Project profile — Innovative Finance For Ethiopian Women Entrepreneurs (IF-WE)

• Ethiopia (100.00%)

• Formal sector financial intermediaries:
Formal sector financial intermediaries (24030) (10.00%)
Education/training in banking and financial services (24081) (30.00%)
• Business And Other Services: Business support services and institutions (25010) (30.00%)
• Industry: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development (32130) (30.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to create an improved discriminatory free and supportive environment in which Ethiopian women's businesses thrive. Project activities include: (1) designing and providing business support services that build women entrepreneurs social and emotional skills. This includes confidence, decision-making, leadership and negotiation; (2) designing and providing gender-sensitive business support services to generate more opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia to link to customers and suppliers; and (3) designing and assisting banks in rolling out financial products (e.g. credit, savings, insurance and payments products) that serve female entrepreneurs unique needs. The project is implemented in five regions across Ethiopia and aims to benefit 25,000 women.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased decision-making, control over resources and leadership by women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia; (2) increased provision of innovative financial services and products by financial institutions that address the gender-based discriminatory barriers for Ethiopian women entrepreneurs; and (3) increased gender-responsive policymaking and resource allocation by government, donor and private firms to effectively support women entrepreneur's livelihood activities in Ethiopia.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) provided business support services to 7,443 Ethiopian women entrepreneurs, targeting key barriers they face; (2) formed 11 partnerships with financial institutions to develop innovative financial services targeting Ethiopian women entrepreneurs; (3) tested 10 innovative, evidence-based products and services under the Innovative Finance for Women Entrepreneurs (IFWE) project; and (4) the World Bank published 16 publications describing findings from the IFWE project.

• Proactive disclosure