Microfinance Newsletter Image of women working UNCDF logo 2005: Year of Microcredit
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UNITED NATIONS CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND    Microfinance

Issue 15 / August 2005

      

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Issue Table of Contents

Update

on the International Year of Microcredit 2005

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Made by Microentrepreneurs

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In Focus: Information Asymmetries — Do We Have Any Good Data on Microfinance?
Editor's Note
Featured Guest: Mr. Stanley Fischer, Governor, Bank of Israel, and Chair of the Advisors Group for the International Year of Microcredit

Q&A on the Importance of Collecting Data on Microfinance

International Year of Microcredit Advisors Group Urges G8 to Support the Development of Indicators of Access to Finance:

G8 Leaders Cite Importance of Microfinance, and Specifically of Data

International Year of Microcredit Initiates Cooperation to Develop Core and Headline Indicators:

World Bank, DFID and FinMark Trust Team Up to Measure Access to Finance
By the World Bank/DFID/FinMark Trust Working Group on Developing Core Indicators for Access to Finance

Using the 'Access Diamond' to Measure Financial Product Usage:

DFID to Support Roll-out of FinScope Surveys across Africa and Asia
By Karen Ellis, Economic Advisor, Financial Sector Team, DFID

The Experience of the BCEAO in Collecting and Processing Data on Microfinance:

Captures Precise View of the Sector in the West African Monetary Union
By the BCEAO

WSBI's Contribution to the Collection of Data on Accessible Finance:

Telling the Supply Side of the Story
By Angela Arévalo, Adviser, World Savings Banks Institute

Collecting Meaningful Data In Poor Communities:

Lessons from Some Private Sector Initiatives
By Maria Flores Letelier, Senior Consultant and Fellow, Cheskin

Understanding Pitfalls in Measuring the Impact of Microfinance:

An Interview with Jonathan Morduch, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Robert F.
Wagner School of Public Service, New York University and author of The Economics of Microfinance

Measuring Social Performance:

The Wrong Priority
By Marc Jacquand, Programme Manager, UNCDF

Voices of Microfinance: Responses to a Question Posed to the Microfinance Community

Q: Would data on the percentage of people who have access to formal financial services be a good indicator of whether the needs of poor people are being met in a particular country? Why, or why not?

Also Inside:
International Year of Microcredit Bulletin: Updates on Initiatives and Activities:
  • More than fifty National Committees now formed to celebrate the Year
  • Upcoming Event: United Nations International Forum on Building Inclusive Financial Sectors
  • G8 and Wall Street recognize the importance of microfinance
  • Australia demonstrates commitment to the International Year of Microcredit with three conferences
  • Burundi promotes the International Year of Microcredit
  • Nicaragua issues commemorative postage stamp
  • Poland partners with corporate, NGO and student groups on the Global Microentrepreneurship Awards
  • Second International Microfinance Conference to take place in South Africa
  • The International Year of Microcredit website attracts 20,000 visitors a month from over 130 countries
  • Made by Microentrepreneurs, the International Year of Microcredit online store, launches award for "most outstanding logo product"
  • International Year of Microcredit list serve launched
China Celebrates Entrepreneurship:

Launch of Global Microentrepreneurship Awards Encourages Further Development of the Microfinance Sector



In the Next Issue: Microfinance and the Millennium Development Goals

Coming Soon: Microfinance and the Private Sector

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