All publications: social finance

Social Finance Brief: KMBI's digitalization journey

This brief features the microfinance NGO KMBI in the Philippines and a digital finance pilot for integrated risk management solutions. The brief includes lessons learned that can help other microfinance institutions.

Selling insurance through agent networks

Distribution is one of the biggest obstacles in offering insurance services to low-income households, small enterprises and rural communities. Digital channels offer new opportunities, but a more high-touch model is often needed to educate...

Digital wages for decent work in Peru - A rapid assessment

Digital wage payments (through bank accounts, mobile money wallets or prepaid cards) can benefit workers and enterprises and contribute to achieving public policy goals. But the transition from cash to responsible digital wages brings challenges...

Social Finance Brief: Responsible finance in the cocoa supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire

This brief assesses the responsibility of financial sector actors in eliminating child labour in the cocoa supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire. This includes current practices in the sector and recommendations to use their leverage role in tackling child...

Financial education for migrant workers from Bangladesh – Trainee’s booklet (in Bengali)

This booklet, available in Bengali and developed with support from Better Work Jordan, targets Bangladeshi migrant workers who wish to strengthen their money management skills. It introduces essential knowledge, practical skills and useful tools...

Financial education for Jordanian and migrant workers – Trainee’s booklet

This booklet, developed with support from Better Work Jordan, primarily targets local and migrant workers employed in Jordan’s factories who wish to strengthen their money management skills. It introduces essential knowledge, practical skills and...

Financial education for refugees, IDPs and host communities in Lebanon – Trainee's booklet (in Arabic)

This booklet, available in Arabic, is primarily aimed at refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in Lebanon who wish to improve their money management skills. The booklet presents basic knowledge, skills and tools related...

Social and solidarity economy: Social innovation catalyst in Africa?

The report illustrates and characterizes the social innovation processes carried out by Social and Solidarity Economy Organizations (SSEOs) in five African countries (South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia). By analysing practical...

Social Finance Brief: Pacífico Seguros

Pacífico Seguros is Peru’s largest insurer in terms of premiums collected and second largest in terms of people insured. In this Social Finance Brief, we explore "Protected Business", an insurance product designed by Pacífico to cover the main risks...

Social Finance Brief: Insurance for MSMEs in Mexico

The ILO’s Impact Insurance Facility has been collaborating with the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions to build inclusive insurance markets for excluded persons and for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. This...

Annual Report 2021

The Annual Report 2021 highlights the achievements of the Social Finance Programme over the past year. The report covers developments in Social Finance's three streams of work: financial inclusion, impact insurance and sustainable investing.

Sustainable Finance Working Group

Finance for a Just Transition and the Role of Transition Finance

This input paper prepared by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the 3rd G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting addresses the key role that financial systems and their actors play in achieving a just transition.

Financial education for youth in Argentina and Peru – Trainee's booklet (in Spanish)

This booklet, developed in partnership with the Civil Association for the Rights of Children, Adolescents, and Youth — DONCEL, is intended for young people in Argentina and Peru who want to improve their money management. The booklet presents basic...

Financial education for refugees, IDPs and host communities in Uganda – Trainee’s booklet

This trainee’s booklet, developed in the context of the PROSPECTS project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, targets refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in Uganda who want to improve their...

Social Finance Brief: MiCRO

The Microinsurance Catastrophe Risk Organization (MiCRO) is a company that aims to close the protection gap through parametric insurance. Its innovative model uses state-of-the-art technology to detect and measure severe droughts, earthquakes and...

Social Finance Brief: Pacífico Seguros

Pacífico Seguros is Peru’s largest insurer in terms of premiums collected and second largest in terms of people insured. In this Social Finance Brief, we explore Pacífico’s expansion to new markets; those of micro, small and medium enterprises.

Integrated enterprise and market systems assessment on the refugee and host community livelihoods in Sudan

This report details the findings of market assessments conducted on the groundnut and sesame value chains in East Darfur and West Kordofan.

Social Finance Brief: Segurísimo

Segurísimo is a low-cost insurance product, developed by Seguros Mundial in 2020 and aimed at the vulnerable, rural or traditionally excluded people in Colombia. This brief gives a history of the development and characteristics of this inclusive...

Social Finance Brief: UGAFODE’s journey in serving refugees and host communities in Uganda

In this brief, focusing on “Making Finance Work for Refugees”, Social Finance documents the experience of UGAFODE in Uganda. UGAFODE aims to transform the economic and social lives of Ugandans through inclusive financial services. This Brief covers...

Social Finance Brief: Seguros Futuro

Seguros Futuro is the only cooperative insurer in El Salvador. First created in 1994, Seguros Futuro’s mission is to provide protection for Salvadoran families that do not have access to insurance. In this brief, we cover the growth of Seguros...