On Our Radar: January 2024

This USAID how-to guide for bringing more women online is intended to act as a resource for internet service providers and technology companies interested in incorporating a gender-sensitive approach to their work. The guide presents recommendations and actionable steps to design, operationalize, and sustain gender programs.

Climate Change impacts women in rural areas in many ways, from reduced employment opportunities to limited access to productive resources. However, financial inclusion can empower them to build resilience and adapt to change. This CGAP video highlights four ways that rural women are disproportionately affected by climate change.

Gendered economic inequalities are among the most persistent and significant of all global gender gaps. An important contributing factor remains the underlying gender norms that keep women excluded from economic gains. ALIGN’s new report outlines key evidence and learning from successful approaches to shift the norms that underpin gendered economic inequalities at community, workplace and policy levels.

Online gig work is transforming the way women work and earn money, but they need innovative financial instruments and targeted support to fully realize the benefits of participating in this new form of work. This World Bank blog highlights how online work can be an empowering solution for women to circumvent societal norms that prevent them from accessing traditional jobs.

Project Kirana, a partnership between USAID and Mastercard, focused on helping women micro-entrepreneurs in India gain the tools they need to grow their businesses. By equipping women entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools they needed, (financial and digital literacy expertise, business management skills, and strategies for addressing cultural barriers) over 2,500 women like Gayatri were able to grow their small retail businesses and increase their incomes. In this blog, we learn more about Gayatri’s story and how to replicate the program’s success.