Between 2012 and 2021, out of approximately 300,000 agents, who appeared for the IIBF BC/BF exam, only 62% passed the exam. This blog details out the challenges faced by BC agents in passing the IIBF BC/BF exam. It also offers suggestions to policymakers on graded certifications based on the type of services offered by BCs.

The op-ed stresses the challenges 7.7 million CMSMEs face in Bangladesh that are in distress due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It analyzes gaps in the government’s current relief package and suggests strategies to improve grassroots entrepreneurship in Bangladesh.

The World Bank estimates that around a billion people across the globe lack a “legal identity.” The gender gap in terms of people’s access to official IDs is considerable in low-income countries, where one in two women lack any form of official ID. This limits financial, social, and political participation for women.

One in two women in low-income countries lack official identification documents, which limits their financial, social, and political participation. This report explores the design and lifecycle of ID systems from gender and behavioral lenses and proposes a framework to make them more gender-sensitive.

In the news: Akhand Tiwari gives his views on the impact of Covid-19 on micro, small, and medium enterprises and low-income populations in Asia and Africa.

Reports suggest that two out of three women in PNG face domestic abuse. Due to a lack of formal saving facilities for them, women’s hard-earned money often ends up with their husbands, who usually waste it on gambling or drinking. This blog highlights MiBank’s efforts to bridge the gender gap by introducing gender-centric products.

Response to COVID-19 pandemic needs to be gender transformative so that fundamental gender issues like social norms, access to resources etc are addressed . Can digital solutions help?

Despite significant progress in financial inclusion, low-income working women have not been able to derive benefits, even when they receive their wages digitally.