Press Releases

Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus encouraged the students through video wishing they could change society through their mindset

Second Yunus Camp in Taiwan: Young People From 26 Universities Participate in the Commitment to Build a World of Three Zeros

The second Yunus Camp was held at Dong Shih Forest Garden in late January, 2024, organized by Yunus Social Business Foundation, Taiwan. The event was held around the theme of "The-Zero Action"—zero carbon emissions, zero resource concentration, and zero unemployment—with the participation of youth from 26 universities in Taiwan. Yunus Camp aimed to empower participants to take meaningful action towards these goals.

Speakers spoke on various areas, such as design readiness, social innovation, communication skills, fundraising and inspiring entrepreneurship, etc. that inspired participants to find practical solutions aligned with the 'three zero' goals.

60 students from different regions of Taiwan formed small groups to discuss social issues. They were joined on the occasion by six expert speakers, including Nobel laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, who delivered an orientation speech to the participants via video message. Prof. Yunus recounted his youth participation in the World Jamboree, Canada, among other experiences that inspired him to work for humanity. And he explained to the youth as they enjoyed the camp the importance of the Three Zero Vision and the need to act on it.

For more details visit: https://www.cna.com.tw/Postwrite/Eng/363283

Grameen Foundation Partners with Technovation and the newly formed ‘The AI Forward Alliance’ to Bridge the Gender-Based Digital Divide

Grameen Foundation is thrilled to share the news of our partnership with the newly formed AI Forward Alliance. The alliance will empower and train 25 million young women globally to become capable critical thinkers and supercharge sustainable economic development. Grameen will be focused on extending the initiative’s global reach, powering the Alliance towards its long-term goal of seeing six million young women enter the technology workforce by 2030.

“Grameen Foundation is committed to investing in the power of women, particularly young women who will be the leaders of tomorrow,” said Zubaida Bai, President and CEO of Grameen Foundation. “Grameen has a long history of equipping women with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, and we are delighted to join with The AI Forward Alliance to apply that experience to helping young women gain the income, agency and resilience they will need as the shapers of our future.”

Technovation, a global tech education and empowerment nonprofit, announced today The AI Forward Alliance. With women accounting for just 22% of AI workers globally, this first-of-its-kind collaborative effort aims to create a generation of female leaders and innovators capable of tackling complex global challenges through unique skill sets and digitally-native innovation. With a focus on 16 countries to start, The AI Forward Alliance looks to impact 25 million young women future-shapers through skilling, empowering them with capabilities spanning real-world problem-solving, complex systems thinking, data science and machine learning.

Technovation boasts a robust roster of funders and partner organizations as part of its efforts to expedite innovation through the untapped potential of girls and young women. Network and community partners include UNICEF and Grameen Foundation, both of which will extend the initiative’s global reach, powering the Alliance towards its long-term goal of seeing six million young women enter the technology workforce by 2030. In addition, Girl Geek X and the App Inventor Foundation have signed on to expand access to mentors and develop enhanced training materials for educators, respectively. Technovation is also proud to welcome Google and The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation as funding partners for The AI Forward Alliance, with a focus on improving upon the training and curriculum at the center of skills development.

“We are thrilled to build upon our fruitful relationship with these organizations through this groundbreaking collaboration, to elevate diverse, women AI innovators around the world,” said Tara Chklovski, CEO of Technovation. “The time to act is now - we’ve gathered the research, data and anecdotes that effectively illustrate the positive impact young women can have in STEM fields. Together with the Alliance’s key partners and supporters, we can make tangible strides towards the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, driving self-reliance and self-efficacy through technology for all women and girls.”

While AI has become a point of contention and concern, the World Economic Forum acknowledges that it has great potential to benefit society, but this can only be achieved through the protection of children’s privacy, safety and security and an accurate representation of population diversity. The AI Forward Alliance will be a driving force by fostering more diverse leaders and promoting innovation across high-risk areas posed by AI, including discrimination, stereotyping and exclusion.

For more information on The AI Forward Alliance, please visit www.technovation.org/taifa/

Professor Yunus is an Indian man standing against a blue background. He is wearing a white vest and is holding an award

Grameen Foundation Statement on the Sentencing of Professor Yunus

In light of the recent Dhaka Labour Court sentencing of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Foundation reiterates our commitment to Professor Yunus and the work he inspired at Grameen to end poverty across the world.

Professor Yunus is internationally recognized for his work in poverty alleviation and the empowerment of poor women. An innovator in melding capitalism with social responsibility, it is this vision that became the cornerstone of Grameen Foundation's microfinance model and our mission to invest in the power of women.

