The Challenge

Haiti’s prolonged crisis, marked by insecurity, internal displacement, and the erosion of livelihoods, has disproportionately affected women, many of whom are young, displaced, and heads of household. Loss of income, limited access to education and professional tools, and heightened exposure to violence have deepened vulnerability and dependence on humanitarian assistance. In this context, women’s economic empowerment is not a sectoral add-on but a strategic humanitarian response that can stabilize households, protect children, and strengthen community resilience.

Overall Objective

To enable economically vulnerable and displaced women to transition from emergency assistance toward sustainable self-reliance through marketable skills, leadership development, and access to productive tools.

Emergency–Recovery Actions

- Rapid skills training (6 weeks) in photography, graphic design, and social media management, skills that are immediately marketable even in crisis settings.
- Leadership and negotiation training to strengthen women’s confidence, pricing, client acquisition, and partnership building.
- Establishment of an incubation and equipment center providing access to cameras, computers, software, and technical coaching.
- Post-training accompaniment to support income generation, service delivery, and market insertion.

Target Groups

- Internally displaced women, particularly young women aged 16–30.
- Women heads of household and women at risk of gender-based violence.
- Women with limited access to education, tools, and economic networks.

Direct Beneficiaries

- 50 internally displaced young women trained and supported during the pilot phase.
- Indirect beneficiaries include families, children, host communities, and local organizations benefiting from increased incomes and skills transfer.

Cross-Cutting Inclusion

- Gender-transformative approach centered on women’s leadership.
- Priority inclusion of displaced women and women in vulnerable situations.
- Attention to accessibility for women living with disabilities.
- Respect for dignity, participation, and Do No Harm principles.

Expected Results

- 50 women certified with professional portfolios.
- At least 70% of participants engaged in income-generating activities within six months.
- Increased self-confidence, negotiation capacity, and economic autonomy.
- Reduced household dependence on emergency humanitarian assistance.

Viability and Sustainability

Sustainability is ensured through the incubation and equipment center, ongoing technical coaching, and transferable digital skills adaptable to multiple markets. The pilot is designed to be replicable and scalable, with lessons documented to inform expansion.

Strategic Impact

Women Empowered strengthens the Humanitarian–Development–Peace nexus by transforming emergency response into durable economic pathways. It contributes directly to SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, and 16, reinforcing social cohesion, local economies, and women’s leadership in crisis-affected communities.

A Call for Collective Action

Women Empowered calls on partners to support a high-impact, low-cost intervention that places women at the center of recovery. By investing in skills training, equipment, and accompaniment, partners help build pathways to dignity and autonomy for women, strengthening families, communities, and the prospects for lasting stability.