Women's Economic Empowerment
Curiosity Collective : Evidence of Social Changes for Women in Savings Groups
CARE has been working with Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) since it first launched the model in Niger in 1991. Over the years, VSLAs have reached more 7.6 MILLION members to form 357,000 groups in 51 countries. 81% of these members are women.
The economic impacts of the groups are well documented. Women and men in VSLA groups save between an estimated $400 and $700 million each year. In West Africa, 3.2 million women participate in VSLA. The savings and credit can be transformational, helping women start businesses, pay school fees, and access emergency loans when they have a crisis in the family. A randomized controlled trial of VSLAs conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action showed that VSLAs substantially increased women’s access to financial services, income, and ability to start businesses.
Perhaps more important, but less formally documented, is the impact that VSLAs have on women themselves, and the social fabric of their communities. Anecdotally, women themselves often point to increases in self-confidence, independence, and a greater belief in their own ability to change things in their lives, as the VSLA impacts that are most important to them. For example, one woman in Niger says, “[VSLA]1 has opened my eyes
and now I do not hide anymore and I speak a lot.”
Read More...
The economic impacts of the groups are well documented. Women and men in VSLA groups save between an estimated $400 and $700 million each year. In West Africa, 3.2 million women participate in VSLA. The savings and credit can be transformational, helping women start businesses, pay school fees, and access emergency loans when they have a crisis in the family. A randomized controlled trial of VSLAs conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action showed that VSLAs substantially increased women’s access to financial services, income, and ability to start businesses.
Perhaps more important, but less formally documented, is the impact that VSLAs have on women themselves, and the social fabric of their communities. Anecdotally, women themselves often point to increases in self-confidence, independence, and a greater belief in their own ability to change things in their lives, as the VSLA impacts that are most important to them. For example, one woman in Niger says, “[VSLA]1 has opened my eyes
and now I do not hide anymore and I speak a lot.”
Read More...
Examining Barriers to Family Planning Information, Products, and Services Among Ukrainian Refugees and Host Communities in Poland (English)
Cash and Voucher Assistance for Family Planning in Poland Assessment Report: This report examines barriers Ukrainian refugees and Polish host communities face in accessing family planning (FP) services. Refugees struggle with financial obstacles like transportation and private healthcare costs, compounded by Poland’s restrictive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies. The report highlights the potential of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) to improve access to FP services, with the need for contextual adaptation to Poland’s healthcare system.
Poland SRHR Stakeholder Workshop Learning Brief (August 2024): This brief shares insights from a workshop on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) for Ukrainian refugees and Polish communities. It identified financial barriers, restrictive policies, and stigma as major challenges, and explored how CVA could improve SRH access by partnering with local stakeholders and adapting to Poland's restrictive policy environment. Read More...
Poland SRHR Stakeholder Workshop Learning Brief (August 2024): This brief shares insights from a workshop on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) for Ukrainian refugees and Polish communities. It identified financial barriers, restrictive policies, and stigma as major challenges, and explored how CVA could improve SRH access by partnering with local stakeholders and adapting to Poland's restrictive policy environment. Read More...
Rapid Assessment of the FBMT Family Business Management Training
This rapid review was commissioned by CARE to evaluate the Family Business Management Training (FBMT) in Côte d’Ivoire using a qualitative approach.
The relevance of the FBMT in relation to the objectives of the W4C (Women for Change) program was analyzed by comparing the FBMT content and the evidence from the interviews with the objectives and indicators of the W4C logframe.
It becomes clear that the FBMT was most effective in increasing IGAs, balancing decision making and improving relationships. The effect of IGAs on household income not entirely clear yet. Access to the training is determined by participation in VSLAs. While this is not detrimental in the first place, potential entry barriers to VSLAs need to be kept in mind when scaling up.
For men the main challenges to participate in the FBMT are a perceived loss of power and possibly the available time to attend. Yet, those who participated were attracted by potential economic gains and finally recognized the advantages of improved relationships.
A mapping of training courses that are related to the FBMT and are applied in the W4C program revealed that the couple dialogues, the gender strategy interventions and FBMT overlap in some areas but the FBMT goes beyond the objectives of the other two courses. The IGA training courses, which are complementary to the FBMT, overlap with some of the contents of the FFBS1 (Farmer Field and Business School). The FFBS also overlaps with some of the FBMT contents on gender and also addresses the couple rather than just the women. However, it comprises of about double the number of training modules of the FBMT.
