Our History

When I started WI-HER (pronounced ‘Why Her?’) in 2011, I envisioned a company that would be whole-heartedly committed to supporting and empowering individuals – regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, or any other characteristic – to break barriers and reach further.  

Through working as a doctor in refugee camps and leading USAID health projects, I discovered both the strengths and vulnerabilities of people and realized that it takes much more than health care to keep people healthy. 

I wanted to do more.

I wanted to bring together a team of professionals from around the world; establish a culture of diversity, innovation, flexibility, and excellence; and drive localization through human-centered, data driven, and contextually and culturally appropriate programs. 

Inspired by the tenacious and talented women in my life – my grandmother, mother, and daughters – I believed that WI-HER could make this vision a reality. I created an organization that would flip the current development script and drive accountable and inclusive locally led development.

At the very start, we launched the company by leading the gender equity and social inclusion and knowledge management components of the USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project 2012-2019 in 17 countries, eventually in more than 40 countries.   

We established ourselves as global leaders in advancing locally led gender equity and social inclusion, always working across sectors through holistic and integrated development solutions that I envisioned at WI-HER’s start. 

But we often faced resistance when it came to prioritizing gender.  Many didn’t understand that addressing inequities in gender is more than just a soft side service – it is a fundamental part of achieving program goals and outcomes as well as improving equity for all. 

This challenge led me to develop the innovative iDARE methodology. A simple but innovative and science-based methodology, iDARE enables locally designed and led development solutions across sectors, including health, economic development, energy, education, rule of law, and more. iDARE has now been implemented globally and is adopted and independently applied by local stakeholders. Results from iDARE have been incredible.

As we grew, I focused on building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team with a culture of openness, learning, and collaboration. We strive for excellence, impact, and integrity in WI-HER’s operations and programming. We started out as a team of two — and now we are a diverse team of more than 40 (and growing) individuals with deep knowledge across sectors, including health, education, and energy. I am also proud that more than 75% of our team is based in the global south, with our team members’ experience extending to more than 50 countries. 

I have so much pride in our people, programs, and approaches. Every day, our team members come to work ready to put the people and communities we serve first. 

And the outlook for our next 10 years is bright. 

With a solid foundation of operational, programmatic, and technical excellence, I can’t wait to see how the WI-HER team will lead the way forward, designing and implementing creative, holistic, and locally led solutions that are always respectful, inclusive, and person-centered.