Vice President Harris Introduces Expansive Global Projects to Advance Women’s Economic Empowerment, Surpassing $1 Billion in Funding
Promoting gender equality and inclusivity stands as a fundamental principle of U.S. foreign policy across Africa and globally. Elevating the economic status of women and girls goes beyond principles of human rights, justice, and fairness—it is a strategic imperative that tackles poverty, fuels sustainable economic growth, enhances education access, improves health outcomes, fosters political stability, and nurtures democracy.
Of particular concern is the digital gender gap, which hampers women’s complete integration into the 21st-century economy. Globally, the internet usage gender disparity remains significant, with approximately 260 million more men than women accessing the internet in 2022. Furthermore, this gap has widened by 20 million over the past three years. The issue is particularly severe across Africa, where data from the International Telecommunication Union reveals that sixty-six percent of women are not connected to the internet.
To bridge this divide, the Biden-Harris Administration will collaborate with governments, private sector entities, foundations, and multilateral organizations to narrow the digital gap, enhance equitable access to digital finance and other online services, and challenge social norms that impede women’s full participation in the digital economy. On a broader scale, the Biden-Harris Administration will persist in promoting the economic empowerment of women.
To advance these objectives, the Vice President is unveiling a range of investments and initiatives in Accra, Ghana. These initiatives stem from the U.S. government and are a response to her appeal for investment from the private sector and philanthropic community. In addition, the Vice President will make a series of significant announcements on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, furthering women’s political, economic, and social inclusion in Africa. These efforts build upon previous initiatives launched during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022, including the Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) Initiative.
Launching the Women in the Digital Economy Fund with a $60 million investment: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are introducing a fresh fund aimed at accelerating the reduction of the gender digital divide. This collaborative effort involves a combined investment of $60 million, with a specific focus on allocating at least half of the funding towards Africa.
Private Sector Commitments of Nearly $400 million to Bridge the Gender Digital Divide: A collection of commitments from the private sector, amounting to nearly $400 million, will provide support in closing the gender digital divide. These commitments align with the core principles guiding the U.S. government’s efforts to address this divide.
Private Sector Pledges of over $528 million to Promote Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa: Demonstrating their dedication to gender-focused programming, various private sector entities have committed a total of over $528 million. These investments contribute to the advancement of women’s economic empowerment across Africa.
$47 million in U.S. Government Initiatives to Enhance Gender Equality in Africa: As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to foster women’s political, economic, and social inclusion in Africa, a series of initiatives totaling over $47 million have been announced. These initiatives build upon previous efforts launched during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022.
Announcement of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund:
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are collaborating on the launch of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund. This joint initiative aims to bridge the gender digital divide. USAID will allocate $50 million, while the Gates Foundation will contribute $10 million by 2026, with a specific emphasis on directing at least half of the funding toward Africa.
The Women in the Digital Economy Fund will expedite efforts to narrow the gender digital gap by scaling up evidence-based solutions that enhance women’s livelihoods, economic security, and resilience. The fund will support programs that promote digital accessibility and affordability, foster the development of relevant digital products and tools, provide digital literacy and skills training, prioritize online safety and security, and invest in gender-disaggregated data and research.
USAID, subject to fund availability, will mobilize its commitment to this endeavor, alongside other U.S. government initiatives focused on advancing gender equality and digital connectivity in Africa as part of the Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) Initiative.
Additional Private Sector and Philanthropic Pledges to Bridge the Gender Digital Divide
In response to the Vice President’s call for support in aligning with the core principles of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund, the Vice President is announcing almost $400 million in commitments from the private sector and philanthropic organizations. These commitments include:
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in addition to its investment in the Women in the Digital Economy Fund, has pledged an additional $40 million to address the digital gender divide in Africa and South Asia.
Delphos International, Ltd., a financial advisory firm, has committed to mobilizing $250 million by 2027 to promote women’s economic security throughout Africa. This funding includes $100 million specifically allocated to projects that advance digital gender equality and support women’s contributions to clean energy. These projects may involve products designed to benefit women customers or initiatives that empower women-led enterprises.
