Unlocking the Economic Power of Women
Table of Contents
What Is the Untapped Economic Potential?
What Do Women Actually Experience in Today’s Economy?
Why Is the Care Economy a Blind Spot?
How Can Technology Support Financial Inclusion?
What Organizations Are Driving Change?
What Four Priorities Drive Economic Security?
How Can We Design Systems That Work Better?
What Is the Ripple Effect of Women’s Economic Security?
FAQs
1. What Is the Untapped Economic Potential?
McKinsey Global Institute estimates that closing gaps in work and pay participation could add $28 trillion to annual global GDP. Yet, at the current pace, it will take over a century to reach balanced participation.
The opportunity is clear: when women rise economically, entire economies become stronger.
2. What Do Women Actually Experience in Today’s Economy?
The Women in the Economy (WE) Project, led by the Aspen Institute, reveals that 4 in 5 women feel economically insecure, with two-thirds living in households earning less than $50,000 annually.
Importantly, the research shows different realities across communities:
Black women balance inflation, wage gaps, and caregiving, prioritizing flexibility and fair pay.
Latinas face barriers in low-wage sectors and limited financial education, seeking childcare support and leadership opportunities.
Native women often experience limited access to culturally grounded support.
Women with disabilities highlight the need for public support, remote work options, and benefits reform.
The lesson: solutions must reflect varied realities, not one-size-fits-all assumptions.
3. Why Is the Care Economy a Blind Spot?
Globally, women perform 2.5 times more unpaid care work than men. This invisible labor, valued at trillions annually, sustains households but rarely counts in economic policy.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed this gap, yet structural responses remain limited. Without care infrastructure, workforce participation remains fragile.
4. How Can Technology Support Financial Inclusion?
Most financial and economic tools are still built for an “average user” — one that doesn’t juggle caregiving or face persistent wage gaps.
A new approach is needed:
Tools built for long-term financial patterns.
Education that is accessible and culturally relevant.
AI-powered personalization that reflects diverse realities.
At Uplevyl, we design platforms to reduce the burden of unpaid work and help professionals make confident financial and career decisions.
5. What Organizations Are Driving Change?
The Aspen Institute connects policy recommendations to real-world experiences.
Women’s World Banking has expanded financial access in nearly 30 countries, reaching millions.
The National Women’s Law Center pursues systemic reforms that improve workforce participation.
Together, they show that progress requires coalitions across research, policy, and innovation.
6. What Four Priorities Drive Economic Security?
Across regions and demographics, four needs surface consistently:
Flexibility – remote work and adaptable scheduling.
Fair Pay – living wages and closing compensation gaps.
Care Infrastructure – affordable childcare and leave policies.
Financial Empowerment – tools and education for long-term security.
7. How Can We Design Systems That Work Better?
Instead of forcing people to adapt to outdated structures, leaders should redesign systems around current workforce realities.
Policy makers must assess economic decisions through workforce participation data.
Technology companies should move beyond “neutral defaults” to tools that anticipate diverse needs.
Business leaders must treat workforce inclusion as a growth strategy, not a niche initiative.
8. What Is the Ripple Effect of Women’s Economic Security?
When women achieve financial stability, communities strengthen, innovation increases, and growth becomes more sustainable. Countries with higher participation rates consistently report stronger performance and greater social stability.
At Uplevyl, we build platforms that empower professionals to thrive economically while balancing work, care, and community. The evidence is clear: when women participate fully, economies thrive.
The question is no longer if — but when systems will be designed to reflect that reality.
9. FAQs
1. How does women’s economic participation impact global growth?
According to the McKinsey Global Institute, closing gender gaps in work and pay could add $28 trillion to annual global GDP. When women have equal access to jobs, capital, and leadership, economies experience stronger growth, greater innovation, and improved resilience across sectors.
2. What barriers prevent women from achieving economic security today?
Many women still face income inequality, unpaid caregiving demands, limited access to childcare, and workplace inflexibility. Research from the Aspen Institute’s Women in the Economy Project shows that 4 in 5 women feel economically insecure — especially those balancing caregiving or working in low-wage sectors without financial safety nets.
3. Why is the care economy often overlooked in economic policy?
Globally, women perform 2.5 times more unpaid care work than men. This unpaid labor sustains households and entire economies but rarely appears in GDP calculations or policy design. Without recognizing and funding care infrastructure, countries risk continued workforce shortages and slow economic recovery.
4. How can technology promote financial inclusion and security for women?
Technology can help close gender gaps by designing for real-world needs — such as long-term financial planning, culturally relevant education, and AI-driven personalization. Platforms like Uplevyl are creating digital tools that reduce the burden of unpaid work, support career growth, and build financial confidence for women professionals.
5. What organizations are leading efforts to improve women’s economic participation?
Global and regional leaders include:
The Aspen Institute, connecting policy with lived experience.
Women’s World Banking, expanding access to inclusive financial tools in 30+ countries.
The National Women’s Law Center, advocating for fair pay, benefits, and care infrastructure.
Together, these initiatives show how research, advocacy, and innovation can align for systemic change.
6. What happens when women achieve economic stability and equality?
When women thrive financially, entire communities and economies benefit. Increased participation leads to higher innovation rates, reduced poverty, and stronger social resilience. Countries with higher levels of women’s workforce participation consistently see faster GDP growth and more equitable, sustainable development.