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UNCDF Partners with Our Telekom to Develop Mobile Money Services in Solomon Islands
Telekom to launch mobile money services in Solomon Islands in efforts to boost financial inclusion and transform the digital payments ecosystem in the country.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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We-Fi announces New Round of Funding for Women Entrepreneurs; $15 Million to the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility to Improve Access to Finance for Women-owned Small Businesses
Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI) will receive $15 million to develop and extend digital financial solutions to women-owned small and medium businesses.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Supporting Financial Health Startups: Four Lessons for Impact Investors, Foundations and Governments
Over the past few years, Village Capital has run Finance Forward, a global coalition to support early-stage entrepreneurs building tech-enabled solutions around financial health. Village Capital CEO Allie Burns shares highlights from a new report that analyzed data from the 1,000+ companies that applied to the program around the world. The report paints a picture of the global state of financial health startups, and offers lessons for impact investors, foundations and government leaders who hope to grow the ecosystem for financial health innovation.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Financial Inclusion that Works for Women: The European Microfinance Award 2022
Lending to women clients has been at the center of microfinance since its modern inception. And as Joana Afonso, Gabriela Erice, Sam Mendelson and Daniel Rozas at the European Microfinance Platform point out, there has undoubtedly been progress in promoting women’s financial inclusion. But they argue that a myopic focus on outreach too often undermines the sector's understanding of the specific barriers women face. They discuss how the 2022 European Microfinance Award's focus on “Financial Inclusion that Works for Women" aims to encourage more effective gender strategies.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance
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After Green Bonds Come Orange Bonds: IIX Launches Coalition to Develop First Gender-Lens ‘Asset Class’
Singapore-based Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), the creator of the $150m Women's Livelihood Bonds, has launched the Orange Bond Initiative, a global coalition to create what they call the world’s first gender-lens investing asset class.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Deconstructing the Monolith: Why Understanding Women’s Individual Needs is Key to Closing the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion
How can financial service providers tailor their products to boost women's financial inclusion? Scott Graham and Anahit Tevosyan at FINCA discuss the findings of a survey of 2,800 financial consumers in the DRC, which showed – perhaps counterintuitively – that focusing on gender as the defining characteristic of a female client is exactly the wrong approach. They explore why it's necessary to “deconstruct the monolith” of female clients by digging into sub-segments of the market to understand their specific needs and constraints.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance
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Women, Green SMEs to Reap Big From Absa’s KSE 1.25 Billion Loan Facility in Kenya
Absa Bank Kenya Plc Monday signed an Sh1.25 billion Loan Portfolio Guarantee Facility with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) to boost credit accessibility for local small businesses, including startups.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Power of Women in Cocoa: Supporting Female Farmers Could Boost Liberia’s Access to Lucrative Premium Markets
Women farmers are essential to the production and trade of cocoa in West Africa, and often comprise a majority of the farming workforce. But as Sabine Garbarino, Amelia Duggan and Kim Beevers at GROW Liberia explain, women's importance to the sector is not always recognized, despite the key role they play in maximizing the quality of cocoa beans. They explore how the work of female farmers drives the cocoa industry in Liberia – and why efforts to support these farmers can open the door to more lucrative market segments and greater social impact.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Entrepreneurship