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Financing Women- Owned or -Led SMEs for Sustainable Growth: Navigating Capital Supply Side Challenges in Africa
One in four African women owns or manages a business, and in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the rates of entrepreneurial activity among women rise to 30-50%. But as Nathalie Gogue-Ebo and Katharina Weber at Open Capital point out, just 6% of funding in the region goes to women- owned or -led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs), limiting these businesses' growth potential. They discuss the factors that are preventing investors from supporting WSMEs, and share some potential solutions.
- Categories
- Investing
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A Hidden Risk — And Opportunity — in Clean Energy: Why the Energy Transition Cannot Happen Unless it Addresses Women’s Unpaid Care Work
In advance of the first-ever International Day of Care and Support, Kate Grantham at FemDev Consulting and Carolina Robino and Flaubert Mbiekop at the International Development Research Centre highlight the interconnections between unpaid care work and the global transition to clean energy. They argue that this transition will falter unless it addresses women's heavy and unequal responsibility for unpaid care work — reducing women’s clean energy contributions, and possibly reinforcing existing gender inequalities in the process.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
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Press Release: MCE Social Capital Announces the Final Close of Its Mesa Fund to Target Gender-Inclusive Agri-Businesses in Africa and Latin America
The investment rationale: expanding the potential of early-stage entrepreneurs and rural financial services providers.
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- Agriculture, Investing
- Region
- Global
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Press Release: The World Is Failing Girls and Women, According to New UN Report
New figures point to the need of an additional USD 360 billion in investment per year to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2030.
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- Investing
- Region
- Global
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Insights from 10 Years of Boosting Gender Inclusion in Business: A Pioneering Social Enterprise Explores How the Sector Can Take the Next Steps
Over the past 10 years, gender inclusion has become a growing priority in business and investing. However, as Rebecca Fries and Luis Marquez at Value for Women point out, only $6 billion was raised for gender lens investing in 2021 — a tiny percentage of the $1.2 trillion raised by private markets globally. As Value for Women moves into its second decade, they share insights that will fuel progress toward gender inclusion in business and investment in emerging markets over the coming years.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Press Release: $40 million EIB Backing for Acre Impact Capital’s Innovative Private Debt Fund in Africa
The fund will support renewable power, health, food and water scarcity; sustainable cities; and green transport in Africa.
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- Energy, Environment, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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IFC Invests $25 Million in Metier in Southern and East Africa
Private equity investment in Africa remains among the lowest in emerging markets, representing just 4% of total volumes.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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International Finance Corporation Invests $500 Million in Indonesian Bank
BTPN’s social and green bonds are set up to support climate action and women-led small businesses.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia