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- Home / Introduction
- 1. Emancipating Twenty-First Century Slaves
- 2. Prohibition and Prostitution
- 3. Learning to Speak Up
- 4. Rule by Rape
- 5. The Shame of “Honor”
- 6. Maternal Mortality: One Woman a Minute
- 7. Why Do Women Die in Childbirth?
- 8. Family Planning and the "God Gulf"
- 9. Is Islam Misogynistic?
- 10. Investing in Education
- 11. Microcredit: The Financial Revolution
- 12. The Axis of Equality
- 13. Grassroots vs. Treetops
- 14. What You Can Do
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“Women’s empowerment is always, always about more than bettering the lives of individual women.... It’s about making sure that every woman and girl everywhere has the opportunities that she deserves to fulfill her potential as a mother, as a worker, as a human being.” —Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State
The power to start and grow a business can raise a woman’s status at home and in society, while boosting confidence and improving lives, including the health of her entire family. In addition to microcredit, there are microinsurance initiatives, where members make small contributions, pool funds, and share the burden of health costs. Micro-insurance can range from grassroots efforts—a group of individuals deciding they want to form a health fund—to health initiatives by credit unions or microfinance institutions. But the result is the same—better access to health care for all.
Our View from the Ground
Senior Program Associate Bethany Cole takes us back to her experience as a former microcredit volunteer in Cameroon.
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Learn More
To learn more about successful microcredit and microinsurance initiatives, visit:
What You Can Do
Travel to developing countries, volunteer your time and talents, and learn.
98%
The percentage of loans made by Grameen Bank that are to women. The loan recovery rate is also nearly 98%.
Source: Grameen Bank