It’s technically legal for Congolese couples to co-own land. But in practice, that’s not often the case.
On today’s episode of HERO, the last of the season, we look at how a Women for Women International program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo worked with families to try to overcome long-standing cultural barriers to women owning land. We hear from a mother, father, and son who participated in this program. Also, Women for Women International’s country director in Congo, Rachel Boketa, explains how this project attempted to change men’s and boys’ opinions about female property ownership. Special thanks to Francis Shok Mweze, who acted as our field producer for this segment.
Boketa’s program was supported with a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The United States currently gives more money to international development than any other country in the world, largely through USAID.
In the second part of the episode, host Reena Ninan talks to Isobel Coleman, the deputy administrator of USAID. Coleman explains why the Biden administration is doubling funding toward gender programming and how USAID plans to invest that financing. This conversation first took place at FP’s Her Power Summit, an annual gathering all about women’s leadership.
Finally, we are conducting a listener survey to better understand what you like about the podcast and what you’d like to hear in future episodes. All participants in the survey who provide their email will be placed in a raffle to win a $25 Amazon gift card. To participate, follow this survey link. Thank you very much for your time and feedback.
About The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO): Could empowering women in the workplace be the simplest way to boost the global economy? Host Reena Ninan talks to women around the world changing the status quo in surprising ways to improve their lives, their families, and ultimately, the world. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HER♀) is a Foreign Policy podcast supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. HER♀ listeners can learn more about these topics by signing up for special access to an FP Analytics policy brief on gender equality. Sign up by clicking here. See All Episodes
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