The authors of this article examined which groups of people in northwestern Ghana were more and less likely to borrow money from microfinance institutions (MFIs). The authors conducted
Tag: Women
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Lending $4.9m to Support MSMEs Led by Women in Paraguay Via Ueno App
Oikocredit, a cooperative investor based in the Netherlands, has agreed to loan EUR 4.5 million (USD 4.9 million) for five years to Paraguay-based Financiera Ueno, aiming to promote microenterprises as well
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Predictors of Microfinance Sustainability: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh,” by Maeenuddin et al
This article examines the financial sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Bangladesh. Using data from the MIX Market database, the authors develop a
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Mi-Bospo of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borrowing $2.2m from Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation for Microfinance Lending
Microcredit Foundation Mi-Bospo of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently agreed to borrow EUR 2 million (USD 2.2 million) from the Grameen Credit Agricole (GCA) Foundation, which has offices in France and Luxembourg. Mi-Bospo serves 26,000 clients, mostly women who live in rural areas. Its offerings include
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Satya of India Borrowing $35m from FMO, Finnfund for Microfinance for Rural Women, Youth – Including to Enable Green Transition
Satya MicroCapital, an India-based microfinance institution (MFI), recently borrowed the local-currency equivalent of USD 25 million from the Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) and USD 10 million from Finnfund, a development finance institution controlled by the government of Finland. The funding is intended to
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Impact Summit; July 13-14, 2023; Cape Town, South Africa
With a focus on impact investing, this event will explore how to build markets in Africa as well as pipeline opportunities and challenges. The agenda includes sessions such as: (1) Investing in SMEs [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] and Start-ups; (2) Systems and Design Thinking for
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ADB, FinDev Canada to Partner on Investments in Market Development; Women’s Empowerment; Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation in Asia, Pacific
The multilateral Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Canadian government’s FinDev Canada recently announced a partnership to support projects in Asia and the Pacific that further FinDev Canada’s priority areas of “women’s economic empowerment, climate action and local market development.” In addition to identifying deals to co-finance, the organizations plan
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Green Energy Finance and Gender Disparity: The Case of Mountain Areas in Bangladesh,” by Sakib Bin Amin et al, Published by Copenhagen Business School
The authors of this study conducted a household-level analysis to examine the relationships among electricity access, green finance and gender disparity in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh. Although access to electricity can
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Araratbank of Armenia, FMO Ink $10m Risk-sharing Facility to Boost MSMEs
The Armenian bank Araratbank and Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) recently agreed to expand their risk-sharing facility by USD 10 million. FMO’s portion of the commitment is from its Nasira Fund, which guarantees
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Asia Pacific Microfinance Forum; October 17-18, 2023; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This event, in its fourth edition, aims to facilitate networking among investors and retail financial institutions. With a focus on market trends, the forum will address topics such as: (1) Recent Developments in Responsible Inclusive Finance; (2) Strategies to Overcome
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Responsible Finance Forum; July 5-7, 3023; Bengaluru, India
Themed “Shaping a Responsible Digital Finance Ecosystem,” the upcoming edition of this event – the first in-person since 2019 – will focus on client protection to help “low-income and vulnerable” people reduce risks as they use financial tools. Although the detailed agenda has not yet been finalized, it is expected to include topics such as: (1) Balancing Responsible Finance Between
MICROFINANCE EVENT: European Microfinance Network (EMN) Annual Conference; June 14-16, 2023; Paris, France
Themed “Economy for the People,” the 20th annual iteration of this event will focus on financial inclusion and social entrepreneurship. The agenda will include topics such as: (1) crisis management for entrepreneurs; (2) the needs of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OnePuhunan Borrows $10m from MicroVest to Boost Microfinance for Women in the Philippines
MicroVest, an asset manager and subsidiary of US-based DAI Global, has reported lending USD 10 million to CreditAccess Philippines Financing Company, also known as OnePuhunan, a microfinance institution (MFI) that primarily lends to low-income female entrepreneurs and artisans. The MFI was founded in 2014 and is a
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: AMK of Cambodia Borrowing $7.5m for Green Microfinance via Bond Issue from BII, Symbiotics
Symbiotics Investments, a Switzerland-based investor focused on smaller businesses in low- and middle- income countries, recently disbursed USD 7.5 million to Cambodia’s AMK Microfinance Institution to fund its ongoing lending for electric two- and three-wheeled vehicles as well as new products, such as
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Annapurna of India Borrows $10m from MicroVest to Expand Microfinance for Rural Women
MicroVest, an asset management subsidiary of US-based DAI Global, recently lent USD 10 million to Annapurna Finance, an India-based microfinance institution (MFI) that lends to groups of women for purposes such as agriculture, crafts, solar lighting and housing improvements. The MFI also lends to
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Financial Inclusion in Niger: Challenges and Opportunities,” by Yoro Diallo et al, Published by IMF
This paper examines the inclusivity of financial services in Niger. The data examined indicate that Niger is behind other countries in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) in terms of access to financial services. Only 14 percent of the adult population of Niger accesses and uses formal financial services, such as those offered by commercial banks, e-money service providers and microfinance institutions (MFIs). The WAEMU country closest to Niger in terms of this metric is Mali, in which 55
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BIM Borrows $20m from IDB Invest for Locfund Next to Support Lenders to MSMEs in Latin America, Caribbean
Locfund Next, a debt fund managed by Bolivia-based BIM Asset Management, recently accepted a 6-year loan of USD 20 million from IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. The loan is intended to help funders of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their outreach to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Lab Accepting Applications from Entrepreneurs in Latin America, Caribbean for WeXchange Women STEMpreneurs Competition, Partner of Google for Startups, Through March 31
WeXchange, a program of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group’s IDB Lab, recently started accepting applications from female entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean for the WeXchange Women STEMpreneurs Competition. The competition targets women whose businesses