Training application is divided between technical advisors and field supervisors. This arrangement was not evaluated in detail but might not be the most effective and should be reviewed critically. The FBMT sustainably changed some of the behaviour of participating couples, confirming the sustainability of some of the effects of the training. The provision of the training still depends on external funding and cannot be considered fully sustainable yet. Change plans and their follow up by CARE staff are time consuming, resource intensive and might reduce the ownership of these plans by the couple that developed the plan.
The FBMT has been successful in changing household economies and relationships. Specifically the daily calendar, the income and expenditure tree and the prioritization of expenditures as practiced in the NEEDS and WANTS exercise have proven to be very effective. The perceived economic advantages of the training attract men eventually they discover the rewards of an improved relationship. The benefits of the FBMT have motivated some community members to spread its concepts to other households, which is as an opportunity for future programming. Read More...
The relevance of the FBMT in relation to the objectives of the W4C (Women for Change) program was analyzed by comparing the FBMT content and the evidence from the interviews with the objectives and indicators of the W4C logframe.
It becomes clear that the FBMT was most effective in increasing IGAs, balancing decision making and improving relationships. The effect of IGAs on household income not entirely clear yet. Access to the training is determined by participation in VSLAs. While this is not detrimental in the first place, potential entry barriers to VSLAs need to be kept in mind when scaling up.
For men the main challenges to participate in the FBMT are a perceived loss of power and possibly the available time to attend. Yet, those who participated were attracted by potential economic gains and finally recognized the advantages of improved relationships.
A mapping of training courses that are related to the FBMT and are applied in the W4C program revealed that the couple dialogues, the gender strategy interventions and FBMT overlap in some areas but the FBMT goes beyond the objectives of the other two courses. The IGA training courses, which are complementary to the FBMT, overlap with some of the contents of the FFBS1 (Farmer Field and Business School). The FFBS also overlaps with some of the FBMT contents on gender and also addresses the couple rather than just the women. However, it comprises of about double the number of training modules of the FBMT.
Training application is divided between technical advisors and field supervisors. This arrangement was not evaluated in detail but might not be the most effective and should be reviewed critically. The FBMT sustainably changed some of the behaviour of participating couples, confirming the sustainability of some of the effects of the training. The provision of the training still depends on external funding and cannot be considered fully sustainable yet. Change plans and their follow up by CARE staff are time consuming, resource intensive and might reduce the ownership of these plans by the couple that developed the plan.
The FBMT has been successful in changing household economies and relationships. Specifically the daily calendar, the income and expenditure tree and the prioritization of expenditures as practiced in the NEEDS and WANTS exercise have proven to be very effective. The perceived economic advantages of the training attract men eventually they discover the rewards of an improved relationship. The benefits of the FBMT have motivated some community members to spread its concepts to other households, which is as an opportunity for future programming. Read More...
Impact Case Study and Documentation of the Tea, Herbs and Spices Farmer’s Situation and Experiences in the Phase I of Her Money, Her Life Project Implementation
CARE International's two-year Her Money, Her Life (HMHL) project (2021-2023), funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, aims to empower and economically uplift women farmers in Tanzania's tea sub-sector. In collaboration with Kazi Yetu Limited and key industry partners, the project targets 150,000 individuals, including 30,000 tea smallholder farmers (80% women). HMHL project builds on CARE's Agri Fund model with aim of investing in women to increase independence and economic opportunities to boost quality, quantity and diversification in Tanzania’s tea sub-sector. The impact study, conducted by Solveris Consulting Limited in November 2023, assesses the project's outcomes across seven districts in four regions, offering valuable insights into its effectiveness.
carried out by Kazi Yetu, funded by the project's grant. This ROI is expected to be more than doubled (188%) in 2025. The partnership between Kazi Yetu and stakeholders
ix
significantly impacts the specialty tea sector, showcasing rapid grant recovery/factory’s investment rate of return within 2.5 years. The project fosters economic viability and tangible benefits for farmers, contributing to positive transformation in livelihoods. Kazi Yetu's project interventions, highlighted by the SSTC demonstration factory, bring substantial and lasting benefits to farmers. Premium prices for green leaf tea sales, employment opportunities, and transformative training initiatives have significantly increased income for women tea farmers. The project's emphasis on value addition, including a solar dryer in Bumbuli, enhances product quality and market opportunities. Diversification into tea, herbs and spices production and commissions from bulk orthodox tea sales further contribute to income streams. The project's impact extends nationally, shaping the tea strategy and promoting specialty tea. The success of SSTC has catalysed national interest, leading to scaling efforts and increased global recognition for Tanzanian tea, enhancing market opportunities. Effectiveness of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) on Collective Investment: VSLAs demonstrate a significant 30% increase in women's involvement from 46% during baseline to 60% now, indicating successful interventions that contribute to economic resilience and social cohesion. Regional variations underscore localized impacts. Additionally, the study reveals that the majority of respondents (87%) comprising 89% females and 84% males reported their VSLAs engaging in collective investments using mobilised savings. This level of collective engagement in collective investments through VSLAs is approximately double the baseline figure (47%). The investments take various forms, including small businesses, transportation equipment, and livestock husbandry. Further evidence suggests that collective investments have enhanced VSLAs' capital, improved members' access to loans, and overall increased income through dividends from collective investments. Read More...
