NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

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• Guest Articles

  Tuesday
  December 6
  2022

  Elisabeth Rhyne

  From Grameen Bank to Global Scale: The New Edition of a Classic Book Highlights the Hard Truth – And Enduring Value – Behind Microfinance

  In 1996, Grameen Foundation founder Alex Counts published “Small Loans, Big Dreams,” a well-regarded account of the origins and early years of the microfinance sector. Counts recently published a new edition of the book, which reflects on the ongoing evolution of the industry, and responds to critics who have questioned its role in international development. Longtime microfinance leader and analyst Elisabeth Rhyne discusses the book, and explores what these new updates tell us about the current state of the global microfinance sector.

  Categories

  Finance

  Tags

  employment, financial inclusion, lending, microfinance, women entrepreneurs

• Guest Articles

  Friday
  December 2
  2022

  Anant Nyshadham / Shalin Gor / Divya Nair / Emily Coppel

  Access, Understanding and Trust: Breaking Down the Barriers to Women’s Participation in India’s Digital Finance Revolution

  The digital gender divide has long occupied international development headlines, as gaps remain between men and women in both access to and usage of digital technologies in many emerging economies. According to Anant Nyshadham at Good Business Lab, Shalin Gor and Divya Nair, and Emily Coppel at IDinsight, India is no exception. They explore the three types of obstacles that are preventing Indian women from participating in digital financial services, and share some implications for providers of these services.

  Categories

  Finance, Technology

  Tags

  digital finance, financial inclusion, remittances

• Guest Articles

  Wednesday
  November 30
  2022

  Trisha Clauson / Annegien Langedijk-Wilms

  Unleashing Women Entrepreneurs by Challenging Gender Norms: An Innovative Approach to Changing Beliefs Around Household Chores

  Globally, women and girls are responsible for three-quarters of unpaid care work, due to the still-common belief that a woman’s role in society is to take care of the home. As Trisha Clauson at Bopinc and Annegien Langedijk-Wilms at Growing Initiatives explain, this is preventing countless women entrepreneurs from building their businesses, reducing emerging markets' GDP by trillions of dollars. They explore an innovative program that leveraged mass media to foster more equitable gender norms around household chores in Nigeria, sharing learnings that can be used by other organizations supporting women entrepreneurs.

  Categories

  Entrepreneurship

  Tags

  behavioral economics, gender equality, women entrepreneurs

• Guest Articles

  Monday
  November 28
  2022

  Camilla Nestor / Maria Raurell / Carolyn Han

  Leaning into Resilience: Three Ways Small and Growing Agriculture Businesses Have Navigated Global Crises – And How Investors Can Support Them

  COVID-19 and other recent crises have led many investors to pause disbursements to small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets, due to the increased risk. Camilla Nestor, Maria Raurell and Carolyn Han at MCE Social Capital explain why MCE did the opposite, supporting their investees' efforts to adapt to these challenges. They share three adaptations that successful SGBs in their portfolio had in common, and explore how these approaches are likely to be incorporated into agricultural SGB business models in the long term.

  Categories

  Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Investing

  Tags

  business development, impact investing, smallholder farmers