Ashoka’s Changemakers have collaborated with ExxonMobil and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) to launch the new Women | Tools | Technology Challenge for identifying innovative projects and solutions that use technology to economically empower women in developing countries. Technology can bring about greater empowerment of women; if women have access and the ability to use technology, they can not only have access to better resources, but they are also able to increase the household income, improve the standard of living, strengthen their families and communities and thereby, lead to global progress. ICRW has conducted authoritative research in this field and one of the important findings has been the positive impact of technology on poor women’s income and livelihood in developing countries.
The competition is open to individuals and organizations from all countries, but their projects and solutions should reflect the theme of the challenge i.e. Women | Tools | Technology: Building Opportunities & Economic Power, indicate growth beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated impact and sustainability and these should be submitted in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese. New ideas can also be submitted but preference will be given to entries which provide the proof of impact. Further criteria of the competition suggest that there should be innovation involved, create a social impact and must have sustainability of the interventions undertaken. Details on deadlines and procedures are given below:
“Online submissions are accepted until April 14, 2010 at 5PM US EST. At any time before this deadline, participants are encouraged to revise their entries based on questions and insights that they receive through the Changemakers’ collaborative process. Participation in the discussion enhances an entrant’s prospects and provides the community and the judges an opportunity to understand the entrant’s project more completely. Participants are reminded to include all revisions in the entry form. Revisions made in the comment field are less likely to be viewed by the judges.
There are four main phases in the challenge:
- Entry Stage, January 27 – April 14, 2010: Entries can be submitted until 5PM US EST on April 14, 2010, and throughout this stage anyone can participate in online discussion with the entrants. Early entries – received by March 1, 2010 – will be eligible for additional prizes.
- Online Review and Judging, May 25 – June 2, 2010: Online review and discussion continues. Simultaneously, a panel of expert judges and a team of Ashoka staff select 10-15 finalists.
- Voting, June 2 – June 16, 2010: The Changemakers community votes online to select the three award-winners from the slate of finalists.
- Winners Announced, June 23, 2010: The Women | Tools | Technology winners – the three finalists that receive the most votes – will each receive a cash prize of USD $5000.
Participation in the challenge provides the opportunity to receive feedback from fellow entrants, Changemakers staff, judges, and the Changemakers community. Showcasing initiatives and demonstrating social impact advise potential investors about how best to maximize the strategic impact of their investments.”
For more information, visit this link.
