Although in many countries women are achieving equality in health outcomes and primary school enrolment rates, the world has not seen the same kind of progress when it comes to gender equity in economic opportunity. Women consistently trail men in formal labour force participation, access to credit, savings rates, income levels, entrepreneurship rates, as well as in inheritance and ownership rights.
Evidence shows that putting economic resources in women’s hands is the best way to accelerate development and sustainably reduce poverty.
Women typically invest in their families and communities significantly more than men – spreading wealth and increasing the quality of life for themselves and their families.
Women Lead the Way to Community Development
Women Empowered (WE) is Prerna Foundation’s proven and evidence-based social and economic empowerment platform that enables women to save money, develop financial literacy, and invest in income-generating activities. In addition to increasing women’s access to financial services, SHG (Self Help Groups) also focus on learning skills and building capacities, self-esteem, increasing access to information and resources, and promoting collective action and community organizing. This combination of economic and social empowerment positions them as leaders and decision-makers in their households and communities.
Prerna Foundation has made a commitment to ensure that all of our work includes an explicit focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
How Do WE Groups Work?
WE is a women’s empowerment program through which women are trained to form self-organized and self-managed savings groups, each consisting of 15-25 members, to develop their individual empowerment and increase their access to financial resources, which is critical to sustained poverty alleviation. Group members meet weekly to make decisions that impact the group, participate in life-skills training, discuss issues of mutual interest and pool their small funds into a common fund. From that common fund, members take loans and repay with interest. Women take loans for small businesses, healthcare and education for their children, and home improvements. WE groups become a platform for members to not only raise awareness on important topics, but also to join together and take action to improve their lives and communities.
Always looking to improve the model, Prerna Foundation is partnering with like-minded fraternity to integrate their life skills curriculum known as P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement, Career Enhancement) to expand the ongoing social support and skilled-based training that women in WE groups desire as they grow on their path to personal empowerment.
To ensure sustainability, WE groups expect from the start to gradually operate more and more independently, becoming a self-sustaining group that lasts beyond the program timeframe.
How can you help?
Support Prerna Foundation’s efforts to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship worldwide.