NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

MDG Goal #3 is “Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women.” The explanation is clear and concise: “Gender inequality starts early and keeps women at a disadvantage throughout their lives.”

But why have a gendered focus in poverty alleviation? Why not simply target poverty and gender inequality in their separate spheres?

It’s no secret that MFIs often deliberately seek out women clients. MFI Groups like Opportunity International , Promujer, Trickle Up, and Grameen Bank (96% women clients) all note that see great impact when they invest in women. Probably an overriding reason for MFI selectively choosing its clientele is that women “have proven to be very good credit risks with high repayment ratios.”

Furthermore, women are often the most impoverished members of developingsocieties, so raising their income and access to services therefore will have thegreatest overall economic impact on poverty.

But there are other reasons that MFIs as well as other BOP organizations like MTN Village Phone, Scojo Foundation and ITDG/Practical Action seek to target women as well:

1. Women carry much of the ?energy burden? in developing societies (consider the time it takes to harvest food, fetch firewood and water, cook, and feed the family) and benefit socially, economically, and politically from time-saving low-energy devices. These can be as simple as an energy-efficient stove or peanut grinding machine, or as complex as a rural electrification project.

2. Raising the income and education of women is linked to an improvement of their status and influence in the community, as well as secondary positive effects such as improved childhood health and family stability. The Manndeshi project empowers women by teaching them to claim ownership rights over assets and become central to economic decision-making in the family , and also gives protection from some discriminatory attacks such as fires.

3. Working with women often helps ensure the sustainability of a project , because women participants tend to mutually reinforce and encourage each other within the group.

Any organization that intends to work with or target women effectively should consider the particularities women’s needs. Livelihoodtechnology has a useful list of women’s work preferences (working at or near home; work that quickly turns time into cash; enjoyment from and a tradition of working in groups) and skill areas to target (marketing skills) based on its experience working with rural women.

MDG Goal #3 is “Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women.” The explanation is clear and concise: “Gender inequality starts early and keeps women at a disadvantage throughout their lives.”

But why have a gendered focus in poverty alleviation? Why not simply target poverty and gender inequality in their separate spheres?

It’s no secret that MFIs often deliberately seek out women clients. MFI Groups like Opportunity International , Promujer, Trickle Up, and Grameen Bank (96% women clients) all note that see great impact when they invest in women. Probably an overriding reason for MFI selectively choosing its clientele is that women “have proven to be very good credit risks with high repayment ratios.”

Furthermore, women are often the most impoverished members of developingsocieties, so raising their income and access to services therefore will have thegreatest overall economic impact on poverty.

But there are other reasons that MFIs as well as other BOP organizations like MTN Village Phone, Scojo Foundation and ITDG/Practical Action seek to target women as well:

1. Women carry much of the ?energy burden? in developing societies (consider the time it takes to harvest food, fetch firewood and water, cook, and feed the family) and benefit socially, economically, and politically from time-saving low-energy devices. These can be as simple as an energy-efficient stove or peanut grinding machine, or as complex as a rural electrification project.

2. Raising the income and education of women is linked to an improvement of their status and influence in the community, as well as secondary positive effects such as improved childhood health and family stability. The Manndeshi project empowers women by teaching them to claim ownership rights over assets and become central to economic decision-making in the family , and also gives protection from some discriminatory attacks such as fires.

3. Working with women often helps ensure the sustainability of a project , because women participants tend to mutually reinforce and encourage each other within the group.

Any organization that intends to work with or target women effectively should consider the particularities women’s needs. Livelihoodtechnology has a useful list of women’s work preferences (working at or near home; work that quickly turns time into cash; enjoyment from and a tradition of working in groups) and skill areas to target (marketing skills) based on its experience working with rural women.

MDG Goal #3 is “Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women.” The explanation is clear and concise: “Gender inequality starts early and keeps women at a disadvantage throughout their lives.”

But why have a gendered focus in poverty alleviation? Why not simply target poverty and gender inequality in their separate spheres?

It’s no secret that MFIs often deliberately seek out women clients. MFI Groups like Opportunity International , Promujer, Trickle Up, and Grameen Bank (96% women clients) all note that see great impact when they invest in women. Probably an overriding reason for MFI selectively choosing its clientele is that women “have proven to be very good credit risks with high repayment ratios.”

Furthermore, women are often the most impoverished members of developingsocieties, so raising their income and access to services therefore will have thegreatest overall economic impact on poverty.

But there are other reasons that MFIs as well as other BOP organizations like MTN Village Phone, Scojo Foundation and ITDG/Practical Action seek to target women as well:

1. Women carry much of the ?energy burden? in developing societies (consider the time it takes to harvest food, fetch firewood and water, cook, and feed the family) and benefit socially, economically, and politically from time-saving low-energy devices. These can be as simple as an energy-efficient stove or peanut grinding machine, or as complex as a rural electrification project.

2. Raising the income and education of women is linked to an improvement of their status and influence in the community, as well as secondary positive effects such as improved childhood health and family stability. The Manndeshi project empowers women by teaching them to claim ownership rights over assets and become central to economic decision-making in the family , and also gives protection from some discriminatory attacks such as fires.

3. Working with women often helps ensure the sustainability of a project , because women participants tend to mutually reinforce and encourage each other within the group.

Any organization that intends to work with or target women effectively should consider the particularities women’s needs. Livelihoodtechnology has a useful list of women’s work preferences (working at or near home; work that quickly turns time into cash; enjoyment from and a tradition of working in groups) and skill areas to target (marketing skills) based on its experience working with rural women.

Although Nextbillion.net’s Activity Database does not have a specific category for women-related activities (should there be?), it is easy to run a search with just the word “Women.” I was surprised at how many hits I got–in fact, that is what prompted this post. What do you all think? Too many Woman-centric BOP activities? Not enough? Are there some we have overlooked and should enter?