For as long as gender inequalities persist in international trade and in the key industries that drive economic growth in the least developed countries (LDCs), women and girls will not benefit as much as men and boys. Such inequalities are often more present in the most overlooked parts of production – among informal traders, small and microenterprises, but also among individual suppliers of raw materials and workers – many of whom are women. This is why over 60% of beneficiaries supported via the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) are women, and why the EIF launched the Empower Women, Power Trade initiative in 2019. An independent evaluation sought to gauge progress in achieving economic justice for all in settings where both poverty and inequalities are most prominent.

How strategic funding can help to ensure a global beauty industry creates local profit

In Mali, the Government's commitment to inclusive growth is recognized in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2012-2017) and the Strategic Framework for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development (2016-2018), which both give priority to the poorest people, especially women in rural areas. The EIF programme has supported this pro-poor development approach by helping to strengthen the participation of women in the shea butter, gum arabic, mango and livestock value chains. These sectors were selected, because they involve a significant number of poor people, particularly small‑scale producers and rural women.