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Credit Suisse Celebrates 10 Years of Microfinance
Congratulations to our corporate partner Credit Suisse on achieving 10 years of leadership in microfinance. Opportunity International CEO Vicki Escarra participated in two panel discussions, both of which highlighted innovations in products and delivery mechanisms to reach and serve clients more effectively. “We take a private equity approach by providing leadership and financial training as Read more…
Tagged Accion, anniversary, Banking, CEO, Credit Suisse, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Financial Times, FINCA, international business development, Loans, Microfinance, Microfinance Capacity Building Initiative, Microfinance industry, Opportunity International, Poverty, Simona Haiduc, sustainable finance award, Switzerland, Training, Vicki Escarra, Women's World Banking
Lend Your Voice to The Global Appeal for Responsible Microfinance
The following post was originally published on the Center for Financial Inclusion blog by Meghan Greene, Manager of the Microfinance CEO Working Group, the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion. Today, in front of the 3,000 attendees of the Convergences 2015 World Forum in Paris, microfinance leaders unveiled the “Global Appeal for Responsible Microfinance,” a landmark Read more…
Tagged Accion, Client Protection Principles, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, FINCA, Freedom from Hunger, Global Poverty, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Microfinance CEO Working Group, Millennium Development Goals, Opportunity International, Paris, Poverty, Pro Mujer, Un millennium development goals, VisionFund International, Women's World Banking, World Vision
What We’re Pinning: Women’s Empowerment
We believe that one of the keys to poverty eradication is the empowerment of women. Women represent 70% of those living on less than $2 a day, but typically spend 90% of their income on their families. So in honor of all the hardworking and courageous women around the world, here are some of our Read more…
Tagged Africa, Children, Empowerment, Ending Poverty, Entrepreneurs, Female entrepreneurs, Girls, Half the Sky, infographic, Latin America, Loans, Manal al-Sharif, Microfinance, Middle East, Oprah Winfrey, Poverty, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Time Magazine, what we're pinning, Women, women's empowerment, Women's Philanthropy, Women's World Banking
“The Hype is Long Over” – Microfinance CEOs Respond to Washington Post Article, “Microfinance Doesn’t End poverty, Despite All the Hype”
The following post was published today on the Center for Financial Inclusion’s blog. The Microfinance CEO Working Group consists of the CEOs of leading microfinance organizations ACCION, FINCA International, Freedom from Hunger, Grameen Foundation USA, , Pro Mujer, VisionFund International, and Women’s World Banking. In the post below, the CEOs respond to the recent Washington Read more…
Tagged Accion, Center for Financial Inclusion, Credit Suisse, David Roodman, David Simms, Ending Poverty, Financial services, FINCA, Freedom from Hunger, Grameen Foundation, Insurance, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Network, Pro Mujer, Savings, VisionFund International, Washington Post, Women's World Banking
Breakout Session: Why Women? Why Now?
The impact of focusing on women is thus multi-fold: not only will empowering women [with financial services] uplift the lives of women, but it also produces a wider impact on multiple generations and the communities in which they live. -2011 Study by Women’s World Banking In families where have an income, they have a voice Read more…
Tagged Africa, Deborah Farrington, Diane Griffin, DR Congo, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Microfinance, Nadine Pembele, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Ruth-Anne Renaud, StarVest Partners, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, Women's World Banking, WON
CGI Session-Going Small for Big Results: Microfranchise and Entrepreneurial Growth
It’s been a full first day already at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. This morning, CGI sessions have explored climate change with President Clinton and eight other world leaders, population issues with Clinton and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Then, attendees learned Read more…
Tagged #CGI2011, Africa, Bill Clinton, CGI, CGI 2011, Climate Change, Clinton Global Initiative, Community, Conference, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Loans, Lost Boys of Sudan, MFI, Microfinance, New York, Nicholas D. Kristof, Opportunity International, Poverty, President Clinton, Sudan, The New York Times, Valentino Achak Deng, Women's World Banking, Zimbabwe
What We’re Reading: Women’s World Banking Study, Reaching Women in Rural Uganda with Microfinance
On Wednesdays, we highlight an article, book or a blog in our “What We’re Reading” series. We feature works that are noteworthy, inspiring, educational or relevant to the microfinance work we do at Opportunity. We welcome your comments in the comment field below–-tell us what you’re reading, or respond to the piece we’ve highlighted. The Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Agriculture, Banking on Women, BRAC, Clients, Ending Poverty, Finance Trust, Financial services, FINCA, Global Poverty, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Pride, Rural Outreach, Smallholder farmer, Uganda, what we're reading, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, Women's World Banking, WON
YAO Hosts an Expert Panel: The Microfinance Landscape Today
YAO-New York core member and event co-organizer Sheila Ramachandra sends us this report from the panel discussion YAO hosted on Tuesday evening, which examined the current microfinance landscape. On Tuesday evening, YAO-New York hosted a panel discussion entitled “Trends and Challenges in Today’s Microfinance Landscape.” The panelists included Sarah Buitoni, senior associate at Women’s World Read more…
Tagged Cell phone banking, Dan Yu, Deutsche Bank, Jennifer Mitrenga, Loans, MFI, Microensure, Microfinance, Microfinance Club of New York, Mobile Banking, Opportunity China, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, Technology, Women's World Banking, YAO, YAO-New York, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, Youth
Measuring the Positive Impact of Microfinance
When you work on poverty every day, you ask yourself if what you’re doing is having a lasting impact. Today, Opportunity International and five other leading microfinance organizations issued a position paper, which discusses our belief in the positive impact of microfinance. This paper is based on lessons learned from our combined work over the Read more…
