Following two successful requests for proposals (RFPs), BIGD’s Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Finance (WEE-DiFine) Initiative has launched its third RFP in tandem with important updates.
WEE-DiFine’s third RFP will accept proposals for all grant categories: large grants are available for greenfield evaluations and extensions to existing studies, and small grants for measurement studies, qualitative studies, and pilot studies. Teams may also apply for a large grant in conjunction with a qualitative or measurement study grant, or for more than one funding category within the small grants categories.
Updates to WEE-DiFine’s scope, processes, and offerings
For the first time, WEE-DiFine will accept proposals for studies in Southeast Asia in addition to proposals concentrated in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. This expansion is motivated by the region’s pronounced gender gap in financial inclusion. Specifically, 12% (117 million) of the 1.2 billion women globally who do not use a bank account reside in four countries in Southeast Asia – Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Studies in Southeast Asia can further expand evidence on the interplay between digital financial services and women’s economic empowerment.