Poverty remains one of the globe’s most pressing challenges, and women and girls are disproportionately impacted. The World Food Program estimates that 7 out of 10 of the world’s hungry are women and girls. Women’s funds are proving that investments in women can power lasting changes to both family and community poverty. Read more about how poverty affects women [1].
When women do gain access to economic opportunities, the potential for development is striking -- The Economist has called women “the most powerful engine” of global economic growth, estimating that over the past decade, they have contributed more to such growth than China. At the same time, focusing on women-led solutions is a proven strategy for tackling poverty’s many manifestations, such as violence, disease and the educational underachievement of children.
Over 80% of women's funds prioritize investments in programs that build economic opportunity for women and combat poverty. Their work empowers women experiencing poverty to devise solutions with lasting impact. Women's funds are seeing proven results by focusing on the following strategies:
1. Building Entrepreneurship: Women's funds promote women's business ownership, microfinance efforts, or ways to provide women with access to micro-loans, financial markets, and financial literacy and business training.
2. Asset-Building and Financial Literacy: Women's funds support women’s financial empowerment by championing women’s land rights and property ownership as well as through investments in matched savings programs, financial literacy and training.
3. Better Jobs: Women’s funds invest in strategies to improve wages, working conditions, labor standards, benefits, and training opportunities for women workers.
4. Investing in Children: Women’s funds invest in programs that promote quality, affordable child care and prioritize girls' education.
© 2010
Links:
[1] http://www.wfnet.org/sites/wfnet.org/files/WomenEconomicSecurity.pdf
[2] http://www.womenseconomicsecurity.org