Our Impact

Making the case for women's empowerment interventions.

The evidence is clear: the approaches our partners use work.

Their results demonstrate this impact – higher incomes, better nutrition, stronger resilience, safer communities and greater power for women.

The following examples and data showcase the benefit of investing in women’s leadership and scaling these approaches for transformative, community-wide change.

Women entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises

Global evidence

Wider social impact

Women entrepreneurs reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities, compared to 30-40% for men (World Bank, 2012).

This leads to improved child nutrition, education and local economic growth.

Job creation

Women-led businesses are proven job creators: each woman-led enterprise in developing countries creates an average of 8 additional jobs (GEM, 2020).

Poverty reduction

When women’s income rises, household poverty rates fall and local development accelerates (OECD, 2022).

Partner results

Financial security

COFCAWE, Uganda: Olivia used a loan to expand her piggery from 2 to 30 pigs, selling 20 to pay her children’s school fees and meet household needs.

“I can meet most of my family’s basic needs even before getting my salary.”

Business sustainability

247 out of 300 trained teenage mothers (77%) are operating small businesses 2.5 years after COFCAWE's intervention – 73% of whom keep written business records (up from 23% at baseline).

Improved livelihoods

AHRRA, Ethiopia: 130 women received goats and chickens, reporting increased income, improved nutrition and the ability to pay for children’s needs.

Ansha Abdu Yassin says, “I am now feeding eggs to my sons and selling the rest, which helped me to overcome poverty, buy additional foods and helped me to get money.” 

Village Savings & Loan Associations (VSLAs)

Global evidence

Economic empowerment

VSLAs consistently increase women’s income, savings and resilience.

Participation in VSLAs lead to 15-20% increases in household income and improve women’s decision-making power (Brody et al., 2015).

Shock resilience

VSLAs are linked to a 25% reduction in negative coping strategies during crises (IPA, 2021). 

Partner results

Savings growth

COFCAWE, Uganda: A VSLA for teenage mothers saved UGX 4.4 million (£932) in a year. 18 out of 25 members accessed loans for business start-up and school fees. 

Financial freedom

SHIFSD, Liberia: Five VSLAs saved LRD 1.1 million (£4,686) in 8 months. Women used loans for business and family needs, reporting increased financial freedom. 

Flexible savings

AHRRA, Ethiopia: 4-6 VSLAs have been established, each with 21-22 members. Women used savings for emergencies, business and household needs. 

FINANCIAL LITERACY

Global evidence

Stronger financial skills

Financial literacy boosts women’s savings, asset accumulation and household resilience.

Financial education increases savings by 0.3-0.8% of income and improves financial behaviour (World Bank, 2020). 

Emergency savings

Households with at least one financially literate woman are 40% more likely to have emergency savings (OECD, 2022). 

Greater agency

Financially literate women are more likely to participate in household decision-making and avoid risky debt. 

Partner results

Skills in action

COFCAWE, Uganda: After financial literacy training, teenage mothers formed a VSLA, saved over UGX 4.4 million and used loans for emergencies, business and household needs. 

Better financial management

SHIFSD, Liberia: 56 women have followed up for record-keeping, with many reporting business expansion and increased savings. 

Financial confidence

AHRRA, Ethiopia: Women report increased confidence, better financial management and improved resilience to shocks. 

menstrual hygiene & girls' education

Global evidence

Reduced absenteeism

Menstrual hygiene programmes reduce absenteeism among girls by 24%, improving school performance (Montgomery et al., 2016). 

Higher future earnings

Each additional year of schooling for girls is linked to 10–20% higher future earnings (UNESCO, 2014). 

Partner results

Improved attendance

COFCAWE, Uganda: 120 girls trained to make reusable sanitary pads and 80 packs distributed.

Girls report reduced absenteeism and improved confidence. School attendance and retention for girls increased from 60% to 80% (pre-COVID).

Access to education

FABIO, Uganda: Bicycles provided girls with improved access to school, supporting performance and retention. 

Impact of COFCAWE Interventions

93%

 of children reported delaying sexual debut to age 18 (up from 11% in 2020)


89%

of children could mention at least 3 STIs (up from 50% in 2020)



29%

of girls had knowledge of making reusable sanitary pads (up from 5% in 2020)


60%

of trained girls reported going to school due to having reusable sanitary pads (up from 20% in 2020)

Donate to SHE today.

START HER ENTERPRISE. START HER FUTURE.

 DONATE