About the GROWTH Act Investing in women's economic opportunity is the best way to end world hunger and end the global economic crisis. The Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S.1425) by Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R.5191) by Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).
How Would the GROWTH Act (H.R. 5191, S. 1425) Empower Women Living in Poverty?
Small Business: Help women living in poverty start and grow their own businesses.
Property Rights: Help increase women's land and property rights.
Wages and Working Conditions: Help improve women’s wages and working conditions in poor countries by emphasizing training and education.
Access to Global Trade: Ensure that increased trade benefits women and families living in poverty.
Local Women’s Organizations: Encourage U.S. agencies to recognize women and to work with local organizations that focus on women's needs.
Why Economic Opportunities for Women? Investing in women is the surest way to end global poverty. In many poor countries, women produce the majority of the food supply and are more likely to spend their income on food, education and healthcare for their children. However, they face unequal barriers to lifting their families out of poverty: women often work longer hours in the lowest-paid sectors, earn less stable incomes, and receive less training and have fewer economic opportunities than men.
It's amazing how far investing in women can go in reducing poverty in entire families and communities. Take the case of Simantoi Kilama, a woman from a Maasai tribe in Kenya who, with hard work, determination, and economic opportunity, is now providing for herself, her family, and school children in her community with the income she earns as a nurse. Hear Simantoi tell her story!
As the largest economy in the world, a powerful trading partner, and major international donor, the U.S. can have a huge impact on the lives of women worldwide. By improving our policies, we can help millions of mothers, daughters, and sisters around the world escape poverty. Shade Bembatoum-Young, a woman who has dedicated her life to helping disadvantaged Nigerian women start and grow their own businesses, understands the potential of U.S. policy. In 2006 she traveled all the way from Nigeria and spoke at a Congressional event on the GROWTH Act. Read Shade's story!
The GROWTH Act is supported by Women Thrive Worldwide (formerly the Women's Edge Coalition), which worked with Congressional leaders, other organizations, and women in developing countries to research and develop the bill. Click here to see which organizations are sponsoring the GROWTH Act.
About Us 
