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Empowering Women & Girls with Half the Sky
Though microfinance is available to both men and women entrepreneurs, the gains that women achieve are almost three times more likely to be reinvested in their children—providing a powerful generational multiplier that accelerates economic growth. A woman will spend 90% of her income on her family, while men typically spend only 35%. That’s why if Read more…
Tagged Children, Education, Empowerment, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Girls, Half the Sky, India, Investing in Women and Girls, Jayanthi, Loan Officer, Loans, Microfinance, Mothers, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity International, Poverty, Sheryl WuDunn, strategic partners, Trust Groups, Women, women's empowerment, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Three Rwandan Mothers I Met on the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) Insight Trip
I recently returned from a week-long Insight Trip to Rwanda with a group of supporters from the U.K. and the U.S. We traveled in Kigali and to rural villages, visiting with clients and local staff, attending meetings, and getting to know how Opportunity’s Rwandan clients live and work. Now that we’re just three days out Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Opportunity Quilt, Global Poverty, Insight Trip, International Women's Day, Loans, Microfinance, Mother's Day, Mothers, Opportunity International, Opportunity UK, Poverty, Robin Ussery, Rwanda, Trust Groups, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
What We’re Reading: Top 10 Posts on International Women’s Day
As we close out the week, I’m reflecting on some of the articles published in honor of yesterday’s International Women’s Day. Here are just a few of the provocative, interesting, inspiring and even maddening(!) ones I encourage you to read or re-read, in no particular order… “What if Mark Zuckerberg Were Born a Girl in Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Climate Change, CNN, Community, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, Huffington Post, International Women's Day, IWD2012, Kenya, Loans, Malawi, MFI, Microfinance, Mothers, ONE blog, Opportunity International, Oxfam, Poverty, Rural Outreach, Tanzania, The Guardian, The New York Times, Trust Groups, UN Women, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, World Bank
Meet the Women of Opportunity
Today, on International Women’s Day, the world comes together to celebrate the achievements, strength and rights of women. On this day, we can all take a few extra moments to see and feel the connections that exist in the community of women that contribute to Opportunity International. It is through these connections that our supporters, staff Read more…
Tagged Africa, Asia, Colombia, DR Congo, DRC, Ghana, Honduras, India, International Women's Day, IWD2012, Latin America, local staff, Mothers, Opportunity International, Philippines, staff, Supporters, Women, women clients, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, WON
What We’re Reading: A Microfinance, Poverty, Empowerment Reading List
Looking for your next big read? We’ve put together a list of compelling books we’re reading, running the gamut from microfinance and international development, to global aid and putting your faith into action. Check out our list and let us know what you think in the comment field below. What would you add, and what Read more…
Tagged Banker to the Poor, Daryl Collins, Dead Aid, Ghana, Global Poverty, Half the Sky, Jacqueline Novogratz, Katie Smith Milway, Kojo, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Muhammad Yunus, Nicholas D. Kristof, One Hen, Opportunity International, Portfolios of the Poor, Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day, Poverty, Sheryl WuDunn, The Blue Sweater, unpoverty, unpoverty rich lessons from the working poor, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Top 5 Highlights from Opportunity’s 2011 in Review
As we take the first steps into 2012, it’s good to see where Opportunity International ventured on the road of 2011. We ran all over the globe and hiked into new territory both literally and figuratively. We celebrated milestones, and went to new heights, for the sake of our clients and the sustainable work of Read more…
Tagged 40th anniversary, 40th anniversary year-end campaign 2011, Africa, Banking on Women, Clients, Devex, Empact, Empact 100, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Future of Entrepreneurship Summit, India, Insight Trip, International Women's Day, Jump for Opportunity, Microensure, Microinsurance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Richard Leftley, Side by Side, sustainable finance award, USA Today, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Stand Up for Opportunity
I sat down to listen to a panel of Opportunity International volunteers and contributors to hear their thoughts and best practices on how they share and involve their own communities in Opportunity’s mission. Each panel member shared their own journey with Opportunity and how they came to be involved. Though unified in passion, each contributor’s Read more…
Tagged Alison Altdoerffer, Amelia Gingold, Betsy Perdue, Board of Governors, Dick Leathers, Microfinance, Monica Perez, OIC2011, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Sonya Perez-Lauterbach, Sunshine Sachs & Associates, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-Denver, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Why Women? Why Now?
The impact of focusing on women is thus multi-fold: not only will empowering women [with financial services] uplift the lives of women, but it also produces a wider impact on multiple generations and the communities in which they live. -2011 Study by Women’s World Banking In families where have an income, they have a voice Read more…
Tagged Africa, Deborah Farrington, Diane Griffin, DR Congo, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Microfinance, Nadine Pembele, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Ruth-Anne Renaud, StarVest Partners, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, Women's World Banking, WON
Conference LiveBlog: Reeta Roy Accepts the 2011 International Women’s Leadership Award on Behalf of The MasterCard Foundation
Today, Betsy Perdue, co-chair of the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON), presented Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation, with WON’s 2011 International Women’s Leadership Award. Roy accepted the award on behalf of the Foundation, honored for its role in supporting and inspiring global women entrepreneurs. By increasing access to microfinance and youth education in developing Read more…
Tagged Africa, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Poverty, International Women’s Leadership Award, MFI, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Reeta Roy, Technology, The MasterCard Foundation, United Nations, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Congratulations to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, One of the Winners of 2011 Nobel Peace Prize
Congratulations to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize along with Liberian peace activist Leymah Gboweeh and Yemeni pro-democracy human rights campaigner Tawakkol Karman. They were the first women to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize since Professor Wangari Maathai, who passed away a couple weeks ago, won in Read more…
Tagged Africa, democracy, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Human Rights, International Women’s Leadership Award, Laureate Wangari Maathai, Microfinance, Nobel Peace Prize, Opportunity International, peace, Poverty, The New York Times, Voice of America, Women, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
