This brief focuses on CARE's approach to agricultural inputs during crisis and how programs can be adapted to respond to COVID-19.
At the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, CARE, PEI (the World Bank’s Partnership for Economic Inclusion), the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, and the Government of Uganda brought together over 40 people from key governments & civil society organization leaders to discuss experiences and lessons learned from challenging gender inequality and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Savings Group models. The focus of the session was to explore how government-led Savings Groups (also known as Village Savings & Loan Associations or VSLAs) are a tool for gender norms transformation, women’s economic empowerment, poverty eradication and social protection. Read More
CARE and Mastercard's Center for Inclusive Growth organized a practitioner dialogue to share practical insights and learnings from the Ignite Program where three panelists discussed key drivers to scale impact for women-led micro and small businesses financial health - specifically around childcare, green business, and measurement practices. The event was closed with a group discussion of actionable steps for joint efforts. Read More
Women globally are 17% less likely to own a smartphone than men and even with mobile technology in a household, women are less likely to have the skills or confidence to use a mobile device and are less likely to have control over when and how they use it. These barriers are particularly acute for members of Village Savings & Loan Associations (VSLAs) who tend to be from the lowest income communities. For VSLA members, access to and usage of digital technology is limited due to cost, but also discriminatory gender norms that limit women’s ability to acquire basic digital skills and access to and use of technology. To address women’s digital exclusion, CARE developed a multi-pronged approach to delivering digital tools and skills to VSLA members, including enabling access to devices and addressing discriminatory norms. Two pilots commenced in September 2022, with 50 groups in Uganda and 50 groups in Rwanda. Through these pilots, CARE has conducted extensive research and is addressing social norms; facilitating access to devices; and delivering digital training. Read More