Searching: Blogs

Why Merchants Still Choose Cash in Sub-Saharan Africa

Digital merchant payments remain limited in Sub-Saharan Africa because current systems impose costs, frictions, and risks that don’t align with the realities of informal, low-margin MSMEs, making cash the more rational choice.

Beyond Borders: Expanding Financial Inclusion Through e-Commerce

Cross-border e-commerce enables women to expand their markets, reach new clients, and trade in greater volumes, while doing business remotely, saving time and improving efficiency. These transactions create a financial footprint that can help women qualify for loans, insurance, and other financial products.

Building Resilience: Women, Solar Energy & India’s Turmeric Economy

Women do 80% of the labor in India’s turmeric value chain, much of it grueling and manual. Solar dryers and peelers could ease this burden, improve quality, raise incomes, and build climate resilience with support from green finance tools.

Fueling Micro-Retail: FMCGs & E-Commerce in Action

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies have a significant opportunity to enhance their supply chain efficiency, expand their market reach, and improve operational effectiveness by leveraging B2B (Business-to-Business) e-commerce platforms.

Does Microcredit Drive Jobs Growth? Here’s What the Evidence Shows

Microcredit can help MSEs create jobs and build resilience but often falls short on growth. The Impact Pathfinder highlights credit’s opportunities and gaps, stressing the need for better financial products and support to boost employment.

Customer Focus Brings Green Technology to Rural Women in India

Customer-centricity means understanding people's financial needs and realities. Sistema.bio in India uses this approach to offer affordable biodigesters to rural women, leveraging carbon credits.

Transforming Côte d'Ivoire's Cashew Sector with Phygital Empowerment

In Côte d’Ivoire, Wi-Agri empowers women farmers with digital tools and on-the-ground support. By understanding the challenges rural Ivorian women face, Wi-Agri is able to design for them rather than around them.

Seven Insights From Samunnati on Income Diversification

In collaboration with CGAP and IDH under ABERA, Samunnati drives business innovation and gender and climate goals. Together, they've identified seven insights on income diversification for women in India, detailed in this blog.

Driving Change: Hello Tractor and ABERA

CGAP, IDH, FSD Network & FSD Kenya are working with Hello Tractor as part of ABERA, which empowers rural women in agriculture. We aim to address gender and climate challenges while strengthening Hello Tractor's business and financial service links.

Adapting to or Just Muddling Through Climate Change?

The second blog in our series with Decodis and MSC explores our research finding that many poor households are just muddling through climate events rather than strategically adapting to long-term climate change in ways that enhance their resilience.