The U.S. Agency for International Development welcomes the White House’s first Progress Report on advancing the bold vision outlined in the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. The Agency reiterates its commitment to accelerate progress toward gender equality around the world, recognizing that doing so will improve the overall quality of life for all people throughout their lives.
Across the broad range of USAID’s investments in gender equality, the Progress Report spotlights the Agency’s work on strengthening women’s economic security and preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV) around the world, including from the onset of and throughout humanitarian crises.
- Expanding women’s participation in male-dominated sectors. USAID’s Engendering Industries program advances gender equality in male-dominated industries around the world through a multi-pronged approach that includes an executive leadership program, expert coaching, and robust monitoring and evaluation. The program partners with organizations across 41 countries that have collectively drafted, implemented, or enhanced policies to advance gender equality in the workplace, and, with the program’s support, companies have hired or promoted more than 4,500 women since 2020.
- Investing in programs to combat GBV in northern Central America. USAID launched new GBV prevention and response programs and tools, deepening efforts to promote human rights, justice, equity, and equality. New programming included flagship investments in northern Central America, including new programs in Guatemala to help break the cycle of violence affecting women, youth, LGBTQI+ persons, and Indigenous groups; and in Honduras to strengthen access to security and justice for survivors of GBV, as part of a broader investment in the judicial sector.
- Improving and expanding protection services for women and girls in humanitarian emergencies. Recognizing that GBV increases dramatically during humanitarian emergencies, the State Department and USAID launched the Safe from the Start ReVisioned initiative, which prioritizes improving and expanding GBV prevention, risk mitigation, response efforts, and empowering women and girls in crisis-affected countries.
Gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment are fundamental for the realization of human rights and key to building safer, healthier, and more prosperous communities. USAID is committed to increasing its investments and expanding its partnerships to advance these aims globally.