Financing Programs for Women's Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance for Women MSMEs: Results from a Survey of Public Development Banks

Abstract

This report presents the highlights from a survey directed to public development banks (PDBs) as part of the 2023 agenda of the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) Coalition on Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in Development Banks, co-chaired by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and UN Women. The survey, which was completed by 54 PDBs, aimed to examine how PDBs are serving women and their businesses by mapping existing programs and identifying current practices, innovations, challenges, and opportunities in this agenda. Key findings suggest PDBs are offering a diversity of programs, product types, and innovative approaches, with varied institutional capabilities that range from the development stage to well-established systems that support productive financing, business development, green financing, and financial education and literacy in women micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. While challenges persist, particularly the lack of sex-disaggregated data and an inadequate understanding of womens financial needs and preferences, there are opportunities to expand these programs, such as by leveraging their positive societal impact and the growing market potential.