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Press Release: Mastercard and USAID Extend Relationship to Support Women Entrepreneurs
“At the U.S. Agency for International Development, we know that investing in women builds resilient, self-reliant, and prosperous societies,” said Mark Green, USAID Administrator. “USAID's partnership with Mastercard will accelerate the achievement of these goals by leveraging the collective resources and expertise of the U.S. Government to unlock the full economic potential of women around the world.”
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- Finance
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Press Release: First-Of-Its-Kind U.S. Government Blended-Finance Fund to Empower Women in Developing Markets
The WAM fund is a blended-finance vehicle designed to attract private capital in developing markets by offering protection to commercial investors by lowering the risk of loss. This blended-finance approach seeks to catalyze capital to create a $100 million fund to invest specifically in women’s financial inclusion.
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- Finance
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HBS, Impact Investing And The Power Of Story – The Rise Fund’s Maya Chorengel
She has been an instrumental force in proving that delivery of positive impact can exist alongside competitive financial returns, mobilizing the investing market to advance social and environmental benefits at scale.
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- Investing
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Courage, Optimism, Defiance: Impact Investment Exchange Founder Durreen Shahnaz Discusses her Journey of Empowerment
Growing up in Bangladesh, Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) Founder Durreen Shahnaz tended to rebel against tradition, preferring boys’ clothes to saris, and exploring the streets on her bike rather than staying indoors. Yet she never rebelled against her family's core focus on charity. Her long and distinguished career in social business and investing has been defined both by her maverick spirit and by her humanitarian values. NextBillion caught up with Shahnaz to discuss her inspiring story and IIX's ongoing work, as the company celebrates its tenth anniversary.
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- Investing
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Why Women Should Not ‘Invest Everywhere’: The Trouble with Gender-Blind Investing
As an impact investor interested in gender equity, Pique Venture CEO Bonnie Foley-Wong recently shared a call to action on LinkedIn encouraging investors to focus more money and attention on women-managed funds. She soon faced some pushback from a male impact investor, saying that women shouldn’t just invest in other women, they should invest everywhere. She explains why that advice is not as simple as it sounds.
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- Investing
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Narrowing The Gender Gap: Meet The Women Scintillating Africa’s Tech Scene
With the emergence of many female-focused establishments such as TheBoardroom Africa (TBA) – who raised USD 2 Mn in January – and other groups delivering STEM courses to young girls, females are increasingly having a voice in Africa’s tech space.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- gender equality
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Less Golf, More Gender Equity: A Q&A with Impact Investor Morgan Simon
From filing shareholder resolutions as a teen to founding multiple impact investing funds and penning a successful book, Morgan Simon has spent nearly two decades combining finance and social justice in diverse and innovative ways. NextBillion caught up with her to discuss her distinctive career – and how her role within the sector has been shaped by her gender – in this interview, part of our special series 'By Women, For Women.'
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- Investing
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The Impact of Equal Education: Solutions to the Gender Disparity in Sub-Saharan African Schools
About 132 million girls are out of school around the world, and the problem is fundamentally tied to gender. With issues ranging from child marriage to misperceptions about menstruation, girls face unique obstacles to education in many countries. Mark Buttweiler explores how Bridge International Academies is tackling the gender disparity, via a multifaceted, research-based approach that supports equality both in the classroom and the surrounding community.
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment