Goldman Sachs

Why

The vision for the 10,000 Women initiative was born out of internal Goldman Sachs research highlighting the critical role education and the empowerment of women play in lifting the Gross Domestic Product of emerging markets. The report stated, “Narrowing the gender gap in employment could push income per capita by as much as 14% higher than baseline projections by 2020 and as much as 20% higher by 2030.” Empowering women could have a significant multiplier effect benefitting not only individual students, but also their families and their communities.

How

Through an array of partnerships with more  than 50 universities and development organisations, 10,000 women over five years will receive a business and management qualification. The programme is currently active in 16 countries on four continents. In the coming months new classes will begin in Afghanistan, Nigeria, Rwanda, India and Brazil. The courses offered provide women with the opportunity to develop specific skills such as drafting business plans, accounting, public speaking, marketing, management, and accessing capital. The firm is also funding a select number of MBA and BA scholarships. In addition, the initiative establishes mentoring and networking channels for women participants to provide career development opportunities beyond the classroom To strengthen the quality and capacity of business schools in developing nations, the firm has helped facilitate partnerships with business schools and universities in Europe and the United States including London Business School, INSEAD, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Wharton. The Collaboration has helped to train professors, exchange faculty staff, develop curriculum, and create locally relevant case studies. Women scholars in the programme are also paired with mentors from Goldman Sachs.