Case study
How gender-responsive banking solutions are boosting women-led businesses in Somalia
The International Bank of Somalia used the ILO’s WE-Check tool to assess and improve its services for women entrepreneurs, resulting in tailored financial products and expanded outreach. This initiative doubled the bank’s women entrepreneur client base and significantly boosted women’s access to finance, business growth, and economic empowerment in Somalia.
In 2020, the International Bank of Somalia (IBS) utilized the ILO Women’s Entrepreneurship Self-Check (WE-Check), a self-assessment tool that helps organizations understand the extent to which they target and serve women entrepreneurs as a means to improve performance, and enhance their impact and sustainability.
IBS collected and analysed data to evaluate their service delivery for women entrepreneurs, and identify areas for improvement. Based on the findings, they developed and implemented an action plan focused on increasing their female client-base and offering gender-responsive business development services.
The resulting new line of financial products and business development services tailored to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs and their renewed outreach efforts doubled their share of women-entrepreneur clients, and increased the share of women in their micro-lending portfolio to 40 per cent.