The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) was one of the reciepents of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi)’s third funding allocation comprising $49.3 million. The total investment from We-Fi is expected to benefit over 15,000 women-led businesses and mobilize about $350 million of additional public and private sector resources.

We-Fi’s latest round of allocations addresses the needs of women entrepreneurs created by the COVID-19 crisis, and encourages innovation and digital development, partnership development and the use of results-based mechanisms to facilitate greater access to financing for women entrepreneurs.

The third round allocates funding for programs to boost women’s entrepreneurship that will be implemented by four multilateral development banks, including the Islamic Development Bank for entrepreneurship activities in fragile contexts in West Africa

IsDB received $11.25 million for its program which supports women in West Africa engaging in entrepreneurial activities in the rice value chain. While women are heavily engaged in the rice industry, the prohibitively high cost of borrowing, and the non-financial constraints which hinder access to resources, assets, and markets, prevent women entrepreneurs from improving their livelihoods.  Accordingly, the program will aim to support upgrading and advancing women-owned SMEs within the rice value chain in West Africa though capacity development and grant matching, as well as increased access local and regional markets. Activities for this program will be carried out in Guinea, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, women entrepreneurs around the world are suffering large setbacks. New data about the disproportionate effects of lockdown measures on women-led SMEs are emerging; in several Sub-Saharan countries, about 60% of women-led small businesses have lost their sources of income, three times more than men-led businesses. Globally, women-owned SMEs are about 6 percentage points more likely to close their business than male-owned businesses, according to recent World Bank-led research.

“As we absorb the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, we need to take strong actions to build back better. Many women-led SMEs are disproportionally affected by the economic disruptions of the COVID crisis and many more women are losing their jobs. Entrepreneurship is central to the economic empowerment of women, especially in developing economies. Actions and support, such as by We-Fi’s recent round of financing, reaches women entrepreneurs in this time of need, and will help reestablish their roles as engines of inclusive economic growth”, says Mari Pangestu, Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships of the World Bank, which hosts the We-Fi Secretariat.

“We-Fi’s third round of allocations could not have come at a more important time. I am very pleased to see our Implementing Partners preparing such strong proposals to support women-led SMEs. Projects to leverage digital technologies, support digital skills-building, and identify new business opportunities that may arise as a result of the pandemic will benefit so many women-led SMEs during this crucial time”, says Mathew Haarsager, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Development Finance and Policy of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and chair of We-Fi’s Governing Committee.