What Can Biden's Plan Do for Poverty? Look to Bangladesh.

In villages in Bubisa, Kenya, women have come together to form informal community banks so that they may have greater financial access and power. These groups of women together save money, and then lend and borrow money with one another, giving themselves the chance to own property and send their kids to school – without having to rely on their husbands.

Researchers from Yale and MIT conducted a poverty study across various countries and found that aid can relieve poverty if it is comprehensive and gives people a productive asset.

Pathways to Choice es un programa implementado entre 2018 y 2020 en 18 comunidades del norte de Nigeria que combinó clubes educativos para adolescentes, formación en habilidades sociales y trabajo con líderes comunitarios y religiosos para lograr que el 79% de las participantes no contrajeran matrimonio durante el periodo estudiado (frente al 14% en comunidades sin el programa) y aumentando la asistencia escolar en 70 puntos porcentuales.

Schools in Adamawa State are increasing the number of female teachers, which is inherently increasing the number of female students attending school. Previously, over 50% of girls in the area had not been in school, or dropped out, but with the increase of female teachers, the number of girls in school has dramatically increased.

States across India are providing free bus passes for women so they can afford to join the workforce and have more financial independence.

The Sebastian Indian Social Projects (SISP) works with socio-economically disadvantaged communities, providing social services like healthcare and employment assistance with a primary focus on educating youth. SISP has focused on educating the local female population, which has helped empower them economically and led to several women receiving jobs outside of their village. SISP has also educated several students who were forced to drop out of traditional school and provides supplementary activities along with their standard education, such as skating and coding clubs.

Women-only taxi companies like An Nisa in Nairobi empower women to become rideshare drivers. These opportunities combat gender bias and create a safer space for women.

PLAN International is a global organization that works to increase the rights and access to gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly, and inclusive menstrual health management. The organization set up Pad Banks in schools and has also partnered with local advocacy groups to train and educate young women and girls on menstrual health and hygiene, all in hopes to address stigma, misinformation, and period poverty.

A comprehensive initiative to reduce stunting in children caused by malnutrition and poverty is seeing positive results in Rwanda. The government has provided food, frequent health assessments, and has also encouraged families to plant vegetable gardens.

Women are given the tools and training needed to monetize skills they already have in order to reduce food insecurity. From the Middle East to Africa and Central America, skills such as hammock weaving, cooking, and farming are helping women reduce poverty and create better lives for their families and communities. Empowering women and girls results in powerful ripple effects.