Women and Finance

CEOs from some of the most prominent companies in the world--including Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Merck, Unilever, and UPS -- came together to share their long-term business plans to an audience of more than 275 major institutional investors at the third CEO Investor Forum (CIF) organized by the CECP’s Strategic Investor Initiative (SII).

Closing the gender gap in women’s access to financial products and services could unlock $330 billion in global annual revenue, according to a new report released today from BNY Mellon and the United Nations Foundation. Increased market opportunities for financial services firms, along with greater financial inclusion and empowerment for women, are additional key outputs from narrowing this gap.

American Express Company is one of the 2018 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work and Fortune.

Union Bank of Nigeria (Union Bank) has joined Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a pledge to provide access to financial services for at least 30,000 people from low income communities in 11 states across northern Nigeria by 2020, where currently more than half the population are unbanked.

What gift would you give for the holidays that costs $56? Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci lived on $56 for 56 days in Guatemala and filmed Living on One Dollar, a documentary that has raised over $300,000 for Whole Planet Foundation, funding 1,600 microloans for Guatemalans living in poverty.

eBay launches Kiva Marketplace to help aspiring entrepreneurs reach global scale.

The Global Business Coalition for Women’s Economic Empowerment (GBCforWEE) brings together a group of major multinational corporations - who were first convened in 2014 by Professor Linda Scott, Emeritus DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, as part of the Corporate summit on women's economic empowerment - to discuss how better to include women in the world economy.

Julia, who came to the UK from Lithuania aged 19, now works as a Barista in the Sacred coffee shop at Barclays head office in Canary Wharf. She earns the London living wage, which at last allows her to pay for the things she needs – and put savings aside. “Before this job I couldn’t even look at my account. Now I can go out with co-workers, and go to watch my favourite bands. I feel like I’ve got so much more freedom.”

The New York Accelerator launches its latest programme next week, welcoming the next cohort of start-ups to its 13-week mentor-driven experience. The Accelerator, run in partnership between Barclays and Techstars, offers fintech entrepreneurs unprecedented access not only to a leading world bank, but also to Techstars mentor and investor relationships. The programme ends with ‘Demo Day’ – an opportunity to pitch to the influential tech community. Barclays also runs Accelerators in locations in London, Tel Aviv and Cape Town.

Today marks the launch of the Visa Foundation, which has been established as part of Visa’s larger social impact strategy to prioritize the growth of micro and small enterprises around the world, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive.