Centering Diasporas in Gender Equity Conversations

Earlier this summer, I had the honor of speaking at a gathering hosted by UN Women West Africa and the Ford Foundation. The event brought together government leaders, grassroots organizers, funders, and advocates to focus on a critical but often overlooked force in gender equity: diaspora leadership.

I shared insights based on years of working with diaspora changemakers across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. My message was clear: diaspora engagement must evolve from short-term engagements into long-term partnerships, investment and leadership.

Diaspora Giving as Investments

Each year, diasporas send more than 100 billion dollars to the African continent. These contributions fund school fees, medical care, and daily necessities. But they also reflect something deeper: commitment, connection, and a desire to build a better future.

Consider a first-generation Ghanaian-American woman living in Atlanta. She sends money home to support her sister’s education expenses in Kumasi. Her daughter, born and raised in the U.S., may choose to support a STEM program for girls or a woman-led business. Both are engaged in building up their communities. They simply need strategies that reflect how they want to give and why.

What Works: Lessons from Proven Models

We have models that show what works. Africans in the Diaspora, founded by Solome Lemma, framed giving as solidarity. They trusted local leadership, prioritized African women-led organizations, and supported grassroots institutions. Kwanda, a collective giving platform, invites diaspora members to fund community-based projects through monthly contributions. These examples are effective because they center people, not just programs, and build ownership through transparency and inclusion.

I’ve seen similar outcomes through various diasporas we've trained and supported who have created impactful initiatives in education, health, and advocacy. They approach their work as investors in long-term change, guided by their diaspora experiences and a clear sense of purpose.

Three Keys to Effective Diaspora Engagement

In my remarks, I highlighted three essential lessons for effective diaspora engagement:

1. Intergenerational strategies create more durable diaspora-led solutions. Diaspora families often span multiple generations with different life experiences, languages, and relationships to their countries of origin. When we bring first-generation wisdom together with second-generation innovation, we create more resilient, culturally responsive, and future-ready solutions. Older generations carry lived knowledge, relationships, and historical context. Younger generations bring new tools, creativity, and a different lens for impact. Effective diaspora engagement must build intentional bridges between these generations, not only within families but across institutions, movements, and funding models.

2. Women and girls need dedicated spaces to grow. Throughout my work, I’ve seen that when women and girls have dedicated time to reflect, learn, and connect, they lead with greater clarity and courage. Too often, these spaces are treated as optional or secondary to other programmatic goals. But they are foundational. Mentorship, peer learning, and community-building should be core components of any diaspora strategy, not afterthoughts. When women and girls are given space to explore their roles as leaders, visionaries, and decision-makers, they create ripple effects in families, organizations, and communities.

3. Remittances are investments. Diaspora giving is deeply personal, but it is also deeply powerful. The $100 billion in annual remittances flowing to Africa are often framed in humanitarian or emotional terms. While those motivations are real, they should not obscure the fact that diasporas are making economic choices that fuel entire sectors. By recognizing these funds as investments in education, health, entrepreneurship, and systems, we can design policies, platforms, and partnerships that leverage their full potential. This means providing diaspora leaders with financial tools, data, training, and pathways to scale their impact in ways that are accountable and values-driven.

 
Diaspora leaders carry more than resources. We carry ideas, networks, and commitments that can influence systems. What we need are structures that help us lead intentionally and collaboratively.

You must create the spaces you wish existed. If you’re ready to build your leadership, define your vision, or invest in your community, learn more about our consulting and coaching advisory offerings at www.thediasporaacademy.com/advisory.