Recordings

Claire Harbron, BHP Foundation

“We look for projects that utilize data to drive smart decision-making. We seek projects that are unafraid to tackle harmful norms and tear down barriers that prevent the most marginalized from accessing the opportunities they need to thrive. Second Chance Education with UN Women is one such project.”

Yasmeen Bano, SCE participant in India

“Had I not re-joined education, I would have stayed at home behind the veil and achieved nothing… Today, at the age of 45, I ride a scooter. In the beginning, people mocked me but now they respect me. They now see me as an independent and empowered woman because of my education.

“Joining Second Chance has changed my life.”

Carmen Areli Tomas Hernandez, SCE participant in Mexico

“With this programme we realized that we women are capable of doing many things. This is for ourselves. That is, the programme helps you on how to become an entrepreneur, hot to start a business, how to get ahead.”

Loreto Ferrari, AIEP, Chile

“We have had over 3,000 women participate in the program and over 1,700 have been certified. We know that close to 40% have improved their income or business, ... The most important thing is that 100% feel that the program made a substantive change in the way they face their work and daily life. It's a tremendous reason to be proud of the results we've had.”

Paola Lazo, Min of Substantive Equality between Men and Women, Jalisco State, Mexico

“The alliance with UN Women has been fundamental to the contribution to the fulfillment of women’s human rights and to the reduction of the gender gap of self-employed women, as well as to promote their insertion into the labour market.”

Cyntia Soto, ClaroVTR, Chile

“Second Chance Education is a unique opportunity to level the playing field, to give women the empowerment they need to enter the world of work. I believe that companies cannot let this opportunity pass.”

Flor Lopez and Yanai Rezende, HP, Mexico

“We found multiple reasons for collaborating with UN Women, such as demonstrating HP's commitment to gender equality, women’s lives, social responsibility and impacting our societies where we have operations and do business. It is the best vehicle to access talent that possesses expertise in gender-related issues.”

Sarah Hendricks, UN Women

“If your organization shares common goals with UN Women, and aims to provide gender-transformative life skills and technical training for women to pursue empowerment pathways, be it in employment, entrepreneurship, leadership or further education, we would like to explore working together to achieve our common goals.”

About the speakers

H.E. Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh

Cultural Advisor to the President of the UAE and the Chancellor of UAE University

Prior to taking on his current role, His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh was a Minister of State, setting up the Office of Cultural and Public Diplomacy (OPCD) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He has been active in government service in the UAE since the country’s establishment in 1971, and prior to that, in the government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. His Excellency has received many honours for his services to cultural diplomacy nationally and from foreign governments and international institutes. He holds an M.A. in Economics from Queens’ College, University of Cambridge and an honorary PhD in Human Sciences from the Al Quds Arab University in Jerusalem.

H.E. Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs, UAE

With more than 25 years’ experience in government entities and the private sector, His Excellency Sultan Al Shamsi has been instrumental in issues related to foreign aid. He serves on a variety of boards, including as Deputy Head of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, and as member of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Strategic and Development Aid. His Excellency is also a board member of Dubai Cares, UAE Water Aid, DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board, and is a member of the Global Future Council on the Humanitarian System at the World Economic Forum. He graduated from the UAE University with a degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) and holds a Master of Business Administration and Information Management from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia.

Azah Yolande Achoasah

SCE participant, Cameroon

Azah is an internally displaced person (IDP) from Cameroon's North-West Region. She is an emblem of resilience amidst the ongoing sociopolitical turmoil. Possessing a First School Leaving Certificate, Azah's academic journey was interrupted due to the crisis that beset her homeland. Seeking refuge in the safe haven of the East Region's Bertoua, she endured the challenges alongside her family. The SCE programme granted her the opportunity to rekindle her education. Opting for tailoring, she underwent a year-long training that culminated in her receiving a certificate alongside essential startup tools. Armed with newfound skills, Azah established her own tailoring workshop, a venture that has thrived for two years. Beyond personal success, Azah pays it forward by training girls within her community.

Josephine Ngum Niba Epse Awounfac

Director, Women's Empowerment Centre, Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family, Bertua, Cameroon

Josephine is from Cameroon's conflict-affected North-West Region and stands as a distinguished figure with a robust academic and professional background. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and a Diploma in Social Affairs from the revered National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM), where she graduated as a Senior Social Affairs Inspector. With an illustrious 23-year tenure at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the Family, Josephine has held pivotal roles of responsibility, encompassing social work, administration, gender-based violence, and women's empowerment. Since joining the SCE project in its inception year of 2019, Josephine's unwavering dedication has fostered the empowerment of numerous women and girls across conflict-affected areas in Cameroon.

Yasmeen Bano

SCE participant, India

Yasmeen, from Hirapur village in Baran, Rajasthan, has defied all odds in her life's journey, including the death of her daughter. She never gave up and sought ways to improve her life and learn new things. Her story is a testament to the power of education and the opportunities it can bring. Yasmeen joined the SCE programme when it first started, and with the help of the Manjari Foundation, she completed her secondary and senior secondary education. She learned how to use computers and access online services. Today, she is running the digital centre in her village, making it easier for the community to access government schemes without traveling to distant centres. She manages the centre and helps other women enhance their digital skills.

