Women Win is a global multi-dimensional women’s fund guided by the vision of a future where every girl and woman exercises their rights. Our partnership with Women Win focused on creating an evidence-based, adaptable toolkit that addresses the barriers women face in securing leadership roles while providing organisations with practical guidance for implementing supportive policies and practices. Through extensive research and stakeholder engagement, we’ve designed a solution that recognises both the business benefits of women’s leadership and the systemic challenges that need to be overcome. This initiative responds to the concerning global decline in women’s workforce participation and leadership representation, while offering a pathway toward more equitable organisational structures.
Snapshot of the Partnership
Our collaboration with Women Win unfolded through a structured, multi-phase approach designed to ensure that the toolkit responds to organisational needs and context-specific challenges:
Phase I: Desk Research
We began by conducting extensive desk research on the practice of promoting women’s leadership within private entities. This research focused on:
- Identifying the need for women’s leadership promotion
- Documenting the importance and benefits of women’s leadership in the workplace
- Analysing barriers women face in securing leadership positions
- Reviewing existing frameworks focused on women’s leadership promotion
Phase II: Case Studies
We identified and evaluated three case studies of existing practices undertaken by private sector entities directed toward promoting women’s leadership. These case studies revealed:
- Successful program elements that could be replicated
- Gaps and opportunities within existing leadership programs
- Critical insights that informed our toolkit development
Phase III: Open Access Survey
Building on our research findings, we developed and circulated an open access survey among different stakeholders to gather inputs on women’s leadership promotion in the workplace. The survey collected responses from:
- 29 individuals, primarily women
- Participants from Asia and Africa
- Respondents engaged in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors
Phase IV: Ideation Lab
We conducted an ideas lab with key stakeholders to collectively identify:
- Gaps faced by different stakeholders in promoting women’s leadership
- Key resources that would enable women’s leadership journeys
- Participants included team members from Women Win, representatives from Women’s Empowerment Link Kenya, and members of the Kenya Flower Council
Phase V: Toolkit Pilot
The toolkit was piloted with the Kenya Flower Council in Kenya over a two-day period. The pilot was implemented by Women Empowerment Link (WEL), a women’s rights organization, and involved:
- Participants representing different employment levels within the Kenya Flower Council
- A participatory workshop format
- Practical engagement with different tools within the toolkit
- Collection of feedback for further refinement
Phase V was followed by the development of a final toolkit which incorporated the feedback from the pilot phase.
Overview of the toolkit
Based on our research findings, we designed a toolkit with multiple components aimed at providing actionable insights to stakeholders, particularly private sector entities. The toolkit serves as a ready-reference, adaptable resource that organisations can use to:
- Understand the positive impact of women’s leadership
- Take practical steps to promote women in leadership roles
- Facilitate collaboration between stakeholders with different priorities and experiences
- Implement effective policies, actions, and accountability frameworks
The toolkit is designed to be fluid and adaptable, recognising the intersectional nature of women’s experiences and the need for context-specific implementation.
Our Impact
As mentioned earlier, the toolkit was piloted within the Kenya Flower Council in Kenya over a span of two days through a participatory workshop format. This pilot was implemented by Women Empowerment Link (WEL), a non-profit, nonpartisan, non-governmental women’s rights organisation.
The pilot implementation revealed that participants had a positive experience with the toolkit and recognised its potential value for organisational change. The toolkit provides organisations with concrete strategies for promoting women’s leadership, bridging the gap between aspiration and implementation. By incorporating empirical data and the experiences of women leaders themselves, it offers authentic, realistic guidance that resonates with real workplace challenges.
Beyond providing information, the toolkit creates pathways for action—transforming theoretical commitment to women’s leadership into tangible organisational changes. While designed to be adaptable across different organisational contexts, the toolkit also creates opportunities for cross-learning among different industries and sectors. Feedback and reflections from the pilot phase tremendously aided in developing the final toolkit which was shared with Women win.
Key Takeaways
Our collaboration with Women Win to develop this women’s leadership toolkit has yielded valuable insights that can inform future initiatives:
- Organisational leadership commitment is essential—participants from the pilot phase consistently highlighted that implementing these tools requires concerted effort and willingness from those in leadership positions.
- Resource allocation matters—meaningful investment in promoting women’s leadership requires both time and financial resources. Many organisations lack dedicated budgets for such initiatives, which can limit implementation effectiveness.
- Collective responsibility is crucial—while certain individuals may have more direct responsibility for promoting women’s leadership, meaningful change requires awareness and willingness among all organisational stakeholders, regardless of their employment level.
- Organisational culture must evolve—there’s a need for greater transparency that allows for honest feedback and conversations. This includes building self-awareness around personal attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes about women’s leadership performance.
- Accountability frameworks are necessary—organisations need clear mechanisms to measure progress against their commitments to promoting women’s leadership.
As private sector organizations continue to recognise the value of diverse leadership, tools like this represent important opportunities for advancing women’s representation at all levels. By combining research-based strategies with practical implementation guidance, the tool transforms how organisations approach leadership development and creates more equitable workplace structures.