Women’s Empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean

Technical Approaches

Women’s Empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Corus International family of organizations has worked in Latin America and the Caribbean since the 1960s. With a focus on women's economic and social empowerment as well as disaster risk reduction and response, Corus organization Lutheran World Relief’s livelihood strengthening efforts strive to advance gender equality across the region. Ground Up Investing, Corus’ impact investing practice, also uses an equity stake model in Latin America to grow mission-driven enterprises which generate increased income for smallholder producers and increase access to opportunity for women and youth. IMA World Health, another Corus organization, advances critical women’s health efforts in Haiti. Together, we deliver meaningful impact and have played a pivotal role in transforming women’s lives across the region.

Throughout programming in Latin America, Corus organizations apply our IDEAL approach, which stands for intersectionality, delivery, equity, access and leadership. This approach builds on Lutheran World Relief’s Gender in Agriculture: Policy to Practice (GAPP) methodology, originally developed to prioritize women's voices and needs in agricultural communities. IDEAL goes beyond the agricultural sector and recognizes how individuals' diverse identities, such as age, race, religion, geography, class and gender, influence their access to resources and opportunities for equitable participation in decision-making processes. This inclusive strategy also informs our comprehensive technical approach for preventing, mitigating and responding to gender-based violence in all of its forms. Whether by creating enabling market environments where women's voices are valued, improving health care access and quality, or ensuring that disaster response efforts prioritize the inclusion of women and marginalized populations, Corus embraces the IDEAL approach to champion gender equality and social inclusion.

Furthermore, Corus' women’s empowerment work is guided by our longstanding accompaniment methodology, which centers individuals and organizations from the communities we serve as the primary agents of change. We collaborate with local experts, trainers and organizations to ensure that interventions are contextually relevant and responsive. In prioritizing capacity strengthening and partnership, we understand that our role may take various forms depending on local priorities and sustainability needs. Whether acting as technical specialists, conveners or intermediaries, Corus organizations facilitate connections between local partners, the government and the private sector, enabling communities to access knowledge, resources and networks for long-term inclusive development.

Corus’ work across Latin America and the Caribbean will continue to impact hundreds of thousands of women. By combining the IDEAL approach with our accompaniment methodology, Corus is committed to empowering women, promoting equity and advancing sustainable development.

Download Now Jul 10, 2023