Impact and people
2022
-
Digitally and financially empowered MSMEs in Uruguay – Lesson learnt from a successful collaboration with ANDE during the COVID-19 pandemic
25 February 2022
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the main sources of employment worldwide. However, access to adequate financial services is a key challenge to their development. The ILO believes that financial education is one path to support MSMEs. Our collaboration with ANDE aims to strengthen the financial knowledge and capacities of entrepreneurs in Uruguay.
2021
-
Convention 190 in action: preventing harassment of workers in Japanese banks
29 July 2021
Labour banks (“Rokin Banks”) in Japan have been promoting workers’ access to finance for many years. They have also been in the vanguard when it comes to adopting international standards around workplace violence and harassment. Rokin Banks modelled their recent harassment guidelines directly on the ILO’s Convention 190, serving as an example and inspiration for legislation elsewhere in Japan, and for financial institutions around the world.
2014
-
© Aamir Qureshi / AFP 2022
Helping migrants make the most of their money
11 December 2014
Migrants’ remittances are expected to reach US$ 436 billion in 2014 and US$ 540 billion by 2016. Financial education can not only provide useful support to migrants’ families back home but also help migrants in destination countries manage their own budgets.
2012
-
Microinsurance: A good tool but a tough sell
29 June 2012
Microinsurance can play a key role in alleviating poverty and has expanded dramatically over recent years. But as a recent ILO study explains, it takes more than a good idea to sell a product.
2007
-
How microfinance institutions can finance lasting social change
21 November 2007
An estimated US$4 billion is invested annually in microfinance around the world. But while microfinance institutions must have strong business models in order to survive, they face the challenge of making profits while creating lasting social change. A new ILO study provides practitioners and donors with guidance on how to deal with the issue of balancing business and poverty reduction by defining criteria for supporting microfinance institutions.