Women's Economic Empowerment

Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment

At USAID, we believe that when we increase incomes and opportunities for women, entire communities, economies, and countries benefit. As President Biden outlined in the Executive Order on the Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council, “advancing gender equity and equality is a matter of human rights, justice, and fairness. It is also a strategic imperative that reduces poverty and promotes economic growth, increases access to education, improves health outcomes, advances political stability, and fosters democracy.” Investing in the economic empowerment of women, in all their diversity, builds resilient countries - because an investment in a woman is an investment in her community and her country.

USAID has a long standing commitment to women’s economic empowerment and gender equality through thoughtful and innovative programming. With resources from the former Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Fund at USAID, the Agency is implementing 78 activities along the three pillar of the W-GDP Framework in more than 60 countries, partnering with 470 private sector, non-governmental and local organizations, as well as host country governments, to advance women’s economic empowerment globally.

Click map for text-only version

Through these programs, USAID invests in areas such as combating climate change, addressing COVID-19, closing the gender digital divide, and more.

For example, women and girls bear the brunt of impacts from climate disasters. Investments in climate programs help women find their voice in combating climate change - because women lead the way in safeguarding their communities' climate future.

In Pakistan, USAID is helping 1.2 million Pakistani women obtain National Identity Cards. These ID Cards enable women to access institutions, obtain bank accounts, get a passport, increase political participation, and more.

Simply put: economies thrive when everyone has equal access to them. These programs and activities help break biases and barriers, and enable women to participate fully and freely in the economy.

Malo Kotua, an artist and handicrafts producer from Gali in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia, is proving that women entrepreneurs can succeed in difficult circumstances.

USAID and the Crystal Fund / Mwani Kirubi USAID

“Being an entrepreneur gives me a sense of independence as well as confidence,” said Malo Kotua, an artist specializing in handicrafts and a Supporting Youth and Women Entrepreneurship (YES)-Georgia program participant. YES-Georgia is a USAID program that was able to expand with Fund support.

Related Links

Snapshot Of Women’s Economic Empowerment Activities September 2019-December 2020

Executive Order on Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council

Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation

Women's Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality Wiki

The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) (World Bank)

The WomenConnect Challenge (USAID)

The 2X Women’s Initiative (OPIC)