Savings are a powerful tool for women to improve their finances, build capital for investment and manage risk. ICRW is working in the Dominican Republic with a consortium of partners, including Women's World Banking, to encourage good savings habits and better financial management among adolescent girls.
The project includes a special savings account with the needs of girls in mind, along with a social marketing campaign to make saving fun. Special events and activities are held at bank branches to give girls positive experiences with a bank. And selected girls are offered classes through their schools to help them manage their money.
ICRW will design and implement a rigorous impact evaluation of the program activities, and also measure change around adolescent girls’ attitudes, perceptions and behaviors around savings. ICRW provides guidance for the project’s overall conceptual framework and monitoring.