Women’s economic empowerment is central to realising women’s rights and gender equality.
Women’s economic empowerment includes women’s ability to participate equally in existing markets; their access to and control over productive resources, access to decent work, control over their own time, lives and bodies; and increased voice, agency and meaningful participation in economic decision-making at all levels from the household to international institutions.
Empowering women in the economy and closing gender gaps in the world of work are a global imperative.
Empowering women is key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 to achieve gender equality; Goal 8 to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all; Goal 1 on ending poverty; Goal 2 on food security; Goal 3 on ensuring health; and Goal 10 on reducing inequalities.
Increasing women and girls educational attainment, contributes to women’s economic empowerment and more inclusive economic growth.
Education, upskilling and re-skilling over the life course – especially to keep pace with rapid technological and digital transformations affecting jobs – are critical for women and girls health and wellbeing, as well as their income-generation opportunities and participation in the formal labour market. Increased educational attainment accounts for about 50 per cent of the economic growth in OECD countries over the past 50 years.
Women’s economic equality is good for business.
Companies greatly benefit from increasing employment and leadership opportunities for women, which is shown to increase organisational effectiveness and growth. It is estimated that companies with three or more women in senior management functions score higher in all dimensions of organisational performance.
Prosperar focuses on addressing the un-met needs for strategic, financial and advisory support for women–owned / led SMEs to drive economic growth and job creation.
$28Tr
Closing the gender labour gap could add $28 trillion, or 26%, to annual global GDP by 2025.
2(+)x
Businesses founded by women ultimately deliver higher revenue, more than twice as much per dollar invested – than those founded by men, making women-owned companies better investments for financial backers.
30%
About one-third of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the world are run by women.
$7Tr
Closing the gender pay gap could boost the global economy by $7 trillion.
THE WORK WE DO TO SUPPORT WOMEN:
- Empower women-owned/led businesses with essential resources such as capacity building, access to finance, training and corporate governance to enhance their knowledge and skills, and thereby accelerate their business growth and scalability.
- Collaborate with policymakers, governments and stakeholders to champion policy and legal reforms that facilitate women’s economic empowerment and promote gender-inclusive green finance.
- Facilitate networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities for women-owned/led businesses by connecting them with mentors, business leaders and fellow entrepreneurs, enabling them to expand their networks and gain valuable insights from the experiences of others.
- Partner with financial institutions to design customised financial products, including digital financial services, that meet the specific needs of women, providing them with more convenient and accessible options for managing their finances.
- Work with relevant stakeholders to deliver financial education and literacy training to women, so as to provide them with the knowledge and skills to effectively and responsibly utilise formal financial products.