WHITE PAPER ABSTRACT:
Women and Economic Empowerment

In “Women and Economic Empowerment,” Soroptimist International of the Americas—working to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world—examines what it means for women to lead economically empowered lives: to be free to pursue their own goals, live according to their own values and have a voice in the financial decisions that shape their lives and the lives of their families. This White Paper delves into 6 obstacles women face in achieving economic empowerment: (1) the informal sector, (2) unpaid work, (3) barriers to female-owned enterprises, (4) gendered impact of volatile economies, (5) gender-based violence and (6) lack of access to asset accumulation. It then advances strategies to tear down these barriers by promoting access to education, valuing women’s work and shifting cultural attitudes. It also discusses how Soroptimist programs further women’s economic empowerment and how investing in Soroptimist is both an investment in the world’s women and a step toward gender greater equality across the globe.

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