Resources on social finance

  1. ILO Social finance

    ILO empowers microfinance staff to promote financial literacy among hosts and refugees

    12 February 2024

    The cadre of trainers trained on ILO's renowned financial education curriculum will strengthen the capacity of financial service providers to educate hosts and refugees and improve their access to financial services.

  2. Article

    A returnee raised her income and improved her skills

    26 July 2023

    Migrant workers who lack proper information usually end up extending their stay, despite their visas having expired, putting them in danger of being classified as irregular/undocumented migrants. Migrants are even more vulnerable in such situations and face numerous challenges, including labour rights violations, abuses, and exploitation.

  3. Our impact, their voices

    The journey of Samar, female entrepreneur in Iraq

    07 March 2023

    Following years of displacement and uncertainty, Samar from Mosul has set up a business making and selling sweets and pastries. She talks about her journey of becoming a successful entrepreneur, with the support of an ILO financial inclusion initiative providing entrepreneurs with trainings and loans to start or expand their businesses.

  4. Video

    Iraqi entrepreneurs access loans to support growing businesses

    19 June 2022

    When Sandra was forcibly displaced, she set up a small business selling party decorations to support her young family. Now, with the support of the ILO, under an initiative with the Central Bank of Iraq and partner banks, Sandra and many others like her, have been provided with bank loans to start or expand their businesses, helping them realise their aspirations of becoming successful entrepreneurs.

  5. News

    ILO and the Central Bank of Iraq launch new financial initiative supporting youth and small and medium enterprises from host communities and displaced populations in Iraq

    31 March 2021

    With support from the Government of the Netherlands, the initiative will provide young women and men and small businesses with access to much-needed financial services that will help them start and develop their own businesses, while addressing barriers to decent self-employment.

  6. Publication

    ILO’s Financial Inclusion Strategy in Iraq

    17 March 2021

    Based on a mapping study of Iraqi’s financial sector conducted during PROSPECT’s inception phase and in close discussions and consultation with the Central Bank of Iraq and the Iraqi Company for Banking Guarantees, the ILO developed an innovative collaboration model in response to the identified challenges in access to finance and within entrepreneurship ecosystem in Iraq.

  7. Event

    Promoting entrepreneurship and private sector development in Iraq

    The ILO in Iraq holds Training of Trainers workshop for training service providers on its Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme, designed to support small-scale entrepreneurs to start or grow their businesses.