We catalyse private-sector action for women’s empowerment and deliver value for business through research and knowledge-building, the design and implementation of gender-sensitive strategies, balance and concrete solutions, and collaboration.

AAD’s vision is a future in which businesses are effectively contributing to women’s empowerment while building up their own resilience and developing access to new markets in a fast-paced and complex environment. Through our work with businesses, our objectives are to achieve progress for women so that they can:

Access the resources necessary to meet their needs and reach their potential. These include material resources (land, equipment, and finances), social resources (relationships, networks, and connections), and human resources (knowledge, skills, and creativity).

Have the agency to make decisions to shape their future. Agency is influenced by collective assets and capabilities, which include voice, organization, and identity.

Thrive in an enabling environment that businesses contribute to shape despite gender, rather balance it for effectiveness. This includes formal and informal laws, regulatory frameworks, and norms that govern behaviour.