Dear #W4S Community,

This month we would love to share with you an amazing story that shows how collaboration is key to move forward to a more Caring Economy. 

Once there were a number of goddesses who decided to hold a competition for nations all over the world. It wasn't an ordinary race with a fixed distance where whoever reached the finish line wins a medal. It was a competition to see which society could move its members forward as a whole.

  • Nation #1 quickly took the lead and encouraged each of its citizens to run as best as they could, as fast as possible, towards an unknown finish line. They assumed that the track couldn't be long and started running, but soon the children and the elder lagged behind and none of the other runners stopped to help them. They were overjoyed with how fast they were running and couldn't spare the time helping others. They moved forward, but couldn't do it as a whole, so they lost.

  • Nation #2 had a different strategy. This society sent all of their young men forth and told the women to take up their rear, carry the children and take care of the elder and the sick. This meant that the men could run incredibly quickly and women would be close by to help them when they grew tired. But the woman felt that their efforts were at least as important as men´s. If they hadn't carried the children they could have run just as fast as them. Energy was focused on conflict and negotiation, but they didn´t reach an agreement, so they lost.

  • Nation #3 had been moving relatively slowly but when the goddesses looked in its direction, they saw that this country moved at a much steadier pace than the others. Here participants were expected to both run and take care of the less able. Men and women were equally encouraged to take the lead. This shared responsibility created solidarity among the people and all together, they continue moving forward.

Every society must, in some way, create a structure for how to care for other people. Otherwise neither the economy nor anything else will work in the 21st century. And being cared for by others is the medium through which we learn cooperation, empathy, respect, self-discipline and thoughtfulness, fundamental skills, even more important than reading, math and writing.
 
COVID has hit all in an unprecedented way. 
Don´t you think this is a unique opportunity and moment in history to make fundamental changes?

Onwards,
Founder & Chief Engagement Officer 
LauraKoch@Women4Solutions.com
Women 4 Solutions

We would like to recognize and thank Prof. Nancy Folbre, who gave us this incredible present during her Gender Parity classes. She is an American feminist economist whose studies focus on the relationship between economy and family, off-market work, and the caring economy.
Our Vision
Co-creating the caring Economy to build a more inclusive and regenerative society.

Our Purpose
We are a global network of women entrepreneurs & intrapreneurs advocating for inclusive and regenerative businesses. We seek to balance purpose and profits in the markets towards a ​Caring Economy primarily focused on the wellbeing of people and the environment. 

"Gender Parity & Caring for the environment is good business".