Despite great strides in economic growth and increased women in leadership in the region, significant gender gaps remain. Women face systematic financial, educational, legal, structural, and cultural barriers.  These barriers prevent women from reaching their full potential and fully contributing to their countries’ economies.  We design initiatives to help women access economic resources, such as, assets, credit, income, and employment. USAID also create spaces for women’s voices to be heard.
The regional economies have shifted away from farming towards services and industry.  However, 96% of women in Burundi, 76% in Kenya, 84% in Rwanda, 71% in Tanzania and 77% in Uganda still work in agriculture.  Women's contribution to home and childcare, which is time-consuming, unpaid work, limits their ability to get paid work.  Women’s land ownership remains low in many countries.  Only 35% in Kenya and Uganda own their own land and 46% in Rwanda (UNCTAD, 2018).  Few women have bank or mobile money accounts and even less borrow money.  When women face sexual harassment and violence or they are denied their property rights, inadequate measures exist to protect them.