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Designing Finance for the Realities of Youth: Applications are Open for the Newly Renamed Luxembourg Award for Inclusive Finance
Over 1.3 billion people in emerging economies are between 18 and 35, and the median age in some developing countries is in the teens or low twenties. As Sam Mendelson at e-MFP and Tim Nourse at Making Cents argue, young people represent the economic center of gravity in the Global South, yet financial systems were not designed to serve their shifting needs. They explore opportunities to unlock youth-inclusive finance — the theme of this year's Luxembourg Award for Inclusive Finance (formerly known as the European Microfinance Award).
- Categories
- Finance
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Press Release: IFC Backs Paraguay’s First Green Fertilizer Plant, Creating Jobs, Advancing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
The project is expected to positively impact employment opportunities, with over 1,265 new direct jobs created during the construction phase, and nearly 200 skilled and semi skilled positions during operations.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Latin America
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The Trade-offs in African Energy Access are Real: Why Electrification Efforts Must Prioritise Industrial Use over Household Connections
In the face of stagnating progress, a debate has emerged about whether energy access efforts in Africa should prioritize household or industrial and commercial electrification. Taiwo Odugbemi, a power sector regulation specialist and economist, pushes back on the argument that household access should take precedence over industrial uses — and the assertion that Africa can pursue both goals simultaneously. He explains why maintaining a dual focus may not be realistic, given the continent’s grid limitations and constrained public resources, and argues that African electricity policies must evolve to prioritize productive use, particularly in industrial and agro-processing hubs.
- Categories
- Energy
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Research: A Plan to Maneuver Female Leadership in Ghana’s Renewable Energy Sector
The country is experience a profound paper-to-practice divide with agencies operating in silos and treating gender as a tangential social issue rather than core economic requirement.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: Who Pays for Dignity? Rethinking India’s Waste Economy
Despite the essential role that waste workers perform in any functioning city, they are often severely underpaid and denied the dignity, security, and recognition they deserve.
- Categories
- WASH
- Region
- Global
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Tackling Air Pollution Could Deliver $220 Billion Economic Boost for India, Study Finds
The shift to cleaner technologies and practices could support around 1.4 million job transitions and new employment opportunities, pointing to significant changes in India’s labour market and industrial systems.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Health Care
- Region
- Global
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NSIA, JICA Plan $50 Million Fund to Empower Startups in Nigeria
The fund will provide capital to pre-seed, seed, and early-stage start-ups, addressing critical social challenges in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, energy, waste and water management.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Energy, Finance, Health Care, WASH
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Indian Screenwriters Sound a Distress Call as New Report Reveals Worsening Pay, Credit Chaos and AI Pressure
Data reveals how most Indian screenwriters feel underpaid, chase dues, and a majority see AI being used as a negotiating tool.
- Categories
- Technology
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