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The Resilience of Indian Microfinance: Why the Sector Has Successfully Navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic
When a crisis hits a financial system or economy at large, the microfinance sector is usually among the worst impacted, since it caters to the most economically vulnerable segments of the population. As Sudip Bandyopadhyay at Inditrade explains, that's what happened to Indian microfinance when COVID-19 struck — yet the sector has shown remarkable resilience in weathering the pandemic. He explores some effective measures Indian microfinance institutions and policymakers have taken to address these historic challenges.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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El Salvador Becomes First Country to Adopt Bitcoin as Legal Tender After Passing Law
Lawmakers in the Central American country’s Congress voted by a “supermajority” in favor of the Bitcoin Law, receiving 62 out of 84 of the legislature’s vote.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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UNICEF Invests in Blockchain Startups for Financial Inclusion
UNICEF Venture Fund is awarding up to $100,000 to blockchain startups, including India’s GovBlocks, in its latest funding round. Here are the other projects.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Global
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Supporting Microfinance During the Pandemic: Lessons From a COVID-19 Response Program
The COVID-19 crisis has had serious impacts on the microfinance industry and the micro and small enterprises it typically serves, leading to a decrease in both the quality and volume of microfinance institution (MFI) portfolios. Mathilde Bauwin of ADA explains how the organization designed and implemented a response program to help its partner MFIs overcome the pandemic's challenges. She shares lessons learned during the process, which could be useful in helping MFIs navigate future crises.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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10 Financial Literacy Solutions Receive Grants, Support From Nationwide Innovation Challenge
Ten financial literacy innovations were awarded grants and support from PhilDev Foundation and Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI) to boost financial literacy in underserved communities in the Philippines.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Press Release: 9 in 10 Want Flexible Pay: Impact of Earned Wage Access Revealed in a New Study From Wagestream, 60 Decibels
The impact of Earned Wage Access—whereby employers remove extended, locked pay cycles and return to more flexible pay cycles—has been revealed, in the industry’s first in-depth impact assessment.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Region
- Global
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Opportunity or Threat: Are Healthy Partnerships Possible Between Digital Financial Services and Microfinance Institutions in Bangladesh?
Microfinance institutions in Bangladesh reach over 32 million customers with a loan portfolio of around US $9 billion. According to Jakirul Islam at Bank Asia, partnerships with digital financial services (DFS) could benefit both microfinance and DFS providers and their customers – but these partnerships are not functioning at their full potential. He shares four key benefits that are driving interest in these collaborations, and explores their inherent challenges – and some partnership models that could address them.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Uruguayan Unicorn’s $10 Billion Nasdaq Float Shows Rising Power of Latin American Tech
South America is slowly emerging as a hotbed for fintech innovation. The world’s arguably biggest challenger bank NuBank hails from Brazil and is rumoured to be gearing up for a public listing in the US.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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