Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi)

💥 Last Call! Tomorrow, join us for the Research Conference on Accelerating Growth of Women-Led SMEs in Developing Economies! 💡 Why Attend? Nearly 50 speakers from 20+ institutions, spanning academia, development institutions, think tanks, and more, will explore the latest evidence on driving success for women entrepreneurs, covering innovative financing, skills, policy, and the care economy. 🎓 Keynote Speaker: Prof. Pinelopi Goldberg, Yale Department of Economics 📍 Where: IDB HQ, Washington, DC. A great collaboration between IDB Invest, Inter-American Development Bank, EBRD, American University School of International Service, and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi). 📝 Join us in-person! Register now: https://lnkd.in/d-euZxWu Patricia Yanez-Pagans Claudia Martinez A. Luciana Etcheverry, Ph.D. Michelle Brock Jennifer Poole Lee Ullmann Wendy Teleki Farid Tadros Sonia Plaza Diego Ubfal Miriam Bruhn

🌐♀️ During the #WBGMeetings' first #GenderDay, The World Bank president Ajay Banga announced the first steps toward implementing the Bank's Gender Strategy 2030, including a set of actions and concrete goals to increase economic opportunities for women. 📈 🗓️ By 2030, the World Bank aims to provide 80 million more #womenentrepreneurs and #WSMEs with #accesstocapital, thereby mitigating a critical constraint to entrepreneurship growth. To fellow panelist Mr. Adebayo Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BUDGET & NATIONAL PLANNING NIGERIA, he also cited #Nigeria's recent launch of the WE Finance Code as a means to help enact regulatory reform and accelerate women's access to financial services. Minister Sandra Ablamba JOHNSON, PhD, General Secretary at the Presidency, #Togo, also discussed the strides women have made in her country, including in political representation and closing gender gaps via a dedicated inclusive financial fund. Moderator Shakuntala Santhiran cited the #WEFinanceCode's inspiration from the UK's #InvestinginWomenCode to panelist Minister Anneliese Dodds of the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office/Department for Education, as well as the Code's intention to eliminate the $1.7 trillion global #financegap for women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses. The World Bank's latest efforts to prevent gender biases in lending practices, strengthen female entrepreneurs’ capacity, and improve access to #credit and #equity involve working closely with development finance institutions and investors while simultaneously mobilizing resources through financial instruments like #genderbonds AND generating the #businesscase #data for necessary regulatory reforms. Ms. Santhiran concluded the event saying, "When women have the tools they need, they can create change, not just for themselves, but for entire communities, countries, even the world. So she can learn, so she can lead, so she can thrive, for all women everywhere, for all of us who wish to see an end to poverty on a livable planet. Together, we can #accelerateequality. Together, we can end poverty on a livable planet. Let’s get to work!" 📺 Watch the full event recorded below ⬇️ 📚👓 #WeekendReading: 1.) World Bank Group Advances Gender Strategy, Unveils Economic Opportunity Ambitions: https://lnkd.in/eszFKfXC 2.) World Bank Group Gender Strategy 2024 – 2030: Accelerate Gender Equality to End Poverty on a Livable Planet: https://lnkd.in/gKVrQQ_8 3.) Demystifying the WE Finance Code: A Primer on this Fast-Moving Vehicle for Change: https://lnkd.in/eWEhcxr2

🎉Join We-Fi in celebrating #WBGMeetings' first #GenderDay! 🎉 The World Bank's Annual Meetings 2024 flagship event "𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝" will explore how enhancing women’s economic opportunities can #accelerateequality for a more prosperous and livable world. Details below ⬇️ 🗓️ Thursday, 24 October at 9AM ET/ 1PM GMT 📺Live Broadcast: https://lnkd.in/eNUqhpsc 👥 Confirmed speakers include: - Mr. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group - Hon. Anneliese Dodds, Minister for Development and Women & Equalities, #UnitedKingdom - Hon. Adebayo Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance, #Nigeria - Hon. Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance, #Morocco - Hon. Sandra Ablamba Johnson, Minister, General Secretary at the Presidency, #Togo 📚Key World Bank Group Gender Resources: 📍World Bank #GenderStrategy: https://lnkd.in/gKVrQQ_8 📍We-Fi's #WEFinanceCode: www.wefinancecode.org 📍 IFC - International Finance Corporation's Work on #GenderEquality and #EconomicInclusion: https://lnkd.in/d3umyfkY 📍MIGA Impact on Gender: https://lnkd.in/es8v6gd3

🚨 REMINDER: Accelerating Growth for Women-led SMEs #ResearchConference is next week!! 🚨 Co-hosted in #WashingtonDC by the Inter-American Development Bank, IDB Invest, We-Fi, EBRD, American University, and the University of California, Berkeley, nearly 50 speakers from 20+ institutions are confirmed to address the event and showcase the latest research on #gender and #entrepreneurship. Beginning with a keynote by Pinelopi Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the The World Bank and the Elihu Professor of Economics and Global Affairs and Professor of Management at Yale University, confirmed speakers include: 👤 Eric Parrado, Chief Economist and General Manager of the Research Department, IDB 👤Ana María Ibáñez, Vice President for Sectors and Knowledge, IDB 👤Mona Haddad, Global Director for Trade, Investment and Competitiveness, The World Bank 👤M. Caridad Araujo, Chief of Gender and Diversity Division, IDB 👤Rishi Goyal, Deputy Director & Senior Adviser on Gender, International Monetary Fund 👤Dana Kupova, Head of Inclusive Finance, Gender and Economic Inclusion, EBRD 👤Diego Ubfal, Senior Economist, World Bank Gender Group 👤 Wendy Teleki, Head, Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative Secretariat 🧐Learn more about the other sessions in the comments below and register now while seats are still available! 🎟️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/e7SMvr_Z ⬅️

