AcceleratingWomen'sEmpowerment

Accelerating Women's Empowerment (AWE) is CESO'sflagship program that launched in 2020 in partnership withGlobal Affairs Canada (GAC).

The SDGs most relevant to our work are:

ULTIMATE OUTCOME Through AWE, CESO aims to achieve improved economic and/orsocial well-being of the poorest, most marginalized and vulnerablepeople, particularly women and girls, in developing countries, with aview to contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

CESO empowers and connects people, businesses, communities andinstitutions. We enhance governance and drive economic growth by:

CESO'S MISSION & WORK

For over 50 years, our volunteer CESO Advisors have been collaboratingwith local partners to build inclusive businesses and strengthengovernance, both in Canada and around the world.

By leveraging their expertise in AWE, CESO Advisors will deliver capacitybuilding activities that help our partners realize their full potential.

CESO ADVISORS

Strengthening capacity to engage, innovate and prosper Delivering the right expertise, experience and networks Fostering locally driven, sustainable solutions that areequitable, inclusive and environmentally responsible

MISSION

Our Advisors are Canadian citizens with at least 15 years of professionalexperience across sectors and industries.

CESO ADVISORS

Manufacturing &ProductionInformation TechnologyTourism & HospitalityFinanceEnvironment &Renewable EnergyAgribusiness &AgroforestryNutrition & Health

We seek your expertise in:

OUR AREAS OF FOCUS

Governance &InstitutionalStrengthening

General & Results-BasedManagement

HumanResources

StrategicPlanning

DigitalMarketing

VirtualFacilitation

MSMEDevelopment

GenderEquality

Supply ChainManagement

Operations

ceso-saco.com/volunteerLearn more:

CESO Advisors are highly-skilled professionals who advise, mentor andshare strategic and technical expertise with partners and clients throughplanned assignments—delivered both virtually and in-country during AWE.

Our interventions are guided by Canada'sFeminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP).

Createopportunities to accelerate

gender equalityand women's

economicempowerment

(GE/WEE)

Support women-led

micro, small &medium

enterprises(MSMEs)

Strengtheninstitutions and

build the capacity of our partners

Contribute to local, regional,national andinternationaldevelopment

KEY OBJECTIVES OF AWE

Women

Youth

Indigenous populations

Remote communities

Individuals with disabilities

Other vulnerable populations

We will impact the lives of:

CESO's GE/WEE approach is centered on three pillars:

When a woman has the capacity to obtain productiveresources to enhance her economic position

Women’s access to resources

When a woman has the capacity to make decisions andact on opportunities that lead to economic advancementand the ability to influence her surroundings

Women's agency

An enabling environment for GEThe underlying context where GE and WEE exist,including the regulatory and legal framework

GENDER EQUALITY & WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (GE/WEE) APPROACH

Gender equality (GE) refers to theequal rights, responsibilities, statusand opportunities of women andmen on political, social, economicand cultural levels.

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GE is an overarching theme throughout the program.

Our activities are based on a country-specificanalysis and contribute to long-term outcomes.

CESO's three-pronged GE/WEE approach will:

Be integrated & cross-cutting

Be targeted & strategic

Raise awareness & build capacityWe ensure sustainability by equipping partners withtools, knowledge and best practices.

GENDER EQUALITY & WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (GE/WEE) APPROACH

We will promote the equal participation ofwomen as agents of change in economic,social and political processes.

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Our Gender Sensitive Value Chain (GSVC) approach isdesigned to increase our impact in four sectors of focus:

GENDER SENSITIVE VALUE CHAINS (GSVC)

CESO will design and implement interventions that improvewomen's access to resources and agency, as well as create anenabling environment for women and other vulnerable groups toparticipate fully in value chains.

Tourism &Hospitality

Agroforestry Nutrition& Health

Agribusiness

AWEInnovationFund

Opportunities for womenWomen’s access to and controlover resources Women’s quality of lifeWomen’s confidence in theirabilities

Why is the fund needed?Our partners do not always have the means toimplement recommendations from CESO Advisors.

