The Girl Effect
It was mentioned in an earlier post that when women earn an income, they reinvest 90% of it into their families, compared to 30-40% for men. It bears repeating. Ninety percent of the income a woman earns is invested in her family.
One of the major themes emerging in discussions about development is the importance of investing in women. A fellow socially-conscious blogger compiled some great research on this subject a couple of years ago; check out the statistics here. This blogger drew my attention to a great campaign called the Girl Effect, which aims to promote investment in women and girls by sharing their stories and highlighting opportunities to give. What is this effect? The campaign defines it as “The powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate.”
Take two minutes to watch their video; it captures the vital importance of directing resources towards women in poverty more than statistics ever could.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvmE4_KMNw]
It's not so surprising that the introduction of our summer read, last year's Half the Sky by Pulitzer prize-winning authors Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, is titled "The Girl Effect." Drawing from meticulous research, the authors aim to depict the phenomenon through occasionally graphic but always poignant stories. As they say, “If girls get a chance, in the form of an education or a microloan, they can be more than baubles or slaves; many of them can run businesses...Women aren't the problem but the solution. The plight of girls is no more a tragedy than an opportunity” (xviii).
One way you can help nurture that opportunity is through support of Global Goods Partners (GGP). The overwhelming majority of the artisans in the groups GGP partners with are women; by purchasing their products, you are directly helping women invest in their families, villages, towns, and beyond. Take an active role and invest in this opportunity for social change.
Comments
Debra
July 07 2022
I loved the “Girl Effect” video because of its utter simplicity and clarity of message. It makes one think that if only girls in the developing world were given a small chance to make a difference, they could change the world for the better. Thank you for sharing this video…
Debra
July 07 2022
I loved the “Girl Effect” video because of its utter simplicity and clarity of message. It makes one think that if only girls in the developing world were given a small chance to make a difference, they could change the world for the better. Thank you for sharing this video…
Comments
1 Comment