THE CHALLENGE
An estimated 1.7 billion adults lack access to formal financial services, and women are disproportionately excluded, with women in developing economies remaining nine percentage points less likely than men to have a bank account.*
THE OPPORTUNITY
GP funds aim to empower women and enhance the economic resilience of households living in poverty by investing in partners that deliver gender-informed financial and educational services.
WCFE Track 1
Who is Served
The target demographic is female microentrepreneurs living on less than $3.20 PPP/person/day.
What is Delivered
Clients must receive:
- Small-to-medium size working capital loans, often delivered through group lending; AND
- Basic financial literacy education, which for clients living in deep poverty and who are new to formal financial services, may comprise know-your-credit training.
May also receive:
- Access to savings;
- Education covering topics such as women’s empowerment, health, business and money management.
Why IT is Impactful
Client empowerment and household economic resilience and food security improve because with access to financial services and basic financial literacy women are empowered to:
- Make more informed decisions;
- Smooth household consumption & better deal with shocks;
- Sustain & eventually grow investment in productive activities; and
- Reduce the distressed sale & support the accrual of assets.
Household income stabilizes and/or increases over time as women:
- Invest in new, improved, or growing productive opportunities, practices, inputs, technology, and/or assets;
The above outcomes are enhanced by investing in women, who are shown to prioritize spending on the health, education & well-being of their families.**
WCFE Track 2
Who is Served
The target demographic is female microentrepreneurs living on less than $5.50 PPP/person/day.
What is Delivered
Clients must receive:
- Small-to-medium size working capital loans, often delivered through group lending; AND
- Basic financial literacy education; AND
- Education covering topics such as women’s empowerment, health, business and money management.
May also receive:
- Access to savings;
- Loans delivered using other methodologies tailored to women’s productive use needs;
- Advanced business training;
- Improved market access.
Why IT is Impactful
Client empowerment and household economic resilience and food security improve because with access to financial services and basic financial literacy women are empowered to:
- Make more informed decisions;
- Smooth household consumption & better deal with shocks;
- Sustain & eventually grow investment in productive activities; and
- Reduce the distressed sale & support the accrual of assets.
Household income stabilizes and/or increases over time as women:
- Invest in new, improved, or growing productive opportunities, practices, inputs, technology, and/or assets;
The above outcomes are enhanced by investing in women, who are shown to prioritize spending on the health, education & well-being of their families.
* “The Global Findex Database,” The World Bank, 2017, https://globalfindex.worldbank.org/.
** “Gender Equality, Poverty and Economic Growth,” The World Bank Gender and Development Group, 2007, https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/758041468340239015/pdf/wps4349.pdf.