Women’s Empowerment

Approach

Financial Independence

Train women entrepreneurs with the technical and social-emotional skills so they can generate enough income from their businesses to cover beyond just basic costs of them and their families.

Gender Equity

To reach equality among men and women, we must facilitate equitable access to resources and opportunities and facilitate positive changes among attitudes, beliefs and behaviors regarding gender.

Trauma-Informed

Staff and partner organizations comprehend the widespread impact trauma has on children and families and work to address the signs and symptoms while fostering individual and collective resilience.

Social Cohesion

Promote inclusive participation, equitable access to resources, and trust and solidarity among all community members to create unity and growth in one another.
Women’s Empowerment Project
Women's Empowerment Project
The WEP is a 2-year training program to help women strengthen their businesses while finding her voice and gaining self-confidence to make decisions in her life. Read More
Clan of Virtues
Clan of Virtues
The Clan of Virtudes is a vibrant volunteer opportunity and learning incubator. The Clan is comprised of PV's entrepreneurs and Salvadoran professionals who serve as volunteers to share their skills, knowledge, creativity, and networks. Volunteers serve as guest speakers in the Women's Empowerment Project (WEP) or as mentors with an entrepreneur (either a current WEP participant or alumna). The overall goal is foster more collaboration between Salvadorans by sharing skills and techniques to improve the entrepreneurs’ businesses.
Savings and Lending Groups
Savings and Lending Groups
After graduating from the Women's Empowerment Project (WEP), entrepreneurs can apply to join a Savings and Lending Collective which other WEP graduates solely administer. The Collective is an opportunity for ongoing leadership, access to low-interest loans, incentives to maintain a savings, and skills to innovate business practices. Members in the Collective decide the group's protocols, operations, and which loans to award. PV staff provides minimal guidance to ensure members are the driving force for the Collective's management and long-term sustainability.

PV supports women entrepreneurs – many of whom are mothers of children in our programs – through a two-year training program called the Women’s Empowerment Project (WEP). Our goal is to empower women personally and professionally to achieve financial independence and create more gender equality in their lives. The WEP consists of the following components:

Personal and Economic Empowerment Course

A 12-course workshop on personal and economic empowerment to increase the participant’s self-care skills and business management techniques which will help them improve their businesses.

Technical Assistance on Bookeeping

One-on-one sessions with a technical advisor who will help participants increase the participants learn how to fill out bookkeeping forms and analyze records to see their business gains,losses, savings, and other financial indicators.

Counseling and other things

Once a month counseling sessions with our WEP psychologist is offered to participants who need further treatment after the initial consultation. The sessions help participants resolve personal, social, and psychological difficulties.

Vocational Training and Seed Money

Participants have the opportunity to receive scholarships to attend vocational training programs to learn new skills. They are also eligible to receive seed money to invest in their business.

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Impact

88
Entrepreneurs have graduated from our two-year training program, the Women’s Empowerment Project (WEP)
48
Entrepreneurs currently participate in the WEP in San Ramón and Tepecoyo
23
Salvadoran professionals serve as volunteer guest speakers and/or long term mentors for entrepreneurs
7
Savings and Lending groups are led and administrated by entrepreneurs 

"The Project was the first place where I didn't feel judged. I feel free to give my opinion, to ask questions and to be myself."