Responsible finance
Good Return works within the financial system to build a better and more inclusive sector.
In the countries where we work, many people remain ‘unbanked’, which means they cannot easily build savings or apply for finance. We work with our financial partners to improve their products and services for excluded people.
Embedding gender equality into the financial sector
To build financial inclusion for women, it is vital to start with gender practices within the financial system. At Good Return, we partner with local financial service providers across the region - from microfinance providers to large national banks - to improve their gender practices and policies. We believe that if staff understand their rights and responsibilities towards gender inclusion, the organisation not only improves conditions for their employees but is also in a stronger position to provide better services to women clients.
Good Return’s skilled team uses our assessment tools to analyse gender practices in the organisation. We then use a collaborative approach, including workshops and discussion, to devise a bespoke gender action plan which includes recommendations on policies and training.
Through our work we have seen our partners become flagship organisations championing gender equality in their sector. Along the way, they have found building gender equality internally improves staff retention and profitability, and creates happier work environments.
Try our simplified Gender Self-Assessment quiz to find out how gender inclusive your organisation is.
Shaping the sector with the RIF Academy
Good Return’s Responsible Inclusive Finance Academy (RIF Academy) is an innovative e-learning platform. The courses delivered on the platform aim to strengthen the capacity of the finance sector to meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities. The Good Return RIF Academy team are specialists in designing e-learning courses, and also offer customised LMSs for partners.
Focusing on the core principles of social inclusion, the e-learning courses cover client protection, monitoring and evaluation, social performance, staff capacity and inclusive finance. The LMS platform has a user-friendly interface, requires low bandwidth and can be adaptive to multiple devices, making it accessible for those who might otherwise face barriers. The RIF academy can also provide the capacity for microfinance institutions to customise their own e-learning courses for their own in-house or public training.
