Issues related to women and youth feature prominently in MSC’s advisory services. MSC has worked on product and channel development for women and children, gender-centric program design, and adolescent health and hygiene. Empowerment of vulnerable women increases their participation in decision-making and asset ownership, while investing in skill development is critical for the 1.8 billion youth between ages 15 and 29. Through skill development, young people can be prepared with the skills to negotiate the ever-changing work environment and create opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
Behavioral economic research is essential to design and implement solutions to improve services and job opportunities for these segments. MSC’s proficiency in behavioral, gender-centric, and market-sensitive program design enables us to develop products and channels that cater to the specific needs of women and youth. We have a long history of working on financial and skill development services for youth. We have developed a wide range of savings and credit products tailored and targeted specifically for a range of youth segments—from school children through to those in their 20s. We conduct market assessments on opportunities for youth employment, and continue to develop and deliver training programs that support employability and technical skills for both youth and women.
For an overview of our experience on gender, please see design to realize gender equality, women’s financial inclusion: what are the missing pieces of the puzzle?, and improving the financial health and business prospects of women entrepreneurs.
