World Bank and Visa Foundation Empower Women Entrepreneurs

The World Bank Group and Visa Foundation have initiated a partnership to support women-led small businesses across emerging markets, focusing on improving access to financial services and digital tools. This program targets countries including India, South Africa, Nigeria, Colombia, and Mexico, aiming to assist local financial institutions and microfinance organizations in developing solutions tailored to the needs of women entrepreneurs.

Women-owned micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face significant barriers to accessing capital and financial services, which limits their ability to invest, hire, and expand operations. The partnership seeks to combine financial access with digital innovation, utilizing alternative data sources and technology to help financial institutions better serve underserved entrepreneurs.

Specific initiatives include training programs and market access improvements for women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, aligning with broader efforts to enhance financial access for small businesses. The long-term objective is to strengthen the ecosystem around small businesses, leveraging global expertise and local knowledge to enable entrepreneurs to access the capital and skills necessary for scaling their operations.