Entrepreneurship Publications

Jun 29, 2021

Sourcing2Equal Kenya: Barriers and Approaches to Increase Access to Markets for Women- Owned Businesses

An IFC Sourcing2Equal study on gender-inclusive sourcing to understand the barriers that women-owned SMEs face in accessing procurement contracts in the private sector in Kenya

Apr 22, 2021

Factsheet: Inclusive Supply Chains

IFC works end to end across a company’s value chain to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the procurement and distribution operations of a business. This often means engaging with micro, small, and medium sized businesses to help companies diversify their supplier base or enhance their distribution channels to open new markets. This factsheet provides an overview of IFC's approach to inclusive supply chains and its programs.

English | 2 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 22, 2021

COVID-19 Response: Corporate Strategies for Supporting Small and Medium Enterprise Suppliers in the Andean Region

The COVID-19 crisis is disrupting global, regional, and local value chains and is causing significant challenges for both corporations and their SME suppliers, including women-owned SMEs (WSMEs). This learning brief presents highlights from a virtual roundtable organized for corporate representatives to learn about the impact of COVID-19 on value chains and to share strategies to support SME suppliers, including WSMEs, during and post-crisis. The event brought together managers in procurement, purchasing, and sustainability from companies sourcing goods and services from Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.

English | 2 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 22, 2021

Learning Brief: Key Steps to Increase Gender-Inclusive Sourcing Among Corporations in Bangladesh

This learning brief is a resource for senior procurement representatives and outlines actionable recommendations to increase gender-inclusive sourcing in Bangladesh. These recommendations were formulated based on research, roundtable discussions, and interactions with women-owned small and medium enterprises, procurement leaders, and other senior corporate managers in Bangladesh.

English | 4 pages | 2021 IFC

Nov 16, 2020

Private Equity and Value Creation: A Fund Manager’s Guide to Gender-smart Investing

This guide is a practical step-by-step road map for fund managers on how to strengthen gender diversity within their own firms and incorporate a gender focus into investment operations. It combines learnings from CDC and IFC’s experience with over 160 fund managers and draws on best practices with a series of case studies from stakeholders across the industry.

English | 109 pages | 2020 IFC & CDC Group

Nov 12, 2020

COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Six Actions for the Private Sector

This guidance note recommends six actions that private sector companies can implement to ensure that both women and men can return to economic activities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and participate equally as leaders, employees, business owners, and consumers.

English | 45 pages | 2020 IFC

Oct 9, 2020

Factsheet: Women in Agribusiness Value Chains

Despite their contributions, women in agriculture face unique challenges that hamper their productivity, in turn weakening rural economies, the businesses that depend on them, and the global food chain. This factsheet presents an overview of IFC’s Women in Agribusiness Value Chains program working with agribusiness clients across the world to help them close gender gaps and realize the benefits of gender inclusion in their value chain.

English | 2 pages | 2020 IFC

Mar 9, 2020

Distributing Light and Livelihoods: Solar Products Create Economic Empowerment for Women in India

Since 2014, IFC and Dharma Life have partnered to help grow this network of women distribution agents and to support Dharma Life’s expansion into new geographies within India. IFC provides advisory support to Dharma Life to train its existing entrepreneurs for better impact, and to create awareness about alternative and clean sources of lighting in its areas of operation.

Dec 2, 2019

Strategies to Increase Access to Markets for Women Entrepreneurs in India

A roundtable was held in Mumbai, India, convening corporate buyers and financial institutions seeking to start or expand their gender-inclusive sourcing efforts and address the access to finance challenges faced by women-owned SMEs. This brief highlights the opportunities, actions, best practices, and learnings discussed during the roundtable.

English | 2 pages | 2019 IFC

Oct 8, 2019

Supplemental Appendix: Women Entrepreneurs Find Business Opportunities in Nigeria’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Sector

This document provides information on the research methodology utilized for IFC-Daraju case study “Women Entrepreneurs Find Business Opportunities in Nigeria’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Sector” including data collection and analysis, survey questionnaire, and sampling.

English | 9 pages | 2019

Oct 7, 2019

IFC & Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women: Investing in Women's Business Growth

The Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility Progress Report 2019

English | 2019 IFC

Oct 4, 2019

Banking on SMEs - Trends and Challenges

What is the future of SME banking? In IFC’s inaugural SME business banking survey, we asked the heads of SME operations serving small businesses around the world. The online survey launched in 2018 posed questions to identify the biggest issues SME banking leaders are grappling with and to better understand the opportunities to run innovative, competitive and sustainable SME banking units.

