Lessons learnt from around the world towards female fiscal fluency

1. Lessons learnt from around the world towards female fiscal fluency

2. Examples 1. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 2. Barli Institute for Rural Women 3. Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) 4. World Bank 5. Goldman Sachs 6. Women in Europe for a common future

3. EBRD’s experience has shown that there are three important elements to facilitate the economic empowerment of women • Provision of Access to Services • Provision of Access to Financial Services • Access to Employment Opportunities

4. 1. Access to services • If women have to spend time boiling poor quality water, they lose time to be economically active • If women have no adequate public transport , they cannot go to work or spend large amounts of time not being able to be economically active = provide access to services

5. 2. Access to financial services • EBRD has found access to finance for men is easier than for women • What can be done: • Identify barriers (legal, behavioural, cultural) • Develop products to address these such as dedicated credit lines for women entrepreneurs • Help women prepare business plans including route to market, benefit to customer etc

6. 3. Access to Employment Opportunities Promote good HR practices for non-discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities Enhance women entrepreneurship as they are more likely to employ women Women often do not have equal access both to employment and/or equal opportunities in the work place Review recruitment practices so as to facilitate and attract more women candidates Target traditionally male dominated sectors to include women in the workforce

7. Barli Development Institute for Rural Women located in the northern part of the city of Indore. - largest city in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Provide training and practical projects Training Personality development Health and hygiene Caring for the Environment Solar cooking and vegetable drying Curriculum coherent with culture and environment

8. projects raise tree nurseries,  planting, maintaining  and protecting trees, sources of buying seeds, plants, energyconservation techniques like composting, vermi-culture, recycling water & soil, re-use of biodegradable and other products, i.e.  Solar drying of vegetables and spices All surplus vegetables and spices are  dried in specially designed low cost solar tunnel driers for use when they are in short supply.They can be easily stored and packaged, so solar technology is being used in the Institute for ensuring food security by providing year-round nutrition for the trainees. Over the last several years all surplus vegetables and spices are being dried in specially designed low cost solar tunnel driers for use later when most vegetables are in short supply.Herbs, spices and fruits and also being dried in this way. These can be easily stored and packaged, and used when there is scarcity. Thus the solar technology is being used in the Institute for ensuring food security by providing year-round nutrition for the trainees.

9. Vocational training Cutting and Tailoring    Fabric work like Block Printing and Batik Hindi Typing and Word Processing Embroidery and Fabric design Food Processing and Pickle Making   Growing and Marketing Vegetables   Making Herbal Shampoos and  other Household items Solar Cooking Waste management For under 18 Dalit rural girls – the most disadvantaged 6 month programmes with full involvement of the community

10. EBRD fosters entrepreneurship by providing business expertise in addition to financing • EBRD’s Small Business Support (SBS) team has been helping Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs) since 1993 • Over €200m donor funding • Over 14,000 projects • Run on a not-for-profit basis with donor funding in 24 countries

11. EBRD $£ + Business expertise • Promoting women’s entrepreneurship • Supporting companies who manage gender diversity and support equal opportunities • Tackling challenges faced by women entrepreneurs • Targeting sectors with strong female participation • Upgrading female dominated industries with modern technologies • Creating a support infrastructure, allowing women to fulfil the dual role of family and career • Target women managed and women owned companies Higher points system for companies who are gender champions – procurement and credit • Key support areas • Projects • Training • Access to finance • Visibility and dissemination • Mentoring • Networking • Business matching

12. Combination of SBS tools form a comprehensive support programme MentoringMatching women entrepreneurs with successful WiB leaders to help them grow their businesses. NetworkingBuilding strong partnerships with relevant associations, institutions and stakeholders. Business matchingEnabling enterprise management to explore business matching opportunities and create import/ export partnerships.

