Philanthropy as a Catalyst for Change: Lessons From the G20
In late July, finance leaders of the world’s major economies gathered in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, for the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting. There, they pledged for the first time to cooperate to ensure that the super-rich are effectively taxed: a move that attracted headlines in the global media. This unprecedented declaration on taxing wealth […]
Afro-futurist Innovators Know What We Should Build Next
How might philanthropy shift if we framed Black economic mobility as an inherent right and a collective responsibility? Might we, as funders, abandon “risk” terminology to automatically recognize Black, African, and diaspora founders’ expertise and authority? Might we trust Black and diaspora leaders’ advocacy of their communities’ real needs, widely supporting proximate leaders to author […]
Off-Grid Success: Solar Chilling Fuels Produce Supply For Women Farmers In Malawi
Lack of refrigeration and access to markets means Malawian farmers lose up to half of their produce to post-harvest loss – this was one of the main factors driving the Renewable Energy for Agriculture project run by Practical Action and our partners in northern Malawi. The work has levelled the playing field for rural women […]
Profit with Purpose: How Women-Inclusive Business Practices Drive SME Success
Can inclusive investments advance growth within the localized private sector? Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are powerful drivers of economic growth: they account for 90 percent of businesses, more than 50 percent of employment, and create two out of three jobs globally. This presents a significant untapped opportunity to advance gender equality in low- and […]
Unlocking the Potential of Young Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa
A Call for Innovative Financing Solutions Youth entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa represents an extraordinary opportunity to drive economic independence, societal transformation, and sustainable development. Yet, millions of young entrepreneurs remain constrained by a rigid financial landscape. These young minds, particularly women and other underserved groups, operate predominantly in the informal sector, with no access to […]
Small Business, Big Impact: The Transformative Power of Women Entrepreneurs
In the corner by one of the many potted plants, three Vietnamese women sit around bowls of steaming noodles and dumplings, engrossed in discussion. Despite the noise and chaos of the traffic outside, it’s peaceful in this small and cozy vegetarian restaurant tucked away in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Sounds of conversation and laughter grow as […]
An Open Letter to Global Leaders: Now is the Time to Address Youth Global Mental Health
Across the globe, the toll of poor mental health among our youth is staggering. It’s a leading cause of death, disease, and disability, particularly among older adolescents. Yet, despite its pervasive impact, mental health remains chronically underfunded and stigmatized. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with other global challenges, such as humanitarian emergencies, the climate and ecological […]
Enhancing Women’s Empowerment Strategies: The Investor’s View
What is the main impediment to enhancing women’s empowerment strategies? Men. Sharing power is never easy. For business, the incentive to enhance women’s empowerment is made even weaker by the specter of short-term impacts to the bottom line. For example, achieving gender pay parity, improving childcare and parental leave policies, or setting a living wage […]
World Refugee Day: Engaging Corporate Partners to Support Refugees
This significant day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 to honor refugees worldwide. It marks an opportunity to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day not only raises awareness about the global refugee crisis […]
How SMEs Can Gain a Competitive Edge by Embracing UN SDGs
SMEs and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Smaller companies can uncover competitive advantages by embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2015, the UK Government joined every other country worldwide and committed to transforming our world with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Goals define global priorities […]
Fields of Change: Making Cotton Work Better for Women
Whether it is used to make classic blue jeans and a tight white T-shirt, or a high thread-count bedsheet and reusable nappies, cotton comes with a production story. This story starts not in a factory, but in cotton fields and their surrounding communities. At present, it is one in which there are still very few […]
Financial Empowerment for Young Entrepreneurs: A Strategic Imperative
Entrepreneurship can be a transformative option for young people to gain economic independence, shape economies and drive businesses for good. Young entrepreneurs are critical to future economic development and key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. But while young entrepreneurs rarely lack ambition, they often lack resources. Insufficient access to finance remains a consistent barrier […]
Prioritising Digital Wage Payments for Women is Good Business for Businesses
When was the last time you received your wage in cash? Have you ever received a pile of bills and coins, taken public transportation, and wondered where in your house to hide them to keep them safe? There is a chance you have never experienced this. But in many countries, this is an everyday reality. […]
Unlocking Economic Growth: How the Private Sector Can Empower Forcibly Displaced Communities
Poverty is rampant among these populations. There is a need for jobs. A key way to create jobs is to expand private sectors in communities that host the forcibly displaced. And a key way to do that is to unleash entrepreneurship – and to connect entrepreneurs with global and regional companies as customers and partners. […]
Supporting the Economic Empowerment of Women in Coffee
To Support the Economic Empowerment of Women in Coffee, We Must Make Their Work Visible. “We didn’t understand that we could do it, that we [as women] could go out into our communities and be ourselves,” says Nay Aponte, a coffee grower in Peru’s Monzón Valley. She worked hard on the family coffee farm, but […]
How Can Businesses Tackle the Digital Divide to Drive Social Mobility?
Limited internet users are five times more likely than extensive users to be from a low-income household, according to 2023 data from Good Things Foundation. However, having the means to engage effectively online is key in improving education and employment opportunities for those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Social mobility in the UK, which refers to […]
3 Proven Strategies that Create Impact for Women Entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs represent a trillion-dollar economic growth opportunity with benefits that ripple through households and communities – this should be enough to inspire action, but sadly it’s not. And despite the proliferation of gender equality strategies, gender-focused financial inclusion policies, entrepreneurship support programs, and extensive evidence that women are worth investing in, we’re still only […]
FemTech and the Gender Health Gap
Healthcare serves women less well than men. Women live more of their life in poor health than men and they are also more likely to report a negative experience of accessing healthcare. FemTech and the Gender Health Gap FemTech also aptly illustrates the way in which healthcare more broadly will evolve, as health, tech and […]
The Global Pursuit of Equity: A New Stanford Social Innovation Review Article Series
Social and environmental inequities exist in every pocket of the world, without exception. They often form across familiar lines, including race, gender, or physical ability, and manifest in familiar ways, including greater or less access to education, employment, technology, security, and a healthy environment. However, the severity, entrenchment, and complexity of these inequities are unique […]
Integrating Gender Equality into Sustainability Standards: A Strategic Approach
Tackling gender inequalities in supply chains through sustainability systems The world won’t meet its sustainability goals without addressing gender issues – and sustainability standards and similar systems have an important role to play by setting gender responsive standards. The world won’t meet its sustainability goals without addressing gender issues – and sustainability standards and similar […]