Banyan Global is managing the USAID Women’s Economic Empowerment Community of Practice (USAID WEE CoP) under the Gender Integration Technical Assistance (GITA) II task order. The USAID WEE CoP was established in 2020 to accelerate the pace of change in advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by sharing what is effective and what does not work. Through the USAID WEE CoP, members convene, identify, and share proven, promising and potential models that advance economic growth through gender equality.

Launched by the USAID Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Hub (GenDev Hub), and managed by Banyan Global, the USAID WEE CoP supports USAID WEE CoP members who include USAID staff and USAID implementing partners; private sector actors; existing networks and associations; bilateral donors, multilaterals, foundations, and the wider international development community interested in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The USAID WEE CoP currently has more than 2,000 members and continues to grow. USAID WEE CoP members are implementing nearly 100 activities in over 60 countries. Collectively, these activities increase gender equality in business operations and supply chains as well as in public institutions; strengthen the care economy; promote trade facilitation; spur investment; address climate change; support entrepreneurship and enterprise growth through access to markets, finance, and networks; influence legal, financial, and digital systems; reduce discriminatory governmental laws and regulations; improve employer policies and practices (such as closing the gender pay gap and advancing women into leadership and management); shift social norms by engaging men; and prevent, mitigate, and respond to gender-based violence in the workplace, household, and wider society.

The USAID WEE CoP is open to anyone with a desire to share and learn evidence and best practices on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. To join, please sign up here. Or, join our private USAID WEE CoP LinkedIn group.