EMPOWER A WOMAN, EMPOWER A NATION. Did you know that according to UN Women, over 70 percent of the world’s poor are women and girls? 8 March saw United Nations’ International Women’s Day give a voice to the world’s women, with Opportunity I…nternational Australia presenting a range of events throughout Australia to raise awareness and funds to help women and their familites leave poverty behind…. Kristina Keneally (Opportunity Ambassador and former Premier of NSW) spoke alongside KC Ranjani (the Managing Director of OI). Having visited the slums of India last year, Kristina spoke about how she had seen firsthand how microfinance empowers women, giving them the hand up they need to start small businesses, earn incomes and provide for their families.

Quoted by Kristina “The women I met were incredibly confident and they were incredibly optimistic about their future. One woman we spoke to started a very small egg shop and she would buy here eggs for two rupees. She told us almost furtively that she was making almost 200 rupees (A$3.71) a day.

That is an extroadinary amount of money for someone who has been living on about A$1.25 a day previously. She’s part of a community of people who, through the provision of microfinance, really are transforming, not just their own lives, but their children’s future.

Watch a short filma about Kristina Keneally’s visit to India on

www.opportunity.org.au

– visit the Resources page and click the video you can also join OI and receive their newsletters.See More

Opportunity International – Australia: microfinance to solve poverty

www.opportunity.org.au

Opportunity International Australia: using microfinance to solve poverty. Small loans help people earn an income and afford food, water and shelter.See More

Opportunity International – Australia: microfinance to solve poverty

www.opportunity.org.au

Opportunity International Australia: using microfinance to solve poverty. Small loans help people earn an income and afford food, water and shelter