Countries
Egypt, Jordan, Türkiye

Local Project Partner
Egypt: Central Bank of Egypt, Tamweely Financial Services
Jordan: Association of Banks in Jordan (ABJ), Microfund for Women, Business Development Center, Jordan River Foundation, University of Jordan, Central Bank of Jordan
Türkiye: Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), Turkish Grameen Microfinance Program (TGMP)

German Project Partner
Sparkasse Offenburg / Ortenau (Jordan)

Donor
Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)

Duration
01.04.2025 - 31.03.2028

Vulnerable groups such as women, girls and young adolescents in Egypt, Jordan and Türkiye face significant challenges in terms of their economic and social participation, access to basic financial and entrepreneurial education and financial inclusion. The barriers result from a combination of social, cultural, economic and legal obstacles that make it difficult for these groups to integrate into formal markets. This is often caused by a lack of financial and entrepreneurial education due to a lack of educational opportunities and high youth unemployment, especially among young people with little education or from disadvantaged families. Refugees and young people from rural areas have particular difficulties accessing the formal labour market as they lack access to mentoring programmes, for instance, to close this gap. Refugee women are also consistently underemployed, usually work in unskilled and low-paid jobs or informally and are generally confronted with structural gender inequalities, gender-based violence and discrimination.

The project aims to improve the living conditions and social and economic participation of vulnerable groups in Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, thereby reducing structural inequalities and unequal treatment and achieving equal opportunities for all people. The aim is to achieve the financial and sustainable economic integration (financial inclusion) of vulnerable groups, in particular refugees, women and girls as well as young adolescents, by promoting financial education, strengthening digital literacy, supporting entrepreneurial activities and increasing the ability to use financial services. This strengthens economic participation, resilience, and equal opportunities for people in the region.

Tasks
To achieve these goals, the following measures, in particular, will be implemented:

• Conducting practical training and educational programs to strengthen the financial, digital, and entrepreneurial skills of women, young people, refugees, and other vulnerable groups
• Developing and providing teaching and learning materials tailored to specific target groups, as well as digital educational offerings, to promote financial literacy and sustainable economic participation
• Supporting financial institutions and public partners in developing inclusive financial services, introducing sustainable standards, and professionalizing their offers
• Supporting female small business owners and other disadvantaged target groups through advisory services, access to financial services, and targeted support and funding programs
• Strengthening cooperation between the financial sector, government institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to promote knowledge transfer and sustainably embed successful approaches