• In Egypt, PROSPECTS trained staff from the Ministry of Youth and Sport (MOYS) as FE trainers, who then supported the roll-out of FE in MOYS youth centres. Similarly, PROSPECTS Iraq worked with FSPs to develop a wider network of enterprise support, encompassing the Ministry of Youth and Sport (MOYS), the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), business associations, chambers of commerce and chambers of industry. MOYS youth centres and MOLSA TVET centres were used as training spaces, and staff served as trainers for both SIYB and FE. This helped link financial services offered by the FSPs to other forms of BDS support. The programme also institutionalized the tool within a youth volunteer organization that was affiliated to the MOYS. Find out more in the Iraq case study.

Find out more about the PROSPECTS programme’s wider learning on youth engagement.

• Female banking agents were hired in Ethiopia by Shabelle Bank to support outreach to female clients in more conservative areas. Find out more in the case study.
• Women in the Mina region of Iraq face significant socio-economic challenges, including systemic barriers to entering the labour market, with only one in ten participating – one of the lowest rates globally. To address this, the ILO partnered with the Lutheran World Federation in northern Iraq, providing more than 1,200 young women with skills in finance, business management and social cohesion to support enterprise development in more inclusive communities. In addition, the ILO, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Iraq, introduced a tailored financial product used by more than 300 female entrepreneurs, addressing challenges such as training, Sharia compliance and seasonal repayment. These efforts have enabled women to become role models in their communities, with some of them training and employing younger women, creating opportunities and driving long-term social change. Find out more in the case study. 

Find out more about the PROSPECTS programme’s wider learning on gender & disability inclusion.