CARE Releases Inaugural Women’s Economic Justice Impact Report: “Helping Women Earn, Save and Invest”

CARE USA’s Women’s Economic Justice (WEJ) practice today announced the release of its first-ever Impact Report, “Helping Women Earn, Save and Invest.” The report provides an overview of WEJ’s accomplishments in advancing economic justice for women worldwide, including the success of its savings groups, which have improved the lives of 17.7 million people around the world, 78 percent of whom are women. In addition, CARE has improved access to finance or business-related skills for more than 150,000 entrepreneurs, 68 percent of whom are women.

“Approximately 2.4 billion women worldwide lack the same economic rights as men, and at CARE, we believe the power to make economic decisions is a fundamental right regardless of gender,” said Madhu Deshmukh, Vice President of Program Strategy and Innovation at CARE. “This pivotal document features the exceptional results of WEJ programming and highlights its impressive trajectory for 50 million women to have more equitable access to and control over economic resources and opportunities by 2030.”

Featuring innovative programs designed in collaboration with local actors, governments and private sector entities, “Helping Women Earn, Save and Invest” highlights key accomplishments and impact stories organized around WEJ’s four strategic interventions:

1. Economic Growth Designed for Women: WEJ has been at the forefront of shaping economies to be more inclusive and responsive to women’s needs.
2. Private Sector Collaboration: In partnership with companies ranging in size from small startups to leading multinational corporations such as Cargill, Hershey, Mars, Mastercard, and Target, CARE helps unlock capital and builds more equitable systems for women who participate in markets as workers or customers.
3. Local Partnerships: Collaborating with governments and civil society actors, CARE’s advocacy has successfully led to implementing savings groups in government policies and programs in Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Vietnam and elsewhere.
4. Digital Inclusion: To bridge the digital gender divide and unlock economic opportunity, CARE has invested in digital platforms, training, and gender norms interventions so women have improved access to technology, information, and tools.

As a leading humanitarian organization, CARE has long championed the rights and empowerment of women. With nearly 1 billion people worldwide living on less than $4 per day, the CARE WEJ team is working to make aid dollars more effective in addressing the drivers of poverty. The team strategy is focused on removing the institutional and market barriers that prevent women from accessing and controlling economic resources, who can then invest in their communities.

“It all starts by designing systems for women. When we listen to women and look holistically at the markets where we serve, we can identify and address the issues that continue to fail them,” said Mark Muckerheide, CARE USA, WEJ Associate Vice President. “While we’ve made significant progress, we encourage businesses, governments, and philanthropic organizations to join us to further help women earn, save and invest.”

To view the full report, please visit: https://www.care.org/news-and-stories/resources/womens-economic-justice-impact-report-2023/.

CARE invites donors, partners and other stakeholders to support its Women’s Economic Justice work. For more information about WEJ and its work, please visit: https://www.care.org/our-work/womens-economic-justice/.