Social Innovation

According to Stanford Graduate School of Business, social innovation is defined as “the process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.” As discussed in class, innovation does not have to be an idea that is newly created; it serves to solve a problem in a different way that has not been done before. Innovators begin by following three steps: discrediting the status quo, leveraging evidence of success, and constructing social credibility. Another source, the Korean Herald, states that social innovation identifies the root of global issues rather than temporarily solving the problem (Da sol, 2016, p.1). Tim Draimin, executive director of Social Innovation Generation, stressed the importance of partnerships with the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to bring about innovative change.

 

In order to address safety and violence issues for girls in Africa, it is crucial to realize that it is a problem that stems from cultural norms. Child marriage has been rooted in tradition and accepted by numerous communities. Many parents of young girls believe that their daughter is safer when they are with their husband. Yet, they disregard the negative effects of early marriage such as domestic violence which contradicts this preconceived notion of a more secure environment for their child. In this case, government intervention is necessary to combat the issue at hand. If more laws were created to raise the legal marital age, girls would be able to prioritize their education then start a family when they are ready. As a result, it would create a domino effect; more girls would grow up to become contributing members of society, they would not rely as heavily on their spouses, and families would emphasize the importance of an education for all their children especially for the girls.

 

As previously mentioned, innovative solutions are not solely new ideas but are also ideas that help to address the root of a problem. Hence, through creating stricter laws, it will eliminate two barriers, both violence and early pregnancies, which hinder girls from receiving a primary as well as secondary school education. Lastly, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, nonprofit sectors have neglected the fact that many of these girls are lacking basic needs such as food, water, and proper sanitation. While constructing new schools is crucial, nonprofits should address how communities are getting resources first. In conclusion, until the first level of the hierarchy can be fixed, no sector will be able to solve the second level of the hierarchy (Mack, p. 2).

 

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Da-sol, K. (2016, October 26). Social innovation is key to solving problems. Retrieved

November 5, 2018, from Korean Herald website:

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20161026000619

Defining social innovation. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2018, from Standford Graduate

School of Business website: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/centers-

initiatives/csi/defining-social-innovation

Mack, Stan. (n.d.). Maslow's Theory & Approach to Leadership Style. Small Business -

Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/maslows-theory-approach-

leadership-style-71607.html

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Poverty

Faith Ausfresser

  

Social innovations strive to meet social needs and strengthen society by utilizing new ideas, concepts, and strategies through organizations. The issue of lack of women’s education in Africa as a result of poverty is too large for just one organization to tackle alone. Many organizations have used social innovation in order to try to break the cycle of poverty and allow more women to receive an education in Africa. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), has developed a new tool in order to give data to other partnering organizations titled “Left Behind – Girls’ Education in Africa” (No girl left behind – education in Africa) . This resource allows the reader, whether an individual or an organization, access to a wide range of information about women’s education for each region in Africa. This resource includes information such as how many years of education girls can receive, a comparison of enrollment for boys versus girls, the classroom conditions, and the overall progress regions may or may not have made. ("Left Behind – Girls’ Education in Africa", 2015) UIS is using this database as a tool for individuals and organizations to create social innovation and change in the global civil society. They urge readers to not only read the data but to use it, which is so crucial for change. ("Left Behind – Girls’ Education in Africa", 2015) . This social innovation tool also exemplifies how poverty is the largest barrier to a women’s education by showing the difference in women attending school based on the wealth, or lack of, in the region (No girl left behind – education in Africa) . According to World Bank and The Guardian, “giving girls access to schooling is a central part of eradicating global poverty” (Paddison, 2017). By educating girls, they grow up to be women who marry later, are healthier, have less children, and work in the future. According to this article, the United Nations’ “sustainable development goals call for gender equality and quality education for all by 2030” (Paddison, 2017). Innovation in this area requires for new and creative ideas in order to assist these girls and enroll them in school. A great example is is called the Girl Effect who started a project in northern Nigeria by giving girls cell phones so they had access to information as well as articles about friendships, safety, and relationships. (Paddison, 2017) Social innovation such as the actions by The Girl Effect and UIS are the start to creating global change in poverty and women’s education in Africa and worldwide.

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Left Behind – Girls’ Education in Africa. (2015, June 03). Retrieved November 08, 2018, from

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/member-states/single-view/news/left_behind_girls_education_in_africa/

No girl left behind – education in Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/no-girl-left-behind-education-africa

Paddison, L. (2017, October 04). Educating girls: The key to tackling global poverty. Retrieved

from

https://www.theguardian.com/opportunity-international-roundtables/2017/oct/04/global-p

overty-child-marriage-education-girls

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Lack of Sanitation, Water, & Food

Emily Weis

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As discussed in class, social innovation can be defined as attempts to transform the ways societies address social problems and produce goods and services. Innovation does not have to be “new” to the world but it is new to the situation. According to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, “Social innovation is the process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.” (Soule, Malhotra, Clavier).

