Solidarity in Saving: Listening to Women's Needs During Crises

The Women (in VSLA) Respond initiative is an ongoing exercise listening to how women in Village Savings & Loan Associations (VSLAs) are affected by and responding to shocks and crises in their communities, including conflict, climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, and more. The best way to understand what is happening to crisis-affected populations is to listen to their voices and experiences.

Between February and August 2023, CARE interviewed saving group members as part of the initiative. This brief represents quantitative data from Burundi, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, and Vietnam. The survey included 3,822 (85 percent women) VSLA members.