Executive Summary:

Never before has the world been so united in rejecting violence against women. Yet, even as #metoo and #timesup galvanize global commitment and the evidence of what works grows, progress remains elusive for women across Sub-Saharan Africa. CARE’s PowerUp program will change that, engaging 13 million people across Africa’s Great Lakes region, enabling millions of women and girls to live lives free from domestic violence and accelerating regional momentum. The program’s unique power comes from advancing women’s economic empowerment through sustainable, self-replicating savings groups while also engaging couples and communities in activism that rejects violence against women and girls. Already proven to reduce rates of violence by 55% in Rwanda, PowerUp will scale this approach by activating CARE’s existing regional network of 2.2 million savings group members, leverage media and technology to empower local change agents, partner with world-class non-profits and work with public and private initiatives to institutionalize change.