English | 40 pages | 2019 IFC

Sep 30, 2019

Case Study: Women Entrepreneurs Find Business Opportunities in Nigeria’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Sector

This case study from Nigeria explores how stakeholders in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, such as financial institutions and service providers, can unlock the potential of women entrepreneurs. Evidence from Daraju Industries and other companies in emerging markets demonstrates that investing in female distributors can open new markets, boost sales and growth, and improve profitability.

English | 8 pages | 2019

Aug 21, 2019

Financial Inclusion for Women-owned MSMEs in India

A country-level diagnostic to assess the demand and supply of finance for women-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in India.

Apr 22, 2019

Strengthening Women Farmers in DCM Shiram's Sugarcane Value Chain

The agriculture sector employs nearly 98 million women in India. Yet, their contribution remains undervalued—especially in sectors such as sugarcane farming, which are perceived to be male-dominated. This case study explores how DCM Shriram Ltd. and IFC developed specific solutions to increase the visibility of the work done by women farmers and their impact on improving farm yields.

English | 4 pages | 2019

Mar 7, 2019

Report: Moving Toward Gender Balance in Private Equity and Venture Capital

The study explores the link between financial returns and gender diversity; the lack of women in the industry; and steps needed to achieve gender balance. One of the key findings of the report is that private equity and venture capital funds with gender-balanced senior investment teams generated 10 percent to 20 percent higher returns compared with funds that have a majority of male or female leaders.

English | 137 pages | 2019 IFC

Feb 6, 2019

Report: Taking Women Entrepreneurs to the Bank in Romania

This report shows the impact of Garanti Bank Romania’s Women SME Banking Program. With support from IFC, the bank has loaned over €145 million to women-owned enterprises, with surveyed recipients experiencing an average real sales growth of over 5 percent per year, higher than the national average for firms in Romania.

English | 56 pages | IFC

Feb 4, 2019

Strategies to Increase Access to Markets for Women-Owned Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in South Africa

As part of the IFC, We-Fi, and WEConnect International partnership, a roundtable was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, convening corporations and financial institutions seeking to start or expand their gender-inclusive sourcing efforts and address the challenges faced by women suppliers. This brief compiles learnings and recommendations emerged from the roundtable.

English | 2 pages | 2019 IFC

Dec 11, 2017

Evaluation Report: Bank of Palestine Strengthens Women-Owned Businesses and the Economy

This report highlights the results of Bank of Palestine’s Felestineya Mini-MBA program in West Bank and Gaza with support from IFC. This first-of-its-kind program by BoP combines access to tailored financial products with nonfinancial services, including networking, mentoring, coaching, and business information to boost the growth of women-owned small and medium enterprises and achieve business results for the Bank.

English | 25 pages | IFC

Dec 10, 2017

Case Study: Bank of Palestine Strengthens Women-Owned Businesses and the Economy

Bank of Palestine and IFC designed the Felestineya Mini-MBA to boost the performance of firms owned by women and spur economic growth in West Bank and Gaza. The case study highlights the impact of this program aimed at increasing women’s participation in the labor market and meeting their financial needs, including those of female business owners.

English | 8 pages | IFC

Dec 5, 2017

Case Study: Lighting Africa—Kenya's Solar Lighting Entrepreneurs

The World Bank and IFC jointly launched the Lighting Africa program, with the aim of providing modern lighting and energy products by 2030 to 250 million people who currently live off the grid. This case study outlines the challenges of the power situation in Kenya and highlights gender-smart solutions for women entrepreneurs to unlock the grassroots solar market.

English | 4 pages | IFC

Mar 6, 2017

Report—Investing in Women: New Evidence for the Business Case

This report demonstrates how IFC clients, including banks and agribusiness companies, have benefited from developing and implementing gender-smart solutions. Evidence shows that investing in women as employees, entrepreneurs, customers, and community partners can help companies in several ways, from broadening the talent pool to increasing productivity, providing an opportunity to transform local and global markets.

English | 80 pages | IFC

Mar 1, 2017

Case Study—FINCA. Women Entrepreneurs Open a Path for Digital Financial Services in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This case study discusses how IFC and the microfinance institution FINCA DRC developed a network of online agents to provide banking services to FINCA’s low-income customers. During the network’s rollout, IFC and FINCA found that working with women agents helped FINCA to connect with more people without access to formal banking services. The study is part of IFC’s report Investing in Women: New Evidence for the Business Case.