carried out by Kazi Yetu, funded by the project's grant. This ROI is expected to be more than doubled (188%) in 2025. The partnership between Kazi Yetu and stakeholders
ix
significantly impacts the specialty tea sector, showcasing rapid grant recovery/factory’s investment rate of return within 2.5 years. The project fosters economic viability and tangible benefits for farmers, contributing to positive transformation in livelihoods. Kazi Yetu's project interventions, highlighted by the SSTC demonstration factory, bring substantial and lasting benefits to farmers. Premium prices for green leaf tea sales, employment opportunities, and transformative training initiatives have significantly increased income for women tea farmers. The project's emphasis on value addition, including a solar dryer in Bumbuli, enhances product quality and market opportunities. Diversification into tea, herbs and spices production and commissions from bulk orthodox tea sales further contribute to income streams. The project's impact extends nationally, shaping the tea strategy and promoting specialty tea. The success of SSTC has catalysed national interest, leading to scaling efforts and increased global recognition for Tanzanian tea, enhancing market opportunities. Effectiveness of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) on Collective Investment: VSLAs demonstrate a significant 30% increase in women's involvement from 46% during baseline to 60% now, indicating successful interventions that contribute to economic resilience and social cohesion. Regional variations underscore localized impacts. Additionally, the study reveals that the majority of respondents (87%) comprising 89% females and 84% males reported their VSLAs engaging in collective investments using mobilised savings. This level of collective engagement in collective investments through VSLAs is approximately double the baseline figure (47%). The investments take various forms, including small businesses, transportation equipment, and livestock husbandry. Further evidence suggests that collective investments have enhanced VSLAs' capital, improved members' access to loans, and overall increased income through dividends from collective investments. Read More...
“FORTALECIENDO EL MOVIMIENTO DE TRABAJADORAS REMUNERADAS DEL HOGAR A TRAVÉS DEL APRENDIZAJE Y LA TECNOLOGÍA
Resumen ejecutivo
Descripción general Este documento expone un resumen de los hallazgos de la evaluación externa del proyecto “Fortaleciendo el Movimiento de Trabajadoras del Hogar a través del Aprendizaje y la Tecnología”- MovTRH&Tech, financiado por Cummins e implementado en dos fases entre el 2019 y el 2023 en Colombia, México, Brasil y Perú. Usando los criterios de evaluación que propone la OCDE, el informe presenta una valoración de los alcances estratégicos del proyecto, así como, lecciones aprendidas, buenas prácticas conclusiones y recomendaciones.
Hallazgos La pertinencia del proyecto se destaca desde su diseño, ya que, respondió a las necesidades de los movimientos de TRHs, incluyó acciones diferenciadas por país y empleó un enfoque participativo, adaptándose a contextos específicos. Se alineó con prioridades de instituciones y programas, contribuyendo a los ODS 5 y 8, la implementación del Convenio 189 de la OIT, leyes nacionales en México, Perú, Colombia y Brasil, los objetivos del Programa Regional Igual Valor Iguales Derechos, la visión 2030 de CARE y sus indicadores y la iniciativa Cummins Powers Women, entre otros.
El diseño de las aplicaciones contribuyó a la pertinencia, ya que, fueron diseñadas de manera participativa y diferenciada para cada país llevando a que respondieran a las necesidades propias de cada contexto. Así mismo, las campañas de comunicación y marketing contribuyeron a la pertinencia pues su desarrollo fue centrado en la experiencia y participación de las TRH, lo que constituyó un importante éxito para lograr sensibilización a diferentes públicos y ampliar el alcance esperado en un comienzo.
Strengthening the Domestic Workers Movement Through Learning and Technology (Phase III)
This document presents a summary of the findings of the external evaluation of the project “Strengthening the Domestic Workers Movement through Learning and Technology” - MovTRH&Tech, funded by Cummins and implemented in two phases between 2019 and 2023 in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Using the evaluation criteria proposed by the OECD, the report presents an assessment of the strategic scope of the project, as well as lessons learned, good practices, conclusions and recommendations.
