Introduction
Towards markets that work for women
Equitable economic growth means women experience increases in financial resources, and more importantly, can control and use those resources. Successful women’s economic justice programs must therefore improve financial returns for women—increased savings, earnings, and investment—and the gender norms that affect their agency and autonomy.
Nearly 2 billion people around the world still live on less than $3.85 per day. It’s estimated low-and middle-income countries need $4 trillion in capital to emerge fully from poverty, but only $200 billion in aid is available every year. That’s a 20-to-1 gap. What’s worse, the gap between men’s and women’s expected lifetime earnings globally is US $172 trillion.
Progress towards closing these and other gender gaps has mostly stalled.
Five years ago, CARE USA began to focus on supporting individuals, businesses, and governments to bridge that 20-to-1 economic growth gap by helping women earn, save and invest more.
What does Women’s Economic Justice mean at CARE?
Equal opportunities for women lead to greater participation and decision-making, resulting in women saving, earning, and investing more. We know that better outcomes for women only happen when interventions are designed to address their specific challenges and aspirations.