USAID Engendering Industries

Since its inception in 2015, USAID’s Engendering Industries program has improved gender equality in male-dominated sectors worldwide. Expanding women’s participation in male-dominated companies improves business performance, helping companies meet their bottom line by enhancing employee satisfaction, reducing turnover, and driving productivity. Engendering Industries innovative approach to advancing workforce gender equality includes six core components:

• Collecting and using company data for decision-making
• Developing a business case for gender equality
• Providing change management coaching
• Implementing gender equality best practices across the employee lifecycle
• Training employees to become change agents
• Engaging men for gender equality

Using this approach, Engendering Industries has advanced gender equality, increased economic security for women, and improved business performance at 68 companies in 39 countries. Companies have hired and promoted nearly 13,000 women since 2017, and enrolled over 6,600 girls and women in internship and trainee programs since 2021. The majority of our long-term partners have observed tangible business improvements.  Learn more about the program.