Livelihoods and Jobs

Creating Employment & Jobs to Fight Poverty

Highway crossing a large river 5 Bridges

Views from the Global Goals Summit on Business Fights Poverty’s New Report: Making the Five Bridges to 2045 a Reality

At this year’s Business Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit, a number of sessions turned their attention to the launch of our new Five Bridges to 2045: How Business Can Build a Fairer, More Resilient Future. Eighteen experts from our global network took part in online sessions and an in-person event hosted with Barclays in New York, where representatives from Ikea, Natura, Vodafone Foundation, ABF Sugar and Fundación Paraguaya shared their perspectives on how to bring the report’s vision of embedding social impact and sustainability into core business closer to reality.
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csr-2-0-commercial-social-revolution

CSR 2.0: Commercial Social Revolution?

As globalisation widened the gap between corporations and communities, CSR often became marketing gloss. “CSR 2.0” calls for a systemic approach that embeds social impact into commercial strategy—aligning profit with purpose. By addressing beyond-the-firm constraints and fostering inclusive growth, businesses can turn responsibility into resilience, competitiveness, and genuine poverty reduction.
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woman with two sons in rural setting

What Happens When Women Entrepreneurs Are Left Out of Business Growth Strategies?

Accelerators are touted as engines of SME growth. Yet most target established businesses, leaving low-income women behind. Hand in Hand’s grassroots accelerator proves their potential: over 8,000 women have scaled businesses, boosting incomes, creating jobs, and lifting families well beyond the poverty line. Amalia Johnsson, Hand in Hand International CEO, explains why inclusive growth demands we accelerate women too.
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How Can Companies Turn Sustainability into Jobs, Livelihoods and Lasting Business Value?

How Can Companies Turn Sustainability into Jobs, Livelihoods and Lasting Business Value? Hosted with Novonesis This Insights Paper explores how companies can translate sustainability
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How Can Regional Partnerships Unlock Economic Opportunity for All?

How Can Regional Partnerships Unlock Economic Opportunity for All? Hosted with East African Breweries and UN Women This Insights Paper explores how regional partnerships
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Reimagining Housing in Ibiza

This report examines Ibiza’s escalating housing crisis, marked by inaffordability, displacement, underutilisation, and fragmentation, and identifies its structural drivers, from speculation and seasonality to regulatory blindspots. Drawing on surveys of over 1,000 residents and international case studies, it sets out 60 actionable proposals across three pathways: market-driven business initiatives, government-led policies, and community-based models like cooperatives and land trusts. Practical strategies include mobilising vacant stock, strengthening regulation, supporting seasonal workers, and piloting collective ownership. With (Ma) Laboratorio de Transformación Sostenible and Business Fights Poverty, supported by the Government of the Balearic Islands and EU NextGeneration funds.
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How to move ahead with Living Wages

This action brief explores how living wages can tackle working poverty, strengthen business resilience, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on peer-reviewed research and interviews with 31 experts from business, academia, NGOs, and international organisations, it examines the discourses that shape progress on living wages. The brief highlights actions companies can take to frame living wages as investments in well-being and productivity, harness collective agency across value chains, and advocate for supportive regulation. A practical resource for business leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors seeking to accelerate the adoption of living wages through evidence, collaboration, and systemic change. With the Business Fights Poverty Institute and the University of Cambridge.
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IKEA Social Entrepreneurship Java Fresh Indonesia- Social Entrepreneurship

Fueling the Future of Social Entrepreneurship: Reflections from IKEA Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs are driving inclusive, sustainable solutions, but they need stronger support. Åsa Skogström Feldt, Managing Director of IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, reflects on over a decade of experience, highlighting the urgent need for blended capital, inclusive circular solutions, and empathetic leadership to scale impact for the world’s most vulnerable communities.
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Woman and Man business meeting over coffee Business and Refugees

Turning Potential into Prosperity – How Business Can Help Refugees Thrive

In partnership with Visa Inc, Business Fights Poverty launched yesterday a new report, at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, calling for the private sector and governments to recognise the economic potential of refugees and to support approaches that work for refugees and host communities.
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Women Garment Workers’ Career Advancement

How Garment, Footwear and Textile Businesses Can Improve Women Workers’ Career Advancement

