Empowering Tomorrow’s Female Entrepreneurs in Asia

By combining financial technology (mobile banking) and educational technology (voice-based training) we can overcome the obstacles of knowledge, funding and networks faced by young women in poor, rural communities across Asia. Over 10,000 young women entrepreneurs could be empowered in Indonesia, India and the Philippines.

For young women, already lacking access to education and jobs, exclusion from the workforce is exacerbated by barriers to training, capital and community support.

Women make up half of the globe’s population, yet remain significantly underrepresented – there are only seven countries where men and women own businesses at an equal rate. Furthermore, youths (18-24) in the Asia region are at least three times more likely to be unemployed than adults.

Failing to address these problems increases social inequality and limits national potential for economic growth – leaving more behind.

Opportunity's approach to digital leverages the mobile revolution to move young women out of poverty using a cost-effective voice-based technology platform that builds on existing microfinance relationships.

Our theory of change begins with a gateway activity, which is essential to help project participants become confident and fluent in using digital technology. Once they are enticed through a digital conversation, voice-based tools and instruction can offer learning and capacity building for young women entrepreneurs in their local vernacular, overcoming literacy barriers and ultimately helping them to flourish as business women. This in turn creates jobs and benefits families and communities. 

Our solution creates opportunities for young women to reach their full potential in the workforce, providing them with skills and support to flourish as entrepreneurs.

Voice-based digital outreach is a compelling way to tailor education to younger women who may have literacy challenges. As traditional methods of education (manual trainers with textbooks) are showing declining attendance and traction, this project will provide a vital proof-of-concept for a scalable solution.

Building a workforce that supports jobs and skills for young women is essential as their economic empowerment through work brings benefits for gender equality as well as overall economic prosperity. 

Average unique voice-based education users per month — measured through mobile usage data - Young women access voice-based education

Average unique mobile banking transactions per month — measured through mobile usage data - Young women access mobile-banking platform/s

Loan recipients — measured through microfinance institution client data - Young women start or grow small businesses

This solution builds on an existing network of over four million women in Asia connected through Opportunity International.

Our local microfinance partners have long-standing relationships with the communities they serve, making them ideally placed to introduce mobile banking to these communities.

Combining this technology with voice-based educational technology will provide greater support to new loan recipients, and deliver ongoing learning opportunities for young women.

Our technology partners, Human Network International and Software Group Bulgaria have pioneered innovative, low-cost technologies designed for the poor, rural communities this solution targets.

This solution is designed specifically for the basic or feature phones young women in target communities are most likely to own.

Voice-based learning is well-suited to our targeted low literacy, oral communities. Content can be created in multiple languages, especially effective with limited literacy clients and languages that do not use a Latin alphabet.

Mobile banking and voice-based education will be introduced through the existing microfinance network, ensuring that technology interaction is supported by human engagement (with other participants, loan clients and/or loan officers). 

Using their GSM feature phones, young women will simply dial a three-digit short code — sometimes called "QuickCodes" or "Feature codes".

This will access the voice-based education platform using the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) protocol universal to almost every mobile phone operating system.

Based on agreements with local Mobile Network Operators, this is a low-cost approach for mobile access to educational content. 

Firstly, this project rests on the existing infrastructure of microfinance institutions as well as participant’s personal access to devices. 

The introduction of mobile banking and voice-based education will in fact reduce many of the costs that microfinance institutions might incur while providing women with low-cost access to finance. So the project costs will be absorbed by savings generated through digital solutions.

Secondly, a core focus of this solution is on capacity building. Once initial support from third-party service providers is delivered, the implementing microfinance partners will be equipped to continue adapting and rolling-out the approach on their own terms.   

• Lack of family and community support for young female participants. Working through the existing microfinance network leverages existing relationships — direct and indirect — ensuring greater awareness and consideration of local culture and relationships.
• Connectivity issues. Many project participants live in areas where access to electricity is a challenge. By working with participants who already have mobile device access, there is a greater likelihood that they have identified their own solutions for batteries and charging.
• Long-term support. When scaled this solution requires a strong business case to ensure ongoing partner engagement beyond the initial phases.

http://www.opportunity.org.au

https://www.phbdevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Download-in-English-%E2%80%93-Part-2-Case-study.pdf

By empowering young women as entrepreneurs through voice-based education, mobile banking and agent networks, more young women can emerge as entrepreneurs and build jobs for the future. This is beneficial for them as individuals as jobs bring stability and reduce poverty. 

Furthermore, a diverse, inclusive and skilled business landscape is what’s needed for everyone to tackle future challenges in the volatile, uncertain world of work. 

Funding and support received through the SOLVE challenge would enable Opportunity and its partners to build on our existing network and add value to unreached women and young people. 

Opportunity International (Project lead)

OK Remit (Implementing, Philippines)

ESAF (Implementing, India)

KOMIDA (Implementing, Indonesia)

HNI - Human Network International (Technology)

Software Group Bulgaria (Technology)

Local Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)