It’s standing room only at Bloomberg in the financially embattled city of New York. I am pressed between rows of hedge fund managers, financial analysts, and investors as the National Council for Research on Women unveils a new report on women in fund management.
As economists worldwide grapple with the hard reality that 46 million more people will be added to the global poverty count this year, women and men in these affected communities already are doubling their efforts to soften that landing for their families.
During her confirmation hearings, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed the importance of prioritizing women and girls, who are at the greatest risk of being poor, and make up nearly 70% of the world’s hungry.
For generations, women coffee workers have been treated like second-class citizens. Today, they are taking on leadership roles in every sector of the industry. It’s not only creating better coffee—it’s also dramatically improving growers’ lives.
Kathy LeMay thought the only way she could make an impact was by donating lots of money to the causes she cared about. But her work as a trusted advisor in the fundraising world has shown her that the most powerful form of philanthropy is available to each and every one of us.
It’s the hot topic at dinner tables and global summits alike, but is microfinance the panacea for ending poverty and boosting women’s empowerment that it is made out to be?
Peru’s first known woman welder, Maria Landa, proves that when microfinance is coupled with skills training, family support, and an entrepreneurial spirit, anything is possible.
