Hybrid #EMW2022 opens, with storms weathered, but challenges – internal and external – still ahead
- Three-day conference back in-person for first time since 2019, with over 30 sessions across various formats – interviews, panels, working groups and plenaries
- Many sessions also online, welcoming speakers and participants from around the world
- Topic streams on digitalisation, green and climate-smart finance, research and data, agri-finance, social performance and impact, and financial inclusion for women
- Plenaries on ‘Building a responsible digital finance ecosystem’; financial inclusion that works for women’; ‘From Financial education to financial health’; and closing on ‘Big questions for today – and tomorrow’
- Launch of e-MFP publication ‘Financial Inclusion that Works for Women’
- European Microfinance Award ceremony takes place on Thursday 17th November, 7:30pm at European Investment Bank
Thursday 17th November 2022 - For Immediate Release
EMW2022 opened Wednesday with a welcome from e-MFP’s Executive Secretary, Christoph Pausch, who, announcing there were approximately 500 registrations to EMW, said how pleased attendees are to be able to meet once again in person and that despite huge challenges, the sector has shown a remarkable resilience and capacity to adapt and innovate, many examples of which are reflected in the conference programme.
Noting the importance of the new Strategic Plan signed in May between the Luxembourg Government and e-MFP, Christoph said that “we are as grateful as ever for the support of the Luxembourg Government, not only for our own work, but also for its support for the financial inclusion sector generally”.
Geneviève Hengen, Deputy Director of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs – Directorate for Development Cooperation then gave an opening address. “The success of the financial inclusion sector in navigating the challenges of the pandemic shows the enduring importance of collaboration, cooperation and exchange, and European Microfinance Week is right at the heart of that”, she said. The stakeholders at EMW share with the Luxembourg Government “the common goal of financial inclusion” she too noted the signing of the new Strategic Plan with e-MFP, reflecting the Platform’s “vital role as convenor, communicator and public space, and which should leave no doubt about the role Luxembourg plays and for which it is internationally recognised as an inclusive finance hub”.
These opening speeches kicked off three days of the first in-person EMW since 2019 at the beautiful Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg, beginning with Wednesday’s opening plenary on ‘Making Digital Finance Responsible’ presenting new standards on responsible DFS and showcasing research on consumer risks associated with DFS and how these risks might be mitigated.
Digital finance has a transformative potential, agreed the speakers from CGAP, Toronto Centre, FMO, SPFT, and Better Than Cash Alliance, but that “good intentions lead to new challenges”. There is increasing fraud, data misuse, and 20% of adults using digital finance platforms experience unknown or unidentified fees, and this takes place in an environment in which only a third of countries have relevant consumer protection regulations. There must be new leadership skills built among regulators. Investors must have continued engagement with young entrepreneurs about the importance of standards. And the new stage of evolution in this space, to ensure responsible finance can keep pace with technological change, is to keep consumer centricity, assessment of capability gaps, and collaboration at its heart.
As always, EMW sessions have been put forward largely by e-MFP members, and organised across several thematic streams, such as ‘Financial Inclusion that Works for Women’ (the topic of the European Microfinance Award), climate-smart finance, digitalisation, client protection, among others. There will be almost 30 breakout sessions within these broader themes and will cover topics ranging from inclusive agri-insurance, women’s leadership, regulation of funds, mobile money, refugee finance, WASH, food security, energy, smallholder finance, and social performance and impact measurement among others.
In addition, there will be several Action Group (AG) meetings, plus some closed, invitation only sessions, breakfast events, networking sessions, a semi-structured ‘meet and greet’ based on AG research streams, and a state-of-the-art conference platform and app for both in-person and remote attendees to use.
These will be supplemented by three further plenary sessions. This morning will see the plenary that kicks off the ‘financial inclusion for women’ stream – ‘Financial Inclusion that Works for Women’. As well as launching e-MFP latest publication of the same name, which pulls together best practice and factors for success from the ten semi-finalists of this year’s Award, this session will bring together some of the most significant opinion-leaders on this topic, to understand what it is we now appreciate about the particular barriers women face, their diverse goals and aspirations, and what financial inclusion stakeholders can do to support women in all contexts. The stellar panel will include Women’s World Banking CEO Mary Ellen Iskendarian, Barbara Magnoni from EA Consultants and Columbia University, Katharine Pulvermacher from the Microinsurance Network, Carine Roenen from Fonkoze, Evaline Angole from Grameen Foundation, and moderated by GIZ’s Florian Berndt.
Friday morning will see a plenary on ‘Understanding Financial Education and Financial Health’, and EMW2022 will close that afternoon with a plenary entitled ‘Big Questions for Today - and Tomorrow’, with CGAP’s new CEO Sophie Sirtaine, Marc Labie of UMons, Yannick Milev from Chamroeun in Cambodia, and moderated by Olga Biosca of Glasgow Caledonian University.
Finally, and as always, a highlight of EMW is the ceremony for the €100,000 European Microfinance Award tonight at 7:30pm at the European Investment Bank. The ceremony will involve a keynote address from Mary Ellen Iskenderian, speeches from Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Franz Fayot, EIB President Werner Hoyer- and there will be films profiling the three finalists – Bancamía of Colombia, Banco FIE of Bolivia, and Kashf Foundation of Pakistan – before announcement of the winner by HRH the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
END
The European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) is the leading network of organisations and individuals active in the financial inclusion sector in developing countries. It numbers over 130 members from all geographic regions and specialisations of the microfinance community, including consultants & support service providers, investors, FSPs, multilateral & national development agencies, NGOs and researchers. Up to two billion people remain financially excluded. To address this, the Platform seeks to promote co-operation, dialogue and innovation among these diverse stakeholders working in developing countries. e-MFP fosters activities which increase global access to affordable, quality sustainable and inclusive financial services for the un(der)banked by driving knowledge-sharing, partnership development and innovation.