Who will benefit?The poorest, most marginalized and vulnerablepeople in our program countries, especially women.

What does the fund do?The fund allows CESO partners to procureequipment and supplies to implement innovativerecommendations.

What does this mean?We will accelerate productivity, efficiency, salesand income for our partners.

The fund aims to improve:

WHERE WE WORK

Latin America &the Caribbean

Asia

AnglophoneAfrica

FrancophoneAfrica

G l o b a l A f f a i r s C a n a d a

L o c a l E m b a s s i e s & C o n s u l a t e s

I N T E R N A L

I n - C o u n t r y T e a m s

C E S O A d v i s o r s

I n t e r n a l C E S O D e p a r t m e n t s

E X T E R N A L

P a r t n e r s

CESO'SPARTNERS

GovernmentsLocalState /ProvincialNational

Local &InternationalNGOs

GrassrootsOrganizations

Civil SocietyOrganizations

Foundations

Associations

Cooperatives

MicrofinanceInstitutions

Micro, Small& MediumEnterprises

TradeBoards

Chambers ofCommerce

Universities

Training Centres

ResearchCentres &Laboratories

PROJECT ORGANIZATION CHART

Oversees strategic direction and implementation of the program in alignment with Global Affairs Canadaand CESO objectives

Program Management

Carries out strategic recruitment of CESO Advisors and both operational and logistical support for volunteerdeployment

Volunteer Services

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning | Collects and analyzes data, identifies ways to create deeper impact, and shares learningsGE/WEE & GSVC Advisors | Guide development of GE/WEE and GSVC strategies through training, tools and support

Program Development & Learning

Engages Canadians through strategic marketing and communication activities that showcase CESO's successes

Communications & Engagement

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Finance & Accounting | Oversees program budget and manages expenses and reportingHR | Supports recruitment, contracting, and training and developmentIT | Provides technical guidance and support

Finance

Country Representative | Builds and maintains strategic partnerships and ensures successful implementation of assignmentsProject Officer | Provides in-country support for assignments and contributes to learning and engagement efforts

In-country teams

Advise, mentor and share strategic and technical expertise with partners through assignments

CESO Advisors

Undertake assignments that support the strategic growth of their business, organization or community andimprove economic and/or social well-being

Partners

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS

CESO Advisors will create an enabling environmentfor partners to promote GE/WEE issues andopportunities through tools and trainings that areintegrated into assignment design and delivery.

Result:Enabling environment developedto support and promote women’seconomic involvement.

(Outcome 1220)

Capacity BuildingCESO Advisors will provide partners with technicalassistance, such as training, mentoring and thedevelopment of processes and tools, withinstrategic sectors and value chains, to enable thepartner's delivery of inclusive, innovative andenvironmentally sustainable initiatives.

Result:

Increased capacity of developingcountry partners to design and deliverinclusive, innovative andenvironmentally sustainabledevelopment initiatives.

(Outcome 1210)

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

CESO will expand recruitment efforts to further develop our rosterof experienced Canadians who support partners by sharing theirskills and expertise in specific sectors of strategic focus.

Public Engagement

CESO will engage Canadians on international developmentand GE/WEE issues and share stories about how we areenhancing the social and economic well-being of the poorest,most marginalized and vulnerable people in the world.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Result:Increased access of developingcountry partners to highly skilledCanadian women and men throughactive engagement of CESO Advisors.

(Outcome 1120)

Result:Improved appreciation/understanding of Canadians aboutinternational development issues,particularly GE/WEE.

(Outcome 1110)

For more information, please contact volunteerservices@ceso-saco.com.

We look forward to creating a lastingimpact with you!

CESO-SACO.C

OM

CESO gratefully acknowledges financialcontributions from Global Affairs Canada.