On Our Radar: June 2023

In this interview with FinDev Gateway, Adama Bah of Oikocredit shares how her organization works with financial service provider partners to advance women’s economic empowerment.

Three years ago, WomenSave set out on a mission to economically empower women in East Africa. Through interviews with a sample of 250 clients in western Uganda, WomenSave explores important lessons learned from their interventions.

What are the challenges and opportunities for gender equity in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts such as those found in Mozambique? How do certain traditional cultural norms limit the role of women in society and reinforce gender stereotypes, hindering the empowerment of local development? Read more on these questions and what Fundación Capital has learned from working in the country.

In this working paper, CGAP and Mercy Corps AgriFin identify sustainable and scalable opportunities for financial and agricultural service providers that create value for rural women as well as their businesses, and share examples of innovative ways in which providers are seizing these opportunities.

Launched a decade ago, ACEP Madagascar is a microfinance institution specializing in the financing of small urban enterprises in communities excluded from the traditional banking system. This blog shares the experience of Joëline, a 49-year old single mother and sewing entrepreneur in Madagascar, who began her business with a personal ACEP loan of 300,000 Malagasy Ariary (65 euros).

Research from CARE reveals that gender norms are still preventing women entrepreneurs from reaching their business goals. The study is based on findings from Vietnam, Peru, and Pakistan and shows just how ingrained these norms are.