InfraCredit has made a commitment, in collaboration with development partners, to provide local currency guarantees, unlocking up to $68.6 million of domestic debt capital. This financing will support private sector enterprises that offer solar-powered mobile network access to unserved and underserved areas across Nigeria. By deploying approximately 2,000 rural mobile network stations, this initiative is expected to create up to 1 million jobs by 2030. Furthermore, it aims to enhance digital connectivity for up to 4 million women in Nigeria by 2030.
Vista Bank and Cybastion Institute of Technology have pledged to invest $20 million in establishing a gender-diverse cybersecurity workforce in Francophone Africa. Through the Vista-Cybastion CyberWomen Immersion Program, they will provide digital technology and cybersecurity training and certifications to at least 100,000 women by 2026. These efforts target women from low-income and underrepresented communities in Francophone Africa, fostering their participation in the field.
Betacube, a technology consulting company, has committed $15 million to support 80 tech startups led by Africans annually by 2025, with a focus on promoting gender diversity. Through their TechAfricanWomen program, Betacube will empower African women entrepreneurs to launch robust tech startups, preparing them for market entry and investment. Their initiative will initially target 16 African countries in 2023, expanding to 32 countries in 2024, and eventually reaching 50 African countries in 2025.
The Visa Foundation has made a commitment of $5 million in grants and impact investments to support women’s participation in the digital economy. Their focus will be on enhancing access to financial solutions and other services for women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to promote equitable digital financial access as countries continue to undergo digitization.
CARE, an international humanitarian organization, has dedicated $5 million to advance digital gender equality throughout Africa. This commitment includes raising $2.5 million, in addition to the $500,000 already secured as seed funding, to expand the reach of the Digital CARE Package. By 2028, CARE plans to extend the benefits of this package to 1 million people in Rwanda, Uganda, and other regions across Africa, enabling equitable internet access and its associated advantages. Furthermore, CARE has allocated $2 million to provide 30,000 women members of village savings and loans associations in Tanzania with access to the “Chomoka” digital platforms. These platforms enable women to establish digital identities and access digital financial services.
The International Trade Center has pledged to invest $3 million by 2025 to empower over 5,000 women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa, enhancing their competitiveness in digital trade. Additionally, their commitment aims to facilitate 3,000 women-led MSMEs to engage in international business transactions using digital means, further bolstering their growth and success.
Yeleen Enterprises, a socially responsible company, has made a commitment to invest $300,000 in piloting a digital payments program for its African suppliers of shea butter. By the end of 2025, they aim to provide at least 100 women suppliers in Ghana with cell phones and onboard them onto digital payments systems, enabling them to receive mobile money transfers. Over the next decade, the program will expand to include suppliers in Chad, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, and Uganda.
The Pfizer Foundation has pledged an additional $100,000 to support Living Goods in Kenya. This funding will be utilized to leverage digital technology and empower frontline community health workers, with a particular focus on women who serve as both healthcare providers and recipients. Living Goods’ Smart Health app equips community health workers to deliver timely, life-saving care to families in need. They provide assistance in treating sick children, supporting expectant mothers, offering counseling on modern family planning choices, providing health education to families, and distributing crucial medicines. Furthermore, Pfizer has committed to developing the “Women Living with Cancer in Africa” app, which will be freely available to users. This app aims to reduce the stigma associated with cancer while increasing women’s access to information about different types of cancers, available treatments, and strategies for living with the disease.
Microsoft Corporation has made a commitment to empower and certify a minimum of 1 million women across Africa by June 2025 through its Skills for Jobs program. To accomplish this objective, Microsoft Corporation, in collaboration with the International Labor Organization, has partnered with the Women in Business initiative. Together, they aim to provide in-demand digital skills training, business coaching, mentorship, and stipend funding to pursue job and livelihood opportunities in the digital economy. Initially focusing on Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa, their goal is to reach 30,000 women globally.
Additionally, Microsoft Corporation, in partnership with Africa Tikkun, a non-profit organization in South Africa, has committed to providing cybersecurity training and employment support to over 3,000 young jobseekers. The majority of beneficiaries will be women. This initiative seeks to equip participants with the necessary skills and support to pursue career opportunities in the field of cybersecurity.
