In every community, women are the heart that sustains collective life: they educate, care, organize, and create spaces of cooperation that strengthen those around them. Yet, this essential work, which underpins both social and economic well-being, often remains invisible and undervalued. From the perspective of Gender and Development (GAD), sustainable development requires recognizing women not merely as recipients of aid, but as active agents of change, capable of transforming their realities and those of their communities. As I reflect on these dynamics, I find myself asking how foundations and NGOs can integrate the GAD approach into their programs to achieve real transformation. To illustrate this, I would like to share a personal and local example: the Fundación de Mujeres Manos que Florecen (Women’s Foundation Hands that Flourish), founded in Ecuador as a space of empowerment and collective construction for women seeking to make their capacities visible, strengthen their leadership, and open pathways toward economic independence.
Adopting a GAD perspective in foundations and NGOs means going beyond isolated projects to place gender equality at the core of all organizational actions. This requires integrating gender into institutional planning, recognizing women as key actors in development, and questioning the structures that perpetuate inequalities. Within this framework, organizations are not simply providers of aid but become agents of social transformation, promoting rights, active participation, and new forms of leadership that benefit women and men equally.
On March 14, 2022, the Fundación de Mujeres Manos que Florecen was officially established in Riobamba, province of Chimborazo, Ecuador. The initiative was spearheaded by my mother, Marcia Moreno, who currently serves as president of the organization. Its mission is clear: to promote women’s empowerment and integral development through educational programs, entrepreneurship workshops, and the strengthening of community support networks.
“Manos que Florecen emerged as a response to a painful reality. Many women, marked by violence, lack of opportunities, or social exclusion, carried postponed dreams. Mothers, young women, and invisible workers, with dormant skills and hearts full of strength, needed more than just help: they needed to be seen, heard, and accompanied. Thus, a group of committed women, including educators and professionals, decided to build a foundation that not only provides technical training but also builds self-esteem, fosters solidarity, and opens pathways toward economic independence. In other words, a space where women can truly flourish.” (Fundación de Mujeres Manos que Florecen, 2022).
This project responds to the multiple social, economic, and cultural barriers that limit women’s full participation in local development, particularly in indigenous and rural communities of Ecuador. When analyzed through the lens of GAD, the foundation clearly emphasizes autonomy, leadership, and the transformation of power relations. Beyond offering technical training, it promotes spaces for care, health, and emotional well-being, linking education with self-esteem and a strong sense of community belonging. Following Moser (1993) and Young (1992), this experience can be considered a gender planning intervention, as it adapts development strategies to the local context and responds to the specific needs of women.
In conclusion, the experience of Manos que Florecen demonstrates that applying the GAD approach in foundations and NGOs can transcend symbolic inclusion to become a genuine engine of transformation. By questioning structural inequalities and promoting women’s active participation as agents of change, these initiatives show that sustainable development is only possible when built upon gender equity. This community-based example has allowed me to see how theoretical concepts take shape in practice and how local initiatives can open new pathways toward autonomy and sustainability. I invite readers to reflect on the power of such experiences and to learn more about the work of the Fundación de Mujeres Manos que Florecen, whose efforts continue to inspire processes of collective change in Ecuador.
Note for readers: The foundation’s website and social media pages are in Spanish. However, translation and subtitles in English can be activated directly on the platforms.
I recently posted about an organization I'm familiar with, Justice and Dignity for Women in the Sahel, as another example of a GAD approach. In class, we discussed concerns that there is a gap between theory and practice when it comes to GAD, often because GAD approaches are not simple or easy fixes, such as training programs, but instead use practical gender needs as a means to reach an end of strategic gender needs (Young 1992). This is highlighted in the mission statement for Fundación de Mujeres Manos que Florecen. Not only does it seek to meet practical gender needs (technical training), but it also includes a clear reference to strategic gender needs and goals ("builds self-esteem, fosters solidarity, and opens pathways toward economic independence. In other words, a space where women can truly flourish"). This organization goes beyond WID approaches that "add women in" to existing structures, assuming they had just been left out before, and instead responds to structural barriers impacting women, which is in line with GAD. It also is community-organized and bottom-up, which is consistent with GAD's critique of top-down, Global North-centric approaches to gender and development. The organization is focused on collective and community organization for political agency and empowerment -- and not just as a "fuzz word" (Eyben and Napier-Moore 2009), but as a clear part of its mission.
ReplyDeleteHi Melany,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing an example of how GAD can be applied in practice. Like Callie mentioned, I was also very impressed by Manos que Florecen’s approach. It not only provides technical training but also builds self-esteem, fosters solidarity, and opens pathways toward economic independence. This makes me think that the question is not whether a need-based approach or a strategic-based approach is better. In fact, sometimes the most effective strategy is to combine both: addressing immediate needs while simultaneously working toward long-term systemic change.
Furthermore, one of the strengths of Manos que Florecen is that it is run by Ecuadorian women who have an in-depth understanding of their community’s culture, traditions, and lived experiences. They are particularly aware of what their sisters need and the challenges they face. This local knowledge allows the NGO to design and implement programs and workshops that are not only effective but also culturally sensitive and sustainable.
It is also inspiring to see how committed your mother, her colleagues, and you are to the vision of Manos que Florecen. Your efforts truly transform the lives of the women in the community. I sincerely hope that Manos que Florecen will continue to grow and achieve even greater success in the future.