Amnesty International believes that initiating criminal proceedings against Professor Yunus and his colleagues for issues that belong to the civil and administrative arena is a blatant abuse of labour laws and the justice system and a form of political retaliation for his work and dissent.

In August 2023, 189 global leaders including 108 Nobel laureates objected to his unjust treatment in an open letter to the Prime Minister. Among the signers were Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, and former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Learn more about ways to support Professor Yunus here.

An image of five people standing together and posing for a photo. There are three women and two men and they represent two organizations partnering with a Memorandum of Understanding. The image is set against a swirl of blue and purple colors.

Grameen Foundation enters into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Invoicemart, a leading MSME Invoice Finance Market Place

This partnership will provide women-led enterprises with access to innovative and breakthrough models used by Grameen Foundation for Social Impact, advancing our initiative of "Investment Readiness and Digital Transformation of Women-led Small Businesses". The MoU will also enhance access to the mentoring, guidance, and finance required for women to grow and scale their businesses.

Invoicemart is a Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform set up to resolve the credit challenges and delayed payments issue faced by MSMEs. It is promoted by A.TReDS Ltd. (a joint venture between Axis Bank and mjunction services). Invoicemart is the largest TReDS platform in India.

Grameen Foundation recommits to environmental performance management– a way of doing business that puts people and the planet at the center of every decision

Advancing our committment to the planet

Grameen Foundation has signed the Joint Statement recommitting to the latest version of the Social Performance Indicators tool (SPI) which now includes climate impact as one of the dimensions.

Grameen Foundation has long contributed to environment and social performance management and has provided key technical input to the The Universal Standards. The Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management (“the Universal Standards”) is a comprehensive manual of responsible practices that helps financial service providers put clients and the environment at the center of all strategic and operational decisions.

Advancing our commitment to people

Grameen Foundation becomes a signatory to the Client Protection Pathway. In 2021, Cerise+SPTF (Social Performance Task Force) launched a call to action amongst investors and development finance institutions to engage on client protection risks. The aim was to create global uptake on the existing work – to create transparency and comparability, and to share examples of successful client protection implementation.

Socially responsible, inclusive financial services should ultimately help clients to thrive—to meet daily needs, take advantage of opportunities, manage life’s risks, and pursue their dreams. But at a minimum, financial services should do no harm. Financial service providers have an obligation to ensure that their products and services avoid harming clients.

Twenty years of research and refinement of best practices from experts have brought together 8 Client Protection Standards which ensure that financial services are delivered to clients in a safe, responsible, and fair manner and are incorporated into The Universal Standards.

Grameen Foundation joins the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship

We are thrilled to announce that we are now a Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship member, joining over 100 like-minded organizations committed to driving positive change through social innovation.

The Global Alliance, housed within the Schwab Foundation and the World Economic Forum, serves as a global voice to advance the social economy landscape and foster collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The members of the Global Alliance share a common goal of creating sustainable, inclusive, and innovative solutions that benefit society. We are excited to be a part of this dynamic community, where we can share our knowledge and collaborate on agendas that will shape the social economy.

Join us in celebrating this exciting milestone as we embark on a journey to make a lasting impact through the power of social innovation.

From left: Dr. Nadia Nadim, a professional footballer and physician, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammd Yunus, Helen Aluzaizi, Trustee of Palestine Association for Children's Encouragement of Sports (PACES) and Datuk Seri Windsor John Secretary General of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) the winner of the WFS Life Time Achievement Award 2023.

Grameen Foundation Founder Professor Yunus Receives World Football Summit Award

"Let us harness the universal language of sport and the practical power of social business to inspire a future where sport does not only entertain, but also dedicates itself to create a new world free from global warming, wealth concentration and unemployment. And most importantly, let us do it with joy!” - said Professor Muhammad Yunus

World Football Summit (WFS) is the global football industry's platform bringing together influential professionals to create opportunities in the sport and define new frontiers. They connect a community of leaders who share knowledge and ideas to drive the evolution of the industry in both business and values. At WFS, they envision the football we all want and actively shape the football the world genuinely needs. United in purpose, their global community of industry professionals is relentless in the drive towards a more sustainable and top-tier football landscape.

Learn More Here

Image Description: From left: Dr. Nadia Nadim, a professional footballer and physician, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammd Yunus, Helen Aluzaizi, Trustee of Palestine Association for Children's Encouragement of Sports (PACES) and Datuk Seri Windsor John Secretary General of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) the winner of the WFS Life Time Achievement Award 2023.

