Empowering Women
When women have opportunities to launch sustainable businesses, save for the future, and take on leadership positions, everyone benefits—children, families, and entire communities. Ending extreme poverty means investing in women.
82% of our entrepreneurs are women.
Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa—and that means addressing gender inequity head on. The role women play in ending extreme poverty is critical. Women are more likely to invest in their children and families, breaking the cycle of poverty. Our poverty graduation approach equips women with the tools and resources to run businesses, save for the future, and participate in financial decision-making and leadership roles, often for the very first time.
Not only do women who participate in our program see significant increases in income, savings, assets, and nutrition, they also gain improved standing in their communities, improved mental health, and an overall sense of happiness. On top of being better off financially, women and their families who are a part of Village Enterprise are happier and have a greater sense of hope for the future.
Empowering Women through Climate-Smart Agriculture in West Pokot County, Kenya
Female farmers living in extreme poverty in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa are some of the most vulnerable populations facing threats from climate change today. This is why Village Enterprise is partnering with UN Women and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to help women launch sustainable, climate-smart agribusinesses in West Pokot County, Kenya.
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Dismantling Menstrual Health Stigmas in Mt. Elgon, Kenya
Supported by The Starbucks Foundation, Village Enterprise and Days for Girls are working together to empower women living in extreme poverty in Mt. Elgon, Kenya, to start their own businesses producing and selling washable menstrual pad kits. In addition to helping women and their families onto a sustainable path out of poverty, the project aims to eliminate the stigma associated with menstruation by advocating for policies supporting menstrual health management.
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Improving Health and Economic Development in Migori County, Kenya
Funded by the Greater Impact Foundation, Village Enterprise and Lwala Community Alliance joined forces in 2017 to address both health and economic development issues in Migori County in southwest Kenya. As Lwala worked to increase skilled delivery rates for pregnant women, reduce infant mortality, and raise primary school completion rates for girls, Village Enterprise trained 6,491 entrepreneurs, formed 136 business savings groups, and helped launch 2,157 new businesses.
Researching Women’s Leadership in Savings Groups
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Village Enterprise and BRAC are working together to research women’s leadership in savings groups. Launched in October 2020 and running through August 2023, the study aims to shed light on effective mechanisms for influencing the number and quality of female leaders in business savings groups, as well as potential treatment effects on exercising leadership skills in other community work. Findings will be shared in 2023.
I believe that if all girls and women have the opportunity to create and innovate, to be the best versions of themselves, then our world and society would be better.
Leading the Way at Village Enterprise
During the Partnership for Economic Inclusions’s May 2022 Open House, Winnie Auma was interviewed by the World Bank’s Global Director for Gender Hana Brixi. Watch the video to see Winnie’s full fireside chat.
As Winnie highlights, our commitment to female leadership isn’t just a part of our programming, it is central to who we are as an organization. At Village Enterprise, 56% of our senior leadership team are women.