For more information, contact: Niamh Watters, nwatters@e-mfp.eu; www.e-mfp.eu
Hybrid #EMW2022 opens, with storms weathered, but challenges – internal and external – still ahead
Thursday 17th November 2022 - For Immediate Release
Noting the importance of the new Strategic Plan signed in May between the Luxembourg Government and e-MFP, Christoph said that “we are as grateful as ever for the support of the Luxembourg Government, not only for our own work, but also for its support for the financial inclusion sector generally”.
Geneviève Hengen, Deputy Director of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs – Directorate for Development Cooperation then gave an opening address. “The success of the financial inclusion sector in navigating the challenges of the pandemic shows the enduring importance of collaboration, cooperation and exchange, and European Microfinance Week is right at the heart of that”, she said. The stakeholders at EMW share with the Luxembourg Government “the common goal of financial inclusion” she too noted the signing of the new Strategic Plan with e-MFP, reflecting the Platform’s “vital role as convenor, communicator and public space, and which should leave no doubt about the role Luxembourg plays and for which it is internationally recognised as an inclusive finance hub”.
These opening speeches kicked off three days of the first in-person EMW since 2019 at the beautiful Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg, beginning with Wednesday’s opening plenary on ‘Making Digital Finance Responsible’ presenting new standards on responsible DFS and showcasing research on consumer risks associated with DFS and how these risks might be mitigated.
Digital finance has a transformative potential, agreed the speakers from CGAP, Toronto Centre, FMO, SPFT, and Better Than Cash Alliance, but that “good intentions lead to new challenges”. There is increasing fraud, data misuse, and 20% of adults using digital finance platforms experience unknown or unidentified fees, and this takes place in an environment in which only a third of countries have relevant consumer protection regulations. There must be new leadership skills built among regulators. Investors must have continued engagement with young entrepreneurs about the importance of standards. And the new stage of evolution in this space, to ensure responsible finance can keep pace with technological change, is to keep consumer centricity, assessment of capability gaps, and collaboration at its heart.
As always, EMW sessions have been put forward largely by e-MFP members, and organised across several thematic streams, such as ‘Financial Inclusion that Works for Women’ (the topic of the European Microfinance Award), climate-smart finance, digitalisation, client protection, among others. There will be almost 30 breakout sessions within these broader themes and will cover topics ranging from inclusive agri-insurance, women’s leadership, regulation of funds, mobile money, refugee finance, WASH, food security, energy, smallholder finance, and social performance and impact measurement among others.
In addition, there will be several Action Group (AG) meetings, plus some closed, invitation only sessions, breakfast events, networking sessions, a semi-structured ‘meet and greet’ based on AG research streams, and a state-of-the-art conference platform and app for both in-person and remote attendees to use.
These will be supplemented by three further plenary sessions. This morning will see the plenary that kicks off the ‘financial inclusion for women’ stream – ‘Financial Inclusion that Works for Women’. As well as launching e-MFP latest publication of the same name, which pulls together best practice and factors for success from the ten semi-finalists of this year’s Award, this session will bring together some of the most significant opinion-leaders on this topic, to understand what it is we now appreciate about the particular barriers women face, their diverse goals and aspirations, and what financial inclusion stakeholders can do to support women in all contexts. The stellar panel will include Women’s World Banking CEO Mary Ellen Iskendarian, Barbara Magnoni from EA Consultants and Columbia University, Katharine Pulvermacher from the Microinsurance Network, Carine Roenen from Fonkoze, Evaline Angole from Grameen Foundation, and moderated by GIZ’s Florian Berndt.
Friday morning will see a plenary on ‘Understanding Financial Education and Financial Health’, and EMW2022 will close that afternoon with a plenary entitled ‘Big Questions for Today - and Tomorrow’, with CGAP’s new CEO Sophie Sirtaine, Marc Labie of UMons, Yannick Milev from Chamroeun in Cambodia, and moderated by Olga Biosca of Glasgow Caledonian University.
Finally, and as always, a highlight of EMW is the ceremony for the €100,000 European Microfinance Award tonight at 7:30pm at the European Investment Bank. The ceremony will involve a keynote address from Mary Ellen Iskenderian, speeches from Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Franz Fayot, EIB President Werner Hoyer- and there will be films profiling the three finalists – Bancamía of Colombia, Banco FIE of Bolivia, and Kashf Foundation of Pakistan – before announcement of the winner by HRH the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
END
The European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) is the leading network of organisations and individuals active in the financial inclusion sector in developing countries. It numbers over 130 members from all geographic regions and specialisations of the microfinance community, including consultants & support service providers, investors, FSPs, multilateral & national development agencies, NGOs and researchers. Up to two billion people remain financially excluded. To address this, the Platform seeks to promote co-operation, dialogue and innovation among these diverse stakeholders working in developing countries. e-MFP fosters activities which increase global access to affordable, quality sustainable and inclusive financial services for the un(der)banked by driving knowledge-sharing, partnership development and innovation.
For more information, contact: Niamh Watters, nwatters@e-mfp.eu; www.e-mfp.eu