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The Seattle-based nonprofit SkinnyDipped announced their social impact partnership with the actor and social activist, Forest Whitaker and his Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI).
The multi-year (2023-2025), $400K partnership with WPDI’s Women’s Livelihood Program aims to increase economic and educational opportunities for women living in South Sudan, catalyze the creation of new small businesses along the way and provide future women entrepreneurs with the tools they need for success.
Deeply rooted cultural norms and patriarchal practices can act as formidable barriers to personal and financial independence, impacting women’s lives in a myriad of ways. Women are denied land rights and ownership of resources, and South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.
“Since starting WPDI, I’ve sought out partners that genuinely match my passion for helping create lasting change,” says Whitaker. “SkinnyDipped immediately recognized the need for and the value in our Women’s Livelihood Program, and their support will help many more women’s dreams of starting a business in South Sudan come to life.”
SkinnyDipped and Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative Making an Impact
With SkinnyDipped’s support, the Women Livelihood Program will provide a wider range of opportunities, reaching over 420 South Sudanese women from vulnerable backgrounds and providing expanded education opportunities in Business and Conflict Resolution.
The partnership will also help to launch over 42 small businesses through WPDI’s mentorship program and seed capital grants.
“We’re so proud to partner with WPDI, an organization that champions female empowerment, education and entrepreneurship across the globe,” says Breezy Griffith, founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped.
“Together, we’ll support educational programs that will help empower women and communities with valuable business and leadership skills, changing their futures and creating more independence for hundreds of women in South Sudan.”
SkinnyDipped has long and passionately advocated on behalf of female entrepreneurs. They know that a seemingly small idea like the one they conjured from their kitchen table can grow into a successful company with big impact.
In the framework of the partnership, participants in the Women Livelihood Program will be trained in applied business skills before developing business plans. Approved business ideas will then benefit from mentoring and capital seed funding from WPDI, helping kickstart small entrepreneurial programs in communities lacking socio-economic stability. The goal? To put women at the forefront of sustainable development at a local level.
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Impressive outcomes from WPDI’s Women Livelihood Program worldwide highlight the lasting benefits of the on-the-ground effort, with 252 businesses and 2,170 jobs created over the past six years. Notably, 90% of these businesses were still operational in 2023, outperforming the average survival rates for African businesses by 67%.
WPDI and SkinnyDipped’s joint efforts in supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment are laser focused, positively impacting marginalized women in the Central Equatoria State of South Sudan. This partnership aims to help transform the present and future for girls, adolescents and women in underserved communities.
