How businesses and young people can collaborate to be a force for development
Clean water and sanitation for all is a critical Sustainable Development Goal which has only become more significant in the global pandemic. In rural Tanzania the spread of water-borne diseases affects everyday lives, so when Raleigh International young people teamed up with Reckitt employees, they found an impactful way to combat this problem through designing […]
Seeking entrepreneurs and SMEs that are innovating in the care economy
The entire global economic system relies on care giving – the millions of unrecognised and under-valued hours spent ensuring offices are cleaned, children and the elderly are taken care of, and food is prepared for families and workers. Usually this type of work is viewed as a ‘burden’, and a barrier to women’s economic empowerment, […]
Bridging the gender digital divide and improving girls’ self-esteem – An opportunity to partner with UNICEF
WHY: The gender digital divide and low body confidence and self-esteem amongst girls and young women Girls are a tremendous engine for transformational change. Equipped with the right resources, the world’s 600 million adolescent girls have the potential to become the largest generation of earners, leaders, innovators and change-makers. Globally however, adolescent girls are persistently […]
What can a dog park teach us about bridging great societal divides?
The name of today’s game seems to be “us vs them.” Certainly here in the United States, but in many places around the world, divisions seem to become starker and more irresolvable by the day. Sadly, some see it in their self-interest to stoke those divisions. There may be only so much anyone can do […]
A Great Reset On Disability
In the run-up to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd, David Grayson, who is a member of the Business Fights Poverty Circle of Advisers and the chair of the international, pan-disability charity Leonard Cheshire, argues that businesses and society need a “reset” on disability. Apparently, the Harvard economist and author Rebecca […]
The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation
The GSMA, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have announced the launch of the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation. The objective of this new Fund is to help accelerate the testing, adoption and scalability of digital innovations that enable the world’s most […]
16 Days of Activism: Essential resources from the Business Fights Poverty resident gender expert
The United Nations is marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence under the global theme “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!” The 16 days kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. We invited our resident […]
16 Days of Activism: Essential resources from the Business Fights Poverty resident gender expert
The United Nations is marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, under the global theme “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!” The 16 days kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. We invited our resident […]
How COVID-19 has accelerated financial inclusion and reinforced the need for digitalisation
Two billion people across the globe lack access to formal financial services and approximately 90% of these live in developing countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated growth but also increased the danger that those at the very margins of society, could get left behind. Comic Relief and Jersey Overseas Aid share findings from a new study, […]
Refocus, retool, reset: insights from a COVID-19 rapid response & recovery programme
MSMEs, especially those led by women, youth, ethnic minorities, and migrants, were significantly impacted by COVID-19 with 70-80% facing major financial difficulties[1]. To support entrepreneurs to survive and even thrive in the pandemic, YBI members and delivery partners provided in-depth services through a rapid response & recovery programme to 145,738 entrepreneurs- with 77% reporting improved […]
Putting People at the Heart of Climate Action: 3 Reasons Business Must Care
We’re just over two weeks away from a critical milestone in the fight against climate change. The UK will host the COP26 climate conference, bringing together countries to enhance their commitments for the first time since they made them under the Paris Agreement in 2015. The focus of attention has, rightly, been on those highlighting the […]
Why does so little funding go to women entrepreneurs, and what can we do about it?
Chetna Gala Sinha never thought she would start a bank. “But women came to me and said they wanted to open a savings account”, she recalls, “one woman blacksmith was insistent that she wanted to save to buy a tarpaulin cover for the rain. The banks were not ready to let her open an account […]
Failing to Win: Lessons from an entrepreneur who went ‘all in’
After backpacking across Africa in search of changemakers building scalable, high-impact businesses, Canadian entrepreneur Mike Quinn convinced his retired parents to mortgage their house and lend him $100,000 to co-found Zoona, one of the continent’s earliest fintechs. That risk paid off big time, as Zoona went on to process $2.5 billion of transactions and generate […]
The pandemic, supply chains and gendered impacts
The Covid pandemic has had a profound impact on women across all dimensions of economic and social activity, finds briefing paper. From shifting gender roles in the household to the consequences on women’s roles within the economy to the health and well-being effects of the pandemic, the impact on women has been overwhelming. ISEAL, with […]
COVID-19 recovery: Why childcare must be part of the plan
Dinnah, a mother of two living in one of Nairobi’s informal settlements, is among the millions of informal workers hit hardest by COVID-19. Before the pandemic, Dinnah earned a few dollars a day selling fruits and vegetables in the streets – barely enough to meet her family’s needs. After dropping her seven-year-old daughter off at […]
How to implement effective grievance mechanisms
Monica Romis is Private Sector Human Rights Advisor at Oxfam Business Advisory Service. Oxfam is an international organisation that works to end global poverty and to help build a world less divided by money, race, borders or gender. In this session, Monica speaks about grievance mechanisms, and references good practices that can help companies move […]
Interview with Sitsofe Sah, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)
Miss Sitsofe Sah works for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as a Senior Accounts Assistant at the Accra East Regional Office. She is also the National Executive Treasurer of the Power Queen’s Club, a women’s employee association of ECG. As part of a series of interviews with participants of the Ghana Women in Energy conference, Dr. […]
New Learning and Insights Paper: Enhancing the Livelihoods of ‘Hidden Women’ in Global Smallholder Value Chains
Over a quarter of the world’s population make a living farming and working on small areas of land. Nearly half are women, who make crucial contributions to food security, livelihoods and global value chains. As a group, smallholder farmers remain among the world’s most vulnerable populations, facing precarious livelihoods and a disproportionate level of risk […]
Six Actions Businesses Can Take To Reduce Negative Impacts of Purchasing Practices on Human Rights
Companies’ purchasing practices can have a profound impact on human rights. Businesses are under mounting pressure to take responsibility for the wellbeing of the women and men working in their supply chains, with mandatory human rights due diligence legislation approved or underway in several countries. While Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability teams are working hard […]
Why Gender Inequality In Your Supply Chains Matters – And What You Can Do About It
Gender inequality in global supply chains is not a new issue for the private sector though the ongoing impact of Covid-19 has seen conditions worsen for workers, particularly women who are often found in the most insecure and lowest paid jobs. The most recent Oxfam Behind the Barcodes report, ‘Not In This Together – How supermarkets […]