Missing Women: Gender and the Extreme Poverty Debate

Part of the USAID Extreme Poverty Think Tank Series, in collaboration with InterAction

Development institutions and other key players in the post-2015 development agenda have come together around the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. However, the discourse on extreme poverty has to date been remarkably gender-blind. This omission is particularly striking in light of compelling evidence that gender inequality makes females more vulnerable to poverty than males and that women and men respond with different coping strategies when seeking to escape poverty. Effectively ending extreme poverty will require a concerted effort to reach poor women and to develop interventions that tackle their unique vulnerabilities and constraints.

This event will bring together a panel of experts to discuss two key issues: why focusing on women is fundamental to ending extreme poverty, and what approaches work best to lift women out of poverty. A paper on gender and extreme poverty that was commissioned by USAID and authored by Caren Grown will be available at the event and will be included in the discussion.

Speakers:

• Caren Grown, Economist-in-Residence at American University, author of Missing Women: Gender and the Extreme Poverty Debate
• Ritu Sharma, President, Women Thrive Worldwide
• Tjada McKenna, Acting Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Food Security, USAID
• Manisha Bhinge, Senior Program Manager, BRAC
• Catherine Cozzarelli, Senior Gender Advisor, Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning, USAID
• Lindsay Coates, Executive Vice President, InterAction (moderator)