Christianna Cartwright

CEO, Real Futures, Australia

Christianna is a Boorooberongal woman from the Darug Nation of Western Sydney. With over 16 years’ experience in the Employment Services Sector, Christianna has extensive knowledge of community capacity building through employment and played a pivotal role in the development and growth of Real Futures. As Chief Executive Officer, Christianna continues to drive the vision and growth of Real Futures and is a passionate advocate for gender equality and women in leadership. As a mother of three and grandmother of three, Christianna’s driving force is the advancement of First Nation’s People by creating change and empowering future generations to ensure they have pathways to success.

Loreto Ferrari

Dean, AIEP, Chile

Loreto Ferrari is the first woman dean of AIEP in its 56-year history. She has a degree in Mechanical Civil Engineering and holds a Master’s degree in Finances. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education institutions, she held the roles of pro-rector of the University of the Americas, dean of the IACC Professional Institute, and as teacher and academic deputy director of the Viña del Mar and Valparaíso campuses of other tech vocational education institutions in the country. Under her leadership, AIEP is pursuing a deep transformation process that looks to empower students, improve access to tech vocational education to those far from urban centres and improve sustainability and gender equality policies within the institution.

Claire Harbron

Chief Investment Officer, BHP Foundation

Claire works across strategy areas to maximize the outcomes and impact of the Foundation's investments. Prior to the BHP Foundation. Claire spent ten years with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, including as Chief of Staff to the CEO and previously leading child health and nutrition programs. Claire started her career at Ernst and Young in assurance and advisory working with both government and international private sector clients. Claire has an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and is a Chartered Accountant.

Sonali Hedditch

SCE Strategy and Partnerships Manager, UN Women

Sonali has worked on the SCE programme for 4.5 years, both in leading the programme’s design and implementation in Australia, as well as a member of the global programme management team, managed out of Geneva in Switzerland. Sonali is a lawyer, social scientist and PhD candidate who has previously led innovative programmes, projects and teams with World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank and Indigenous Business Australia to design and deliver social impact and sustainable economic development in over 20 countries, across the Pacific Islands, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. She has the application of a gender lens to ensure the initiatives and reforms addressed gender-based constraints and created unique opportunities for women in the nation’s private sector, resulting in multi-year women’s economic empowerment programmes.

Sarah Hendricks

Deputy Executive Director for Policy, Programme, Civil Society, and Intergovernmental Support at UN Women

Sarah has over 25 years of gender equality expertise. Joining UN Women in 2019, Sarah led policy and intergovernmental support, shaping the agency's influence. She spearheaded UN Women's COVID-19 response, directed the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalitions, and drove progress on Sustainable Development Goals. Her accomplishments include leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Plan International, fostering women's empowerment and gender data initiatives. Equipped with an M.A. in Adult Education and International Development, and a B.A. in International Justice and Human Rights, Sarah's commitment profoundly impacts global gender equality efforts.

Paola Lazo

Head, Ministry of Substantive Equality between Women and Men of the State of Jalisco, Mexico

Paola Lazo Corvera holds a Ph.D. in Scientific and Social Studies from ITESO. Before taking her current position, she served as a university professor and an independent researcher. She has developed her professional career as a gender and educational advisor, with a special focus on diversity, inclusion, non-discrimination, co-education, and Human Rights. She has collaborated with various non-governmental organizations as a feminist activist and human rights advocate and was part of the Directive Council of CEPAD (Justice Center of Peace and Development). She was also a member of the education team of the Citizen Observatory “Jalisco Como Vamos” and part of “Mesa SEIS” (Health, Integral Education of Sexuality). She was part of the Advisory council of the Program “Consolidation of Public Ethics” at ITESO, and a board member of the Marisa Foundation.

Flor Lopez

Director of HP Guadalajara and Director of IT Governance, Risk and Compliance & BISO

Flor de María López Cárdenas has over 25 years of global experience in the technology market, 22 of which have been with HP. She holds a degree in Computer Engineering from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara and a Master’s degree in digital risk management and Cybersecurity. She holds a specialty in Innovation by TecMilenio, has a Certificate in Design Thinking Methodology from Stanford University, a Diploma in Leadership from Harvard Business School, Diplomas in Senior Management and Sales from the Tec de Monterrey, as well as an Advanced Leadership Program from Evanta Academy and a certificate in Organizational Leadership and Change from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She was named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Mexico” in 2017 by Revista Expansion.

Anna Parini

SCE Programme Manager

Anna joined the SCE team as global programme manager in October 2021, directly from UN Women Ethiopia. A development professional experienced with UN agencies, NGOs, and the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, Anna has worked in Romania, Eritrea, Djibouti, Morocco, Liberia with UNICEF, and in New York with UNDP and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation. With UN Women, Anna was the Deputy Representative in Ethiopia for several years and prior to that with ‘Markets for Change’ in Fiji. Her areas of expertise include economic development, team leadership and project management, gender programming, humanitarian response and post-crisis recovery, as well as partnership management, and monitoring and evaluation.

