Business has a vital role to play in fighting poverty after the DFID-FCO merger
By some estimates, half a billion people globally will be pushed into poverty by COVID-19. For many in the international development community, therefore, the government’s decision to merge its Department or International Development (DFID) into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is ill-conceived and poorly timed. On 19 June, 188 NGOs called on the Prime […]
Masterclass Series: Gender Equality for Business
When it comes to the workplace progress in reaching parity has stalled. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap report found that at the current rate, it will take another 100 years to close the overall gender gap and 257 years to bring about parity in the workplace; in the 2019 report this number […]
5 lessons from the pandemic: Agility, clarity, and sincerity define game play today
The most successful businesses continuously evolved to stay relevant and remain competitive. Yet sometimes it takes a crisis to jolt our best intentions into action. Whether that crisis affects a business, an industry or, in the case of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the systemic problems it has exposed, the world, it’s essential to reflect […]
Early actions to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable
During the COVID-19 crisis, Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) partners are focused on protecting the wellbeing of their staff, repurposing their resources and networks, and finding ways to support livelihoods through their supply chains. Here are a few stories of how our partners are leveraging their unique social impact business models to support their communities during […]
Integrated Corporate Governance: Six Leadership Priorities For Boards Beyond The Crisis
The Covid-19 crisis is accelerating a shift toward a more integrated approach to corporate governance that has been gathering force for some time. The pandemic has put people’s lives, livelihoods and learning at the center of the public policy and business response in almost every country and industry sector. It has dramatically underscored the need […]
Scalability, Sustainability and Participation in Value Chain
This is the second in a three part series, published in the lead up to Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers Forum online events 2020. Join the conversation exploring innovative ideas and tangible solutions for financing young entrepreneurs. Supporting youth-led enterprises is good for business and vital for inclusive economic growth. According to the World Bank, SMEs represent […]
Unlocking systems transformation – A business view
The term “systems transformation” is increasingly being used to describe what is needed to achieve sustainable development. Players across government, industry, academia and civil society are more and more aligned in their position that the sustainable development challenges we face are complex, highly interconnected and systemic, and that incremental change will not be enough to […]
The post-Covid-19 world presents an opportunity for better business, but will it happen?
The global outbreak has not only exposed the frailty and complexity of human needs, but also how quickly they can evolve – and thus how quickly organisations must adapt to keep up. Without diminishing its devastating impact, if this crisis has a silver lining, it is the opportunity it provides businesses to prepare for a post-pandemic world: […]
Why Supporting Businesses and Communities Through Mobile Technology is Vital to Combat COVID-19 in informal settlements.
COVID-19 has increased the urgency for reliable, accessible and regular health information, and forced a shift to remote community engagement and greater focus on local-led responses. Our experience in Kenya shows that capacity building and mobilisation of local informal businesses through digital technology can empower high-risk communities with knowledge to combat COVID-19 and reduce financial […]
Finding Innovative Ideas and Tangible Solutions for Financing Young Entrepreneurs
This is the first in a three part series, published in the lead up to Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers Forum online events 2020. To join the conversation exploring innovative ideas and tangible solutions for financing young entrepreneurs – the live event will take place on 30 July 2020. Please click here to register. Globally, more than […]
The Fortnightly Business Fights Poverty Round-Up
My last roundup was focused on the importance of listening, particularly to marginalised voices. This week, the emphasis is firmly on translating new learning into tangible action, with a wealth of resources on how business can embrace purpose and rebuild better. Our Black Lives Matter Series continues, in which members of the Business Fights Poverty […]
Africa after COVID-19
The health emergency precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic has rapidly spiralled into Africa’s worst economic crisis in 25 years. Issues related to coronavirus aid, racism, and debt restructuring are resetting the critical China-Africa relationship. As funding levels drop and the macroeconomic outlook changes, the focus of investment in Africa’s promising start-up sector is rapidly evolving. […]
The post-COVID-19 world presents an opportunity for better business, but will it happen?
As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on lives and livelihoods around the world, fulfilling a social purpose has never been so important to businesses or their customers. The global outbreak has not only exposed the frailty and complexity of human needs, but also how quickly they can evolve – and thus how quickly organisations must adapt to […]
The Legislative Framework We Need to Protect Workers Across Supply Chains
The ITUC report, ‘Towards mandatory due diligence in global supply chains’, shows that while all governments need to bring in mandatory human rights’ due diligence legislation, EU-wide legislation and a UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights are important steps to regulate the behaviour of companies with regard to their entire operations and activities globally. […]
The Winners of COVID-19
The Covid-19 crisis has upended the global economy. Airlines face dwindling passenger traffic; hospitals suffer exhausted workforces or mass layoffs; social venues are largely closed with many unlikely to re-open; and students and graduates experience fewer job prospects. Another deep recession is expected. Even as so many sectors struggle, there are winners. Proctor & Gamble […]
One Key to Getting People Back to Work? Childcare
Instead of finding support, many people have discovered deep fault lines in access to social services, including childcare. The childcare system has been deeply affected, with childcare centers around the world closed to protect children and workers. A survey in South Africa reveals that 68 percent of childcare center owners are concerned that they will […]
Black Lives Matter Series: Views from the Business Fights Poverty Community – Olu Olanrewaju
BFP: Please introduce yourself? OO: My name is Olu Olanrewaju. I work in the international affordable housing consultancy space. Assisting Private sector clients, Governments, development finance institutions such as KFW, Dfid, IFC and others in emerging economies to design and implement sustainable housing and urban development solutions. BFP: What is your personal take on the […]
Purpose and Investors: Collaborating to #RebuildBetter
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is creating the worst humanitarian and economic crisis in a generation, threatening the lives, livelihoods, and learning of hundreds of millions of people around the world. While the final impact is hard to predict – as it will depend on the future pattern of the disease spread and potential resurgence, […]
Industries Post-COVID-19: A Gender-Responsive Approach to Global Economic Recovery
What most crises have in common is that they hit the most vulnerable and marginalized populations—among which women are disproportionally represented—the hardest. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, especially those facing multiple forms of discrimination related to poverty, race or disability, is increasingly being documented. As reported in the UN Secretary General’s “Policy […]
Early Insights From Four Practitioners in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis
This article is a follow-up to the webinar “Resilience for Inclusive Businesses – Early Insights from Practitioners” that took place on April 9, 2020. For the video recording, please click here. To be updated on future webinar installments, please check out the Hystra website or the Global Distributors Collective’s dedicated COVID resources page. As the […]