Traditional savings groups can be an effective economic tool, but when we invest in them to truly focus on gender equality they can be a powerful engine for social change. Drawing on more than 30 years of supporting community savings groups, CARE’s program experience highlights some of the key ways to ensure these promote gender equality.
For 2024 the Water+ team presents the Annual Innovation in Sanitation award to the CARE Zimbabwe Takunda team. The team has worked tirelessly to study and pilot innovative ways, through Human Centered Design, to increase access to toilets among the poorest and most vulnerable people in Zimbabwe. The Takunda team works with Latrine Builders, who are experienced masons, to promote sanitation and increase latrine coverage in the community, while also earning an income. Read more about the sanitation approach of Takunda in the brief below. Read More
This report shares case studies from six countries that detail how advocacy, partnerships, and tailored regulatory frameworks have fostered supportive legal environments for Savings Groups (SGs), promoting their growth, sustainability, and integration into formal financial systems while preserving their essential informality. Read More
Through CARE’s Her Money, Her Life Project, Bakari Shidafa, a husband and father in Tanzania’s Usambara highlands, has become a community advocate for gender equality and shared family responsibilities. Despite physical challenges, Bakari champions joint decision-making and women’s rights, encouraging an inclusive approach to family life and inspiring his village toward greater equity. Read More