ICRW research identifies women's contributions to their communities and the barriers – like HIV, violence, and lack of education – that prevent them from being economically stable and able to fully participate in society. It focuses on three paths of action to achieve this:
Designing concrete, evidence-based plans for program designers, donors and policymakers that empower women to control their lives and help shape the future of their communities
Measuring changes in the lives of women and girls – as well as men and boys – to know how best to achieve gender equality
Recommending policy priorities that give women opportunities to transform their lives
Some of its priorities include the economic empowerment of women, the prevention of HIV/AIDS among women and girls, the elimination of violence against women, the creation of better life options for women and girls, combating child marriage, and increasing food security for vulnerable women. ICRW is primarily a research institution whose strong quantitative and qualitative research contributes to the direct action of organizations and communities in which they work. ICRW's tagline is, "ICRW turns insight into action."
Leadership
ICRW is led by President Dr. Sarah Degnan Kambou, a social scientist Sarah Degnan Kambou who was appointed by the board in 2010. Previously Dr. Degnan Kambou served for two years as ICRW's chief operating officer under former president Geeta Rao Gupta, and then as interim president and COO after Rao Gupta stepped down in April 2010. Degnan Kambou joined ICRW in 2002. As COO, she led the organization's research and programs, finance and human resources departments as well as ICRW's Asia Regional Office in New Delhi, India. Before that, she was vice president of health and development, overseeing research in HIV and AIDS, reproductive health and nutrition as well as in gender, violence and women's rights. In 2012 President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Degnan Kambou to his , which advises him and members of his Cabinet on how to improve U.S. foreign assistance. In 2010, Dr. Degnan Kambou was appointed by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to represent ICRW on the U.S. National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Degnan Kambou holds a doctorate in international health policy and a master's in public health from Boston University. She earned her bachelor's degree in French from the University of Connecticut. Degnan Kambou is ICRW's fourth president in its 40-year history. Ravi Verma is the director of ICRW's Asia Regional Office, and Stella Mukasa directs its Africa Regional Office.
ICRW annually hosts the Irene Tinker Lecture, a fall lecture series named in honor of one of ICRW's founders and supporters, Dr. Irene Tinker. The lecture series has included speakers such as Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and Nobel Laureate in Economics, Amartya Sen. The organization also honors esteemed individuals who have made contributions in the fields of gender and development with its annual Champions for Change awards.