Furthermore, Microsoft Corporation has pledged to integrate gender equality programming into its Airband partnerships worldwide, including those in Africa. The objective is to train and empower women entrepreneurs and enhance employment and trade opportunities for women through increased connectivity and access to affordable devices. As an example, Microsoft, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, and ViaSat have joined forces to invest in gender equity programming as part of their ongoing efforts to provide internet access to 25 million underserved individuals across Africa by the end of 2025.
As part of Microsoft Corporation’s dedication to promoting internet access for 100 million people in Africa, Microsoft Corporation and Mawingu Networks have committed to expanding their partnership in Kenya and venturing into new markets in Tanzania and Uganda. Their objective is to provide internet access to 20 million underserved individuals by the end of 2025. The project will prioritize connectivity for women entrepreneurs, and it will encompass additional initiatives to advance digital gender equality.
In alignment with their mission, Mastercard has made a commitment to register 30 million people on its Community Pass platform by 2027. The focus will be on registering 15 million individuals across Africa, including women in underserved and remote communities. This effort aims to enhance their access to digital commerce, agricultural markets, healthcare services, and humanitarian benefits by providing them with digital identities and a digital acceptance network. Recognizing the disparities faced by women smallholder farmers in Africa, who often have limited access to resources, credit, and essential services, the Community Pass platform connects these farmers to relevant service providers, thereby fostering a more sustainable livelihood in agriculture.
HP has pledged to expedite digital equity for 2.5 million individuals in Africa in 2023, prioritizing those most susceptible to encountering the digital divide. This includes women and girls, people with disabilities, aging populations, historically marginalized and excluded groups, as well as teachers and healthcare professionals. To fulfill this commitment, HP will assist three South African nonprofits in expanding their initiatives to promote social and economic equality in their local communities. Through the Digital Equity Accelerator, these nonprofits will receive funding, hardware solutions, and capacity-building support.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has made a commitment to increase its annual expenditure on women-owned businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa by 30 percent by 2025. This builds upon P&G’s existing collaborations with its partners to host annual conferences and workshops across Africa. These events focus on enhancing the skills and capabilities of women-led businesses, equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies to become part of multinational supply chains.
The EDISON Alliance, established by the World Economic Forum, is dedicated to expanding its Lighthouse Network in Africa by incorporating three new countries by the end of this year. The primary objective of the network is to bridge the digital divide, with a particular focus on women. The aim is to improve the lives of 1 billion people by 2025 through affordable access to digital services. The initiative also emphasizes addressing the specific barriers that women encounter when accessing and utilizing digital connectivity. Launched in 2022 with Bahrain, Bangladesh, and Rwanda, the Lighthouse Network serves as a platform for countries to showcase success stories, facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and attract partners and resources to achieve their national digital inclusion goals, including those related to digital gender equality.
myAgro, a mobile layaway platform for agriculture, has made a commitment to support 500,000 women farmers in West Africa by 2025 in utilizing mobile phones to access their digital savings tool. This tool enables them to purchase seeds, fertilizers, and modern agricultural training. Through the myAgro platform, it is expected that women farmers will invest a total of $70 million in their farms, leading to a doubling of their food production and a 35 percent increase in their agricultural income.
Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), has unveiled a five-year partnership to offer the curriculum of the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE). The AWE program is currently being implemented by 20 U.S. missions in sub-Saharan Africa, and ECA anticipates expanding AWE to four additional African countries: Cameroon, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Somalia.
Private Sector Commitments to Enhance Women’s Economic Security in Africa
In response to the Vice President’s call to foster women’s economic security across Africa and to build upon the support for the Women in the Digital Economy Fund, the following five companies and organizations have collectively announced major new commitments totaling $528 million:
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has introduced the Coalition for African Entrepreneurs, a commitment of $500 million aimed at supporting 100,000 young African entrepreneurs, including 50,000 women, by 2033. The coalition places emphasis on assisting entrepreneurs in fragile states, promoting women’s entrepreneurship, and fostering green entrepreneurship. It invites collaboration from development agencies, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, and governments to collectively empower Africa’s next generation.
Kuramo Capital Management, an investment management firm, is collaborating with various partners to dedicate over $140 million in capital by 2028. This initiative seeks to catalyze the growth of women-led and owned private equity and venture capital funds. Additionally, they aim to provide up to $5 million in in-kind services to 25 women fund managers by that time. These efforts aim to facilitate increased investment in women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa.
