Theme: Responsible Finance

River erosion has affected Bangladesh’s low-lying lands for millennia. The rivers change course over the years and cause loss of land and assets for people who live near the riverbanks. Climate change has added additional complexities to these natural processes and made poor and vulnerable people much worse off. Together, these processes continue to widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

Bangladesh remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with flooding affecting 20-70% of the country annually. Women and poor farmers are often the worst hit, despite having a minor role in causing climate change. Even though farmers and local communities know of changing weather patterns and take steps to mitigate the effects, they lack adequate financial resources, which limits how well they can adapt to these changes.

This slide deck condenses our gender-focused analysis of data collected under the Corner Shop Diaries project. It unpacks significant differences between men-run and women-run enterprises and the roles of social norms. The deck further discusses what is needed to reimagine the way we examine women-run businesses.

COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on women must be urgently addressed through the provision of digital financial literacy and access.

The COVID-19 crisis has proven devastating for MSMEs in Indonesia, which have seen their revenues reduce to almost half. Our report analyzes the economic consequences of the pandemic on MSMEs, highlights their coping strategies, and provides policy recommendations to help them recover.

This report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on business correspondent (BC) agents in India and the issues they faced while delivering financial services in the wake of the pandemic. It also offers policy recommendations to help BCs offer uninterrupted services.