13. SBS results and active programmes • Up to date • Nearly 2,000 WiB projects undertaken • First WiB programme launched in 2004 • Over 700 female BAS consultants and 90 active female senior industrial advisors Objective portfolio • change • Over 70% of clients increase turnover as they expand their business • Over 25% of clients secure financing Type of advice • active • Western Balkans 2010-2012 • Ukraine 2012 • Moldova 2012-2014

14. World Bank findings • Key areas of intervention = • Infrastructure – enabling women to access goods, services and markets • Working with young women • Education • Intersection See Report Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

15. “Gender inequalities influence the distribution of household tasks, often limiting women’s ability to work outside the home, as well as women’s control over fertility decisions. In the market, gender inequality is reflected in unequal access to land, credit, and labor markets, and in significantly less access to new production technologies. In society, gender inequality is expressed as restrictions to women’s participation in civic and political life. Finally, in addition to improving individuals’ lives, increased gender equality can contribute to better aggregate economic performance. These long-term benefits, of course, come with costs in the short run. Policies to achieve gender equality (for example, introducing quotas in representation in parliament or labor legislation prohibiting discriminatory practices) could have political costs for their proponents when some groups win and some lose. Some policies may also have economic costs that come from unintentionally under- cutting individual incentives in the name of gender equality. These costs are additional to the budgetary expenditures associated with implementing the policies. It is important to keep these short-term trade-offs well in mind in assessing specific policies.

16. Junior Entrepreneur Scheme Teaches enterprise and entrepreneurship skills to children and youth. Starting from grade seven upwards (age 12+), participants are both empowered into thinking about career development and goal setting, and also taught technical business skills that give them a strong sense of commercial awareness. The core objective of this course is to teach business. As such, the organisationis a business – a social enterprise. They have coherence between the objectives of the course and the way the network of administrators, tutors and students are managed.

17. Create a generation of enterprising young people who have strong commercial awareness • In teaching commercial skills at this stage, young people are given the skills to grow into enterprising and commercially focused adults. • The JES is studied as a group with a facilitator leading the group discussions, supplemented with practical activities. The JES encourages participants to think practically – the first exercise is to consider baking a cake. Youth Social enterprise Sustainable

18. The Guinean Association for Women’s Burden Alleviating Set up afield school to pool rural women’s knowledge and skills. They aimed to increase crop yields for the women by training them to master agroecological techniques such as soil fertility and preparation techniques, harvesting and drainage, crop rotation and increasing the use of organic fertilisers and manure. The women also received training in how to negotiate with landowners to obtain cultivation areas. The original concept of the ‘school yard training’ was designed to help increase rice production through water control and crop rotation. This was developed into training on Agroecological technology and then replicated through the grassroots groups. Two cereal banks were created to increase self-sufficiency and Impro ve household food security. The time spent previously on doing agricultural work, the women could now spend in classes.

19. All India Women’s Conference – solar panel mechanics AIWC has been involved in Rural Energy Technologies (RETs) for many years. They now implement RET’s projects in almost all the Indian states through their 550 branches. The solar energy devices covered range from solar parabolic cookers to lanterns; charging stations and solar heaters and dryers for fruit, vegetables and condiments. One of the main drawbacks when using solar energy at a local level is the lack of proper knowledge and skills for installation, repair and maintenance of devices which have the potential to change lives. AIWC has devised a training methodology for women (self help groups) and teenagers where they attend a month long training programme. The programme covers how to do an initial survey, installation, maintenance and assembly of the devices including solar lanterns, home lighting systems, and the putting together of parabolic cookers. The general public is informed and educated about these solar devices through Solar Fairs which are regularly organised throughout India. Green technologies are demonstrated, and information provided on how the public can not only minimise the hazards of climate change but also generate income. Solar energy projects are easily replicated to other countries and communities.

