Zahid Torres-Rahman, Author at Business Fights Poverty

Parents in the Workplace: Help Co-Create a New Tool for Employers

The Equality Institute is undertaking a new initiative looking at the challenges parents face in the workplace, how these challenges differ for mothers versus fathers and other people caring for children, and what employers can do to help overcome them. But we need your help. Please Share your views in this Parents in the Workplace Survey.

Care Economy, Gender, Sustainable Employment

May 30, 2023

How Can We Better Articulate the Benefits of Managing ESG Issues for Businesses and Stakeholders?

While ESG has moved from a fringe topic to the forefront of business and investment strategies, questions persist about its real impact and how best to articulate its benefits. Experts and contributors from across the Business Fights Poverty community recently met to share their insights, highlighting several strategies and areas for improvement.

Corporate Impact, Fostering Leadership, Innovative Business Models, Measuring Social Impact

May 25, 2023

Time to Act: 3 Ways the Business Community Can Take Action to Help Improve Youth Mental Health

In response to the growing mental health crisis among youth, the UNICEF-led Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health issues an urgent call to businesses worldwide. Advocating for increased investment, public awareness, and supportive workplace cultures, this coalition strives to foster environments that prioritize and protect youth mental health, aiming to benefit 30 million individuals by 2030.

Health, Youth

May 24, 2023

Supply Chain Contracts are Protecting Human Rights, with Sue, Patrick and Olivia

Social Impact Pioneers Sue Maslow, Patrick Miller and Olivia Windham Stewart – explain Supply Chain Contracts & Human Rights Due Diligence

Business, Corporate Impact, Human Rights, Innovative Business Models

May 23, 2023

How Can the Private Sector Tackle Inequality and Generate Shared Prosperity for All?

Systemic inequality poses an existential threat to our society and economy. The Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (BCTI)’s flagship report is an urgent call to business leaders to prioritize ten impactful actions that champion equity and inclusion and drive truly transformative change.

Corporate Impact, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

May 18, 2023

Food Technology Can Feed the World, So Says Social Impact Pioneer Donna Rosa

Donna’s high-flying career in food technology and nutritional science would have been enough for most of us. Instead, Donna then switched to helping entrepreneurs in emerging markets be more successful and scale their business. If nothing else this conversation is an inspiring journey revealing that a combination of science, technology, and business expertise can create positive social impact in the world.

Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, Measuring Social Impact, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Technology

May 15, 2023

Understanding Local Markets Can Create Green Jobs and Improved Livelihoods in African Cities

The transition to a green economy offers the prospect of an improved environment and better livelihoods. But unlocking that opportunity requires understanding local markets and economic incentives.

Agriculture, Business, Climate & Environment, Climate Action, Climate Justice, Gender, Livelihoods and Jobs, Youth

May 3, 2023

Action on Climate Resilience is Business Critical

As the impacts of climate change bite, business efforts to reduce emissions must now be matched by action to strengthen climate resilience. Here Dr. Tom Mitchell, Executive Director, International Institute for Environment of Development (IIED), sets out four action areas where companies can better protect themselves and others, while seizing opportunities to market resilience-enhancing products.

Climate & Environment, Climate Action, Climate Justice, Corporate Impact

May 3, 2023

Economic Costs of LGBTI+ exclusion, with Ricardo and Lee

What is the economic cost of LGBTI+ exclusion? Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex or Questioning (LGBTI+) people are among the most marginalised and excluded groups but what does this mean for business around the world? This podcast examines the opportunity that fully inclusive organisations can offer. Listen in to hear from Social Impact Pioneers and leading voices on LGBTI+ inclusion: Lee Badgett and Ricardo Garcia Tafur.

Corporate Impact, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Innovative Business Models, LGBTQI+

May 2, 2023

Tackling Digital and Financial Exclusion: Women Vendors Raising Themselves Out of Poverty with Social Media Marketing

Women micro-entrepreneurs in Nairobi’s informal settlements struggle to get online and access the credit they need. Hand in Hand and Visa Inc.’s groundbreaking ‘acceleration’ programme tackled digital and financial exclusion, boosting participants’ profits by an average of 95%. Lucy Kerei, Programme Manager at Hand in Hand, Eastern Africa, shares how.

