Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) have been a foundational programmatic approach at CARE since 1991. Since then, CARE has helped over 13.7 million people join savings groups. The savings group model has been adopted and adapted by a variety of organizations globally. This brief gives an overview of the social and financial effects and returns of savings groups as well as how groups affected members’ resilience to COVID-19. The results gave an overview of the financial return on investment (ROI), group economic outcomes, savings groups costs, and individual and household effects for savings groups both inside and outside of CARE.
As the global economy undergoes two major shifts—the AI revolution and the green transition—we are at a critical crossroads: these transitions hold the power to help bring about a more equitable economy, but today’s markets are failing women. If we fail to act now and reshape markets, we risk aggravating inequality for generations to come and missing out on trillions worth of global growth. This report highlights systemic barriers women face in today's economies, the cost of inequality, and the opportunities for investing in women to create a thriving future for all. Read More
Strive Women’s 2024 baseline research assessed participants' financial health, financial inclusion, and business performance. This brief highlights findings related to entrepreneurs' confidence, decision-making, and control within Strive Women’s Financial Health Framework. Read More
This report explores women’s rights and women-led organizations’ perspectives regarding feminist monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) across six countries. It aims to i) understand and document how these organizations see and use feminist MEAL approaches; ii) enhance understanding of feminist MEAL’s most important aspects; and iii) share with actors at all levels how to conduct and support its approaches more effectively. Read More