Gender gaps in financial inclusion remain a challenge in Zambia, with disparities in both access to financial services including insurance products, and limited leadership opportunities for women in the financial sector. Currently, only 39.1% of women have used insurance services compared to 60.9% of men , highlighting a gap in access to and use of affordable financial products and services. This disparity prevents women from protecting their businesses, families, and livelihoods from financial shocks. Addressing this gap is key to building a more resilient insurance sector and achieving

Johannesburg, South Africa – February 27, 2025 The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and African Risk Capacity Limited (ARC Ltd.) have signed a landmark agreement to enhance climate risk insurance solutions for smallholder farmers and agricultural value chains across Africa. This partnership aims to scale up agricultural insurance as a critical tool for de-risking investments and increasing resilience to climate change impacts. The signing ceremony took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was formalized by Sergio Pimenta , Regional Vice President for Africa at IFC, and Lesley Ndlovu

From October 21–25, 2024, over 500 global experts convened in Kathmandu, Nepal, for the International Conference on Inclusive Insurance (ICII). The event united stakeholders from 43 countries to explore pathways for accelerating the growth and viability of inclusive insurance in emerging markets. With discussions ranging from climate risk and gender-focused strategies to digital innovation and microinsurance trends, the ICII offered a vital platform to advance the agenda of inclusive insurance as a tool for economic resilience and empowerment. Inclusive Insurance: A Catalyst for Sustainable

Global Shield’s Vision for Climate Resilience In 2024, the Global Shield against Climate Risks continued its mission of addressing financial protection gaps in climate-vulnerable countries through innovative pre-arranged finance mechanisms. This G7-V20 initiative reaffirms its commitment to building resilience against climate and disaster risks, marking significant milestones and setting ambitious goals for the future. Key Achievements in 2024 Ghana’s First Drought Insurance Policy Through an inclusive, country-led process coordinated by the Global Shield Secretariat, the African Risk Capacity

Florence Boupda Ngueda , IFC-FIG Global Sector Manager for Insurance, Housing and DARP, joined over 1,000 financial industry leaders at the 2024 Africa Financial Summit , held in December 2024 in Morocco. The two-day event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders – including bankers, insurers, fintech representatives, capital markets experts, mobile money operators, as well as policymakers and regulators from across Africa and beyond – to explore innovative approaches to building a resilient financial services industry across the continent. A highlight of the event was the panel

On October 14, 2024, nearly 1,800 smallholder farmers in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, celebrated a significant milestone as they received their first insurance payout under the Agricultural Index Insurance Pilot Project. This payout came in response to the severe El Niño-induced drought that impacted the 2023/2024 farming season, leading to dramatically reduced crop yields across the region. Each farmer, received a payout of US$65 under the Farmer’s Basket Insurance Product, specifically designed to mitigate financial risks stemming from climate-related disasters. The success of this initiative was

In an era marked by escalating climate challenges and food insecurity, the need for innovative insurance solutions has never been more pressing. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Global Shield Against Climate Risks initiative are among the most vital entities enabling these solutions through their financing, helping advance farmers’ resilience through the World Bank Group’s Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) Program. BMZ supports smallholder farmers through microinsurance, while the Global Shield—an extension of Germany’s InsuResilience

On October 4th, 2024, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Generali Global Corporate & Commercial launched their collaborative report, Parametric Insurance to Build Financial Resilience . The report highlights the potential of parametric insurance to provide governments, businesses, and communities with the financial tools necessary to navigate an increasingly unpredictable climate, marked by severe natural hazards such as droughts, extreme heat, and tropical storms. With an alarming US$1.8 trillion protection gap, showing the difference between insured and uninsured losses, the

The GIIF program conducted a comprehensive evaluation spanning 2016-2022 across various countries to assess its implementation and gather insights. This evaluation aligned with the six main criteria of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC): relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. The objective was to gain a holistic understanding of achievements and shortcomings, with a focus on informing future expansion and activities crucial for sustainability. The team looked at multiple countries in Africa and Asia, mainly Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Zambia

On June 14, the workshop 'Inclusive Insurance: Accelerating Gender Equality in Emerging Markets', a collaborative effort by MIGA, IDF, and The Geneva Association brought together stakeholders committed to advancing gender inclusion in the insurance sector. The session titled “ Gender Equality and the Importance of Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI)” shed light on the urgent need to account for gender differences in climate vulnerabilities, stressing the importance of incorporating gender considerations into insurance products and financial services to ensure they address