The Weekly Slice: April 6, 2023

?Inclusive Event

Global Inclusive Growth Summit

The world is but a week away from the?2023 Global Inclusive Growth Summit, in which leaders, innovators, and game-changers will gather in the service of creating a truly inclusive economy. The April 13th Summit is a high-powered event, timed with the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF; many of the people making policy in those gatherings will gather at the Summit when their official work is done. On stage and off, they’ll be working together to define problems and hammer out strategies.?

Though the Summit is more about action than talk, there will be plenty of informative, inspirational, and actionable discussion. In just the last few days, the speakers list has grown to include comedian, author, and philanthropist?Trevor Noah, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s?Melinda French Gates, Mastercard CEO?Michael?Miebach, USAID’s?Samantha Power, Paralympian and journalist?Ade Adepitan, and influencer and interviewer?Lilly Singh.?A livestream of the event?will run throughout the day, and will feature speakers, one-on-one conversations, and roundtable discussions.?

Keep an eye on the?Global Inclusive Growth Summit?website for speaker updates and the dynamic agenda. If you are in the DC area, you may apply for an in-person registration pass by emailing?[email protected]. Sign up now—we're just a week away.

Register for the livestream here.?

Economic Equity?

What would the economy look like if it worked for women?

That very compelling question is the central inquiry of the research and action project Women in the Economy, led by?Heather McCulloch?and?Céline Apollon?of the Institute’s?Financial Security Program. The project has recently published?Women in the Economy: Survey Findings, which gathers responses to a year’s worth of interviews and surveys of women from all over the country and across intersecting identities.?

The report takes “a deep dive into women’s economic lives to obtain their insights about the causes of their economic insecurity, what they see as the most promising solutions, and their vision for a gender-equitable economy.”

The issue:

• U.S. economic policy has never been designed to meet women’s needs.
• Policymakers rarely ask if women benefit; as result, they often do not.?
• Most advanced countries have acknowledged the role of women as breadwinners and caregivers, and have designed and invested in systems to support them.?
• The infrastructure of supports for working women in the U.S. is weak, and policies to strengthen it have been blocked or dismantled.?

The answer:?

The answer will be found by listening to women, something the project has made a centerpiece of its methodology. The report centers their voices, and finds agreement across race and ethnicity for policies such as flexible work schedules, increased minimum wage, paid family leave, and affordable and accessible childcare.?

The article:?

Chabeli Carrazana?of?The 19th?reported on the findings, with context from McCulloch and women who were surveyed.?

Read the full report here.?

Digital Equity?

Introducing the 2023 Digital Equity Accelerator Cohort

You didn’t read it here first, but you’ve read it here a dozen times: Financial inclusion requires digital inclusion. So we’re thrilled to see the announcement of another cohort of the Digital Equity Accelerator, a collaboration between?Aspen Digital?and HP Inc., which recognizes local NGOs working toward the digital inclusion of marginalized populations. The new class consists of ten not-for-profit organizations and NGOs in Malaysia, Mexico, and South Africa; they’ll receive assistance that allows them to expand their reach and impact.?

Among the cohort are:

• Digify Africa, which works to address youth unemployment by reaching “high potential, low opportunity” young people across South Africa and providing them with vocational programs, digital skills education, and job pathways.?
• Science of Life Studies 24/7, which aims to create new modules in digital skills, professional and personal development, English, and life skills in Orang Asli and urban communities experiencing poverty, improving digital awareness and job opportunities for youth at risk of economic exploitation across Malaysia.
• StartupLab MX, which will scale its Digital Transformation Program for women-led, low-income, and rural small businesses across southeast and central México, providing workshops, consulting, and digital marketing materials, as well as connecting them with capital and new clients.

Read about the cohort here.?