20. Goldman Sachs 10,000 women Investing in women is one of the most effective ways to reduce inequality and facilitate inclusive economic growth.  The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative is a five-year investment to provide underserved female entrepreneurs around the world with a business and management education. The women selected for the program enroll in customized certificate programs ranging from five weeks to six months. Topics covered include marketing, accounting, writing business plans and accessing capital. Students are offered mentoring and post-graduate support by partner institutions, local businesses and the people of Goldman Sachs. Evania - São paulo, Brazil Profession - Gardening tools “I went in there a woman with initiative, but i came out a businesswoman.” Business overview My company started in 1985 and is a mechanic and motorized tool company. We sell all types of tools, from those that are used for weekend hobbies to professional tools used for governments, construction sites and city halls. Challenges There are daily obstacles - legislation changes and also the need to modernize our company, to take it to the next level. I needed to have a global vision of the business. I previously had a lot of practice but no theory. Recently, we have been concerned about the ecological matters and we want to turn our company into a sustainable business. In 2010, the annual sales increased by 33%. In 2009 i was able to purchase two cars to improve the sales services.

21. Fresky Kenya Ravina Agencies Company transports petroleum products including white oils, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and lubricants. We transport products from Mombasa to Nairobi, Kisumu to Eldoret and Kisumu to Kampala, Uganda. I established Ravina Agencies in 2004 to take advantage of the huge business potential in transportation of petroleum products. I started with one new truck and was able to obtain a contract from Kenol/Kobil. CHALLENGES My business challenges include preventing theft by employees, poor security on roads, and corruption. I also frequently have to operate under capacity due to our dependence on one customer. RESULTS I have taken a loan to help finance nine new trucks and have hired 16 new employees. My monthly revenues have increased by 90%. I have expanded my business route to Uganda and added transport of LPG gas cylinders. Recently, I have ordered a gas taker for bulk gas delivery and have diversified my business to include waste management. I have made many significant changes to my business including purchasing insurance to protect my workers and goods, implementing a performance and reward system for employees, and formalizing my accounting systems.

22. Ibironke Nigeria NITS Limited is an information communication technology firm involved mainly in software development and web applications. In July 2009, we went into partnership with another company with strengths in software development in order to position INITS to attract higher valued clients CHALLENGES After the partnership, the major challenges we experienced included proper record keeping and mobilizing capital to finance our software development. Unlike website designing, where we received deposits for new contracts, we had to invest our meager resources over a long period of time.As we took on bigger jobs, our working capital requirement also increased. The banks found it difficult to finance our business without collateral. RESULTS I have learned that expansion must be carefully planned. Even with the best thought out plan, there have been many surprises. I have found that my new network and the support services offered by 10,000 Women have made all the difference between success and failure. Our revenue increased by 40% in one year and has since grown more than 200%. Correspondingly, our staff strength has increased from five to 12. We are completing construction on a new office and the office is quickly becoming the office of our dreams.

23. Key findings – time to react demand and challengesPolitical conflicts and economic crisis create a need for the government support for economic growth. At the same time women face common problems caused by poor enforcement of gender equality laws, the traditional values and labour market discrimination. The national development plans should tackle gender inequality, to help women to contribute to economic development. Sustainability is “the continuation of benefits from a development intervention after major development assistance has been completed”. • necessities • Removal of legal and administrative restrictions • WiB promotion by national governments • Increase WiB access to financial intermediation • Dialogue between international programmes and the relevant stakeholders

24. conclusion • Economic activity – plays a crucial role in achieving prosperity for all • Should we just integrate more people into the dominant economic order • The way we define and arrange our economy expresses what we value and is intimately related to our view of equality of women and men • Should we perpetuate competition and conflict or create new ways of business based on better sources of motivation and economic vitality other than self-interest? • We are inter-dependent and current systems lead to impoverishment of our world and hardship for the many – especially women • Should we not look at diverse economic arrangements – explored and given space to develop? • Research shows business women put more back into the community than male counterparts. Ethical business is 30% more productive. Women can play a part in creating a new economics. • Let us use the opportunity today to investigate such possibilities = To achieve • Collective prosperity • Community well-being • Environmental sustainability