Findings The relevance of the project stands out from its design, since it responded to the needs of the HRT movements, included actions differentiated by country and used a participatory approach, adapting to specific contexts. It was aligned with priorities of institutions and programs, contributing to SDGs 5 and 8, the implementation of ILO Convention 189, national laws in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Brazil, the objectives of the Equal Value Equal Rights Regional Program, vision 2030 of CARE and its indicators and the Cummins Powers Women initiative, among others.
The design of the applications contributed to relevance, since they were designed in a participatory and differentiated way for each country, ensuring that they responded to the needs of each context. Likewise, the communication and marketing campaigns contributed to relevance since their development was focused on the experience and participation of HRT, which constituted an important success in raising awareness among different audiences and expanding the scope initially expected. Read More...
Descripción general Este documento expone un resumen de los hallazgos de la evaluación externa del proyecto “Fortaleciendo el Movimiento de Trabajadoras del Hogar a través del Aprendizaje y la Tecnología”- MovTRH&Tech, financiado por Cummins e implementado en dos fases entre el 2019 y el 2023 en Colombia, México, Brasil y Perú. Usando los criterios de evaluación que propone la OCDE, el informe presenta una valoración de los alcances estratégicos del proyecto, así como, lecciones aprendidas, buenas prácticas conclusiones y recomendaciones.
Hallazgos La pertinencia del proyecto se destaca desde su diseño, ya que, respondió a las necesidades de los movimientos de TRHs, incluyó acciones diferenciadas por país y empleó un enfoque participativo, adaptándose a contextos específicos. Se alineó con prioridades de instituciones y programas, contribuyendo a los ODS 5 y 8, la implementación del Convenio 189 de la OIT, leyes nacionales en México, Perú, Colombia y Brasil, los objetivos del Programa Regional Igual Valor Iguales Derechos, la visión 2030 de CARE y sus indicadores y la iniciativa Cummins Powers Women, entre otros.
El diseño de las aplicaciones contribuyó a la pertinencia, ya que, fueron diseñadas de manera participativa y diferenciada para cada país llevando a que respondieran a las necesidades propias de cada contexto. Así mismo, las campañas de comunicación y marketing contribuyeron a la pertinencia pues su desarrollo fue centrado en la experiencia y participación de las TRH, lo que constituyó un importante éxito para lograr sensibilización a diferentes públicos y ampliar el alcance esperado en un comienzo.
Strengthening the Domestic Workers Movement Through Learning and Technology (Phase III)
This document presents a summary of the findings of the external evaluation of the project “Strengthening the Domestic Workers Movement through Learning and Technology” - MovTRH&Tech, funded by Cummins and implemented in two phases between 2019 and 2023 in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Using the evaluation criteria proposed by the OECD, the report presents an assessment of the strategic scope of the project, as well as lessons learned, good practices, conclusions and recommendations.
Findings The relevance of the project stands out from its design, since it responded to the needs of the HRT movements, included actions differentiated by country and used a participatory approach, adapting to specific contexts. It was aligned with priorities of institutions and programs, contributing to SDGs 5 and 8, the implementation of ILO Convention 189, national laws in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Brazil, the objectives of the Equal Value Equal Rights Regional Program, vision 2030 of CARE and its indicators and the Cummins Powers Women initiative, among others.
The design of the applications contributed to relevance, since they were designed in a participatory and differentiated way for each country, ensuring that they responded to the needs of each context. Likewise, the communication and marketing campaigns contributed to relevance since their development was focused on the experience and participation of HRT, which constituted an important success in raising awareness among different audiences and expanding the scope initially expected. Read More...
USAID’s CNHA Health Facility Readiness and Functionality Assessment, 2024
The Community Nutrition and Health Activity (CNHA), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is dedicated to enhancing the nutritional status of women and children within vulnerable 1000-day households in Bangladesh—those with pregnant and lactating women and/or children under two years. This assessment, conducted between March and June 2024, evaluated the readiness and functionality of 1,336 community clinics (CCs) and 354 Union Health and Family Welfare Centers (UH&FWCs) across 14 districts. It aimed to identify strengths and weaknesses in key operational areas, including governance and management, health workforce presence, service delivery, logistics, and information systems. The findings revealed a significant presence of community groups in CCs but highlighted operational gaps in regular meetings and management practices. While the availability of maternal and child health services was generally high, discrepancies existed in the provision of family planning methods and comprehensive nutritional services. The assessment serves as a foundational tool for CNHA to target interventions, enhance health systems, and improve overall community health outcomes by integrating these findings into local government improvement plans.
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Total Page No: 62 Read More...