Microfinance and Transformative Inclusion: Gendered Approaches Targeting Environmental Resilience in Small Island Developing States’

The project at a glance

Start date:

04 Jan 2022
Duration in months:

36
Funding:

University of Luxembourg, Institute for Advanced Studies, PhD funding
Principal Investigator(s):

Conchita D'AMBROSIO

Harlan KOFF

About

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly vulnerable to a changing climate and the constant threat of disasters. Gender inequalities in access to resources and opportunities systematically disadvantage women and girls, rendering them even more vulnerable to weather catastrophes, flooding, drought and rising sea-levels, and less resilient, i.e. capable of ‘bouncing back’ after a shock. While women’s disadvantageous economic situation renders them particularly vulnerable, in Caribbean SIDS, women are central to resilience building at the household and community level, given their position and role in society, as primary care givers, heads of households and entrepreneurs. Economically empowered women can champion community resilience. A number of barriers, however limit their entrepreneurial activity in particular, including limited access to affordable and gender-sensitive financial services. In light of this reality, this project intends to investigate the potential of microfinance mechanisms to tackle gender inequalities and by extension, build resilience to climate change from the bottom up. In addition to academia, the research will be insightful for private sector actors in the financial sector, shedding light on their role in resilience building. The findings will also support policymakers formulate evidence based solutions to development challenges in SIDS through a nexus approach. International development finance institutions stand to benefit as well from a better understanding of how to increase the effectiveness and impact of development cooperation through microfinance programmes. By studying the socioeconomic dimensions of climate change, the project is necessarily interdisciplinary in nature.