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This document addresses key questions essential to design meaningful strategies that will lead to women’s economic empowerment. It presents: 1. A definition of women’s economic empowerment; 2. A measurement framework that can guide the design, implementation and evaluation of programs to economically empower women; and 3. A set of illustrative indicators that can serve as concrete examples for developing meaningful metrics for success. The concepts presented are meant to help practitioners, researchers and donors design effective, measurable interventions to advance women economically. In developing these concepts, ICRW has drawn both on the available literature and on ICRW’s direct experience in evaluating women’s economic empowerment programs. This document is intended as a conceptual guide, rather than an operational tool kit. Economic empowerment is a complex process, and the general framework presented here will have to be adapted to meet the needs of specific projects.

This publication is the result of a study commissioned in 2014 by the French Fair Trade Platform (Plate-Forme pour le Commerce Equitable – PFCE), in partnership with Max Havelaar France and Ethiquable, on existing mechanisms for the pre-financing of agricultural production campaigns in the fair trade sector. This study led to the realization of these fact sheets presenting the offer of 11 financial institutions as well as 2 innovative financial tools, participative funding (or crowdfunding ) and employee savings. It identifies recommendations to enhance, improve and disseminate good practices.