The Palladium Group - TA-9660 REG: Promoting Transformative Gender Equality Agenda in Asia and the Pacific – Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative Vietnam Access to Finance and Environment - 2020

Project Description:

The project is funded by ADB to support Vietnamese women-owned or led small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (WSMEs) access to finance, with an aim to strengthen the capacity of financial institutions to increase lending to WSMES and develop gender responsive products and services tailored for the WSME market, support of State Bank of Viet Nam, and Ministry of Planning and Investment to better support the WSMES. The technical assistance services implement the activities of component 1 and component 2 of the project: Component 1 focuses on Access to Finance through innovative and ambitious financial approaches including performance-based lending (Viet Nam) and  first gender bond in Southeast Asia and the Pacific; while component 2 addresses the Enabling Environment, which will work with national partners including government agencies, civil society organizations, and women’s business associations to develop stronger WSME-focused policies, regulations and action plans.

As part of this project, Mekong Economics team have:

·      Worked with 6 institutions, including: State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), 4 financial institutions (commercial banks), and 1 non-financial institution to strengthen their capacities to increase lending to WSMES and develop gender responsive products and services tailored for the WSME market

·    Worked with the State Bank of Vietnam, Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and selected provinces to strengthen the policy environment for women’s entrepreneurship

·     Conducted qualitative research through focus groups and individual interviews on the impact that receiving We-Fi supported financing has on women entrepreneurs and particularly their position in their families and communities as well as other related issues on empowerment and social norms.

·  Prepared concise, effective print and video impact stories and plan seminars to promote activities supported under WAVES through traditional and social media.