Global Fund for Women | Newsletter

"You can't talk about empowering a woman without giving her a source of income."
– Beatrice Were, Coordinator, NACWOLA, Kampala, Uganda

As any woman knows, economic independence can offer a greater degree of power in the home and in the community. As our Latina sisters explain, income enables a woman to have voz y voto – a voice and a vote – in key issues that determine the quality of life for women. In addition to increased influence in formal or informal politics, women enjoy greater solidarity and support, enhanced self-esteem, reproductive choice and higher status in her family and community.

Through a loan from the Women's Public Organization "Farozdasti" (Khujand, Tajikistan), Samarq is able to produce and sell bread to her community. A Global Fund grant of $4,600 in 2001 supports Farozdasti's programs to increase women's economic opportunities and human rights work.Photo courtesy "Farozdasti"

The chance to work outside the home and to earn an independent income are usually welcomed by women whose personal mobility and options have been extremely limited. Yet many jobs, while offering a means of basic survival, are frequently shaped by abusive or unhealthy working conditions.

The Global Fund's Economic Opportunity Initiative reaches out to women who find themselves anywhere on the continuum of change in the global marketplace: unemployed women whose factories were closed down and relocated; women recovering old traditions of agriculture or artisanry that enable them to sell goods and earn income; and domestic workers whose labor is virtually unrecognized by any government or mainstream union.

The Global Fund also supports women's rights groups that are organizing at the global level to improve their economic status. The Global Fund awarded a grant in 2002 to a Paraguayan group to participate in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil where women leaders played a significant role. They pointed out that women's economic and social rights have been severely marginalized despite international policies that guarantee equality.

In a world where the gap between the haves and have-nots is still growing, we are inspired by the innovation of women's rights groups that struggle against poverty and disenfranchisement. The grantee organizations exemplified below protect their members from harmful labor practices while ensuring that more women have the skills, training and freedom to benefit from new economic opportunities that they identify or create.

	NEWS FROM THE GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN	AUGUST 2002

Economic Justice Letter from the President Note from the Editor Introduction Philipinnes: Migrant Workers Mongolia: Women's Movement Israel: Immigrants Brazil: Earning an Income Cameroon: Tadu Dairy Women's Group Argentina: Economic Crisis The Global Fund for Women 15th Anniversary Fundraising Events Resources Calendar Masthead Global Fund Home Newsletter Home	"You can't talk about empowering a woman without giving her a source of income." – Beatrice Were, Coordinator, NACWOLA, Kampala, Uganda As any woman knows, economic independence can offer a greater degree of power in the home and in the community. As our Latina sisters explain, income enables a woman to have voz y voto – a voice and a vote – in key issues that determine the quality of life for women. In addition to increased influence in formal or informal politics, women enjoy greater solidarity and support, enhanced self-esteem, reproductive choice and higher status in her family and community. Through a loan from the Women's Public Organization "Farozdasti" (Khujand, Tajikistan), Samarq is able to produce and sell bread to her community. A Global Fund grant of $4,600 in 2001 supports Farozdasti's programs to increase women's economic opportunities and human rights work.Photo courtesy "Farozdasti" The chance to work outside the home and to earn an independent income are usually welcomed by women whose personal mobility and options have been extremely limited. Yet many jobs, while offering a means of basic survival, are frequently shaped by abusive or unhealthy working conditions. The Global Fund's Economic Opportunity Initiative reaches out to women who find themselves anywhere on the continuum of change in the global marketplace: unemployed women whose factories were closed down and relocated; women recovering old traditions of agriculture or artisanry that enable them to sell goods and earn income; and domestic workers whose labor is virtually unrecognized by any government or mainstream union. The Global Fund also supports women's rights groups that are organizing at the global level to improve their economic status. The Global Fund awarded a grant in 2002 to a Paraguayan group to participate in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil where women leaders played a significant role. They pointed out that women's economic and social rights have been severely marginalized despite international policies that guarantee equality. In a world where the gap between the haves and have-nots is still growing, we are inspired by the innovation of women's rights groups that struggle against poverty and disenfranchisement. The grantee organizations exemplified below protect their members from harmful labor practices while ensuring that more women have the skills, training and freedom to benefit from new economic opportunities that they identify or create.