The United Nations Foundation and the ExxonMobil Foundation joined forces in early 2012 to create a roadmap to catalyze program and policy action for women’s economic empowerment. Each organization has invested millions of dollars and years of focus on enhancing the lives of women in developing countries. This research initiative builds on the organizations’ shared interests and expertise, and engaged partners across the research and program communities to produce rigorous and practical recommendations for action.

A number of recent research efforts have highlighted the impact of gender inequalities on countries’ economic development and have made a compelling case for investing in programs that increase women’s economic opportunities. However, there has been a crucial knowledge gap regarding the most effective ways to pursue this goal. This initiative helps close this gap by gathering the best available evidence to help guide smart programs and investments. The report identifies proven, promising and high-potential interventions that increase productivity and earnings for different groups of women in diverse country contexts.

Many of the programs are simple and easy to implement, with the potential to benefit a significant number of women. The findings have led to the creation of a “roadmap” that gives funders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and governments a path to programs that effectively help women improve their incomes, productivity, and ultimately, their communities.