WASHINGTON (Oct. 8, 2021) – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power announced the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment (Alliance) during a fireside chat with General Counsel & Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard Richard Verma during the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum’s 4th Annual Summit. The Alliance, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the George Washington University, will catalyze transformational commitments to foster women's economic advancement and inclusion in India through a comprehensive approach that will increase women’s access to education, health services, finance, mentoring, and technical skills.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost everyone around the world, it has disproportionately affected marginalized populations, including women in India. From difficulty accessing financial services to increased pressures balancing unpaid care and domestic work while working, women are enduring increased underemployment and business closures. This Alliance, supported by the U.S. government, will create opportunities for women workers and women-owned and/or women-led micro small and medium enterprises to recover and thrive economically. It serves as a platform for U.S. and Indian businesses, civil society, academia, and governments to work together to accelerate women’s economic advancement, which is now more than ever crucial to boosting economic growth amidst the ongoing pandemic.
GW is the Alliance’s academic partner and will provide insights and leadership around the acceleration of gender lens investment in India through data and evidence. Amita N. Vyas, Director of the GW Maternal and Child Health Center at Milken Institute School of Public Health at GW serves on the Alliance’s Executive Committee alongside senior leaders from the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum.
“The Alliance will provide new and innovative ways to create stronger partnerships and investments,” Vyas said. “We know that investing in adolescent girls and women is catalytic because it not only changes the lives of individual women, but ensures that their families, communities, and the country thrives.”
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