Why We Influence

The impact and influence team at EMpower may be just over a year old, but our journey spans more than 25 years of learning, innovating, growing, and evolving. When we began our programmes, we were humble in our approach, uncertain of our role in the larger ecosystem. Over time, we’ve realised that we not only have a role to play but also a responsibility—to amplify what we’ve learned, to share the insights we’ve gathered, and to contribute to shaping a more just and equitable world.

Rubi, who joined EMpower’s Girls Advisory Council at 19 in 2018, once said, “For real change to happen, we need more than words.” This sentiment encapsulates our commitment. Our goal isn’t just to talk about change but to make it happen, to hold up the mic and amplify the voices and learnings that will drive fundamental transformation. This is why we do what we do. 

Holding Up the Mic to the Amazing Work on the Ground

When we first began, our mission was simple but powerful: to find and fund organisations doing meaningful work on the ground. We sought out local organisations with a deep understanding of their communities—people who knew the challenges young people faced, the barriers they needed to overcome, and the change they desired to see. We didn’t aim to reform the sector or claim to have all the answers; instead, we let the work speak for itself.

Our approach was unique in its humility and foresight. One of the first truths we learned was that the real experts are the leaders of these grassroots organisations—and the young people they serve. Very early on in our gender justice work, we recognised that there is no greater expert on girls’ lives than girls themselves. This principle remains at the heart of our work to this day. 

Then something unexpected happened. We discovered that the local organisations we supported weren’t just doing important work—they were actually at the cutting edge of global best practices. This became clear when we published the Window of Opportunity report on very young adolescent girls. We discovered that many of our partners had been implementing transformative, evidence-backed practices for years, long before they became a ‘global best practice.’ 

This revelation became our north star: Our role isn't just to fund good work, but to curate and amplify these best practices, shining a light on the organisations and young people already doing the work that could change the world. 

One example of us stepping into this role is our leadership in mental health programming. Thanks to our partnerships, EMpower is now one of the top 10 global funders in mental health. Through years of listening to our partners, we published a groundbreaking report emphasising that mental health is not a standalone issue but an integral, non-negotiable part of all youth development programming. 

As we move forward into our 25th year, we’re making a bold commitment for the next 25: to facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholders and to build bridges that connect local organisations, young people, donors, and institutions. We will do this by:

• Building bridges and creating opportunities and knowledge-sharing among local organisations, young people, peer institutions, and donors.
• Expanding and leveraging our global network: We will continue to forge and strengthen alliances, with the goal of expanding resourcing and best practice in philanthropy and in youth development for systemic change.
• Promoting replicable practices: We will continue to amplify effective approaches on a global stage, disseminating our learnings and serving as a cross pollinator of ideas to build strong multi-stakeholder alliances

Handing Over the Mic to Young People

One of the most profound lessons we’ve learned over the years is that true, lasting change cannot be achieved without engaging young people as active architects. For that reason, EMpower has been on a meaningful youth engagement journey for almost two decades now. At EMpower, young people are not just beneficiaries of our programmes—they are the protagonists, co-creators, innovators, and leaders of change. 

Our Adolescent Girls Learning Community, which began in 2012, has been a powerful platform for young people to lead change in their own lives and communities. We’ve learned to support young people in ways that allow them to build the change they want to see, rather than imposing solutions on them. Our role is like that of scaffolding around a building—providing support and structure but allowing young people to build the foundation for their future.

This approach became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about the impact of COVID-19 on girls, we immediately turned to the real experts: the girls themselves. By handing over the mic, they shared their experiences, struggles, and aspirations more clearly than any external observer could. The lessons we learned from them shaped our response and deepened our commitment to amplifying youth voices in all we do.

But this isn’t just about giving young people a voice—it’s about ensuring that we provide the ecosystem of support necessary for them to thrive. We cannot place the entire burden of change on young people alone. This is why we’re committed to creating an environment where organisations, communities, and the broader ecosystem are on the same journey of meaningful youth engagement. This integrated approach is how we work to build long-term, systemic impact.

As we look to the future, we will continue to shift power and resources to young people, staying responsive to their evolving needs and ensuring that they have the agency to shape their own futures. We will achieve this by: 

• Listening to and learning from young people: We intend to become ever more youth-forward, creating opportunities for young people to shape our work. Gender justice will remain central to what we do.
• Being responsive to emerging challenges: We will address key issues such as climate resilience, crisis response, and leveraging technology for good, ensuring our efforts align with the evolving needs of young people.

Turning Up the Volume!

We are in a position to influence different sectors because we’ve walked alongside our partners and young people, learned from them, and invested in their ideas. As a result, we’ve witnessed incredible transformations—young people growing into thriving adults, communities becoming more resilient, and whole ecosystems shifting toward justice and equity.

At EMpower, we’re proud of our bold decisions made over the years—decisions that have led to real, tangible results. Through patient capital and long-term investment, we’ve helped incubate and accelerate bold ideas, nurturing the growth of young people and their communities.

We know that influence isn’t just about speaking loudly. It’s about listening carefully, learning continuously, and being willing to pivot when necessary. We’ve learned that long-term, flexible funding is essential, and that gender justice, mental health, and meaningful youth engagement must remain at the heart of everything we do.

As we look ahead, we accept the responsibility to turn up the volume! We will continue to hold up the mic, handing it over to the real experts on the issues that matter the most.