2020
Marion Abonnenc
- Age: 27
- | She/her/hers
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The views, ideas, and reflections of girls and women, especially the youngest and most vulnerable ones, must be systematically taken into account in order to adopt egalitarian, inclusive, and sustainable policies. Greater visibility must be given to female role models and inspirational leaders to encourage others to express themselves more.
- Marion Abonnenc
Bio
Marion Abonnenc was born and raised in France. She is working toward a master’s degree in international relations at Panthéon-Sorbonne University. As a Projects and Partnerships Coordinator at Friendship France, Marion is responsible for identifying new sources of funding and potential donors to support development and humanitarian aid projects in Bangladesh, coordinating with the team in Bangladesh for the drafting of concept notes, project proposals, financial, and narrative reports, ongoing follow-up with partners and donors, cash flow management, and creating procedures and monitoring tools to structure the growth activity.
What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?
Four years ago, I worked on microcredit programs for lower-caste and intouchable women in rural areas in India. Despite the difficulties they face, these women are trying to improve the life of their communities and to raise their voices. Their resilience and determination truly impressed and inspired me.
Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.
Related to my previous answer, I contributed to changing the NGO’s approach and manner of implementing the microcredit programs by pointing out that the role played by men in women’s empowerment was very much under-recognized and needed to be addressed if we were to bring about lasting changes in communities.
Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?
Photography, traveling, intercultural discoveries, tennis, swimming, and running.
Languages Spoken:
- English (Advanced/Native)
- French (Advanced/Native)
- German (Intermediate)
- Spanish (Elementary)
- French (Advanced/Native)
Speaks On:
- philanthropy for gender equality
- women in conflict and disaster settings
- women's economic and social empowerment through microcredit
Past Awards, Certifications, or Fellowships:
- Honorable Delegate at Lyon Model United Nations (2017)
- Best Delegate at Paris Model United Nations (2016)
- Building a Better Response online training course from Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
- Advanced Security in the Field online training course from United Nations Department of Safety and Security
- Partnerships that Change the World: Innovative Alliances Between Companies and Associations online training course from Essec Business School
