Almaz Negash
Managing Partner & Founder, Entwine Global
Women and Global Poverty: How Microlending Can Enhance and Sustain Their Livelihood
Due to dire poverty and lack of access to capital, many people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and other parts of the world are at an economic disadvantage. The problem is even more severe for women for they are deprived of equal access to education, health care, capital, and decision making powers in the political, social, and business sectors. According to the UNDP Human Development Report, women in Africa represent 52 per cent of the total population, contribute approximately 75 percent of the agricultural work, and produce 60 to 80 percent of the food. Yet they earn only 10 percent of African incomes and own just 1 per cent of the continents assets.
In recent years, there has been a movement by individuals, social entrepreneurs, foundations, NGOs and non-profit organizations to help women in developing countries generate income through microlending/financing programs. Microlending/financing can be used by promoting sound practice, supporting on-going research and monitoring programs, by ensuring policy targets and programs that meet the needs of the community.
Almaz Negash consults businesses and educational institutions on international trade, marketing, economic development and sustainability. Over the last fifteen years she has helped build and foster countless, vital strategic relationships between a diverse set of individuals and organizations around the world. Serving at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Ms Negash had the opportunity to further her expertise in connecting, former head of states, business and community leaders, individuals and organizations from varied backgrounds to critical global challenges. She went from advising firms and governments on how to increase their bottom lines through trade and joint partnerships at SVCITD, to the often times much more difficult task of bringing individuals from different countries, cultures, and educational backgrounds together to share common goals and objectives at the Markkula Center.
Ms Negash is co-founder of the Global Women Leadership Network at the Leavey School of Business at SCU and a co author of the book Awakening Social Responsibility. She writes and speaks on regional and global issues.