Vista Bank Group has made a commitment to invest $100 million in gender-smart financing structures. By 2025, they aim to utilize these structures to foster the growth of women-led enterprises in 25 countries across Africa.
The African Women Impact Fund Initiative (AWIF), with support from the Standard Bank Group, has secured an additional commitment of $25 million towards its objective of mobilizing $1 billion by 2030. Since its launch in 2020, the Fund has already obtained an initial commitment of $60 million. AWIF is dedicated to creating an inclusive investment environment by allocating resources to women fund managers. These managers will then invest in high-impact sectors and projects, bridging the financing gap for women across Africa. AWIF has identified the first cohort of 50 women fund managers across the continent whom it will support and nurture.
CARE, a humanitarian organization, has committed $7.3 million to promote women’s economic security in Africa. This includes an allocation of $6.8 million in Ghana to expand their partnership with the private sector in the cocoa value chain. This expansion aims to benefit 3,000 producer communities by 2030 and support the financial and economic empowerment of over 50,000 women smallholder farmers in the northern and middle belts through CARE’s Women in Agriculture Platforms and Farmer Field Business Schools. In Zambia, CARE has dedicated $500,000 by 2025 to collaborate with 2,000 Community Health Entrepreneurs, of whom 75 percent are women. Through LiveWell, a social business, community health workers will enhance their economic security while contributing to filling gaps in health information and services for rural communities. This initiative is expected to reach an estimated 500,000 people.
Hello Tractor, Heifer International, and the World Food Program Farm2market Alliance have made a joint commitment to invest $3.2 million in Kenya. This investment aims to support 25,000 cattle farmers in converting rice straw into feed for their livestock, addressing challenges caused by drought and climate change. Additionally, they will provide services to an additional 60,000 small farmers who cultivate crops on 90,000 acres of land. Among these farmers, 30,000 will be women, and 15,000 will practice conservation agriculture. As part of the initiative, $1.5 million will be allocated to finance tractors, rippers, and balers. Notably, half of this funding will be dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs.
The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing further commitments of $47 million in Africa to promote gender equality and empower women.
These initiatives will focus on enhancing women’s economic participation, promoting environmental stewardship, improving health outcomes, and addressing gender-based violence. These commitments build upon previous initiatives launched during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, demonstrating the administration’s continued dedication to advancing gender equality across Africa.
Promoting Economic Empowerment
Supporting Women Entrepreneurs through Digital Financial Services In Lesotho, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the World Bank have joined forces to introduce the Digital Innovation to Improve Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs initiative. This collaboration involves partnering with local financial institutions to pilot gender-responsive digital finance products specifically tailored for small business owners. These innovative solutions aim to overcome a significant hurdle faced by female business owners—reliance on fixed-asset collateral. The most effective products identified through the pilot phase will be scaled up as part of a $25 million investment in women entrepreneurs, facilitated through the Health and Horticulture Compact. The compact, signed by MCC and the Government of Lesotho in 2022, is focused on empowering women and promoting their economic growth.
Promoting Women’s Land Rights MCC has announced the establishment of the Centre d’Inclusion des Femmes au Foncier (CIFF) Center for Women’s Inclusion in Land Rights in Morocco. This center was developed with support from MCC’s Morocco Employability and Land Compact, which included a $1 million investment for the establishment of the center. The CIFF Center aims to collect and disseminate data on land and women’s land use, empower women to exercise their land rights, and strengthen land policy. Notably, women account for nearly half (41%) of the title holders of land titled through the compact, demonstrating a significant increase compared to the approximately 1% who would have been eligible without claiming their inheritance rights.
Advancing Women’s Trade and Investment in Africa USAID is dedicating $2 million from the Gender Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Fund to collaborate with agro-processing and garment companies in Kenya through the Imarisha Women’s Initiative. This initiative aims to empower women by helping them progress in their careers, enhancing their skill sets, and increasing their income, all while fostering more flexible and supportive work environments. As part of the Africa Trade and Investment program, which supports the Prosper Africa initiative, and in partnership with the African Women’s Trade and Investment Project, this program strives to promote women’s participation in leadership and management roles within trade-related industries across Africa.
