviesan a las mujeres indígenas en El Salvador.

Chalk Back is a youth-led street art initiative that encourages women to write sexist remarks said to them onto pavements in chalk to raise awareness about street harassment. The public art is then shared on Instagram to further its reach and prevent street harassment from being normalized. Since Chalk Back started in 2016, it has become a global initiative with more than 1,000 women participating and more than 150,000 followers on social media.

The Eris Conflict Resolution life-coaching company is using conflict mediation and resolution to help those experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. The company works with both stakeholders and the businesses involved in one-on-one mediation, course modules, and the option of conflict mediation certification to give them the tools to end the harassment safely. Since opening, 19 of the 27 clients have seen the results they were hoping for.

The University of Arizona's student-run CUP women's clinic provides free preventive and primary care to uninsured Southern Arizona women. In 2025, they served 61 unique patients, a 35% increase from the prior year, and trained future physicians in community-based medicine and health equity.

The Barkum Women Rice Processors Association in rural Kano, Nigeria, secured a collective ₦8.8 million loan through cooperative action and training, enabling 38 women to build profitable rice-processing businesses that have financed their children's education and generated monthly incomes for members.

The Doula C-Hot program trains birth workers to assess and prepare pregnant clients for climate-related health risks like hurricanes and extreme heat, successfully training 12 doulas who have helped over 40 clients better prepare for environmental threats during pregnancy.