Female Empowerment
The Why.
Across the world, women face significant challenges in accessing education or high drop-out rates, and securing independent income.
The reasons are often systemic, exacerbated by social norms, stigma, and poverty. This inequality is also linked to the prevalence of child marriages, with an estimated 12 million girls affected annually.
However, empowering women is crucial for economic growth, community prosperity, and tackling climate challenges, as it enhances productivity and supports sustainable development. To drive change, it is essential to support organisations focused on keeping girls in school, discourage child marriages, promote educational opportunities for women in underserved areas, and invest in local businesses that offer dignified employment to women and underserved communities.
The Malala Fund
Founders: Malala Yousafzai. Funding Period: 2022–2024. Location: India
The Malala Fund’s Education Champions Network addresses the pressing issue of educational inequities for marginalised Dalit and minority Muslim girls in Northern India, where a significant number of girls face challenges in accessing and remaining in school, resulting in high dropout rates. Contributing factors include poverty, cultural norms favoring boys’ education, early marriages, and inadequate school facilities.
By supporting local education leaders with multi-year grants and professional development, the Malala Fund works to change social norms through initiatives like School Management Committees and women’s and peer-led girls’ groups. Improving access to education has profound positive impacts, empowering girls to gain economic independence, participate in decision-making, and achieve better health outcomes.
This empowerment not only transforms their lives but also contributes to broader societal benefits, such as reduced poverty and improved public health. By addressing these challenges and fostering inclusive learning environments, the Malala Fund unlocks the potential of these girls and drives significant social and economic progress in Northern India.
Upaya
Founders: Sachi Shenoy, Sriram Gutta, Steve Schwartz. Funding Period: 2023–2025. Location: India
Upaya Social Ventures aims to break the cycle of poverty that spans generations across marginalised communities. Their model focuses on promoting entrepreneurship, particularly among women, to foster sustainable employment opportunities. Many traditional funding sources are either too small or excessively large for these businesses, limiting their potential for scaling. Upaya addresses this gap by providing early-stage small and growing businesses (SGBs) with a combination of patient capital through recoverable grants, accelerator programs, and comprehensive advisory support.
This innovative model empowers businesses to thrive, create jobs, and secure stable incomes for workers from marginalised communities, enabling families to better meet their essential needs and invest in their children’s education. Empowering families to invest in their children’s education is essential for the success of initiatives such as Malala, which emphasises the systems approach of our female empowerment portfolio. Upaya´s impact evaluation indicates that its initiatives significantly enhance human capital and employment, especially in sectors like Food & Agriculture and Waste Management & Sanitation.
Women for Women
Founders: Zainab Salbi. Funding Period: 2023–2025. Location: Afghanistan
Women for Women International (WfWI) is committed to empowering marginalised women in conflict-affected regions, with a particular emphasis on Afghanistan. Currently, Afghan women face severe restrictions to their economic opportunities and access to essential services under the Taliban regime. WfWI tackles this urgent issue through the Stronger Women, Stronger Nations Program, which provides women with vocational skills, business training, health education, and awareness of their rights, while also offering monthly stipends to strengthen their economic resilience.
Wilstar began funding this program in late 2023, helping women build self-reliance, increase their earnings, and support their families, promoting long-term socio-economic empowerment. WfWIs impact evaluation reveals significant positive changes for Afghan women through both the stipends and training received, maximising their potential by enhancing their income and skill acquisition.
VOW For Girls
Founders: Mabel van Oranje. Funding Period: 2022–2024. Location: Global
VOW for Girls is dedicated to ending child marriage by leveraging the global wedding industry to secure sustainable funding for grassroots organisations that empower girls and prevent early marriages. Child marriage denies girls access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. VOW addresses this critical issue by collaborating with couples in their preparation for marriage, brands, and wedding professionals to raise
awareness and funds, directing 100% of proceeds to the Girls First Fund, which supports local changemakers on the ground in places like (add locations). These initiatives focus on education, skills development, health education, and leadership programs designed to keep girls in school and delay marriage. According to VOW’s impact evaluation, the efforts channelled through the Girls First Fund significantly enhance the well-being of participating girls.
