Women Empowered Learn, Undertake, and Shape the Future
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.
KOUT POUS Another Way to Move Humanitarian Assistance Forward
Haiti is experiencing a prolonged humanitarian, economic, and social crisis that has severely undermined household livelihoods. Nearly 5.5 million people require humanitarian assistance, and more than 4.5 million face acute food insecurity. Internal displacement (≈1.5 million people) forced returns of migrants, and weak local economies, where the informal sector dominates employment, have deepened dependence on humanitarian aid.
At the same time, financial exclusion remains a major barrier to recovery. Fewer than 30% of adults have access to formal financial services, dropping below 15% among the most vulnerable households, a situation exacerbated by high and persistent inflation. Humanitarian assistance, while essential, often remains consumptive, limiting pathways to self-reliance.
Kout Pous (A Helping Hand) responds to this gap by transforming humanitarian assistance into a lever for productive investment through a community-based, concessional, revolving finance mechanism.
Overall Objective
To support a sustainable transition from humanitarian assistance to economic self-reliance for vulnerable populations through an inclusive and community-driven concessional finance mechanism.
Emergency-Recovery Actions
- Concessional Community Loans: HTG 50,000–250,000 with a symbolic 0.5% monthly interest rate to finance income-generating activities.
- Capacity Building: Simplified financial management and business structuring support tailored to vulnerable households.
- Close Accompaniment: Individual coaching and regular follow-up to ensure viability and repayment discipline.
- Community Governance: Social oversight and accountability mechanisms to promote transparency and cohesion.
Target Groups
- Internally displaced persons
- Forcibly returned migrants
- Vulnerable households in host communities
Direct Beneficiaries
1,000 vulnerable households, supported through three cohorts:
- 250 households
- 350 households
- 400 households
Cross-Cutting Inclusion
- ≥ 50% women
- ≥ 30% youth
- Targeted attention to persons living with disabilities
Expected Results
- 1,000 households gain sustainable access to productive capital
- 1,000 income-generating activities created, recovered, or consolidated
- ≥40% reduction in dependence on recurrent humanitarian aid within 24 months
- Strengthened social and economic cohesion across displaced, returned, and host communities
- Community credit histories established for ≥80% of beneficiaries, enabling future financial inclusion
Viability and Sustainability
Even under conservative assumptions (38% full repayment; 62% partial at 50%), the revolving fund is replenished over time, enabling additional cohorts without proportional new funding. A performance-based incentive (up to 25% bonus for full repayment) reinforces discipline and long-term sustainability.
Strategic Impact
- Stimulates local economies and employment
- Reduces social tensions through inclusive, transparent mechanisms
- Strengthens financial inclusion
- Aligns with the Humanitarian–Recovery–Development nexus
- Contributes directly to SDGs 1, 5, 8, 10, and 16
Leading Change for Cohesive & Sustainable Futures
Southeast Asia has a diverse backdrop of ethnic, religious, and political backgrounds. While progress has been made, some tensions remain today, contributing to challenges such as marginalisation and instability in certain areas.
Most of the region’s population is under 30 years old, yet young people may not be actively involved in the decision-making processes. This disengagement may potentially lead to feelings of disconnection. While Southeast Asia’s rich cultural and religious diversity is a strength, it also presents some challenges. Misunderstandings and the lack of dialogue between different communities can lead to mistrust and conflict. Furthermore, the region faces environmental and economic challenges, from climate change to poverty, which may undermine social cohesion.
Given these challenges, there is an urgent need to empower young leaders as agents of peace and positive change. By equipping young leaders with the skills, resources, and platforms they need, the Champions for Peace programme aims to address the root causes of conflict, foster mutual understanding, and build a more peaceful and inclusive Southeast Asia.