The OECD Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID-DB) represents a new tool for researchers and policy makers to determine and analyse obstacles to women’s economic development. It covers a total of 160 countries and comprises an array of 60 indicators on gender discrimination. The database has been compiled from various sources and combines in a systematic and coherent fashion the current empirical evidence that exists on the socio-economic status of women

Whilst Europe does not have enough entrepreneurs following through on their ideas to set up in business, there are, disproportionately, even fewer women than men entrepreneurs. Europe's economy needs more entrepreneurs to take the plunge. The Commission is working with Member States to find ways to overcome the factors which particularly discourage women from taking up the option of entrepreneurship

The more than 20 million SMEs in the EU represent 99% of businesses, and are a key driver for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration.

Through bank loans, micro and small business lending programmes, equity investments and support for other financial services (such as insurance and leasing), the EBRD is engaged with various providers of financial services to develop the financial sector and foster entrepreneurship.
The Bank has introduced innovative products, supported sector reform through privatisation, consolidation and restructuring and promoted local regulatory and legislative initiatives.

IFC produced this report on behalf of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.  The report identifies innovations that can help bankers in developing countries to finance agricultural small and medium enterprises.  The report highlights the most promising examples of innovative financing, risk mitigation and distribution models drawn from a stocktaking exercise of 100 global cases.

I've just had the good fortune to attend the first joint workshop by the Asian Development Bank and the OECD on SME Finance in Asia.  It's great to see these two organizations collaborating, and I see enormous potential in their relationship, particularly in expanding the SME Finance Scorecard data work OECD has started into more Asian countries, as a part of ADB's new Asia SME Finance Monitor initiative.  The workshop was also a chance to discuss key issues in the field, including financial markets infrastructure development, trade and supply chain finance for SMEs, and key policy constraints.  I hope that the ADB and OECD will be making the materials from this meeting more widely available, and I encourage them to post links to same...

matt

This policy brief offers to African policy makers (governments, central banks, regulatory and supervisory authorities) and other stakeholders involved in the policy making process (networks, associations and other civil society organizations, as well as donor agencies) a set of high priority policy recommendations designed to advance African women’s financial inclusion.

As Nadia Afrin has mentioned, we now have a bigger, better, faster website at www.smefinanceforum.org.  One of the benefits of this is that, if you initiate your discussion from the website, you can share it on LinkedIn automatically, and it goes into a better organized and indexed system that make it easier for others to find you --- even if you've been "buried" by several later discussions!  This discussion starts from the website, to show you how it's done. 

You're still welcome to work through LinkedIn, of course...But we hope you'll visit our parent website and check out this alternative option!

matt

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) project is an annual assessment of the entrepreneurial activity, aspirations and attitudes of individuals across a wide range of countries. Initiated in 1999 as a partnership between London Business School and Babson College, the first study covered 10 countries; since then nearly 100 ‘National Teams’ from every corner of the globe have participated in the project, which continues to grow annually. 

GroFin is a pioneering SME development financier assisting entrepreneurs and business owners to access tailored finance and experienced business support to start and grow successful businesses, creating jobs and driving socio-economic development.