New Grameen Foundation program to improve livelihoods of 25,000 Filipino coconut farmers, positively impacting climate change

11/22/2022

Grameen Foundation in partnership with Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, has launched a five-year program in the Davao region of the Philippines that is designed to improve 25,000 smallholder farmers’ copra production and incomes and connect them to markets, while ensuring positive social and environmental impacts. The Sustainable Coconut Project is funded by Barry Callebaut, in support of its Sustainable Coconut Oil Strategy and the Sustainable Coconut Oil Charter.

Grameen Foundation names Zubaida Bai President and CEO

11/01/2022

CEO and board members to lead Grameen Foundation into its second quarter-century
Grameen Foundation, a leader in providing access to information and resources with a mission to create a world without poverty and hunger, today announced Zubaida Bai as its next President and CEO. She is the first woman and the first Indian American to lead the organization.

Grameen Foundation launches program to promote inclusive growth and reduce poverty among women and youth in four Pacific Island nations

10/06/2022

Innovation Fund competition will award grants for women’s economic empowerment projects

Manila, October 6, 2022 - Grameen Foundation has launched BELUU, a three-year program to enhance women’s capacity to shape and thrive in a more connected business environment, demonstrating the benefits of inclusive development, women’s economic empowerment (WEE), and democratic values that foster participation from all key stakeholders. The program will focus on the power of the blue and green economies to increase the market participation of women entrepreneurs in the island nations of Palau, Nauru, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands. Under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), BELUU is co-funded by the United States and Taiwan. The program is expected to reach more than 56,000 women and youth entrepreneurs and community members.

Millicom | Tigo to launch new digital “Conectadas” platform for the digital skilling and inclusion of women and girls in Latin America

04/28/2022

Original press release

Millicom | Tigo first launched Conectadas in 2017 and since then, more than 560,000 women and girls have been trained through the program. The new platform, set to launch on April 28^th, represents the evolution of the program, as its benefits will now reach women from the entire region. Women with work and/or familial responsibilities, or who live in remote or rural locations, often lack the time or means to attend the Conectadas workshops in the nine countries where Millicom operates and implements its ESG-based education programs aiming at improving lives through connectivity; the digital platform will make access to the Conectadas educational tools much easier for these women.

The free modules, developed with Grameen Foundation and accessible through the Conectadas platform, educate women on topics such as basic internet usage, management of personal finances, and the effective use of digital tools and social media for business. Millicom’s objective is for the platform to reach thousands of additional women in 2022 and beyond. Education stands at the core of Millicom | Tigo’s commitment to its communities and their digital empowerment.

Grameen Announces Leadership Transition

03/09/2022

It is with profound gratitude for his achievements that we announce the departure of Steve Hollingworth as CEO and President of the Grameen Foundation.

Grameen Foundation launches blockchain-enabled cash support and training program to help 800 Filipino workers hit hardest by COVID-19

07/13/2021

From rabbit farming to breadmaking, new enterprises promise hope for unemployed migrant workers

Digital advisory services for smallholder families in Africa and Asia

04/27/2021

A research and innovation project at the the Centre of Development and Environment and the Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, aims to strengthen sustainable farming methods among smallholder families in Africa and Asia using digitally supported agricultural extension services. Its overall goal is to improve the families’ productivity, incomes, and climate resilience. The project is being conducted together with international partners and is supported by the TRANSFORM programme of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with five million Swiss francs.

More than 3,400 entrepreneurs in the Philippines receive relief and recovery support through Grameen Foundation ‘COVID-19 RELIEF.'

04/15/2021

Manila, April 15, 2020 - Grameen Foundation today announced the results of its COVID-19 RELIEF (Response to Enhance Livelihoods of Individual Entrepreneurs and Families) initiative in the Philippines. Supported by J.P. Morgan, the two-phase program targeted individual microentrepreneurs or daily wage earners, especially women, who were severely affected by community lockdowns imposed in Metro Manila and Cebu.

Grameen Foundation plays important role in development of Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies’ newly approved Ebola vaccine

07/02/2020

As part of the EBODAC (Ebola Vaccine Deployment, Acceptance and Compliance) consortium, Grameen used MOTECH, its innovative mobile health platform, to help accelerate the vaccine through multiple clinical trials across three continents.

Grameen Foundation, J. P. Morgan Deliver COVID-19 RELIEF in the Philippines

06/04/2020

Program will provide immediate relief and longer-term recovery support to 3,500 women entrepreneurs running microenterprises.

Celo Foundation Announces Alliance for Prosperity to Build Financial Tools for 5.6B Smartphone Owners

03/10/2020

Grameen Foundation, Mercy Corps, and Andreessen Horowitz among 50 initial member organizations of decentralized, global ecosystem

Grameen to lead India Women's Economic Empowerment program

02/06/2020

Grameen is expanding our programming in India to train 400 new Community Agents, called Mittras. Once trained, the Mittras equipped with a smartphone and biometric identification device provide their neighbors, predominantly low-income women, with digital access to financial resources to improve their lives.

