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An Approach for Social Issues Worldwide

  • GSGC
  • Oct 21, 2020
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jul 29

Author: Madie Eidam, Storyteller, GSGC Volunteer, California resident

Global Sojourns Giving Circle’s (GSGC) approach in Southern Africa aligns with current global discussions being led by grassroots racial justice movements, indigenous leadership models, and organizations working for a healthier, happier planet.


GSGC has long lived and breathed the philosophy of movements such as Black Lives Matter (BLM), emphasizing the importance of local organizing over national — or outside — leadership. When those who are invested in their own community have the power and support to affect change, a community is strengthened in compassionate, sustainable ways that have meaning to those who live there. To be part of a community means to lead and make change in that community.


There are plenty of examples of what happens when those who are not invested in a community lead it. The outcomes usually are not aligned with the community’s needs, pushing local residents to speak out as their own best advocates.

In the wake of BLM, communities are becoming more aware of the downfalls of such a disconnect. As we reimagine the future, we look to those who have a true understanding, listen to their experience, and ask them to lead the way.

That’s GSGC’s way. Over its 13 years, we’ve tried this and reevaluated that, all the while listening, listening, listening. The model we have found to be most effective and sustainable is simple: local communities set the goals, local people lead the way, and GSGC comes alongside as partners.


A Term, A Campaign, A Way Forward

Misogynoir: misogyny directed at Black women where both race and gender play a role in bias.

The SayHerName campaign was founded in 2014, a year after Black Lives Matter was founded, to bring awareness to the often-invisible names and stories of Black American women and girls victimized by racist police violence and provide support to their families. It serves to shed light on intersectionality — the interconnected nature of social categories such as race, class and gender that create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or privilege.


Understanding, and witnessing, where societies place Black women and girls are the seeds of what originally inspired GSGC’s work, and they continue to be the bedrock of the model today. Research and data show the immense value and positive impact investing in girls holds for a community. GSGC draws on this learning to empower girls and strengthen communities in Southern Africa.


Furthermore, organizations such as Project Drawdown, the International Development Research Center, the Center for American Progress, the Earth Day Network, and the United Nations recognize that empowering girls and women is a foundational step to solving three of the most difficult issues facing our planet and species: climate change, wildlife conservation and poverty.



Access and Opportunity

Years of research affirm and reaffirm that educating girls and women and providing them with access to birth control can be instrumental in solving intractable, worldwide problems such as poverty. We’ve gathered some of this research on the “Why Girls?” page on our website.

The cultural, economic and environmental impacts can be massive. When women are knowledgeable about their environment, their work and their communities, they are empowered to make choices. When women are given equal opportunities, they have greater success supporting their families and being caretakers of the land. Women produce more than half of the world’s food, up to 80 percent of food in developing countries. When female farmers are empowered and knowledge is shared, the earth is better cared for and crop yields rise, leading to healthier communities.


The cultural, economic and environmental impacts can be massive. When women are knowledgeable about their environment, their work and their communities, they are empowered to make choices.


Knowledge is Power

When it comes to conservation, knowledge is also key. In 2017 in Zimbabwe, the wildlife protection organization Akashinga, which means Brave Ones, hired 26 women to be rangers. They were trained in wildlife conservation, then learned more about animal behaviour through their work. Paying jobs gave these women power, and their knowledge became the community’s knowledge. In the past three years, the number of hostile human vs animal encounters in nearby communities has declined and nearly 100 poachers have been arrested. These women not only gained knowledge but a sense of true autonomy. “Members of the Akashinga now enjoy the power to buy property, continue their education, get a driver’s license and provide for their families. Because of this program, these women are completely independent of men. Moreover, these women have positions of power in the community with the authority to protect it.” ~ Borgen Magazine


The challenges we face are deeply connected to the autonomy — or lack thereof — of half the world’s population.


Family planning and health education can have wide-reaching effects on the wellbeing of people and the planet. Research and a report by Project Drawdown show that when women have the power of choice about their own bodies, they prefer to have fewer children and later in life.

Earthday.org said this: “In both urban and rural areas, slower population growth relieves stress on ecosystems, allowing resources to recover from overuse without compromising local food access. With additional resources, women are able to earn more money, achieve their goals, and face fewer health issues.”


Climate change effects the reliability of our food system, which contributes to food insecurity and poverty. The Center for American Progress states that “putting an end to extreme poverty requires providing opportunities for all individuals, especially women, to thrive.” Women make up 70 percent of the world’s poor and 66 percent of the world’s illiterate people.

With individuals and organizations such as the inspiring Mentors supported by Global Sojourns Giving Circle, we can do better. When girls and women have education, access and opportunity, Earth and all its inhabitants will do better. We are part of a complex ecosystem, and girls and women are the synergetic key.

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