Empowering girls & women
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), along with the United Nations shows that around the world, girls and women continue to suffer from a lack of economic opportunity, inadequate healthcare and education, early marriage, sexual violence, and discrimination. But the great news is that empowering girls and women yields life-affirming returns for everyone. Educating young women increases a country’s gross national product—and the benefits are shared by boys and men.
- CGI reports that, “when women work, they invest 90 percent of their income back into their families, compared with 35 percent for men.”2 We know that by taking care of women, they’ll take care of many others.
- For every dollar invested in women, there is a $31 return is calculated in total benefits to the community — both direct program participants, their families and their neighbours. In fact, about 25% of the benefit is in spillover effects to farmers, businesses and government actors who weren’t a part of the program.**
- Every $1 invested in women’s health unlocks $3 in economic growth.