Traditional norms often limit women’s access to and control over property, impacting their financial capacity for economic activities. This results in significant disparities: while 40% of MSMEs are women-led, only 17% of women hold bank accounts, and a mere 8% access formal bank loans, leading to a “shockingly small share” of total credit. These financial exclusions, coupled with limited access to modern farming techniques, capital for agribusiness, and the heavy burden of unpaid care work, profoundly hinder women’s transition beyond subsistence farming.

What is CARE International in Rwanda is doing to advance Women Economic Empowerment

CARE addresses these challenges by supporting economically marginalized women to access vital financial services, participate in dignified work, and thrive as entrepreneurs and small-scale producers. We empower women through knowledge, skills, and by fostering women’s collectives like Village Savings and Loan Associations. Through targeted advocacy, CARE works to transform discriminatory social norms, laws, policies, and practices, ensuring women gain equitable access to markets, quality employment opportunities, and essential financial services, ultimately securing their economic justice.