Dr. Cynthia L. Drakeman is a global expert on women’s economic empowerment with particular expertise in gender-smart investing, evidence-based policy development, private sector best practices, and women’s entrepreneurship.
“Women’s Economic Empowerment is a moral imperative wrapped in economic incentives.” - Cindy Drakeman
~ Global Entrepreneurship Award Presented to Dr. Cynthia Drakeman by the International Alliance for Women ~
WASHINGTON, November 22, 2021 (Newswire.com) - Dr. Cynthia Drakeman received a 2021 World of Difference Award from The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday, November 18, announced Victrix Ventures today. The global award recognized Dr. Drakeman, Victrix Ventures' Founding CEO, for her contributions to Entrepreneurship and Women's Economic Empowerment. The 20 World of Difference Awards were presented to "extraordinary individuals" from 10 countries on five different continents "whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally, or worldwide." Read more
Dr. Cynthia L. Drakeman is a global expert on women’s economic empowerment with particular expertise in gender-smart investing, evidence-based policy development, private sector best practices, women’s market access, and women’s entrepreneurship.
Cindy regularly speaks at events around the world, leads strategy sessions with organizations of all sizes, and helps develop new programs and initiatives that advance women’s economic participation. She has worked closely with heads of state, senior government ministers, diplomats, corporate executives, investors, academics, think tanks, and women entrepreneurs along with numerous NGOs and multilateral institutions.
Cindy is the Founding CEO of Victrix Ventures, a company dedicated to women’s economic advancement, and was previously the founding CEO of DoubleXEconomy, LLC, a research and consulting firm committed exclusively to women’s economic empowerment. She also serves as a Delegate and former Co-Chair of the United States Delegation to the Women20 (an official engagement group of the G20), and recently completed her term as a board member of Solar Sister, a non-profit organization committed to bringing clean energy to Africa through women’s entrepreneurship. In her spare time, Cindy builds websites as a hobby. She has an AB from Princeton University, and a DPhil from the University of Oxford.
Cindy speaking at the Power Shift Forum for Women in the World Economy hosted by the Library of Congress
What is Women’s Economic Empowerment?
Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) is the degree to which a woman is able to participate as an economic actor in her community. The ability to earn, save, spend, and invest money is at the core of economic empowerment, and is predicated on her ability to:
Control her own assets, such as finances and real estate
Be employed in decent work
Engage in entrepreneurial activity
Buy and sell goods and services
Influence producers and market trends
Cindy speaking at the SEEP Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum in Bangkok, Thailand on the question, “What is the significance of the theme ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment,’ and why is it important to you personally?”
How does WEE benefit everyone?
There are many reasons that WEE is a win-win. Here are a few highlights:
Women see their talents and capabilities valued appropriately and have new opportunities to participate in the economy so they can create better livelihoods for themselves and their families.
Communities benefit when women control and grow their assets, because women tend to reinvest in their communities and their families, particularly in health and education.
Countries worldwide are seeing their labor markets stagnate with an average of 80% of working age (15-64) men employed compared with just 49% of working age women. They are missing out on sustainable growth and stability by preventing women from fully participating in the labor force.
Investors can not only find new opportunities by recognizing the value of women’s entrepreneurship, but they may also be unaware of significant risk in their portfolios caused by failing to account for gender considerations in their current investments.
Companies that have gender diversity in senior management are more likely to outperform their peers, and their supply chains are stronger when fed by diverse suppliers that include women-owned businesses, resulting in better products/services and access to new markets.
How can Cindy help you?
Cindy takes a practical approach to working with clients. Women’s economic empowerment is a complex issue and it is not always easy to know how and where to start. Cindy can help you understand the landscape and develop a plan of action to achieve your goals. She brings extensive knowledge of the field, wide ranging experience from many parts of the world, a vast network, and an ability to foster high energy team work to:
Design gender-sensitive policies that are suited to each specific context
Educate people at all levels as a speaker, moderator, workshop leader, and keynote about the importance of WEE
Develop strategies and initiatives for governments, companies, investors, NGOs, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders
Create content and programs for events that advance the field of women’s economic empowerment
Write articles and reports that bring new insights to the global community
Manage teams of people working on gender projects and/or help teams new to women’s economic empowerment develop effective gender lenses for their work