Many people are not aware that the Walmart Foundation is a major supporter of women's empowerment efforts. In 2011, the Walmart Foundation launched the Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative with a mission to fund women's empowerment efforts, both in the United States and internationally.
Since its beginning, $45 million in grants have been awarded for women's empowerment efforts.
How Walmart is helping women
Walmart's Initiative has three specific yet far-reaching goals to help women:
- Increase the number of women-owned businesses as suppliers
- Provide training for one million women
- Promote diversity and inclusion among their merchandising and professional services suppliers
Recent initiatives
Recently, Walmart, along with Coca-Cola, IBM and Exxon Mobil, has committed to award $1.5 billion in contracts to women-owned businesses between 2013 and 2018. In addition, Walmart will be carrying in their Walmart and Sam's Club stores more products made by women which will be identified with a Women-Owned logo. Further, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are pledging $3 million to train farmers in Rwanda, Zambia and Kenya, particularly women.
Walmart's goal is to help change the lives of women around the world by 2016.
To read more about Walmart's Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative, visit http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/womens-economic-empowerment/
