BIDUK’s Managing Director, Kaylene Alvarez, was proud to speak at a panel on Participatory Product Design at the KIVA and USAID Gender Equity + Financial Inclusion Forum (GEFI Forum) from March 15-17, 2022. There, Kaylene shared how BIDUK designs products and services with our end user in mind, primarily women-led businesses. She also detailed the importance of acquiring and building trust among our client base and how this can be done by understanding the unique, gendered nature of women’s financial needs. 

Forum participants included industry leaders such as investors, gender experts, and representatives from financial institutions and social enterprises, all of whom are advancing women’s economic empowerment and financial resilience in emerging markets.

The presentation included topics such as the varying financial circumstances, desires, and motivations of women globally and the need for financial products and services that reflect the heterogeneity of their financial needs.

To watch a video of the presentation on participatory product design, and hear lessons learned from Kaylene’s extensive work with Athena Global and BIDUK to narrow the access to finance gap, click here.