Grant Awarded to Advance Gender Equality and Economic Empowerment in Arkansas

Introduction and Strategic Partnership

A $50,000 grant has been awarded to the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) to enhance initiatives aimed at empowering women in Arkansas. This funding, provided by the Ms. Foundation for Women and facilitated by the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative (ABPC), will be disbursed over a two-year period. This collaboration is a key example of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, uniting civil society organizations to achieve shared development objectives.

• Recipient: Women’s Leadership Network (WLN)
• Funder: Ms. Foundation for Women
• Intermediary: Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative (ABPC)
• Amount: $50,000 ($25,000 per year for two years)

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The initiative directly supports several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its focus on economic growth, leadership development, and health equity for women, particularly women of color.

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The project aims to ensure women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership through mentorship, networking, and dedicated programs.
   • It seeks to provide women with equal rights to economic resources, fostering an environment where they can lead and thrive, in line with Target 5.a.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Funding will promote entrepreneurship and the growth of women-owned small businesses through targeted training and technical assistance.
   • The initiative is designed to equip women to achieve economic mobility and build lasting wealth, contributing to full and productive employment as outlined in Target 8.5.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • A primary focus is placed on supporting women of color, directly addressing economic and social disparities.
   • The program prioritizes ensuring that resources and networks are accessible to women from all racial backgrounds and regions, advancing the goal of social and economic inclusion under Target 10.2.
4. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The grant supports efforts to advance health equity, a crucial component of overall wellness and empowerment for women in the state.

Programmatic Objectives and Expected Outcomes

The grant will be allocated to achieve the following objectives, which are intrinsically linked to advancing the SDGs:

• Strengthening Signature Programs: WLN will grow its Women’s Leadership Academy, Women’s Business Showcase, and International Women’s Day Brunch. This directly contributes to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by building leadership pathways and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by supporting women-owned enterprises.
• Expanding Outreach: The 2026 Level Up Conference will be expanded to reach entrepreneurs beyond central Arkansas. This action promotes SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by increasing access for regional participants and SDG 5 by building essential professional networks.
• Enhancing Business Support: The provision of additional training and technical assistance will directly strengthen women-owned small businesses, a key target of SDG 8.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article focuses on empowering women through leadership development, economic opportunities, and mentorship. The grant’s purpose is to support the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) in its mission to help women “lead and thrive,” directly aligning with the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The initiatives funded by the grant are explicitly “geared towards economic growth” for women. The article highlights support for “women-owned small businesses” and “women entrepreneurs,” aiming to equip them to “achieve economic mobility and build lasting wealth,” which contributes to promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article emphasizes that the initiatives target “women of color” and aim to ensure resources are accessible to women “across every race, background, and region.” This focus on “advancing equity and opportunity” and promoting the inclusion of specific demographic groups directly addresses the goal of reducing inequality within and among countries.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article mentions that the initiatives are geared towards “health equity in women of color” and that the WLN’s approaches are in “alignment with wellness.” This connects the project’s goals to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

Specific Targets Identified

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

   The article directly supports this target by mentioning the grant will be used for “building leadership pathways for women” and growing programs like the “Women’s Leadership Academy.” The goal is to provide women with the “tools, mentorship and networks they need to lead.”

2. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises…

   This target is addressed through the plan to “provide additional training and technical assistance to strengthen women-owned small businesses statewide” and expand the “Level Up Conference to reach women entrepreneurs.”

3. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

   The article’s focus on “women of color” and the stated goal to “ensure all women across every race, background, and region” can access the programs directly relates to this target of promoting inclusion and reducing inequalities for specific groups.

4. Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources…

   The article connects to this target by aiming to help women “achieve economic mobility and build lasting wealth.” The support for women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs is a direct mechanism for increasing women’s access to and control over economic resources.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

• Number of women participating in leadership and entrepreneurship programs.

  The article implies this indicator by stating the grant will “Grow WLN’s Signature Programs — including the Women’s Leadership Academy, Women’s Business Showcase…” and “Expand the 2026 Level Up Conference.” Tracking the number of participants in these expanded programs would measure progress.

• Number of women-owned small businesses receiving training and technical assistance.

  This is a direct indicator mentioned in the article, which states the grant will “provide additional training and technical assistance to strengthen women-owned small businesses statewide.” The number of businesses assisted is a clear metric of the program’s reach.

• Proportion of participants from diverse racial and regional backgrounds.

  The emphasis on “women of color” and expanding reach “beyond central Arkansas” implies that a key measure of success will be the diversity of the women served. This can be tracked to ensure the program is meeting its goal of “advancing equity.”

• Growth in networks and collaborative initiatives among women entrepreneurs.

  The article states a goal of the Level Up Conference is to “create an avenue for women to build their networks… and collaborate on initiatives.” The number of new collaborations or the expansion of professional networks could serve as an indicator of success.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: katv.com