Women entrepreneurs and women-led small businesses are profitable and essential for inclusive growth and the climate transition globally. Yet they remain disproportionately vulnerable to climate shocks, pandemics, and economic crises due to persistent gender gaps in access to finance, technology, and markets.
To address these challenges, the Women’s Economic and Financial Resilience Toolbox offers a practical framework to strengthen the resilience of women entrepreneurs. It was developed by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the Team Europe Initiative ‘Investing in Young Businesses in Africa (IYBA)’.
The toolbox presents practical solutions by introducing a three-stage resilience model:
- Anticipation and preparation
- Absorption and recovery
- Adaptation and transformation
It identifies structural barriers and provides gender-responsive financial tools, technical assistance, and a Resilience Measurement Framework with gender-disaggregated indicators to guide evidence-based action.
Key recommendations include:
- Designing flexible financial products (such as emergency loans, climate-linked insurance)
- Bundling services for sector-specific needs, especially in agriculture and retail
- Expanding digital access through inclusive platforms
- Providing institutional support and training on financial, digital, and climate-smart skills
- Tracking impact through gender-sensitive metrics
By shifting women-led businesses from vulnerability to resilience, this toolbox helps unlock their full potential, contributing to inclusive recovery and sustainable development worldwide.
Through its operations, the EIB promotes gender equality and women’s economic empowerment and works towards a sustainable and equitable world. Over the past five years, we have supported more than 62 000 women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses worldwide. Through our investments, we are also helping 400 000 female farmers improve agricultural practices by providing better access to extension services, capital and resources.
The study complements and directly supports the implementation of the EIB’s large-scale gender initiative, Women for Stronger Communities and Growth, which focuses on enhancing the resilience of women-owned businesses through investments, technical assistance, research, and the sharing of knowledge and best practices.
Access the full report and summary.