NIMD’s Executive Director Thijs Berman has renewed his commitment to the International Gender Champions network with two new pledges to help foster the empowerment and equal participation of women across our global programming.

Thijs was delighted to become a member of the IGC last year, joining a global leadership network of female and male decision-makers who are determined to break down gender barriers and make gender equality a working reality in their spheres of influence.

“Real change requires real commitment”

As a member of the network, Thijs must make two personal commitments each year to advance gender equality in our organization or programmatic work.

“NIMD is committed to promoting the equal participation of women in all our programmes around the world, and this commitment applies within our organization as well, because real change requires real commitment,” said Thijs. “Through our commitment to equal access and participation, we sharpen our commitment to equal rights more generally for every individual, regardless of their background or other perceived or real characteristics.”

“We recently undertook a gender audit, and the results of this audit inform my commitments for 2023. Organizations cannot hope to implement change unless they are willing to take a genuinely self-critical look at their own structures and ensure their own houses are in order.”

Pledges for an equal future

Thijs’s two new commitments are as follows:

• “I commit to cultivate a positive and supportive organizational culture among all staff, where gender equality and the empowerment of women are measurable and embedded in all decision-making and programming processes. For this, I will implement and follow up on at least two recommendations of the gender audit.”
• “I commit to cultivate a positive and supportive organizational culture among all staff where gender equality and empowerment of women are measurable and embedded in all decision-making and programming processes. For this, I will include in the staff satisfaction survey questions about the work environment from a gender lens.”

Visions for 2023

NIMD is looking forward to sharing these commitments with the more than 300 active Gender Champions in the network, and to embarking on ambitious work programme in 2023 in Women’s Political Participation.

As well as the IGC network, NIMD is also a proud member of the LEAP4Peace Consortium, which supports women in Myanmar, Colombia and Burundi so they can play a meaningful role in political leadership, conflict resolution, and peace building. NIMD is also one of the partners of UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund Rapid Response Window, supporting women’s participation in peace processes.