Who We Are
Who We Are
GFI promotes a more equitable, sustainable approach to economic development for the world’s working poor by advancing fair wages, equal access to markets, and balanced public policy to generate opportunity and end the cycle of poverty. We partner with worker-led organizations in the informal economy to implement worker-centered programs that create and preserve jobs, empower women in the economy, and advocate for worker rights so the future of work is bound to the success of workers.
We Believe
1. The poor, especially women, are the leaders of change and we must listen and answer to them first.
2. Solutions to poverty and exploitation should be locally owned and rooted in the economy.
3. Engaging government and the private sector is key to sustainable and scalable solutions.
4. Change happens when all stakeholders get a seat at the table, a say in solutions and share credit for success.
5. Economic solutions must include worker prosperity AND protections.
What We Do
Invest in Workers
Sustainable economies rely on an engaged workforce and support from effective public and civil society organizations to enable their success. GFI builds workforce capacity by both helping workers be more successful in their trade AND by helping unions, grassroots organizations, and labor agencies to be more effective in enabling the success of workers, particularly those in the informal economy. GFI uses a blended digital and direct learning model to provide workers with foundational and technical skills training. We also work with civil society and government to improve systems that deliver services to workers.
What We Do
Invest in Women
We believe that women offer the greatest potential to put an end to the cycle of poverty, and we rely on women's leadership to provide the vision and execution of our initiatives. GFI programs work with women producers to remove the barriers that prevent women from bringing their goods to sustainable markets at a fair price. We invest financial, intellectual and technical support to help women build resilience for their livelihoods and communities.
What We Do
Engage With Government
GFI is a leader in engaging government and driving public debate on programs and policies to support small producers and create economic opportunity for the working poor. Leveraging a network of leaders and unique vehicles like our Women’s Trade and Finance Council, GFI delivers strategic initiatives that incentivize participation and create lasting links between our constituent worker groups and the governments that serve them.
What We Do
Expand Access
Access to markets for poor producers is key to reducing vulnerability and decreasing poverty. GFI works with public and private sector actors to identify market opportunities for smallholder producers, and remove the obstacles that prevent quality products from reaching markets and keep these producers from earning a fair price. Our multi-stakeholder process develops locally-owned market solutions that are appropriate to the conditions, capacity and resources available to stakeholders.
What We Do
Educate & Advocate
GFI’s Inclusive Labor Institute (ILI) is a worker-centered knowledge hub on the conditions and experience of work for the 2 billion+ essential workers who power the informal economy. ILI leverages grassroots data, information and intellectual leadership to deepen our understanding of the issues that create vulnerability, and of the opportunities to strengthen the future of workers, especially women. Through the Institute, Global Fairness Initiative provides organizations a platform for collaboration on labor rights, women’s empowerment, community resilience, and social and economic progress to help ensure that communities of promise become centers of prosperity.
Where We Work
Through over two decades of work, GFI has implemented partner-led programs in over 20 countries, serving millions of workers. Where we work is determined by our trusted partnerships, local needs and expectations, giving GFI a unique flexibility to effectively support marginalized communities. Click the map to learn more.