Breaking Barriers : Empowering Women through Economic Inclusion Programs

Overview & Synopsis

Ninety percent of economic inclusion programs target women, yet only a third prioritize women’s economic empowerment (WEE) as a core objective. Unless programs are designed to address gender-specific barriers, they risk reinforcing rather than reducing gender inequalities. Economic inclusion programs offer a scalable and proven solution to address inequalities by advancing women’s economic empowerment. Evidence from economic inclusion programs shows that they have delivered significant gains in women’s labor force participation and economic outcomes across various countries. This paper provides guidance on how economic inclusion programs can advance women's economic empowerment, drawing on best practices from programs that have demonstrated success. It adapts the operational framework presented by Cunningham and Ringwala and van Eerdewijk et al., which includes three pillars: agency, resources, and context. The paper also highlights how setting WEE as a core objective allows women to participate in economic activity and exercise agency, access resources, and influence decisions. The paper includes: (i) an overview of gender-focused economic inclusion programs; (ii) a conceptual framework and rationale for incorporating a gender lens in economic inclusion programs; (iii) global evidence and operational experience; and (iv) standardized tools for measuring women's economic inclusion for practitioners and policymakers.