The Director for Financial Institutions at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Francis Malij, emphasized that female entrepreneurs demonstrate higher discipline in loan repayment compared to men. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
At the regional conference "Women in Business" held on December 10, Malij highlighted the need to reassess the risks associated with lending to women. According to him, women manage their businesses responsibly and show strong financial discipline.
Malij believes that such analyses encourage banks to view lending to women not as a risk but as a profitable business opportunity. He cited a practical example from Turkey.
Initially, banks approached lending to women cautiously, but with EBRD guarantees, support was provided to women, resulting in loan repayment outcomes that exceeded expectations. Additionally, financial support for female entrepreneurs in Central Asia and Mongolia has led to significant growth.
Within the framework of the "Financing Initiative for Women," 315 million euros have been allocated, reaching nearly 100,000 female entrepreneurs. This statistic increasingly underscores the importance of women’s entrepreneurship in the global economy over time.
According to Malij and other experts, financial assistance alone is not sufficient. For the development of women’s entrepreneurship, advice, professional support, and assistance from professional communities are also of great importance.
Furthermore, caution is necessary when implementing artificial intelligence technologies, as algorithms based on historical data may replicate biases against women. Malij emphasized the need to improve technologies to reduce these risks.
