133. Investing in Women's Economic Independence

Women and girls make up a disproportionate amount of the 1.2 billion people who live in extreme poverty around the world. Our guests today are working in Rwanda and in cities around the world to create opportunities for women that lead to economic independence. Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women's Economic Development Initiative, led by Verna Eggleston, has focused on developing women's skills to help them master income-generating activities.

More than 724,000 women and their families have enrolled in training and education programs directly benefiting over 2.8 million of their children through access to health insurance, education beyond primary school, increased savings, and much, much more. This summer, an independent third party evaluation conducted and published by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies showed how effective and replicable the program is. In this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Verna Eggleston, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women's Economic Development Initiative, Laurie Adams, the CEO of Women for Women International, and Christine Condo, the Executive Director of Sustainable Growers. They discuss how the program affects women, their communities, and their children and families, key findings of the Johns Hopkins report, and how listeners can get involved.