Promoting Women-Owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) USAID has announced the allocation of $3 million from the GEEA Fund to support Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA) in bolstering the export capabilities of nine apparel manufacturers, primarily women-owned, located in Benin, Ghana, and Togo. Through various initiatives such as factory training, market facilitation under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), finance facilitation, and export capacity development, EAA aims to accelerate the growth and success of these manufacturers. With USAID’s assistance, EAA firms are projected to secure a minimum of $10 million in export orders over the next year. EAA has already identified five Ghanaian firms, all women-owned and employing a predominantly female workforce, that will receive support during this one-year engagement.
Supporting Women Farmers The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has made a commitment to provide a $10 million loan to Kentegra Biotechnology. This financial support aims to facilitate the construction of a new facility that will enhance the production capacity of pale refined pyrethrum extract (PRE). PRE is a vital component in the production of organic pesticides, and Kentegra sources the pyrethrum flower from Kenyan farmers. Presently, Kentegra collaborates with 9,200 farmers, with nearly half of them being women. Kentegra intends to increase the proportion of women it engages with over the next five years.
DFC’s loan will not only enable women farmers to have more predictable incomes but also offer them higher prices compared to alternative crop options. Moreover, it will provide training on implementing best farming practices and equip women farmers with financial planning tools, thereby ensuring they fully benefit from the increased incomes generated through pyrethrum cultivation. This commitment seeks to support and empower women in agriculture, promoting their economic empowerment and helping them thrive in the farming sector.
Promoting Environmental Conservation
Enhancing Women’s Electricity Access USAID is allocating $3 million from the GEEA Fund to facilitate the establishment of cooperatives that are owned or managed by women. This investment aims to expand access to electricity throughout Zambia through the Zambia Electric Cooperatives Development Project. The project will actively address gender disparities in the energy sector and sustainable electrification expansion. By involving rural households, especially women, in owning their local electric service provider, it aims to empower rural women economically. Additionally, the project will deliver affordable, energy-efficient services and technologies that support entrepreneurial activities, fostering the economic empowerment of women in rural areas.
Promoting Women’s Involvement in the Energy Sector Utilizing funding previously announced during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), USAID is committing $1 million from the GEEA Fund to advance gender equality through efficient energy utilization in East Africa. The initiative aims to scale up projects that promote productive energy use, establish communities of practice, and enhance women’s access to financing for efficient appliances. Additionally, USAID will focus on fostering women’s leadership in the dynamic electric power sector. This will be achieved through various means, including curriculum development, internships, fellowships, and leadership and empowerment training, which aim to educate the next generation of science and engineering experts. This comprehensive effort not only creates economic opportunities for women but also encourages the adoption of productive energy practices in East Africa and globally. It further trains the next generation of women with the essential skills required in the ever-evolving power sector.
Promoting Women’s Health and Well-being:
Promoting the Health and Well-being of Adolescents The Peace Corps is dedicating an annual investment of $750,000 for the next two years to expand its youth-focused programs aimed at addressing global health issues. These initiatives encompass HIV prevention and care, malaria prevention and treatment, gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as economic empowerment. The program will operate in a total of eighteen countries, with a particular emphasis on serving adolescent girls and young women, with the majority of these countries located in Africa.
USAID will allocate $400,000 to its Youth Excel program in Tanzania, which focuses on educating adolescent boys and young men on positive gender norms, fostering healthy and equitable relationships, promoting economic productivity, and encouraging positive reproductive health practices for themselves and their partners. This program delivers educational sessions conducted by positive male role models and covers various topics such as gender, violence prevention, addiction and alcohol abuse, soft skills, financial literacy, and puberty and reproductive health.
Combating Gender-Based Violence Mitigating Gender-Based Violence in Rural Communities. USAID is allocating more than $780,000 from the GEEA Fund to tackle gender-based violence through the Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environments (RISE) grants challenge. In Zambia, the RISE challenge will establish Community-Based Fisheries Resources Management Committees, empowering rural women to enhance their leadership abilities, advocacy skills, and conflict management competencies to combat gender-based violence within the fisheries sector. In Kenya, the funds will support efforts to prevent gender-based violence and promote gender equality in conservancies.