📖 #WeekendReading: #Gender, Power and Politics in Agriculture 🌱 This new #opensource book - edited by Dr Jemimah Njuki (UN Women), Hale Ann Tufan (Cornell University), Hugo Campos de Quiroz (International Potato Center (CIP)), Vivian Polar (Roots, Tubers and Bananas Breeding - CGIAR ) and Monifa Morgan-Bell (Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) - is intended to reduce the gap between theory, methods, and practice of gender relations in agriculture and #agriculturalresearch. They write: "Advancing #genderequality in #agriculture is an inherently political process... [and] we call for a paradigm shift from **𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬** that are inequitable, unjust and undemocratic." Their steps to success? 📍First acknowledge the gendered hierarchies and power dynamics built into the agriculture sector 📍Second, recognize the interconnectedness of women’s lives 📍Third, bring women’s rights to the fore 📍And lastly, re-engineer patriarchal organizations and systems to address #genderdiscrimination ➡️ How do we get there? Read their new book for free here: https://lnkd.in/dXpsFMke ✍️ Authors tagged in the comments below.

Yesterday the African Development Bank Group and the African Guarantee Fund launched the Affirmative Action for Women in Africa (#AFAWA) Finance Series in #SouthAfrica, in collaboration with The Banking Association South Africa. Supported by We-Fi, AFAWA works to bridge the $42 billion #financegap for #womenentrepreneurs across Africa. The South Africa initiative joins other AFAWA programmes in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, and Togo. Learn more ⬇️ . . . . Melissa Basque Roux Jules Ngankam #AFAWAFinanceSeries #WSME

💐🍾 #Nigeria Joins the #WEFinanceCode 💐🍾 Data from Women's World Banking shows that Nigerian women's entrepreneurial activity outpaces that of men's by four percent, but they face a N294 billion gender #financegap. Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Bank of Industry Limited (BoI), and the Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) took steps to empower Nigeria's #womenentrepreneurs by committing to the WE Finance Code at CBN headquarters in Abuja. Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of CBN, called on stakeholders across the financial ecosystem to support the national coalition and adopt the Code, recognizing the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs as both a collective responsibility and a N294 billion market opportunity. Dr. Olasupo Olusi, BoI Managing Director, and Tony Okpanachi, Ph.D, DBN Managing Director, echoed their commitments while also highlighting how their financial institutions are already serving #WSMEs. 📰 Check out media coverage of the launch below ⬇️ 🔗 ARISE News: https://lnkd.in/evRHF_dv 🔗New Telegraph: https://lnkd.in/eqrmH5Tz 🔗 NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: https://lnkd.in/eM2cxKNx 🔗 Punch Newspapers: https://lnkd.in/eMJjiYf8 🔗Regtech Africa: https://lnkd.in/eU6arDKC 🔗The Nation Nigeria: https://lnkd.in/ew_BfUXf . . . With special thanks to: Mr. Philip Ikeazor, FCIB, Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN and Ms. Temitope Akin-Fadeyi, Head, Micro Credit Office, Development Finance Department, CBN 🙏

📢📆 Tomorrow! Join #SheWinsClimate at GITEX GLOBAL Largest Tech & Startup Show in the World 🌱🌍 Of the 7% of #VC funding that goes to #womenentrepreneurs in emerging markets, only 10% is invested in women-led #climatetech #startups. Learn more about We-Fi and IFC - International Finance Corporation's #SheWins regional startup #acceleration programs at the free #GITEXGLOBAL event tomorrow in #Dubai. ➡️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/dY2GZ_A4

We-Fi Secretariat Head Wendy Teleki will publicly address the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)'s International Women's Leadership Summit in #WashingtonDC this Friday, October 18. 📆 Under the umbrella of "Envisioning a Just World," the summit will feature a keynote address from Her Excellency Dr. Vjosa Osmani, President of the Republic of #Kosovo, alongside opportunities to engage on issues such as disruptive technologies, #economic disparities, #climatejustice, #globalhealth and more with thought leaders from The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, The Brookings Institution and other top organizations. 🎟️ Tickets are limited so be sure to reserve your spot now! For more information on the agenda and to register, please click here: https://lnkd.in/e-5QjDke

#DataMonday 📊 The African Development Bank Group has unveiled a #GenderMarker System Dashboard to track progress towards mainstreaming #genderequality in its programmes and projects across the continent. This new #tech is designed to support the Bank’s efforts to ensure that at least 80% of public-sector operations and 50% of private-sector operations directly benefit women and girls. ♀️ The new digital Dashboard organizes #genderdata by sector, region, country, year, and source of financing, while also highlighting where additional human and financial resources are required to meet or exceed gender-based classifications. This data will help the Bank understand the efficacy of its programs to eliminate traditional barriers to women's #financialinclusion and access to #economicopportunity in the same spirit of the WE Finance Code. #AfDB members #CôtedIvoire, #Egypt, #Madagascar, #Morocco, #Mozambique, #Nigeria, #Rwanda, #Senegal and #Somalia number among the #WEFinanceCode pilots launching this year with the same commitment for collecting gender data.  The pilot #Madagascar Code launched just this month with the patronage of H.E. Minister Rindra Hasimbelo Rabarinirinarison of the Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances de Madagascar. 📺 Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eA9WZFap Said Acting Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society Martha T.M. Phiri, PhD: “This Gender Marker System Dashboard is the latest innovation in how the Bank is investing in Africa’s women to drive inclusive growth, in line with the Ten-Year Strategy 2024-2033....The goal is to accelerate our actions to empower women and close gender disparities, as well as hold ourselves accountable to our commitment to mainstream gender in the work that we do.”