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EUROPEAN MICROFINANCE AWARD 2024
ADVANCING FINANCIAL INCLUSION FOR REFUGEES & FORCIBLY DISPLACED PEOPLE
The European Microfinance Award 2024 highlights organisations active in financial inclusion that help forcibly displaced people build resilience, restore livelihoods, and live with dignity in host communities.
Press release: Rural Finance Initiative Limited (RUFI) Wins the 2024 European Microfinance Award for Empowering Refugees Through Financial Inclusion, 15 November 2024.
After a selection process that reviewed applications from 49 organisations in 26 countries, RUFI has been selected as winner to receive the €100,000 European Microfinance Award 2024.
The other two finalists Al Majmoua, Lebanon and Palestine for Credit and Development, Occupied Palestinian Territories each received €10,000.
Congratulations also to the seven Award semi-finalists: Financiera Confianza from Peru; Inkomoko Business Development Ltd from Rwanda; Opportunity Bank Uganda Ltd; UGAFODE Microfinance Limited (MDI) from Uganda; Microfund For Women from Jordan; the Microfinance Department of UNRWA in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and VisionFund Uganda Ltd.
Learn more about the finalists and semifinalists, the outstanding cases and factors for success from this year’s European Microfinance Award (EMA) in our publication:
Advancing Financial Inclusion for Refugees and Forcibly Displaced People: Insights from the EMA 2024, November 2024
Background information:
Publication: Advancing Financial Inclusion for Refugees and Forcibly Displaced People: Insights from the EMA 2024, November 2024
Publication: e-MFP 'Members' Spotlight 2024' on Advancing Financial Inclusion for Refugees & Forcibly Displaced People, October 2024
Guest blog: How Financial Regulators can Empower Forcibly Displaced People to Thrive, 31 October 2024
Guest blog: The ‘Network’ Perspective: Financial Inclusion for Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda, 12 September
Guest blog: Supporting FDPs’ Access to Loan Capital: Bridging Gaps and Building Trust, 8 August 2024.
Guest blog: How Resilient are Displaced Ukrainian Women? Five Insights from Women’s World Banking’s Research, 25 July 2024
Guest blog: Effective Public-Private Partnerships to Advance Financial Inclusion and Financial Well-Being of Forcibly Displaced Persons and their Hosts – Aligning the Business Cases, 6 July 2024
Guest blog: A Displaced Nation: How Colombia Has Supported the Financial Inclusion of its Forcibly Displaced Populations, 26 June 2024
Guest blog: Climate Change is Massively Accelerating Forced Displacement. How Should the Financial Inclusion Sector Respond?, 18 June 2024
Guest blog: Role of Community in Strengthening Financial Health of Refugees and Forcibly Displaced, 6 May 2024
Guest blog: Advancing Financial Inclusion for the Forcibly Displaced: A Collective Imperative, 26 March 2024
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN MICROFINANCE AWARD
The European Microfinance Award (EMA) is a prestigious annual award with €100,000 for the winner and €10,000 for the runners-up, which attracts applications from organisations active in financial services around the world that are innovating in a particular area of financial inclusion. It serves two parallel goals: rewarding excellence, and collecting and disseminating the most relevant practices for replication by others.
The EMA was launched in 2005 by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs – Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs. It is jointly organised by the Ministry, the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), and the Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg), in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The EMA is presented in a ceremony which in the past has been in the presence of Her Royal Highness the Grand-Duchess of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs. The ceremony takes place during the European Microfinance Week.
Artwork by Camille Dassy © European Microfinance Award