Despite making up the majority of the garment, footwear, and textile workforce, women are vastly underrepresented in leadership and technical roles. A new RISE report explores how businesses can unlock flexible, inclusive pathways for career advancement—boosting retention, equity, and resilience. From fair promotion systems to childcare support, the solutions are practical, scalable, and urgent.
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Two Fishermen riding a boat on body of water - Credibility for Equity and Livelihoods

Building Credibility for Equity and Livelihoods: Foundations for Fairer Futures

Fairer prices and fundamental human rights are desperately lacking for global producers. The solutions require trustworthy frameworks and dialogues. Sheila Senathirajah, ISEAL’s Head of Social Impact, explains how complex equity and livelihoods are, revealing credibility’s catalysing power for foundational change.
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Vietnam WE-Connect

Power Through Partnerships: How Learning Networks Drive Success for Women Entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs are vital to economic growth, yet continue to face persistent barriers—especially in accessing finance. This article explores how Learning Networks, like WE Connect in Vietnam, bring together ecosystem actors to co-create practical solutions. Through shared knowledge, innovation, and partnership, these networks can drive inclusive finance and long-term success for women-led enterprises.
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Trust, Transparency and Impact: How Credibility Offers Vital Solutions to the World’s Most Pressing Problems

Credibility is the key to unlocking crucial sustainability impacts. Embedding trust and confidence, credible sustainability systems help governments and businesses address today’s most urgent challenges. Patrick Mallet, ISEAL’s Innovations Director, explains what credibility is and why it’s so important.
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Women in Cotton

Our Path to Sustainability Must Include Women: Lessons from Cotton Farming and Climate Resilience

Women play a vital yet often overlooked role in agriculture and climate resilience. CottonConnect CEO Alison Ward highlights how women cotton farmers are disproportionately impacted by climate change—and why they must be central to sustainability strategies. Through education, training, and recognition, women can lead transformative climate action from the ground up.
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Young African Farmer with Tablet

When Opportunity Knocks: Three Keys for Creating Inclusive Growth through Sales-Agent Models

Sales agent models have the potential to improve access to goods and services while creating economic opportunity for women and youth. Drawing on work from Rwanda and Mozambique, TechnoServe’s Sophie Duchanoy and Sarah Bove share three key factors in making these approaches work.
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Group of Workers at a Factory

“Building the Muscle” to Manage Business Impact on People: Three Key Priorities

As expectations rise and regulatory demands grow, businesses must strengthen their ability to manage social impact. This article outlines three key priorities for companies: addressing core worker concerns like wages and job security, using social data to inform decision-making, and building relationships across systems to tackle complex issues like forced labour and living wage.
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Megan & Scott

Workforce Development & Economic Empowerment, with Megan & Scott

Social Impact Pioneers Megan Spurgeon and Scott C. Miller talk economic empowerment, workforce development and overcoming poverty in the U.S
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Christina Mawuse Gyisun

Scaling Support for Smallholder Farmers, with Christina Mawuse Gyisun

Social Impact Pioneer Christina Mawuse Gyisun, Co-Founder of Sommalife, joins us to talk about the shea industry in West Africa and how she and her team are increasing market access, and securing the future of an industry, by better supporting female smallholder farmers.
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Werner Wallner, Managing Director of the Hilti Foundation; Amalia Johnsson, CEO of Hand in Hand International; and Payal Dalal, Executive Vice President of Global Programmes at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Microbusinesses and Digital Inclusion with Amalia, Payal & Werner

Werner Wallner, Hilti Foundation; Amalia Johnsson, Hand in Hand International; and Payal Dalal, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Listen in to explore how microentrepreneurs can be the catalyst for economic growth, the systemic shifts needed to empower them, and the emerging trends shaping their future.
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2025 Road Ahead

5 Insights to Guide the Business Fights Poverty Community into 2025

As 2025 begins, businesses must shift from strategy to action on sustainability, resilience, and social impact. With support from Business Fights Poverty Institute Fellows, this article outlines five key priorities, including reimagining resilience, scaling regenerative solutions, aligning social and environmental goals, advancing living wages, and leveraging collaboration as a competitive edge. The year ahead offers a critical opportunity to drive meaningful, systemic change.
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What do we mean by "Livelihoods and Jobs"?

Discover how job creation is a pivotal strategy in the global fight against poverty. Promoting employment opportunities fosters economic stability and growth.

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