When we pull women out of poverty, many positive things tend to happen. That was the framing Trevor Tomkins, president of venture | dairy, used in kicking off the summit “Out of Extreme Poverty: Women Leading the Way.” Tomkins, who also serves as vice chair of Women Thrive, listed just a few of the benefits, including:
- Increased numbers of children enrolled in school, as women tend to place a higher value on education.
- Decreases in malnutrition, as women are dedicated to ensuring their children are properly fed.
- Increases in community cooperation, as women are more likely than men to help others, and they abhor war and violence.
We can all agree these are very positive developments. So why isn’t more being done to bring about economic empowerment for women, who represent six of every 10 people living in extreme poverty? What needs to change to make more happen? These were among the questions raised at the summit, which was held by Women Thrive earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
