Redefining Impact: Beyond the Numbers

When I first stepped into the world of development, success was measured in clear, quantifiable terms: how many women attended a workshop, how many children received meals, how many policies were drafted. These metrics mattered, and they still do. But when I joined Ashoka and began working with the WISE (Women’s Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship) program, my understanding of impact expanded. I discovered that real, lasting change isn’t just about numbers, it’s about depth.

At WISE, we talk about three dimensions of scaling:

• Scaling Out (reaching more people),
• Scaling Up (changing policies and systems),
• Scaling Deep (transforming mindsets, norms, and culture).

While Scaling Out and Up are visible and celebrated, Scaling Deep is the quiet revolution – the shift in beliefs, behaviors, and social fabric that makes all other change sustainable.

What Does Scaling Deep Really Mean?

Scaling Deep is about changing the way people think, feel, and act. It’s not just about delivering a workshop, it’s about ensuring that workshop alters behavior long after it ends. It’s not just about passing a law, it’s about making sure society accepts and upholds that law.

A Simple Example:

Imagine teaching mothers that corporal punishment harms their children. If they stop hitting their children because they now believe in gentler parenting, that’s Scaling Deep. If the community starts correcting those who still use violence, that’s Scaling Deep taking root.

Women Social Entrepreneurs Who Are Scaling Deep

1. Nani Zulminarni (Indonesia) – Legal Identity for Single Mothers

In Indonesia, single and divorced mothers were once invisible in the eyes of the state. They are unable to obtain family ID cards, which are essential for accessing education, healthcare, and social services. Nani Zulminarni, an Ashoka Fellow, didn’t just advocate for policy change (Scaling Up), she shifted cultural perceptions by reframing single mothers as family leaders, not societal outcasts.

Impact:

• Over 40 million children in female-headed households gained birth certificates for the first time.
• Millions of mothers can now claim social support for their children, even if they were never legally married.

2. Nawal Mostafa (Egypt) – "Prisoners of Poverty"

In Egypt, thousands of women are jailed not for crimes, but because they guaranteed loans that went unpaid. Nawal Mostafa, another Ashoka Fellow, coined the term "Prisoners of Poverty" to reframe these women as victims of circumstance, not criminals.

Impact:

• The Egyptian president adopted her language, acknowledging the injustice.
• Reduced stigma around these women, improving their lives during and after imprisonment.

Why Scaling Deep Matters

As the visionary founder of WISE and Vice President of Ashoka, Dr. Iman Bibars has spent decades advocating for Scaling Deep by challenging systemic biases against women changemakers. Under her leadership, WISE’s Theory of Change (Scaling Up/Out/Deep) became a blueprint for funders and policymakers to recognize women’s unique contributions. Her advocacy has influenced institutions like the World Bank and UN to adopt mindset-focused metrics, proving that changing narratives is as critical as changing policies.

But the power of Scaling Deep extends far beyond gender equity – it’s a catalyst for societal transformation. Here’s why it matters:

1. Sustainable Change: Policies and programs fail if mindsets don’t shift. (e.g., a law against domestic violence means little if communities still blame victims.)
2. Empowerment Over Dependency: Scaling Deep ensures communities own the change, rather than passively receiving aid.
3. Addressing Root Causes: It tackles the invisible barriers of stigma, cultural norms, and internalized oppression that keep systems of inequality in place.

Societal Ripple Effects:

• Reducing Crime & Poverty: When communities internalize values of equity and nonviolence, cycles of crime and poverty break naturally.  
• Stabilizing Ecosystems: Peaceful, equitable societies emerge when cultural norms prioritize collective well-being over exploitation. In Indonesia, Nani’s work legitimizing female-headed households reduced economic desperation, a key driver of environmental degradation.

Dr. Bibars often says: "You can build a thousand schools, but if minds stay closed, nothing changes."  

Scaling Deep is how we elevate lives and stabilize ecosystems one transformed belief at a time.

What’s Next for WISE?

1. The WISE Storytelling Initiative

We’re amplifying the voices of women changemakers through narrative change campaigns, because stories reshape culture. The WorldWISE Storytelling Project captures these journeys, inspiring others to act.

2. Measuring the "Unmeasurable"

We’re developing frameworks to track attitude shifts, reduced stigma, and increased agency because these are the true markers of deep impact. To ensure these metrics resonate across all levels, WISE conducts townhalls with two critical audiences:

• The Ecosystem (funders, policymakers, NGOs): We orient them on valuing mindset shifts as success indicators, advocating for funding models that reward long-term cultural change.
• Women Social Entrepreneurs: Through workshops and peer exchanges, we equip them with tools to document and communicate their "invisible" impact, bridging the gap between their work and traditional funding criteria.

These dialogues have already influenced partners like the Ursula Zindel Hilti Foundation to allocate resources specifically for Scaling Deep initiatives.

3. A Global Movement

WISE is expanding its network of 1,800+ women Fellows across 90 countries, with a focus on the Global South. Beyond the All-Girls’ Club and ChangemakHERS accelerator, we mobilize collective action through:

• The GetWISER Summit: Our flagship global event convenes 300+ leaders annually to spotlight Scaling Deep innovations, from redefining gender roles in Mozambique to dismantling stigma around mental health in Egypt. The summit’s "Theory of Change Labs" helps participants replicate WISE’s framework in their contexts.

Our efforts are igniting a movement to pilot mindset-focused grants and cite the "Scaling Deep" term in global gender equity policies.

What Excites Me Most?

The stories we haven’t yet told. The mothers who now see themselves as leaders. The daughters who grow up in homes where violence is unthinkable. The communities that no longer tolerate injustice – not because a law says so, but because they say so.

That’s the power of Scaling Deep.

Let’s move beyond counting beneficiaries – let’s start counting changed minds. How can you apply Scaling Deep in your work?

Join us:

• Invest in women-led solutions: WISE Partnerships.
• Amplify stories of change: WorldWISE Storytelling Project.
• Support the next generation of women changemakers.

"We don’t just want women at the table – we want to redesign the table so it values their unique ways of changing the world." – Dr. Iman Bibars

To know more about WISE, visit: wise.ashoka.org or reach out to the team:  

• Dr. Iman Bibars, Founder of WISE and VP of Ashoka, [email protected]  
• Jenny Ayman, WISE Global Program Manager, [email protected]  
• Maram Nabil, WISE Global Program Assistant, [email protected]