WHY IT MATTERS
Because when women are empowered, communities thrive.
it starts with women
We believe that women are inherently powerful. And that when a woman has access to social and economic opportunity, the world will benefit.
Our vision is to empower women because an empowered woman, by herself, is an outcome worth fighting for. The Women’s Bakery creates opportunities for women in East Africa to make choices of their own - to work, to learn, to invest, and to uplift other women. These opportunities and choices translate into profound impacts on women, their families, and the local community.
our priorities
In Rwanda, 57% of women don’t have the option of going to school.
education
According to UNESCO, an estimated 130 million girls between the ages of 6 and 17 are not currently attending school, and 15 million girls of primary-school age will never enter a classroom at all.
For the average TWB baker, she only received 6 years of formal education.
This creates an employment gap for girls as they become women.
The majority of Rwandan adult women are not paid for their work.
Economic Opportunities
A lack of educational opportunity leads to low- or no-paying jobs. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), $95 billion a year is estimated to be lost from economies in sub-Saharan Africa because women have lower participation in the paid labor force. This creates a lack of access to basic necessities like nutrition, shelter, and health care.
40% of Rwandan children are chronically malnourished.
health
Under-educated and underemployed adults often correlate with undernourished children. The rate of malnourishment in children in Rwanda, fuels repeating the cycle of under-education and underemployment.
Furthermore, although health insurance is offered to all nationals on a sliding scale in Rwanda, the cost is still out of reach for women with low or no income at all.
It matters to JD
She listened. She learned. She leads.
JD works at our Kigali bakery. Growing up, she never had the opportunity to start primary school. During training, she couldn’t read our lessons or take notes. She just listened and followed the lead of her classmates.
Undeterred, she learned. She is now our best seller in Kigali. What’s more, she is a trainer at our new bakeries, where she teaches other women, many like her, vital skills.