 

Much can be done to fix this problem of women’s education around the world and specifically the sanitation preventing women from receiving an education. For example, “One way to accelerate the benefits of Africa’s focus on sanitation is to support programs designed with the needs and preferences of key demographic groups—such as adolescent girls—in mind” (Improving Sanitation for Adolescent Girls). Support of the programs is definitely needed to make a difference. In addition to support, involving the girls in the design and creation of sanitation infrastructure in schools can increase the success of the programs.

 

Another strategy for this global issue could be breaking the culture of silence around girl’s bodies by educating their families, especially the men to really help them understand feminine needs. By providing knowledge to other people who have not experienced the hardships that sanitation displays, others may be able to understand more clearly the struggles young girls face daily. I also think that personal hygiene kits could be beneficial. “NGOs working in the field of emergency response do regularly distribute personal dignity and hygiene kits with sanitary products to women in refugee camps.” (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2018).

 

Guiding documents which offer steps to solving a problem may also work but must be implemented for there to be positive outcomes. Several of these documents have been developed for humanitarian practitioners over the last decade to address the sanitation issues. More research regarding the documents could initiate a successful implementation to these populations in need. “The Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter Minimum Standards for Humanitarian Response196 (2011) comprises specific standards for MHM in emergencies, such as the provision of sanitary materials, washing basins, and underwear as well as the participation of women in designing water and sanitation interventions.” (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2018). With this in mind, more can be achieved to improve sanitation in Africa.

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Improving Sanitation for Adolescent Girls (SSIR). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/improving_sanitation_for_adolescent_girls

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (2018).Gender and the Sanitation Value Chain: A Review of the Evidence [Powerpoint slides]. https://www.fsg.org/sites/default/files/Gender%20and%20Sanitation%20Evidence%20Review%20Feb%202018.pdf

Soule, Malhotra, Clavier. Defining Social Innovation. Retrieved from https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/centers-initiatives/csi/defining-social-innovation

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Child Marriage

Meghan Henry

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Throughout the continent of Africa, gender inequality in education continues to be a pervasive issue, and its numerous causes require an innovative solution that brings together the various sectors in order to promote change. This social innovation involves attempts to transform the ways that societies address social problems and produce goods and services by bringing a new concept into a situation. One example of innovation in the case of child marriage in Africa is the African Union’s launch of the Campaign to End Child Marriage in 2014. The purpose of the Campaign was to accelerate an end to child marriage in Africa by spreading awareness about the harmful effects of the issue and promoting various policies at regional and national levels (African Union, 2013). The Campaign recognizes the fact that child marriage prevents young girls in Africa from obtaining the education that they need in order to earn an income and find relief from their current poverty levels, allowing them to reach their full potential.

 

Although there have been global commitments to end child marriage, the issue of young marriage continues to accelerate, particularly in African countries. The African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage found that progress has not been adequate, and set a new resolve to eradicate the issue and allow young girls to avoid young marriage and continue their education. The Campaign includes the cooperation of media in order to spread awareness, data collection to help government agencies understand the problem, and the implementation of laws related to child marriage and human rights (United Nations Population Fund, 2014). One of the core strategies that this Campaign is utilizing is the incorporation of various partnerships, including the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Child Policy Forum (United Nations Population Fund, 2014).

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In addition to these organizations and governments, the Campaign has partnered with the Girls Not Brides organization, which reviewed the progress of the Campaign two years after its start (Girls Not Brides, 2017). Girls Not Brides found that the AU Campaign created a better environment for conversation about the topic of early marriage, ultimately creating an African Common Position on Child Marriage, and fifteen African countries have adopted the Campaign (Girls Not Brides, 2017). Despite these successes, the Campaign must improve its integration of young people, while encouraging and guiding Member States in the adoption of the Campaign in order to bring about stronger results. Although there is room for improvement, the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage provides an innovative approach to combating such a complex issue by partnering with numerous organizations and governmental authorities globally. The Campaign incorporates effective tactics of open communication among its members and monitoring of its progress in order to eradicate child marriage in Africa, thereby improving gender inequality in education.

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African Union. (2013, November). Campaign to end child marriage in Africa: Call to action.

Retrieved November 5, 2018, from https://au.int/sites/default/files/pages/ 32905-file-campaign_to_end_child_marriage_in_africa_call_for_action-_english.pdf

Girls Not Brides. (2017, May 05). The African Union campaign to end child marriage. Retrieved \

November 4, 2018, from https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/african-union-campaign-end-child-marriage-next-girls-not-brides-members-across-africa-speak-one/

United Nations Population Fund. (2014, June 9). Africa launches historic campaign to end child

marriage. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from https://www.unfpa.org/news/africa-launches-historic-campaign-end-child-marriage

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