This September, UN member states met in New York to ratify the Global Goals, committing to 17 goals that will act as a blueprint for global development over the next 15 years. The ambitious agenda – which tackles poverty, climate change and inequality for all people in all countries – was confirmed by 193 countries. For the next six weeks, Vera will highlight the work of partner organizations contributing to the Global Goals.
“They are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success. To achieve these new global goals, we will need your high-level political commitment. We will need a renewed global partnership.” -Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General
Global Goal Number 5: Gender Equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Vera Partner: Population Council
Population Council, an international NGO conducting research in more than 60 countries, works in Kenya on the Adolescent Girls Initiative, a randomized, controlled trial that tests combinations of initiatives—in health, violence prevention, wealth creation, and education—to determine which improve girls’ lives most.
Vera worked with Population Council to build a Salesforce system that tracks girls’ and community members’ attendance at AGI meetings in almost 90 Kenyan villages. Even without a stable Internet connection, group leaders use Android phones to record attendance information on Open Data Kit. Once the phones return to connectivity, an ODK-Salesforce bridge pushes attendance data mentors have collected to the Salesforce system to be reviewed by Pop Council staff and administrators. Additionally, Pop Council uses an application called SMS Magic to send mass SMS reminders to a specific sub-set of parents/guardians or girls enrolled in the program directly from Salesforce. The system supports Pop Council staff in identifying best practices, refining the critical elements of girl-centered programs, and helping to eliminate ineffective approaches.
