Model and Strategy
SHE-CAN identifies women from rural, urban and displaced communities who are committed to ending poverty and building infrastructure in their communities. They're supported to access world-class college educations and build their leadership and capacity to be the agents of change their community needs. SHE-CAN creates a critical mass of empowered women leaders specifically in post-conflict countries where displacement and poverty are greatest. SHE-CAN pushes scholarship funds down the socioeconomic pyramid, leveraging millions of dollars in investment and promoting social inclusion-targeting those most motivated to make change happen. World Bank provides overwhelming evidence that women's education improves health and productivity and that the poorest gain the most. The opportunity cost of not investing in girls is estimated at missed GDP growth of 1.35% per year in developing countries. Girls' education provides, arguably, the highest-return investment available in the developing world.
Impact
Creating a critical mass of empowered women leaders in 5 post-conflict countries.
Expanding opportunity to young women whose lives have been shaped by conflict, poverty and displacement.
Promoting social inclusion by pushing scholarship funds down the socioeconomic pyramid, targeting the candidates most motivated to make change happen.
Leadership
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Barbara Bylenga
Co-founder and Executive Director