The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed USD 15 million to the first-ever sustainability bond issued by Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank in the Kyrgyz Republic, financing green and social projects. The bond will support micro-loans for low-income households, SME and women-led enterprises, and climate-resilient investments. Just 14 % of small and 32 % of medium businesses in the Kyrgyz Republic currently access bank credit—this instrument aims to narrow the ~USD 3 billion financing gap (~21 % GDP).

The report finds a “reverse gender gap” in SME lending at BRAC Bank, where women-owned SMEs—only 5.45 percent of accepted applicants—receive larger loans, longer tenors, and 3 percent lower interest rates than male-owned firms, even after controlling for performance. Women-owned SMEs show higher profitability, more assets, and greater land ownership, yet remain underrepresented due to low formalisation rates. Policies incentivising WSME lending and bank-supported formalisation help, but registration barriers and social norms continue to limit women’s participation in formal SME finance.

The report shows that despite women now outnumbering men in tertiary education globally, major gender gaps persist in employment and earnings. Analysis of 14,000 graduates across 22 countries finds women are 30 percent more likely to be in the lowest earning categories and 50 percent less likely to reach top earnings, even with identical qualifications. Women are also 8–30 percent more likely to be unemployed. The report recommends gender-responsive tertiary education, employer action, childcare support, and data-driven policies to strengthen women’s economic inclusion.

The report shows that women represent only 23 percent of the workforce across Viet Nam’s solar, plastics recycling and rice sectors, and hold just 21 percent of senior management roles. Women dominate informal, low-paid positions but face limited access to STEM skills, finance and technology. Climate change heightens risks to women’s livelihoods, particularly in agriculture. The report highlights how gender-inclusive recruitment, leadership pathways, supply-chain formalisation and climate-resilient skills development can strengthen business performance, drive green investment and enhance climate adaptation.

The report highlights how IFC and the GAFSP Private Sector Window have supported 2.1 million farmers through blended finance, climate-smart agriculture, gender-inclusive programmes and improved market access. Since 2011, GAFSP has delivered $505 million in investments and $54 million in advisory projects across 35 countries. Key results include doubled yields from hybrid seeds, resilience training for 30,000 farmers in Southern Africa, insurance reaching 15 million farmers, and expanded microfinance in Kosovo. The report emphasises climate resilience, women’s economic empowerment and sustainable value-chain development.

The IFC report benchmarks its Disclosure and Transparency Framework against ISSB, ESRS, and GRI standards, finding strong alignment on governance, strategy, and ESG topics. It highlights that 81 percent of stakeholders struggle with multiple reporting requirements and 63 percent identify materiality as a key challenge. The analysis shows that emerging-market companies using IFC standards are well positioned for global disclosure expectations, especially on climate, risk management, and impact reporting. The report strengthens interoperability and supports credible, comparable sustainability reporting.

IFC’s FY24 Green and Social Bonds Impact Report highlights US$3.6 billion in sustainable bond issuance supporting climate action, social inclusion, and gender equity. Green bond projects are expected to cut 4.7 million tCO2e annually and generate 7.6 million MWh of renewable energy. Social bonds will reach 93 million beneficiaries through microfinance, women-led enterprises, healthcare, housing, and education. With record commitments and strengthened impact measurement, IFC is scaling private capital for climate resilience, inclusive growth, and sustainable development worldwide.

The IFC and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women report highlights a decade of impact through the Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility, which unlocked $3.17 billion for financial institutions and enabled $8.2 billion in lending to women-owned SMEs. The facility reached 267,033 women across 59 countries, with WSME loans showing stronger repayment than SME portfolios (2.9 percent vs 3.6 percent NPLs). Blended finance, gender bonds, trade finance, and sex-disaggregated data proved critical to advancing financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment.

