Our strategy
We work to increase women’s economic opportunities and decision-making power in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. An extensive body of research shows that when women earn an income and control their earnings, their children are more likely to attend school, their families are healthier, their self-worth improves, their household incomes increase, and national and global economies grows.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment team works closely with partners, in the countries in which we work, to grow women’s livelihoods by removing barriers to work, improving their access to affordable credit and formal markets, and supporting women’s enterprises in order to help women and girls thrive in the economy.
We are focused on economic mobility for women entrepreneurs, supporting them to earn and increase their income and helping reduce barriers to growing their businesses. We support and scale impactful programs that reach the poorest women, including women's empowerment collectives, and working with the private sector to expand access to loans for women. We also design inclusive solutions that meet the needs of women where they are. For example, economic opportunities may look very different for older rural women than for younger urban women.
Our strategy focuses on supporting and increasing opportunities for at least 80 million low-income women in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa that increase their incomes by more than 30% by 2030.
Why focus on women’s economic empowerment?
The routine underutilization of women’s skills has been a lost opportunity not only for women but also their families and entire economies.
We know that:
The evidence supporting the benefits of women’s economic empowerment is strong: When money flows into the hands of women—and when those women have the power to save and spend that money—the lives of people all over the planet are better. In fact, if the more than 3 billion women and girls worldwide could participate in, contribute to, and benefit from economic growth, it could begin to address some of the most persistent root causes of poverty—and build stronger safety nets for when economic uncertainty hits.
When we remove the barriers that women and girls face and provide opportunities for them to fulfill their aspirations, we unleash a powerful and urgently needed engine of progress—women’s talent, energy, and creativity—to help build economies and solve problems.
