CARE has pioneered an approach that meets the need for microfinance at the very bottom rung of the world's economic ladder. CARE Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) empower women to pool their savings – with no outside capital – and then make loans to each other to start small businesses or pay for important life expenses.

Read more about our VSLA approach, along with other best practices at work in Africa, in CARE's most recent report: "Microfinance in Africa: Bringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor."

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Thanks to microfinance, women at the bottom of the world's economic ladder are finally gaining access to financial services that allow them to save and start income-generating businesses. The GROWTH Act promotes the economic empowerment of women and proposes concrete steps that the United States can take to play a positive role in improving the lives of the world's poorest women and their families. The bill supports women's abilities to start and develop businesses. It also supports efforts to help women realize their full economic potential by enhancing land and property rights and providing programs on economic education, skills training and advocacy.

CARE knows from experience that investing in the earning power of women yields large benefits in terms of family income and well-being. When women earn, everyone benefits. CARE's microfinance initiatives have lead the way in empowering women. Donate now to help women around the world get the tools and resources they need to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.