MinorityU provides direct financial support to charities focused on the empowerment of women focused on the drive towards achieving economic independence by providing a network of support and via charities dedicated to supporting women by providing access to training, advocacy, advice, professional attire or development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

MinorityU facilitates direct support for these female specific charities to drive change by contributing a donation to a charity selected by a MinorityU Customer with every single purchase.

We at MinorityU view investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Women make enormous contributions to economies, whether in businesses, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.

Women in general remain disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation. Gender discrimination means women often end up in insecure, low-wage jobs, and constitute a small minority of those in senior positions. It curtails access to economic assets. It limits participation in shaping economic and social policies.

Solutions

Many international commitments support women’s economic empowerment including the UN with the growing body of evidence that shows that gender equality significantly contributes to advancing economies and sustainable development.

Working with a variety of partners (Charities), MinorityU promotes women’s ability to secure decent jobs, accumulate assets, and influence institutions and public policies determining growth and development.

The economic empowerment programmes from MinortyU via direct financial support to organisations reach out to women most in need, often by engaging with grassroots and civil society organizations. Particularly marginalized groups including rural women, domestic workers, some migrants and low-skilled women and high skilled women in some cases. Our aims are higher incomes, better access to and control over resources, and greater security, including protection from violence.

KEY MESSAGES

Women's empowerment is about rights and equitable societies.

Economic empowerment is the capacity of women and men to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth processes in ways which recognise the value of their contributions, respect their dignity and make it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth.

Economic empowerment increases women’s access to economic resources and opportunities including jobs, financial services, property and other productive assets and skills development.

Women’s economic participation and empowerment are fundamental to strengthening women’s rights and enabling women to have control over their lives and exert influence in society.

It is about creating just and equitable societies. Women often face discrimination and persistent gender inequalities, with some women experiencing multiple discrimination and exclusion because of factors such as ethnicity, age and gender.

Whether the issue is improving education in the developing world, or fighting global climate change, or addressing nearly any other challenge we face, empowering women is a critical part of the equation. Gender equality and empowered women are catalysts for multiplying development efforts. Investments in gender equality yield the highest returns of all development investments.

Increasing the role of women in the economy is part of the solution to the financial and economic crises and critical for economic resilience and growth. However, at the same time, we need to be mindful that women are in some contexts bearing the costs of recovering from the crisis, with the loss of jobs, poor working conditions.

Women-owned businesses comprise up to 38% of all registered small businesses worldwide. The number of women-owned businesses is growing rapidly and, with that growth, come direct impacts on job creation.

Taking a holistic approach to women’s economic empowerment

Social and political factors have a significant influence on women’s ability to participate in the economy.

These include access to family planning and other healthcare services; social protection coverage; girls’ completion of a quality post-primary education; improving literacy rates of adult women; and, increasing women’s influence in governance structures and political decision-making. Many of these dimensions are mutually dependent and reinforcing. Cultural barriers, including discriminatory practices and attitudes are also a factor.

Culture and Tradition:

In all countries, expectations about attributes and behaviours appropriate to women or men are shaped by culture, tradition and history. The general pattern is that women have less personal autonomy, fewer resources at their disposal, and limited influence over the decision‐making processes that shape their societies and their own lives.

Education and Training:

Educating girls is one of the most powerful tools for women’s empowerment. Education provides women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence they need to seek out economic opportunities. Removing school fees and providing financial incentives for girls to attend school have proven to be effective for increasing girls’ enrolment and completion rates. Key measures include building schools close to remote communities, ensuring that schools have quality teachers – both female and male – and adequate sanitary facilities, and that they are safe places for girls. Well-designed vocational training leads to better paid work and does not concentrate women in low-wage and low-skill work or reinforce occupational segregation between women and men.

Working with allies, including the private sector

Working with allies and partners in both the public and private sectors is essential for successfully addressing and scaling up women’s economic opportunities. Within donor agencies, staff working on gender equality and women’s empowerment need to work more closely with colleagues responsible for programming in rural development, agriculture, private sector development, trade and social protection.

Expanding partnerships with the private sector and the NGO community can be effective ways of leveraging support for initiatives that contribute to women’s economic empowerment.

Supporting women’s associations and collective action

Several of the charities that MinorityU supports drive initiatives designed to strengthen women’s opportunities and capacity to organise themselves, form associations and act collectively for their common interests. Women’s associations and civil society groups have the potential to raise the voice and visibility of women and can provide many services and benefits to their members. Through collective action, women’s associations can reach out to government and private sector organisations and to seek institutional support for women’s income generating activities. They are well-placed to negotiate collective loans and micro-leasing for their membership.

“MinorityU stress that investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth.”