The ONE Campaign, Habitat for Humanity, Opportunity International, and Women’s Edge Coalition came together to create a briefing for Hill staff at the Capitol Building today about the GROWTH Act. (S. 2069) Senators Durbin and Hutchison hosted the event, which we called: “Fighting Poverty with Common Sense: Investing in Women’s Economic Opportunity.”

The impressive turn-out led to a great joke by Susy Cheston, Senior Vice President for Policy at Opportunity International: After observing the standing -room-only crowd that had gathered in the back of the room, she remarked, “You should all receive a sticker that says, ‘I stood up for Women today!’”

Along with Susy Cheston were four other speakers, all with extensive knowledge and advice about empowering women to lift themselves, and their families, out of poverty. They were Nora O’Connell, Vice President for Global Development Policy at that Women’s Edge Coalition; Donne Cameron, Senior Director for International Programs for Habitat for Humanity; Shade Bembatoum-Young, Founder and Executive Director of African Sustainable Small Enterprise Export Development Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria; and S.K. Guha, Senior Program Specialist at UNIFEM.

The panelists discussed first-hand experiences, insight, and policy objectives relating to the GROWTH Act. The Act focuses U.S. international assistance on proven strategies to enable women to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. If passed, it will promote women’s ability to start and grow their own businesses, enhance land and property rights for women, improve women’s wages and working conditions, and provide a crucial link for women in poverty to the opportunities created by global trade.

In some instances, it is as simple as placing a second line on a government form, allowing a woman to enter into joint land ownership with her husband, and preventing her from losing her home if her husband dies. In other situations, empowering women consists of sharing knowledge of marketing and global trade, or providing funds to allow female farmers to receive crucial agricultural training

This piece of legislation is extremely important, and has the potential to improve the lives of women and their families by helping them lift themselves out of poverty! How great is that?!

-Elizabeth Gregg