SAN JOSE, CA "“ October 14, 2008 "“ Microplace.com, an online brokerage specializing in socially responsible investments that address poverty, today announced a new female-focused microfinance investment opportunity. The Women’s Empowerment investment, directing loans largely towards female borrowers, was launched to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on October 17, a United Nations’ sanctioned day committed to presenting and promoting activities centered on the eradication of poverty and destitution. Over 1.2 billion of the world’s working poor subsist on less than $1 a day, and 60 percent of them are women.2

"About 84 percent of all microfinance borrowers are women3," said Tracey Turner, founder of MicroPlace. "For these women, having access to money to start a small business really isn't about fulfilling a dream, it's literally about keeping their families one step ahead of starvation and putting a roof over their heads."

The new Women's Empowerment opportunity is comprised of investments on MicroPlace.com that are specifically focused on women and have a borrower base of at least 70 percent women. The Women’s Empowerment opportunity offers a 3 percent return.

Turner also pointed out that women have historically shown to be more likely to use their profits to reinvest in family and household. They also tend to take fewer risks with their business and are more careful to repay their loans. "In many ways, women are the ideal microfinance borrower," said Turner.

The Women's Empowerment investment will help women like Harina Barin, who used her loan of $150 to buy the rickshaw her husband was renting, plus purchase four additional auto rickshaws that she rents out to other drivers. Her rickshaw business has earned her a whole new level of respect in her village, plus she is well on the road to fulfilling her daughter's dreams of becoming a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force.

It is widely estimated that women make up the majority of the world’s poor, and seven out of 10 of the world’s hungry are women and girls.4 Yet when women are afforded the opportunity to work and contribute to the economy, they have tremendous impact. The Economist estimates over the past decade, women’s work has contributed more to global growth than China.

About MicroPlace

MicroPlace (www.microplace.com), launched in 2007, is the world's first and only online brokerage specializing in socially responsible investments that alleviate poverty. MicroPlace enables everyday people to make investments that earn a return while empowering the poor to work their way out of poverty. Investment dollars are used to provide microfinance loans to the world’s working poor. Unlike charity, investing in MicroPlace offers a rate of return and allows the investor to align their social values with their investment wallet. MicroPlace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of eBay Inc.(NASDAQ:EBAY).

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