Grameen Foundation to design mobile financial and business curriculum to empower women entrepreneurs in Latin America

01/02/2020

The gender gap that exists in access to mobile technology creates significant barriers to eradicating poverty among Latin American women and their families.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of BRAC, passes away

12/20/2019

It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the Founder of BRAC and a true humanitarian visionary.

In midst of rural poverty, 1.3 million people gain access to financial services through women's networks

05/08/2019

Low-income women equipped with new technology are driving change in financial access and gender roles in India and the Philippines. Women-based networks of community finance workers, organized by Grameen Foundation, have brought financial services to nearly 1.3 million people through hundreds of newly trained community finance workers.

Grameen Foundation Launches Farmer-to-Farmer in Kenya

04/29/2019

Grameen Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the five-year Farmer-to-Farmer Program for Financial Services in Kenya.

Grameen Foundation Launches Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Colombia

03/25/2019

Grameen Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the five-year USAID-funded Partners of the Americas’ John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Colombia. Farmer-to-Farmer will support the development of rural enterprises and farmers’ associations across poverty-stricken areas.

Youth Champions for Digital Finance launches in rural India

09/24/2018

Less than 10 percent of India’s 650,000 rural villages have a bank branch, and millions of the rural poor have yet to access formal financial services. To help bridge this gap, Youth Champions for Digital Finance will train people in poor, rural areas in digital financial literacy, increasing their knowledge, confidence and ability to successfully use financial services.

Digital and Satellite Technology Program Launches to Support Ghana’s Smallholder Cocoa Farmers

07/10/2018

ACCRA, GHANA, July 10, 2018—SAT4Farming, an initiative to reach thousands of small-scale cocoa producers with information and services to improve their productivity and sustainability, was announced today.

Female shop owners catalyzing financial inclusion in the Philippines

04/12/2018

Grameen Foundation’s digitally powered Community Agent Network (CAN) has equipped and empowered a largely female field force to break through barriers to financial services for the country’s low-income communities.

Grameen Foundation to Launch Workplace Protection Project for Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiatives

04/05/2018

Washington D.C., April 5, 2018 – Grameen Foundation is proud to announce a new project, funded by the United States Department of Labor, to integrate the issues of child labor alleviation and safe working conditions into women’s economic empowerment initiatives.

Grameen Foundation Delivering Family Planning Education in Bénin

03/27/2018

Grameen Foundation has launched a campaign to provide families in Bénin with the information, services and financing they need to make informed decisions about family planning.

Accenture Labs and Grameen Foundation India Use Emerging Technologies to Help Increase Adoption of Financial Services Among Low-Income Women

03/21/2018

New applications leverage the power of artificial intelligence and augmented reality to improve financial capacity and decision-making for and by the poor.

Grameen Foundation and Partners Launch Global Initiative: Women and Girls Empowered

03/07/2018

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2018, we are in the midst of a major cultural shift in how society thinks and talks around issues of gender equality.

Grameen Foundation and Partners bringing satellite technology to benefit smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana

03/01/2018

Grameen Foundation is pleased to announce its engagement in a newly funded consortium, SAT4farming, which will help 240,000 smallholder cocoa farmers across Ghana increase their yields by up to 300 percent, improve their incomes, and build stronger businesses.

Grameen Foundation to launch WomenLink II in India and the Philippines

01/05/2018

Grameen Foundation is proud to announce WomenLink II, a renewed partnership with Wells Fargo to catalyze economic empowerment through the breakthrough use of digital financial services among poor and low-income women.

As India transforms financial services for low-income communities, new report tackles pervasive problem of low account usage

09/13/2017

Survey of 25,000 low-income individuals highlights the role of gender and jobs in transforming India into a digitally empowered and financially included economy.

Women in rural India register dramatic gains in nutrition, food security

06/28/2017

Research by Grameen Foundation and Freedom from Hunger India Trust reveals promising approaches to combat anemia, improve maternal and infant health.

Digital Toolkit to Give Tanzania Smallholder Farmers Access to Finance, Farm Supplies and Training

04/18/2017

ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 29 2017—Smallholder farmers in Tanzania will soon have access to a unique digital saving plan for inputs, coupled with timely, tailored farming advice, that will help to solve several major problems confronting farmers in poor areas: access to finance, to inputs, and to agricultural training.

Grameen Foundation and Freedom from Hunger Join Forces to Form a Unified Global Organization

10/26/2016

New organization to combine power of digital technology to end poverty with robust networks of women’s self-help groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America

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