We often think about poverty and how to fix it. There isn’t one magic bullet that moves people out of poverty. However, there are a few tenets about reducing poverty in families who live in underserved communities that work nearly every time and those are working directly with women and giving them financial tools to empower their lives and those around them.

Kiva, a leading lender in micro-loans financed by everyday people, is celebrating International Women’s Day by highlighting how they facilitate this year’s theme of “Balance of Better”. While women make up 40% of the world’s workers globally, 75% of them do not have access to credit, loans, and savings. To help women-owned businesses, you can give money to finance their businesses and today on International Women’s Day your donation will be matched to fund 10,000 businesswomen. Generous funders will match up to $1.5 million dollars today, March 8.

One woman who has been helped by Kiva, Regina, survived human trafficking – and now her clothing store is also a sanctuary for those affected by it

Regina Evans, Oakland resident, owns a store called Regina’s Door, a theater and apparel shop that also serves as a community spot and a haven to those affected by human trafficking. In the past, she’s hired survivors of trafficking, and put on in-store programming for survivors including healing circles, improv, spoken word, and poetry. When Regina’s doors first swung open, she had no back stock, working with only 35 pieces of clothing and a 3-month lease. A month later, 193 Kiva lenders supported a $5,000 loan for Regina to purchase stock and buy simple necessities like hangers and an “open” sign. “That was like a million dollars to me,” Regina says of the loan.

Click here to donate to a woman in need as low as $25.