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India’s Women Business Correspondents are Struggling: Three Steps to Increase Their Viability – And Boost Financial Inclusion
India is home to 17% of the world’s total female population, yet persistent gender gaps exist in the country's labor force – and its financial inclusion efforts. As Gaurav Sinha and Manpreet Kaur at Grameen Foundation India explain, these gender issues also impact India's Business Correspondents (BCs) – retail agents engaged by banks to provide financial services outside of bank branches or ATMs. They discuss how Grameen Foundation's Mittras program is addressing the obstacles faced by women BCs, and explore three ways to better support them.
- Categories
- Finance
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The Cost of Invasive Species Bears Heavy on Indian Economy, Finds Study
India has lost $127.3 billion (Rs. 8.3 trillion) in the last 60 years to invasive alien species, second to the U.S.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Deetken Impact Partners with USAID to Create Jobs and Address Climate Action in El Salvador
Deetken Impact will mobilize at least $20 million in investments to advance inclusive economic growth, create jobs and address some of the root causes of irregular migration in El Salvador.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- Latin America
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Mozambique: $47.09 Million Grant From African Development Fund for Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone
The grant, from the African Development Fund, will help improve agricultural productivity and agribusiness development in the Niassa province by advancing institutional capacity, skills, and entrepreneurship to spur agricultural value chain growth.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Where the ‘New Formal’ is the New Normal: Lessons on Innovation from India’s Artisan Economy
In India alone, over 200 million livelihoods are linked to the artisan economy, and the sector is a key source of employment for women and other marginalized groups. But according to Priya Krishnamoorthy and Aparna Subramanyam at 200 Million Artisans and Anandana Kapur at the Harvard Kennedy School, these largely informal creative businesses face systemic bias. They discuss the reasons for this lack of support, and explore a solution that leverages the advantages of informality and formality to empower these enterprises and the communities they serve.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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Accelerating Digital Transformation: Why Technology is the Key to Eliminating the MSME Finance Gap in Emerging Markets
According to the IFC, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in emerging markets face a finance gap of $5.2 trillion every year. Since MSMEs are responsible for 70% of job opportunities in these countries, this gap must be addressed. According to Brian Pallas at Opportunity Network, that’s where digital technologies can offer a solution. He explores how emerging innovations offer alternative, tech-enabled means of financing for MSMEs, and how business leaders and policymakers can support these enterprises' digital transformation.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Technology
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Avoiding the Great Divergence: How Community Investment Trusts Could Help Developing Countries Recover from COVID-19 and Achieve the SDGs
As the global economy gradually recovers from COVID-19, some fear the world is heading towards a “Great Divergence,” in which the recovery gathers momentum in richer countries while leaving developing countries behind. To avoid this outcome, emerging economies will need a surge of investment. To that end, Norman A. Bailey at The City University of New York and Alfred Watkins at the Global Solutions Summit explore why Community Investment Trusts provide an innovative model to finance pandemic recovery while building a foundation for sustainable growth.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing
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Press Release: Networks Partner to Catalyze Impact Investing in Africa
Leading investor networks join forces to connect investors and increase financing of African enterprises that create positive social and environmental impact.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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