Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital to Vietnam's economic growth, accounting for more than 98 percent of all business, 40 percent of Gross domestic product (GDP), and 50 percent of total employment. The number of SMEs grew by around 100,000 in 2016, encouraged in part by increased...

Lending to women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a distinct segment is still unexplored when compared to lending to MSMEs in India. Due to a lack of segmental focus and, perhaps, due to a higher perception of risk, formal financial institutions have made little effort to...

The rapid digital transformation underway in Southeast Asia has the potential to have an equally transformative impact on women entrepreneurs. Although Southeast Asia boasts a higher incidence of women entrepreneurs compared to men, women-owned (WO) businesses tend to be smaller, have lower...

The rapid digital transformation underway in Africa has the potential to have an equally transformative impact on women entrepreneurs. Although Africa boasts a higher incidence of women entrepreneurs compared to men, women-owned (WO) businesses across the continent tend to be smaller, have lower...

Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is critical to the sustainability of the planet. A recent World Bank report found that increasing demand for clean energy technologies can increase demand for minerals such as graphite, lithium, and cobalt by nearly 500 percent by 2050. Even though the...

Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, and it is projected to have the fifth largest population in the world by 2026. The gender gap is particularly acute in Nigeria, and three market failures stand out: (1) a persistent gender gap at the company leadership level; (2) lack of access to...

This report makes the case for greater gender diversity on Sri Lanka's corporate boards and in senior management by highlighting the value propositions of such diversity for companies, communities, and ultimately the country. Diversity is about more than just gender, ethnicity, or religion....

This report makes a case for greater gender diversity on Kazakhstan corporate boards (including the board of directors and management board). Empirical evidence from around the world shows the importance and value of gender diversity in improving firms' overall performance, including but not...

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up a large part of Kenya's economy, accounting for approximately 98 percent of all businesses. SMEs are found in all sectors of the economy, they are estimated to contribute about 80 percent of total employment in Kenya, and they play a central role in...

There is a strong business and economic case for increasing women's representation in companies' leadership, globally, and especially in Africa. In 2019, the International Labor Organization (ILO) conducted a worldwide survey on the impact of gender diversity initiatives on 13,000 enterprises....