This year, Cummins and Rise Up are celebrating five years of partnership to strengthen the rights of women and girls worldwide. Together, we have invested in over 700 local women, girls, and allied leaders who have advocated for improved laws, policies, and programs, positively impacting more than 27 million people. Cummins Powers Women and Rise Up believe that corporate partnerships can make a real difference in the world by uniquely leveraging financial and employee engagement commitments toward shared goals. By engaging corporate employees in Rise Up’s work, we utilize our partners’ expertise, networks, and diverse skills to advance gender equity and create larger-scale change.
“At Cummins, we understand that a world powered by women is a world that is better for all,” Mary Chandler, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Chief Executive Officer of the Cummins Foundation, said. “Over the past five years, our partnership with Rise Up has helped us advance this vision. We’ve made a multi-million-dollar investment and worked with hundreds of Rise Up Leaders to create large-scale impact to benefit women and girls. I am tremendously grateful for our shared commitment to creating a world in which women can thrive as leaders, not just at Cummins, but in their communities and countries around the world.”
Amrita Gupta, a Rise Up Leader in India, is one of the many women creating a better future for all. With Support from Rise Up, Amrita advocated for the inclusion of female bus drivers in the male dominated transportation sector, creating new economic opportunities for women in Delhi.
“Rise Up taught me that the science and art of advocacy is very, very rich,” Amrita said. “This helped me plan a multi-pronged approach powered by evidence with the right allies and using the windows of opportunity in the given political space.”
As we reflect on our partnership with Cummins, we asked members of Rise Up’s global team to highlight five memories from the past five years that demonstrate how collaboration and community leads to lasting, meaningful change.
#1: Nigeria – MEET AND GREETS
One of the most special aspects of our partnership with Cummins over the years has been the mutual effort to engage on a personal level, extending beyond the traditional donor relationship. In Nigeria, Rise Up Leaders held a “meet and greet” session in Lagos with Cummins Corporate Responsibility Leader Christian Ndomba and fellow Cummins staff. Cummins Africa employees have also invited Rise Up Leaders to their own corporate events to serve as subject matter experts, and shared Rise Up Leader resources, such as Betty Abah’s documentary on gender-based violence (warning: graphic violence) to showcase our shared impacts.
#2: South Africa – FLOOD RELIEF PACKAGES
Cummins has stepped in to provide significant additional support in times of need. In April 2022, the province of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa was ravaged by floods. As a result, a humanitarian crisis unfolded, and various state and non-state actors started initiatives to provide flood relief to over 40,000 people that were displaced. In response to this crisis, Cummins Africa employees reached out to Rise Up to identify flood relief needs in the communities where Rise Up Leaders work. Cummins provided 150 food packages to Rise Up Leaders to distribute to affected communities.
#3: Mexico – ADVOCACY WINS
The strength of our partnership with Cummins is evident when you look at the numerous advocacy wins we’ve supported together in the last five years. In San Luis Potosí, Mexico, for example, Rise Up Leader Yair Govea Valladares was successful in increasing women’s decision-making ability in government with the passage of a bill that requires equal representation of women and men in the state government’s executive branch, benefitting 1.4 million women and girls across the state.
#4: Brazil – ACCELERATOR TRAINING PARTICIPATION
Cummins team members have the opportunity to engage with Rise Up Leaders throughout their journey with us. At the start of this year, 15 Cummins staff joined Rise Up Leaders for an energetic day of our first Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator training in Brazil. The Cummins staff helped Rise Up Leaders practice their media communication skills and participated in a role-playing session on educating decision-makers.
“I left grateful for the beautiful opportunity to experience this day and learn a little more about Rise Up’s mission, resilience, and professionalism,” one Cummins team member said. “What fantastic women you chose for this group!”
#5: India – ENLISTING ADDITIONAL SUPPORTERS
We have an existing network of more than 170 Rise Up Leaders in India who, since 2018, have achieved 13 policy wins that improve girls’ and women’s education, health, and economic opportunities, positively impacting over 4.8 million people across the country. Cummins has been influential in building the momentum for this work by enlisting their own partners to join us in advancing gender equity. The Cummins India Foundation directly funded our 2023 Leadership Accelerator training in Delhi, invested in Rise Up Leaders’ organizations, and recruited business partner Valvoline to also support Rise Up.
