Resource Library

The Resource Library serves as a broad resource hub, including over 1000 documents, training materials, wikis, and curated reports to increase readers' awareness, understanding, and proficiency of several topics in market systems development. Users have access to proposals, evaluation materials, and USAID policy updates, as well as training modules and wikis to boost skills and knowledge.

These resources are bolstered by the inclusion of curated USAID reports published on the USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) which serves as a repository of reports from completed or ongoing USAID development projects around the globe. The full USAID Development Clearinghouse website can be accessed here.

Case Study Series: Women-Inclusive Return on Investment (WI-ROI)

This series profiles select small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have implemented women-inclusive (WI) initiatives and can demonstrate returns on investment (ROI), features a learning note on MSP’s lessons for selecting and working with firms on WI initiatives, and a synthesis report, which pulls it all together—the practical application of WI-ROI within private sector firms and a suggested timeline for utilizing all the WI-ROI guides developed under MSP’s Learning Stream over the last several years.

The case study series features:

  • By: Erin MarkelSabine GarbarinoYaquta FatehiJenny Stankowski
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2.3.1. Resource 1: Assets

Introduction Access to and control over assets, as well as decision-making regarding their use and development, are crucial for women’s financial security and underpin their overall economic empowerment. Evidence supports the importance of control over household assets, including land and housing, for women’s greater self-esteem, respect from family members, economic opportunities, mobility outside of the home, and decision-making.

2.3. Resources, Samples and Tools

Each unit of the WEEGE Technical Guide includes resources, samples and/or tools. Unit 2 includes seven resources and one tool. In this Unit, you will find:

2.2. Applying a WEEGE Lens to ADS 205

Promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls around the world is critical to achieving U.S. foreign policy objectives and development outcomes. USAID recognizes that gender inequalities around the world often preclude women from engaging in development interventions, participating in the labor market, and accessing opportunities for growth.

2.1. Overview

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Program Cycle, as codified in Automated Directives System (ADS) 201, is the Agency’s operational model for planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming to advance U.S. foreign policy.

The Gender Digital Divide

This section contains the Gender Digital Divide (GDD) Desk Review, Gender Analysis Technical Resource, and Risk Mitigation Technical Note, which support the USAID Digital Strategy through the “Closing the Gender Digital Divide” initiative.

Unit 2: WEEGE in The Program Cycle

Unit 2 outlines how USAID staff and partners can integrate WEEGE across the USAID Program Cycle, guided by a set of WEEGE principles and using the ADS 205 as an underlying framework.

1.4. Resources, Samples and Tools

Each unit of the WEEGE Technical Guide includes resources, samples and/or tools for putting WEEGE concepts into practice. In this Unit, you will find: Resource 1: Data Sources  

1.3. WEEGE at USAID

Achieving WEEGE is a complex challenge. It requires changes in individuals, communities, institutions, markets, social norms and the wider political and legal environment (Box 3 lists some effective practices in the private sector). These changes will create an environment where women’s choices, power and agency can flourish.

1.2. WEEGE Barriers, Opportunities and Evidence

To help countries to achieve self-reliance (as described in  Box 2), as well as to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, women’s economic empowerment and gender equality must become cornerstones of development programming.  There are some promising developments.

1.1 Overview

Tapping into the potential of women is not only a social but also an economic imperative. Globally in 2019, only 47 percent of women participated in the labor force, compared to 74 percent of men.“World Employment Social Outlook: Trends for Women 2020 Global Snapshot.” (ILO, 2020).

Key Terms and Definitions

Definitions of key terms used in the Women's Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality Technical Guide.

Acronyms

List of acronyms used in the WEEGE Technical Guide.

Acronyms

List of acronyms used in the Gender Digital Divide.

4. Key Documents

The resources in this section are the most useful resources relevant to the gender digital divide, particularly looking at the individual use of mobile and the Internet.

Strategy 7: Strengthen Internal and Partner Capacity for Risk Mitigation and Safeguarding

Development projects and programs in a country are not, as a rule, primarily focused on digital strategies and tools; the people and partners implementing them are often not digital development experts, let alone gender and tech specialists. There is a risk that the negative consequences of women and girls using information and communication technology could be amplified, unless individuals and organizations have clear guidelines as well as the knowledge required to implement them. Risk Mitigation Strategy 7 looks at capacity development for risk mitigation and safeguarding.

Strategy 6: Collaborate and Work with Other National Stakeholders

Working in information and communication technology and innovation requires various ways of working, using different skill sets and insights. Any risk mitigation strategy will be more effective when working with others in this space, getting fresh viewpoints and leveraging one another’s resources, brands, and networks. Risk Mitigation Strategy 6 examines elements of collaboration.

Strategy 5: Raise Awareness

Raising awareness of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and other risks, and educating (male and female) users on their rights, privacy, and security, can support other mitigation strategies. Risk Mitigation Strategy 5 examines this further.

Strategy 4: Support Initiatives That Involve (Male/Female/Family) Gatekeepers

Men and other (female) family members are often the decision-makers on whether women and girls use information and communication technology (ICT); they have a crucial role in shaping overall perceptions and behaviors, including awareness and mitigation of risks. Many or most of the information sources in low- and middle-income countries—ICT experts, community leaders, and news broadcasters—are men. If these influencers do not buy into the benefits of ICT and the Internet for women and girls, they may amplify the risks or even block access.

Strategy 3: Support and Strengthen ICT Outreach & Digital Literacy Initiatives

Women and girls are more vulnerable to risks not only because they have lower levels of digital literacy and confidence, but also because they often do not know what to do when faced with negative (digital) events. Information and communication technology (ICT) outreach and digital literacy initiatives can help women and girls (and their networks) understand how to use mobile and Internet safely and protect themselves from the risks. Risk Mitigation Strategy 3 further examines how to: