advancing women, changing lives - icrw.pdf

Advancing Women, Changing Lives A comprehensive evaluation of the Gap Inc. P.A.C.E. program by the International Center for Research on Women Before joining P.A.C.E., I didn’t have goals or very much confidence. Now I have lots of dreams in my life. —P.A.C.E. Graduate, India Advancing Women, Changing Lives 3 | AN EVALUATION OF THE GAP INC. P.A.C.E. PROGRAM Globally, the garment industry is one of the biggest employers of low-skilled women workers. Despite their large numbers in the workforce, relatively few female garment workers advance to higher-level positions, as they have limited opportunities to acquire the skills that would enable their professional and personal growth. In response to this need, Gap Inc. initiated the P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement Career Enhancement) workplace education program to teach women the managerial, interpersonal, organizational and other practical skills needed to move forward in work and in life. ABOUT THIS REPORT This report summarizes findings from program evaluations conducted by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) from 2009 - 2013 at six separate factory sites where P.A.C.E. is implemented – two in India and one each in Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and China. Research findings from these robust, multi-country evaluations demonstrate that P.A.C.E. is an effective, sustainable and scalable model that yields high returns f