Results

Many women face barriers when trying to enter, remain, or advance in the workforce. Societal norms and expectations often keep girls and women from pursuing education and skills training. Globally, women are more likely than men to shoulder the time burden of unpaid activities, such as cleaning the home, caring for children and elders, and collecting clean water. These practices often prevent them from obtaining the education, training, and skills needed to enter higher-wage, high-growth occupations, such as in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

USAID’s Engendering Industries program supports companies to ensure both women and men are represented in technical and leadership roles. The program has supported 47 companies in 30 countries on six continents. The program’s approach is comprised of four pillars. Implemented together, these pillars increase women’s labor force participation, which has been shown to improve business performance at partner companies worldwide.