Last night Women in the World held a rockstar event in DC with Tina Brown featuring conversations with leading women such as Loretta Lynch, US Attorney General, Margaret Brennan, CBS Foreign Affairs Correspondent and Hafsa Abiolacostello, Founder of KIND and Special Advisor to the Governor of Agun State in Nigeria.
As these women shared stories of their decades of work to create a more just world, one thing I found in common with them all was their optimism in the power of new technologies to create social change. Their hope was largely based on the younger generation’s use of social media, a tool which has created an unprecedented ability for most of the world to have a voice, to connect and to reach others.
Technology created today is redefining the way we interact with each other and as such is significantly impacting international development and the global economy. Technology not only connects people but ideas, in turn allowing for a proliferation of innovation. Now more than ever people are putting these new tools to good use to advance social causes such as women’s empowerment.
Money, on the other hand, is an old tool, one that has been wielded historically by an elite minority, and not always for the benefit of the majority. Yet innovation in how money works, who uses it, and for what purpose is growing rapidly these days.
For us at Calvert Foundation, one of the most important innovations in finance is putting the tools of capital markets into more people’s hands and enabling them to invest aligned with their values. We’re developing new technology to give people the opportunity to directly invest their dollars into causes they personally care about and empowering individuals to be more purposeful with their money.
As we reflect on International Women’s Day, think about the technology and resources available to you that can enable to you to make a difference. As we continue in our collective work to support women there is a new opportunity emerging for us all to take action behind – impact investing. And starting at just $20, you can invest your money to empowering women around the globe on Vested.org.
This post was originally published on CalvertFoundation.org
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