Investing in women around the world

Keeping you up to date with our recent activities in Europe and around the world.

Did you know that 980 million women, more than the total population of Europe, have no access to a bank or other financial services? This means that around 56% of adults worldwide cannot save money, get a loan or plan for their financial future.

As the EU bank, it is our duty to ensure that the projects we finance protect all corners of society.

Women, men, girls and boys must be given equal opportunities.

To ensure that our activities help women and girls, the EIB Group created a gender strategy to empower women economically and an action plan to make sure we meet our promises.

Join the EIB live at the European Development Days
Brussels – 5 and 6 June

Do you want to know how women and girls can be at the forefront of sustainable development? Visit our Facebook page to find out about our Facebook Live sessions where EIB experts will discuss this important issue.

Or join us in Brussels, where we will tell you more about how women and girls can take a leadership role in development. We will be in the Global Village at the European Development Days in stand 73.

See the agenda to find out more about our involvement at the EDDs.

Follow the EDD 2018 on Twitter #EDD18, #SheisWe and #shEDDs

How we make a difference

Green projects empower women in India
EIB investments in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have brought reliable renewable solar and wind energy to communities and improved lives for women and girls – schoolgirls now have electricity for their computers and women feel safer walking the streets at night with better lighting.

Light up the night and brighten the harvest
In Africa, solar energy isn’t just about lighting up the night or using a mobile phone. It now can irrigate and fertilise farms, providing a new way to help the 791 million Africans who have no electricity.

Waste recycling and more jobs for women in Argentina
In Argentina’s Jujuy region, a new project – part of the Province’s Jujuy Verde initiative – is reducing waste, cutting down on greenhouse gases and offering new opportunities for women.

Mobile money: Ethiopia is ahead of Europe
Millions of people benefit from the Ethiopian mobile money service M-Birr, which is more advanced than the mobile banking technology most Europeans use. The EIB is backing the next stage of M-Birr’s expansion with a EUR 3 million investment.

A brighter life for Kenyan women
D.Light provides solar-powered lighting across the developing world for people who aren’t connected to the electricity grid. The company has 200,000 customers in Kenya alone. Its solar lighting kit made a big difference for Nairobi businesswomen who work at night and provided many benefits for mothers and children at home.

Making women feel safe: Bangalore metro
In Bangalore, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, the metro offers commuters an affordable and climate-friendly transport. But when a metro car gets crowded in India, female passengers can feel vulnerable. Bangalore officials solved this problem by reserving parts of each train just for women, and most drivers are young women.

Women's microfinance helps Syrian refugees
What would you do with EUR 2500? Bushra al-Obaidi made a new life. Struggling to put food on the table for her family, she used a loan from the Microfund for Women to create a thriving handicraft shop in the centre of Amman, the Jordanian capital.

Tackling climate change worldwide: A core investment for Ecuador
Recently the EU bank pledged to increase spending on climate action in developing countries to 35% by 2020. The money won’t just go to big infrastructure projects. Increasingly, we are focusing on climate projects with a clear benefit for local people.

The EIB is active in over 130 countries outside the EU. The 2017 report on “The EIB outside the EU” explains how we improve lives far beyond Europe's borders: in pre-accession countries, African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, Eastern neighbours, the Mediterranean, Asia and Latin America.

This e-mail has been sent to p.ravaille@eib.org, click here to unsubscribe.