Social entrepreneur Ana Bella, at ESADE: "Women who have been abused are not the problem; we're part of the solution"

This morning, ESADE’s Institute for Social Innovation presented a new study on the Ana Bella Social School for Women’s Empowerment, a project developed by the Ana Bella Foundation, the Danone Ecosysteme Fund and the Momentum Task Force. The study analyses the social impact of the project and highlights the key role that business can play in creating job opportunities that can enable women to safely extricate themselves from situations of gender-based violence. The study was presented on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women at a ceremony that featured academics, representatives of the third sector, government bodies, companies, and survivors of gender-based violence.

“Women who have been abused are not the problem; we’re part of the solution. We can help create value and contribute to economic and social growth,” declared Ana Bella, Ashoka social entrepreneur and President of the Ana Bella Foundation. Ms. Bella explained that the purpose of the Ana Bella Social School for Women’s Empowerment is to “train survivors in order to unleash their potential and help them enter the workforce as empowered women”. Graci Prada, a survivor of gender-based violence, shared her experience as a student at the school: “By receiving professional and personal development and being part of a team that does socially valued work, I’ve gained economic independence, strengthened my self-esteem and undertaken new challenges that I never thought I would be capable of taking on.”

Empowering women and benefiting companies

David Murillo, Lecturer at ESADE and co-author of the new study, noted the positive impact that the project has had on the participating women and the added value that it contributes to companies: “Women who have been victims of gender-based violence have the unique ability to work effectively even under pressure and are highly committed to their work and to their companies.” This idea was echoed by Esther Sarsa, head of the Department of Sustainable Development at Danone, who noted that the women who attend the school “become a positive example for other women and for society in general”.

From victims to agents of social change: the power of entering the workforce

ESADE’s Institute for Social Innovation analysed how women who have attended the Ana Bella Social School for Women’s Empowerment go from being victims to becoming survivors and agents of change who raise awareness about gender-based violence and help other women. The study shows that participation in the project is a turning point for women in three areas: social, economic and personal. Participants gain self-confidence and feel stronger and more valued, while also becoming better equipped to integrate into society, set aside their fears, and act as positive role models.

Since starting up in 2011, the Ana Bella Social School for Women’s Empowerment has trained more than 550 women. In 2014, the school received Ashoka’s Award for Best European Project for Business-Society Co-creation. Since the school’s creation, Danone has offered more than 200 jobs as brand ambassadors to survivors of gender-based violence. At present, 124 women at risk of social exclusion are working as Danone ambassadors, 57 of whom are survivors of domestic violence. As a result of Danone’s most recent campaigns, sales have increased, service quality has increased, and absenteeism has decreased at more than 90% of the establishments involved in the initiative.