Four things that happen when you invest in women and girls

Carly Burson & Priti Pugalia share the benefits of investing in women

We recently had a very global conversation with business partners Carly Burso and Priti Pugalia. Carly is based in Texas and is the founder of ethical fashion brand, LAUDE the Label. Priti is the founder of Craft Boat, a recycled paper and textile manufacturing studio in Jaipur, India, deeply committed to encouraging sustainable Indian craftsmanship. Since its founding in 2015, Craft Boat has partnered with brands in the US, France and India, and now works with over 4,000 artisans on the ground. LAUDE the Label, meanwhile, works with more than 500 artisans in Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, India and Peru, with the mission of creating real, living wages for its workers and combating global poverty, an issue which disproportionately impacts women around the world. Collectively, these women are working to disrupt the traditional fashion supply chain by producing timeless products while creating meaningful economic opportunities for thousands of women. 

These entrepreneurs, business partners, and feminists reflected on the truly transformational impact of investing in women around the world. From ending the orphan crisis to disrupting cycles of generational poverty, profound change can be made across communities and countries when women have opportunities to earn meaningful wages, opportunities to feel safe, opportunities to invest in their children’s education. Here are a few of the impacts we know to be true:

1. Women reinvest in their families – On average globally, women invest around 90% of their income in their own families, as opposed to the about 30-40% men reinvest in family. 
2. Investing in female farmers can eradicate hunger – Women farmers are a central part of the agricultural economies, however they are often paid less which means they are unable to produce as much food. Paying women fair wages could increase agricultural productivity by as much as 20-30%, which could be extremely beneficial to eradicate hunger. 
3. Investing in women can decrease unsafe & unplanned pregnancies – Investing one dollar in contraceptive care for women reduces the cost of pregnancy-related care by nearly $2. Investing in contraceptive care and safe sex education for women not only betters their well-being, but ultimately saves entire economies money.
4. Increases nations’ wealth – Increasing female employment in some countries has the potential to boost GDP by over $6 trillion.