MEL learning partner to drive a capital evidence base for WEE

• Aug 14, 2025
• 1 min

The Gates Foundation’s Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) strategy seeks to increase the incomes of 80 million women by a minimum of 30%. As part of WEE, a dedicated effort was undertaken to strengthen evidence-based learning and accountability across the Capital Lever portfolio. The initiative supported grantees, partners, and Foundation teams to apply rigorous Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) approaches to optimize impact, ensure strategic alignment, and enhance gender-responsive programs.

MSC served as the MEL learning partner for this initiative. It provided technical advisory and capacity-building support to grantees on MEL planning, indicator selection, and gender-sensitive data collection. We codeveloped a comprehensive results framework and portfolio-level tracker to monitor progress, promote cross-grantee learning, and support adaptive decision-making. In Kenya and Uganda, MSC worked closely with grantees under the Capital Lever, which included major financial institutions, such as BRAC Bank, Stanbic Bank, and KCB Bank. We designed gender-intentional financial products and monitoring mechanisms. Our approach emphasized repetitive learning, stakeholder engagement, and the development of systems that generate gender-disaggregated evidence, while addressing operational and structural barriers to women’s financial inclusion.

Insights from quantitative data were included in practical learning products and communication tools. These tools informed strategy across stakeholders, which included Foundation leadership, implementing partners, and grantees. The project reinforced the importance of embedding rigorous MEL systems within large-scale women’s economic empowerment efforts. It also demonstrated how learning frameworks through a gendered lens can drive systemic and sustainable change for women entrepreneurs.

The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.