The World Bank Group Gender Strategy 2024–2030 aims to accelerate gender equality with the goal of ending poverty on a livable planet. The report highlights significant challenges, including slow progress in gender equality and the need for sustained commitment, innovation, and collective action. Key focus areas include ending gender-based violence, promoting economic opportunities for women, and increasing their leadership roles. Currently, women’s labor force participation is 53% compared to 80% for men, and women hold only 20% of corporate board seats worldwide. Gender-based violence impacts one in three women globally. Additionally, two-thirds of the world’s maternal deaths occur in Africa, and women earn just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. The strategy emphasizes the necessity of addressing these issues to achieve meaningful progress in gender equality and improve economic and social outcomes for women.

Leadway Assurance Côte d’Ivoire, in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has launched the Leadway Queen program to provide customized insurance solutions for women in Côte d’Ivoire. The initiative aims to empower women by offering products designed to meet their specific needs, including health, funeral expenses, and education insurance. This program taps into the significant opportunity within the women’s market, projected to be worth $1.7 trillion globally by 2030. In Côte d’Ivoire, where women represent 56% of the labor force and a significant portion is employed in the informal sector, the insurance market is the fifth largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, with premiums totaling approximately $806 billion in 2022. Despite this, 37.4% of Ivorian women have an account at a financial institution or mobile money provider. Women entrepreneurs make up about 26% of the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), facing unmet financing needs estimated at $144 million. The Leadway Queen program has achieved notable success, with a fourfold increase in new women insurance clients and a sixfold increase in new policies sold to women.

The report "Her Fintech Edge: Market Insights for Inclusive Growth" examines how fintech firms can enhance financial inclusion for women, a critical area given the growing potential of digital financial services (DFS). Despite the increasing opportunities in this sector, women remain significantly underrepresented due to barriers such as lower digital literacy and restrictive cultural norms. The study emphasizes the importance for fintech companies to strategically address these challenges by leveraging sex-disaggregated data (SDD) and developing tailored products designed to meet women's specific needs. The report reveals that while 59% of fintech firms collect sex-disaggregated data, only a few use it strategically to target and serve women effectively. Additionally, 63% of lending-focused fintech firms report that women make up less than 25% of their business customers, and 27% of fintech firms offering savings and payments services indicate that women constitute less than 25% of their retail customer base. Addressing these gaps through targeted strategies can unlock the substantial economic potential within the women’s market and foster greater financial inclusion.

The report "Gender-Responsive Climate Governance and the Role of Women Leaders" examines how companies in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) are integrating gender and climate considerations into their governance frameworks. It highlights that 52% of large EMDE enterprises have formal commitments to climate governance. Despite this, only 19% of companies integrate gender considerations into their environmental sustainability strategies. The report also notes that 34% of EMDE-based companies have been impacted by extreme weather events in the past five years, reflecting the urgent need for effective climate strategies. Regarding gender diversity, 71% of large EMDE companies and 66% of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have formal gender diversity and inclusion (D&I) commitments. However, there remains a significant gap in leveraging gender diversity for climate action. Companies with at least three female directors see a 55% increase in their ESG ratings, illustrating the positive impact of women's leadership on environmental, social, and governance outcomes.

The report "Driving Sustainability through Gender Diversity in Nepal's Hydropower Sector" underscores the achievements of the Powered by Women Nepal Initiative in advancing gender diversity within the sector. Women make up only 10% of the hydropower workforce in Nepal, but significant progress has been made through the initiative. Between 2020 and 2023, female representation on boards increased from 10% to 17%, and the percentage of women in managerial roles rose from 19% to 31%. The initiative has led to 12 companies adopting gender-mainstreamed HR policies, and 15 companies have reported benefits such as reduced absenteeism and increased productivity due to these gender-inclusive practices. Women now hold 5% of technical roles, and 67 women have stepped into non-traditional roles within the sector. The initiative has influenced 18 active member companies to improve gender diversity, with 100% of participating companies expressing satisfaction with the program. This demonstrates the initiative's role in not only promoting gender diversity but also enhancing overall business performance and sustainability in Nepal's hydropower sector.