SPECIAL REPORT: European Microfinance Week Opens with Daniela Konietzko of Fundación WWB Colombia Arguing Business Leaders Must Fight Gender Inequality

European Microfinance PlatformAs part of the first day of European Microfinance Week 2021, Daniela Konietzko of Fundación WWB Colombia today discussed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the brunt of which have fallen on women. There has been more domestic violence, neighbors have quarreled more over land disputes, and pregnant women and children have suffered the worst increases in malnutrition. Meanwhile children have missed school, and women have taken on greater unpaid caregiving responsibilities.

As COVID-19 threatens to undo the gains made against poverty in recent years, Ms Konietzko argued that we need to address development with a gender lens for many reasons. Women invest triple the proportion of their earnings in their families relative to what men do. Women are five times more likely to lack any income at all. Meanwhile, it is harder for women to access training and other resources because they spend an average of eight hours per day performing unpaid labor in the household, nearly triple the time that men do. Not only should the financial inclusion sector fight inequality, she says, but this is needed in all sectors, including business, politics and emergency response. In closing, she declared that business leaders have a responsibility to speak out on social issues in all countries – rich and poor.

This feature is part of a sponsored series on European Microfinance Week 2021, which is taking place online through November 19. The event is held annually by the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP). MicroCapital has been engaged to promote and report on the conference each year since 2012.

Additional Resources

European Microfinance Week 2021 agenda
https://registration.european-microfinance-week.eu/website/27793/agenda/

MicroCapital coverage of European Microfinance Week, including the European Microfinance Award
https://www.microcapital.org/category/european-microfinance-week/

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