3.08.2007 - 11:09am ET

(CSRwire) March 8, 2007- The following statement was issued by Grameen Foundation President Alex Counts in honor of International Women's Day 2007:

Today, Grameen Foundation and its network of partners join with millions around the world in saluting the achievements of women. Since the start of International Women’s Day in the early 1900s, two generations of women have won the right to vote and hold political office, the power to make real decisions for their families, and a seat at the boardroom table. But the struggle for equality and a better life still continues for many women, particularly those in poor and impoverished communities. In our world of plenty, we should be outraged that seventy percent of the world’s poor are women. Even more alarming, women also head more than eighty percent of the world’s poorest families. These statistics should spur us all to action.

From Bangladesh and Nigeria to Morocco and Haiti, microfinance—tiny loans and other financial services—is showing an effective way to break the cycle of poverty, and we are proud of our work in helping more than 3.1 million families. For many of these women and their families, a loan of less than US$200 is the first step – and a catalyst for meaningful change in their lives. With these loans, they are able to build small enterprises and, more importantly, reinvest their profits in their children through better nutrition and education. Just listening to microfinance clients tell their tales in voices of self-assurance is also testament to their inner resilience and growth.

As we celebrate International Women's Day 2007, let us continue to be inspired by poor women around the world who are working to build new lives one loan at a time, and the social entrepreneurs who lead microfinance institutions that serve them.

About Grameen Foundation

Grameen Foundation is a global non-profit organization that combines microfinance, technology, and innovation to empower the world's poorest people to escape poverty. It has established a global network of 52 partners in 22 countries that has impacted an estimated 15.5 million lives in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. Grameen Foundation was founded by Alex Counts, who began his work in microfinance with Grameen Bank founder, and recent Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Dr. Yunus is a founding and current member of Grameen Foundation’s board of directors. For more information on Grameen Foundation, please visit www.grameenfoundation.org.

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