CGAP 78d ago

Rural women smallholder farmers are often perceived as too risky to lend to — but what if that perception is holding back both financial inclusion and sustainable business growth? These women are among the most vulnerable to climate shocks and stresses, yet they also represent a significant, underserved commercial opportunity for financial institutions. Hosted by ABERA (Accelerating Business to Empower Rural Women in Agriculture) - a joint initiative of CGAP and IDH - this webinar will bring together financial service providers, market facilitators, and sector experts to explore how financial institutions can design agri-finance products that are both commercially viable and genuinely responsive to the realities rural women face. Drawing on human-centered design research conducted with BTFL and BRAC International, alongside market insights from Financial Sector Deepening Tanzania (FSDT), the session will introduce four distinct profiles of rural women in Tanzanian value chains and open an honest conversation about what it would actually take to lend to them.