Global Market
WHY A VOLUNTARY MARKET?Currently, less than 2% of all US philanthropic dollars goes towards organizations dedicated to women and girls. Global figures are similarly dismal. Philanthropy alone will not be enough to move the needle on women’s empowerment.
On the bright side, more and more companies are beginning to understand that women are the key to achieving a just, net-positive future. Climate change and gender are the top areas of sustainable investment for companies and investors — but few grasp how closely connected they are. To amplify progress on both, they must be addressed in tandem.
Enter Empower Co.
Empower Co. is leveraging the power of markets and engaging the private sector to catalyze the advancement of women, which is critical to ending the climate crisis and fulfilling every SDG.
Voluntary markets are a powerful tool that have dramatically transformed our approach to the climate crisis and carbon emissions — but there are many lessons to be learned from the growing pains of VCMs. Chief among these lessons is the foundational importance of transparency, traceability, and standardization. These values are Empower Co.’s highest priorities as we build the voluntary market for quantified women’s empowerment.
MARKET STAKEHOLDERS -
As the drivers and beneficiaries of women’s empowerment, women inform and shape the development of projects and initiatives. Women also decide how proceeds from the sale of units should be utilized in their communities.
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With the participation and engagement of women, project developers lead projects and initiatives designed to enhance women’s quality of life, thereby advancing gender equality.
In addition to their main objective of empowering women, projects can also generate co-benefits that advance other SDGs, such as contributing to climate action by lowering emissions.
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Project outcomes are measured using the W+ Standard, the only globally-recognized, women-specific standard. The W+ Standard has rigorous methodologies for quantifying six domains of women’s empowerment. W+ units are issued for verified results.
The W+ Standard has also partnered with the Verified Carbon Standard of VERRA — the leading global carbon standard — to measure co-benefits from carbon emissions reduction projects that deliver positive impacts for women. These units issued are jointly labeled under both VCS and W+ standards and priced at a premium.
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As the crucial link between supply and demand, Empower Co. connects women doing powerful work with buyers who can help scale their impact. Empower Co. selects the most impactful women’s empowerment projects and exclusively markets the W+ units that they generate. As an intermediary, Empower Co. earns a commission and requires that at least 25% of the proceeds from sales go directly to the women engaged in the projects.
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The downstream end of the market is comprised of mission-aligned buyers: governments, corporations, donors, and investors who have made commitments to gender. By recognizing and making tangible the value of women’s work, buyers enable the impacts of women’s empowerment to be scaled globally.