International Women's Day on March 8 commemorates women around the world, no matter their nationality, ethnicity, or culture, yet inequalities still persist. Partners commits itself to work to reduce the wage gap, have women receive equal pay for equal work, and ensure the participation of women in managerial positions in companies and decision-making in unions.

Zoila Chalán and her daughter, Diana Ramírez, have been the head and heart of their palm tree farming business for almost 20 years. Zoila and Diana are two palm-growing women in a sector in which women create community and build spaces for inclusion, learning, and the growth of the industry with the highest labor standards. Our Palma Futuro program has supported Zoila and Diana and works to empower women workers by strengthening labor standards in the palm oil sector.

In recent years, Mexico has increased its efforts to promote women’s equality in the labor force. However, progress has been slow, and women continue to face significant barriers to participation in the public sector. To aid this effort, our Improving Substantive Gender Equality in the Mexican Workplace Project (GEM), financed by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), works to increase the number of women in workers' organizations, protect women workers, and reduce the gender wage gap. 

In Mexico between 1970 and 2008, the participation of women in the world of paid work increased. However, this was accomplished by placing women in operational jobs with lower salaries, while also having to complete all the household chores. To close the gender gap, there should be labor policies without discrimination that allow working people to reconcile their work, family, and personal lives. 

The United Nations has declared the theme of this year's International Women's Day, "For an inclusive digital world." Partners, with our project, Improving Substantive Gender Equality in the Mexican Workplace, and important implementing Mexican civil organizations, would like to make visible and honor the women who every day contribute their work in the electronic industry and call centers. 

Did you know that women make up 43% of the global agricultural labor force? Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer program is proud to work with talented women throughout the Americas, from U.S.-based volunteer experts to the communities of women agricultural producers and leaders. Since 2019, the program has hosted over 180 women volunteers in six countries.

Partners was honored to attend the 2023 Concordia Americas Summit in Miami, Florida from March 9-10, 2023. During the summit, Partners President & CEO, John McPhail, with the Senior Vice President of Organizational Advancement; Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Innovation; Vice President of Business Development; and the Director of Public and Private Partnerships met with leaders from across industries, sectors, and countries of the Western Hemisphere. They discussed critical topics such as Democracy, Security & Geopolitical Risk, Cultural Diplomacy & Youth Advocacy, Financial Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, Health Opportunities & Challenges, and Innovative Technology — themes relevant to and represented in our programs across the Americas.

Partners is pleased to join the Board of Directors for the Coalition for Racial & Ethnic Equity in Development (CREED). Partners' President & CEO John McPhail and the Vice President of Human Resources, Natalie Abegesah, will join leaders from international development and humanitarian assistance organizations to lead the Board’s Executive, Governance, Finance and Fundraising, Engagement and Communications, and Learning Committees. Partners has served as a member of CREED since 2021 to build racial and ethnic diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within our organizations' policies, systems, and culture.

Partners would like to celebrate the 17 Chapters that have milestone anniversary years in 2023:

15 Years

• Pasto, Colombia
• Barranquilla, Colombia

35 Years

• Montana
• Guyana

45 Years

• Haiti
• New Jersey

50 Years

• Nebraska

55 Years

• West Virginia
• Espírito Santo, Brazil
• Pernambuco, Brazil
• Georgia
• Paraguay
• Kansas
• District of Columbia
• Brasília, D.F., Brazil

60 Years

• Florida
• Bogotá, Colombia

Volunteers, we need you to complete a PartnersCounts form for your hours from January through March. Submitting volunteer hours allows us to measure the impact of volunteer work, which helps us improve our programs and secure funding for future projects.

Over the past couple of months, Partners held a series of webinars for members about 100,000 Strong in the Americas, Farmer-to-Farmer, A Call to Action on Biodiversity, and Membership. If you were unable to attend, members can register for future upcoming events on the website.

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about our newest initiative – a brand-new membership website!

Mark your calendars for May 3, 2023, for the launch of a new 100,000 Strong in the Americas Alliance for Climate Action (100K CLIMA) grant competition. This 100K Innovation Fund competition, generously supported by CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, is designed to support innovative, inclusive training and exchange programs for students through strategic, institutional partnerships between the United States and Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

In March, our Juntos Aprendemos project participated in a session during the event, "A Commitment to Action for Education" in Bogotá, Colombia. The project shared the results and scale-up of Aula Global, a tutoring program focused on strengthening language (Spanish) and math skills in students who are lagging in their learning process, offering students an opportunity to reach the necessary competencies to continue their school trajectory. Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), representatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Center for Education, members of bilateral and multilateral agencies, and other education stakeholders attended the event on March 22 and 23, 2023.

This month, Partners’ USDOL-funded Mexico Awarenes Raising Project (MAP) hosted the “Hacia la consolidación del Nuevo Modelo de Justicia Laboral” summit ("Toward Strengthening the New Model of Labor Justice" in English). The summit, attended by MAP’s implementing partners, Mexican government officials, and labor rights experts, focused on workers’ rights, the importance of democratic unions, and the implementation of the 2019 Mexican Labor Reform. MAP seeks to raise awareness of workers' rights and the responsibilities of unions and employers established in the reform. This event served to educate stakeholders and the public on the importance of the reform and the work being done to reinforce its implementation.

In March, Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Jan Surface, an aquatic ecologist, traveled to La Guajira, Colombia to conduct trainings on applicable water desalinization and purification techniques at the foundation’s local school. The Wayuu Indigenous community there faces critical challenges of water scarcity and contamination, which can increase childhood malnutrition. After her trip, Jan said, "I have taught many courses and workshops throughout my 35+ year career but honestly, this community was the most engaging group I have ever worked with." If you are interested in participating in a F2F assignment and traveling to one of our host countries, please email farmertofarmer@partners.net with your resume or CV attached. 

The DEI Committee received a total of 80 responses on its survey and is now analyzing the data. The Committee looks forward to sharing the findings soon. Thank you to everyone who completed this tool to help Partners learn who is in our organization and how best to support our team.

We are saddened by the news of the death of Guatemalan businessman and philanthropist, Mario López Estrada. We partner with Fundación Mario López Estrada to improve food security and prosperity for rural families. We honor his legacy of fostering economic prosperity and human development in Guatemala, and send our condolences to his wife, children, grandchildren, and extended family.

As a benefit to all of our Chapter members across the Americas, members can book professional meeting spaces for free at our Washington, D.C. Home Office. All of our conference and meeting rooms are perfect for trainings, meetings, and events. Our newly renovated spaces are equipped with medium-to-large tables, comfortable seats, high-quality video-conferencing technology, wireless internet, and well-stocked coffee and tea stations. Individual members can also use one of our “hot desks,” which are individual offices with chairs and monitors that connect to your laptop. When Chapters visit D.C., they will have a place to convene and change lives. Please email membership@partners.net or click here for more information.