Millions of people around the world are vulnerable and marginalized due to for example a lack of access to banking and insurance services. Traditional investment practices do not always adequately consider the social and environmental impact of financial decisions, further contributing to social inequality and environmental degradation.

The financial sector is an influential, yet underappreciated, player in the world of work. Investments, loans and insurance can be powerful drivers to create jobs, improve working conditions and enhance resilience.

The ILO engages with the financial sector to explore how it can contribute to decent work and social justice. Our engagement with the financial sector is three-fold, dealing with different sets of players in the financial sector: financial inclusion, impact insurance and sustainable investing.

Engagement with financial sector players

Financial inclusion
Person making a payment on their smartphone.

Financial inclusion

Impact insurance
A collection of suspended umbrellas.

Impact insurance

Sustainable investing
Tea plantation workers in Kenya.

Sustainable investing

Highlights

The ILO and KfW join forces to promote small and medium enterprises’ financial inclusion in Iraq
Iraqi woman weaving a carpet.

The ILO and KfW join forces to promote small and medium enterprises’ financial inclusion in Iraq

Financial education video testimonial: Rebeca Fernandez
Female teacher with group of six young students.

Financial education video testimonial: Rebeca Fernandez

Shabelle Bank tests with ILO support innovative product for financial inclusion of hosts and forcibly displaced in Ethiopia
A woman on a plantation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Shabelle Bank tests with ILO support innovative product for financial inclusion of hosts and forcibly displaced in Ethiopia

News and articles

Emerging Insight: Developing an impact monitoring system for Sida’s guarantee instrument
Flower seller in Argentina.

Emerging Insight: Developing an impact monitoring system for Sida’s guarantee instrument

Emerging Insight: Unveiling the Japan Decent Work 8 Index
Japanese woman holding a stack of papers.

Emerging Insight: Unveiling the Japan Decent Work 8 Index

Highlighted publication

Social Finance 2023 Annual Report
Man pushing a cart with paint buckets in front of a colourful wall.

Social Finance 2023 Annual Report

Publications

Annual Report 2023

Annual Report 2023

Just Transition Finance - Pathways for banking and insurance

Just Transition Finance - Pathways for banking and insurance

Developing an impact monitoring system for Sida’s guarantee instrument

Developing an impact monitoring system for Sida’s guarantee instrument

Projects

Sustainable investments in African agriculture

Sustainable investments in African agriculture

Feasibility study and design of an impact bond to reduce child labour in Côte d’Ivoire

Feasibility study and design of an impact bond to reduce child labour in Côte d’Ivoire

Thematic pages on social finance

Access to finance and formalization
A woman getting a haircut.

Access to finance and formalization

Innovative finance
A man installing solar panels on a roof.

Innovative finance

Inclusive finance for workers
A waitress with an apron smiling.

Inclusive finance for workers

Blending of financial and non-financial services
A hand putting a coin in a piggy bank.

Blending of financial and non-financial services

Finance and child labour
A girl in a classroom reading.

Finance and child labour

Gender and financial inclusion
A woman at a market stand returning change and smiling.

Gender and financial inclusion

Financial services to enhance resilience
A woman with a hard hat smiling.

Financial services to enhance resilience

Financing the Social and Solidarity Economy
A group of girls smiling and holding plates.

Financing the Social and Solidarity Economy

Financial inclusion for refugees and host communities
A refugee man smiling at the camera.

Financial inclusion for refugees and host communities

Climate change and financing a just transition
A woman carrying crops on her back and looking at the camera.

Climate change and financing a just transition

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