Our Partnership Philosophy
A New Way of Working Together
In our experience, principled partnerships are vital to make community-driven, women-led development work. Neither grassroots women nor their partners in development agencies and governments can make change all on their own.
The Huairou Commission models transformative partnerships between grassroots women and professionals, in which grassroots women bring local expertise, leadership, drive and capacity, and partners bring access to decision-making spaces, links to other people of power, resources to carry out plans, and technical support. Each partner is seen as equal.
Grassroots women are valued for their leadership, commitment and local, grounded and active expertise about their communities, what works and what does not work in development and are not in an inferior position simply because they have few financial resources, technological capabilities or formal education. Partners are also valued not just for their money or technological capability, but for their own commitment to equitable development and social change and establishing new ways of working, often against great institutional resistance.
Grassroots women's voices and work are legitimized and supported.
Development aid reaches most vulnerable in communities and creates sustainable change.
Increased access to power and resources for grassroots women.
Benefits for Partners
- Link to on the ground knowledge and practice.
- Creates opportunities for people in positions of influence to connect with the reality on the ground as experienced by communities of grassroots women.
- Positions are validated by the local experience and statements of grassroots women leaders, who can legitimately represent a large constituency.
- Ensure development aid reaches most vulnerable and leads to sustainable change in communities
Benefits for Grassroots groups
- Voices and work legitimized and supported
- Able to participate in decision-making spaces
- Through collaboration on projects, gain key institutional linkages and support for advocacy work
- Access to power and resources expanded
- Introduced to additional partners
- Gain intellectual capital
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