Tuan Pham

Head of Social Impact, APAC, LinkedIn

Tuan has extensive work experience across the globe, specializing in driving social impact programs and partnerships in Australia, the US, Thailand, The Netherlands and Vietnam – at organizations including The World Bank, Booking.com and Heineken. At LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, Tuan focuses on initiatives that connect professionals facing barriers, including women and youth in the APAC region, to the networks, skills & knowledge they need to access opportunity. He believes in a world where no matter where someone is from or where they went to school, they should have equal access to economic opportunity.

Yanai Rezende

LATAM Sales Operations Director, HP, Mexico

Yanai Rezende is responsible for providing excellence in operational management for customers, partners and sales in harmony with tools, processes and policies developed by the Global Centers of Excellence for the Latin America Market. Yanai has been in HP for 15 years, with a vast experience in Finance Credit and Collections, having started her HP career in 2008 as a Collections Analyst. On top of her business role, Yanai leads the Social Responsibility Team in México with a variety of impactful projects such as HP LIFE centres and mobile classrooms with the Universidad de Guadalajara, helping to reach HP's sustainability goal of reducing the digital divide. Yanai holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from the Universidad de Guadalajara and is a certified trainer, speaker, and coach in Leadership by John Maxwell.

Carmen Areli Tomas Hernandez

SCE participant, Mexico

Carmen is from San Sebastián Zinacantepec, Puebla. Motherhood prompted her to leave school at 17, yet her entrepreneurial spirit persisted. Starting a small shop, she ventured into cooking, despite pandemic setbacks. Discovery of the Second Chance programme rekindled hope. Now enrolled, Carmen thrives, acquiring skills in digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. Integrating these skills into her business, Carmen engages in an organic greenhouse experience provided by the programme. Supported by family, she navigates courses with the aim to empower other women. Over two years, she's evolved remarkably, embracing growth and recognizing endless possibilities. Today, Carmen stands fulfilled, proud, and poised for further achievements.

Dr (Prof) Saroj Sharma

Chairperson, National Institute of Open Schooling, The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under the Ministry of Education, India

Prof. Saroj Sharma, an accomplished educator, holds the role of Professor of Education at Guru Gobind Singh Indpraprastha University, New Delhi. Appointed Chairperson of NIOS in December 2020, she brings a profound academic background, including a Doctorate in Education and Master's Degrees in various disciplines. Her extensive experience spans teaching and administration, overseeing Graduate and Postgraduate Education (B.Ed. M.Ed.). Engaged with notable associations and projects, Prof. Sharma significantly influences education policy and curriculum development at national and international levels. She has contributed to numerous educational journals and authored books, research papers, and articles and has received several distinguished awards for her dedication to educational excellence.

Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi

Director of UN Women-UAE Liaison Office for the GCC

Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi drives efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the UAE, GCC, and globally. Prior to her current role, she served as the Senior Adviser and International Representative to the General Women’s Union, the UAE’s primary organization dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment efforts. In this role, she represented the UAE’s women’s empowerment agenda at the United Nations, in the League of Arab States, and in the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (2010-2016). Dr. Mouza served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the UAE Armed Forces National Service and Reserve Authority and founded the Physical Readiness Department (2014). She has held many other distinguised positions in both UAE and UK. Dr. Mouza received her M.D. from Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain in 1999; her MSc in Sports Medicine from Queen Mary, University of London in 2004, and her Research Medical Doctorate from Queen Mary, University of London in 2009.

Cyntia Soto

Sustainability Manager, ClaroVTR, Chile

With more than 20 years of experience in stakeholder engagement and sustainability management, Cyntia Soto Cifuentes has held different positions in both the public and private sectors, among them at the Telecommunications Development Fund, where in her role as manager, she led the development of public policies aimed at overcoming the digital divide. She is a social worker by profession and has a master's degree in strategic communications. Cyntia has dedicated her career to working with communities and sustainability management and today she also chairs the VTR Foundation. Currently, her role at ClaroVTR reflects her ability to lead sustainable initiatives in the telecommunications sector, generating a positive impact in areas such as digital inclusion and environmental care.

Buthyna Yaseen

Director of the Women's Empowerment Unit at the Ministry of Social Development, Jordan

Buthyna holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology from Yarmouk University. She is a social activist in the fields of social work, volunteering, and development. Her experience includes increasing women's participation in the labour market by building their training and qualifications, enhancing women's status and their participation in leadership positions, working to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, integrating gender policies into legislation and procedures, and strengthening partnerships with local and international organizations to support women's empowerment programmes and projects.

Contact us

To find out more about partnering with UN Women to support women's access to second chance education, contact Anna Parini, SCE Programme Manager, at anna.parini@unwomen.org.

Supporting Second Chances in Education: roundtable meeting on 4 September