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Women's Entrepreneurship

A Peruvian woman with decorative red paint streaked across her cheeks stands behind a counter with a young man. She is pressing buttons on a calculator while talking. In front of them, an open notebook lies on the counter.

Women's Entrepreneurship (WE) at CARE will improve financial security and economic growth for 3 million entrepreneurs and employees, reach 30 million people, and mobilize more than $500 million USD in private capital by 2030.

Our target

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are the economic backbone of most economies worldwide, yet they remain largely unserved or underserved by financial and non-financial service providers. For women entrepreneurs, access to finance is a major barrier and the finance gap for women globally is estimated at $1.7 trillion. Women also face restrictive social norms, less digital access, a lack of education and skills, and lack a supportive environment.

CARE’s Women’s Entrepreneurship programming reduces those challenges. We focus on growth-oriented businesses, the majority of which typically have two to ten employees and have been in business for more than two years. By growing these entrepreneurs through capital and skills, they in turn can employ more people in their communities, helping others out of poverty. These growth entrepreneurs are becoming trailblazers for others, including their own staff, demonstrating the power and potential of women in business.

Our model

CARE’s entrepreneurship and financial equality programming offers a combination of services – both financial and non-financial – that are essential to creating sustainable growth for women entrepreneurs. Our market-based approach – working with local financial service providers – ensures that the products and services supporting these entrepreneurs are both ongoing and growth-oriented in the long-term.

 

Growing Women-Led Micro and Small Businesses: A Holistic Package of Services

Increase Access to Tailored Finance

Increased loan sizes.

Flexible repayment terms and reduced collateral requirements.

Alternate digital delivery channels.

Adapted marketing materials and promotional channels.

Shift Social Norms

Challenging prohibitive credit requirements.

Tackling mobility and unpaid care issues.

Engaging men and households to support women.

Large-scale outreach campaigns.

Provide Critical Support Services

Financial education tailored for women.

Capacity and business skills building.

Ongoing coaching, mentoring, and support networks.


Address the Digital Gap

Adapting/promoting equal access to digital solutions.

Building digital capacity and skills.

Promoting equal digital tools and financial services.


Impact Metrics

Unlock Loan Capital

$90 million in loans disbursed through partners to micro and small businesses, the majority of which are women-led, in eighteen months.

Improved Financial Resilience and Increased Women’s Economic Participation

8 million entrepreneurs, households, and communities reached through campaigns.

200,000+ entrepreneurs have received loans, digital financial services, training, or critical support services .


Partnerships with Financial Service Providers

92 financial service providers have partnered with CARE in the last decade to deliver savings accounts, loans, digital financial services, insurance, and payment solutions.

Our programs

Strive Women

Strive Women, a four-year program led by CARE and supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, strengthens the financial health of women-led small businesses in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam.

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Strive Czechia

Strive Czechia helps small businesses in the Czech Republic succeed in the digital economy.

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Thought leadership

Women and Girls

Three women entrepreneurs fighting for survival… and winning

The global pandemic has pushed many small businesses to collapse. For women entrepreneurs, the impact has been significantly worse as childcare responsibilities increased, supply chains collapsed, a dependency on digital skills went up, and women were forced to fight for survival. Read More

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Thought Leadership

Why putting women in charge of their own financial security pays dividends

Women-centered design acknowledges that women’s needs and the barriers they face are fundamentally different to men.  Barriers might include laws and political systems that disadvantage women, harmful social norms, and limited access to finance due to no credit history or collateral, male guarantor requirements, or restrictions on land ownership. Read More

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Education & Work

Three Steps the Female Digital Revolution Can’t Succeed Without

In 2020, millions of women left the workforce. As the pandemic accelerates the move toward a digital economy, women are at risk of being left behind. Read More

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Want to learn more?

Contact us at entrepreneurship@care.org.