Over the past three years, the Empowering Women and Girls Project has empowered women and girls across five countries by delivering vocational and life skills training and creating pathways to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
On 16 June, we will host a webinar that tells the story of our journey so far. From key achievements and lessons learned to the impact of our work, the session will reflect on what we have accomplished and how human rights, gender equality, environmental protection, and inclusion have guided our approach.
The online session will also highlight innovative approaches and best practices that have emerged throughout the project and explore how these insights can shape future efforts to empower women and girls. Whether you are a practitioner, advocate, or community partner, the session will offer valuable takeaways to inform and strengthen your own practice.
Participants will:
- Understand the key achievements and lessons from the Empowering Women and Girls project
- Learn how human rights, gender equality, environmental protection, and inclusion have guided the project’s work
- Explore practical approaches and best practices that can be applied in future initiatives to empower women and girls
Date and Registration
- 16 June 2026, at 7:30 AM PDT
- Zoom registration: https://commonwealthoflearning.info/4ebJY14
Keynote speakers
Frances J Ferreira, Senior Adviser, Women and Girls, COL
Ms Frances Ferreira is COL’s Senior Adviser, Women and Girls. She has more than 25 years of experience in education management and leadership, and has held several senior roles, including founding Director of the Namibian College of Open Learning, Chair of the Namibian Open Learning Network Trust, and Chair of the Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA). Frances was also the first female mayor of Grootfontein, Namibia. Some of her most significant achievements at COL have included her leadership of the multi-country OER4OS, GIRLS Inspire, and Empowering Women and Girls in the Commonwealth projects.
Dr Ann Wallace, Moderator
Dr Ann Wallace is a Higher Education Management and eLearning Specialist with public and private sector experience in Southern Africa and the English-speaking Caribbean. Former Academic Programme Director and Officer-in-charge of the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management of The University of the West Indies, Dr Wallace provides consulting services in education management and organisational leadership through her consulting company, Ann A Wallace and Associates Limited.
