This year's event, taking place at Neumünster Abbey from 15-17 November, will offer over 40 sessions on various critical themes in the world of finance, including climate change, gender inclusion and food security.
Sessions at this year's European Microfinance Week will focus on topics such as inclusive finance for food security and nutrition, green and climate-smart finance, digitalisation, funding and investing, financial health, women's financial inclusion, refugee finance, social impact, and more.
The event brings together experts, practitioners, academics, investors, and other key figures in hybrid session formats to encourage extensive Q&A and audience engagement.
Amidst the pressing global issue of climate change, the impact is felt disproportionately by vulnerable and marginalised communities. The financial inclusion sector, notably through the Green Inclusive and Smart Climate Finance Action Group, plays a crucial role in enhancing the resilience of communities affected by climate change. With a decade-long commitment to advancing green inclusive finance, EMW2023 celebrates this milestone with an exceptional array of sessions focusing on climate-related topics.
Of particular significance, the European Microfinance Award 2023 spotlights "Inclusive Finance for Food Security & Nutrition." This €100,000 prize, awarded by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, recognises organisations in financial inclusion dedicated to ensuring access to quality, affordable food for vulnerable populations and fortifying the resilience of sustainable food systems.
The event is organised by the Luxembourg-based European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), a network of organisations and individuals active in the financial inclusion sector in developing countries. With over 120 members from diverse regions and specialisations, the platform seeks to address financial exclusion, which affects around 2 billion people globally.
Press release
European Microfinance Week 2023 (EMW), taking place on 15th – 17th November, is coming up fast and preparations are in full swing! We’re excited to gather in-person once again in Luxembourg, but for those who can’t travel we also offer a virtual hybrid experience with many sessions available online.
e-MFP is proud to host one of the top events in the financial inclusion calendar renowned as a unique meeting point for all professionals working in the sector worldwide. With an unparalleled program and prestigious speakers, the member-driven conference is widely recognised for its high-quality sessions and exceptional networking and knowledge sharing experience with the top experts in the financial inclusion sector.
The over 40 sessions that make up EMW are largely put forward by e-MFP’s diverse and engaged member base, and we’re very excited about the EMW 2023 line-up which is organised across several thematic streams, such as digitisation, social performance, funding/investment – and this year there also will be streams on refugee finance, agri-finance, and a particular emphasis on green and climate-smart finance, and “Food Security & Nutrition” – the topic of the European Microfinance Award 2023. There will be well over 30 breakout sessions within these broader themes, and these will cover topic areas ranging from client protection, access to water & sanitation, education finance, financial health, drivers of outcomes, forestry finance, inclusive insurance and climate resilience, to name just some.
These breakout sessions will be supplemented by four plenary sessions: an opening plenary on green and climate-smart finance, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of e-MFP’s remarkable Green Inclusive and Climate-Smart Finance Action Group (GICSF-AG); on Thursday, a plenary to kick off the ‘Inclusive Finance for Food Security & Nutrition’ stream (including the launch of e-MFP’s annual Award publication on the topic); on Friday morning a plenary on a topic of ever-growing relevance, inclusive finance for refugees and displaced persons; and a closing plenary on a topic whose importance is perhaps inadequately understood by many stakeholders – the downstream impact of EU fund regulations. In addition, there will be excellent networking opportunities to make those important business connections, several
Action Group (AG) meetings, plus some closed, invitation-only sessions, breakfast events, and a state-of-the-art conference platform and app for both in-person and remote attendees to use. We also look forward to hearing the announcement of the winner of the €100,000 European Microfinance Award 2023 ‘Inclusive Finance for Food Security’ during the ceremony at the European Investment Bank on 16th November, to which all EMW participants are invited.
Christoph Pausch, Executive Secretary of e-MFP, says:” We’re excited to welcome so many top thought leaders and innovators in-person to participate in a range of exciting different sessions and to take advantage of the unparalleled opportunity for knowledge-sharing that only a conference like this can provide. The programme is more diverse and richer than ever before, with superlative speakers coming from all parts of the inclusive finance sector. We hope to see you in Luxembourg, or for those who can’t travel, join us online – for what we know will be an outstanding conference experience”.
EMW 2023 is the ideal opportunity to keep on top of the most recent innovations, trends and opportunities in the inclusive finance sector – don’t miss out!
For more information visit www.e-mfp.eu.
The European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), with over 120 members from all geographic regions and specialisations, is the leading network of organisations and individuals active in the financial inclusion sector in developing countries. e-MFP fosters activities which increase global access to affordable, quality, sustainable and inclusive financial services for the un(der)banked by driving knowledge-sharing, partnership development