Finance and Investment, Gender, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Technology

April 28, 2023

Addressing Vaccination Inequity Among Marginalised Groups in Europe

To address falling rates of routine vaccinations in Europe, Immunisation week should focus minds on targeting those experiencing poverty and social exclusion.

Corporate Impact, Global Goals, Health

April 26, 2023

Using Inclusive Market Research to Advance Business and Development Outcomes

The Feed the Future Advancing Women’s Empowerment (AWE) project is leading a global Learning Series to encourage collaboration between the private sector and development practitioners to promote the inclusion and empowerment of women and marginalized groups. The series’ second virtual “learning burst” in April focuses on conducting and using inclusive market research, sharing private sector insights on engaging with development partners for business and development impact.

Uncategorized

April 24, 2023

Scaling Green Tech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers, with Audrey and Khadija

Are you ready to learn from a young female entrepreneur from Ghana and an Africa and Middle East female finance leader from Pakistan who are passionate about the way we approach green tech solutions and improve incomes for smallholder farmers? Then buckle up and tune into this podcast featuring Social Impact Pioneers Audrey S-Darko and Khadija Hashimi

Agriculture, Business, Climate & Environment, Climate Action, Climate Justice, Gender, Livelihoods and Jobs, Measuring Social Impact, Technology

April 24, 2023

From Zero to Hero: Establishing the Commercial Mung Bean Sector in Indonesia

Commercialising high yielding mung bean seeds in Indonesia required a collaboration between government and the private sector. PRISMA CEO, Nina FitzSimons, explains how it happened and the role of the market systems development program in facilitating the collaboration.

Agriculture

April 18, 2023

Female Entrepreneurs and the Vegan Women Summit, with Jennifer Stojkovic

Unlocking the power of female entrepreneurs from the inside – social impact pioneer Jenny Stojkovic, joins us to share her journey.

Gender, Measuring Social Impact, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

April 18, 2023

Six Principles for Businesses to Drive Sustainable Behaviour Change in Low-Income Communities

Discover the six principles that businesses can use to drive sustainable behaviour change in low-income communities. Based on his experiences with TRANSFORM, Dr. Richard L. Wright shares his insights and learnings to inspire other businesses to use their influence to help create more sustainable societies. Learn how to engage customers, broaden the conversation, ensure impact, and more.

Corporate Impact, Innovative Business Models

April 18, 2023

Gender Empowerment: How Carbon Finance & Investing in Climate Solutions Drives Positive Impact

With climate change having an outsize impact on women and girls, particularly those in developing countries, there must be a focus on the link between gender equity and climate as we consider climate solutions. This article highlights the role of carbon finance in channelling investment to projects impacting both, and the need to raise organisations’ climate ambitions.

Climate & Environment, Climate Action, Gender

April 3, 2023

New Research Reveals Women Entrepreneurs are Facing Enormous Challenges: The Private Sector Must Take Action to Close the Gender Gap

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s latest research reveals the key challenges, motivations, and opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Here, the Foundation’s CEO, Helen McEachern, shares their key findings and calls on the private sector to take urgent action to support women entrepreneurs and help close the global gender gap in entrepreneurship.

Gender

March 28, 2023

Five Years On, Have Companies Improved on Respecting Human Rights?

The World Benchmarking Alliance recently published its 5th iteration of the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. While companies have improved their scores on key human rights indicators, over a decade since the launch of the UNGPs and faced with upcoming due diligence legislation, big gaps remain and the pace of improvement needs to speed up. From five years of benchmarking data, we have gathered the following learnings that can help companies improve.

Human Rights

March 22, 2023

What’s it Really Going to Take to Reach Gender Equality?

Listen in to explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding gender equality and women’s empowerment. The conversation goes beyond the standard gender equality rhetoric, peering deeper into some uncomfortable areas of why gender equality is in some cases stalling or reversing.

Gender

March 21, 2023