Topic portal
Social finance
Millions of people around the world are vulnerable and marginalized due to for example a lack of access to banking and insurance services. Traditional investment practices do not always adequately consider the social and environmental impact of financial decisions, further contributing to social inequality and environmental degradation.
The financial sector is an influential, yet underappreciated, player in the world of work. Investments, loans and insurance can be powerful drivers to create jobs, improve working conditions and enhance resilience.
The ILO engages with the financial sector to explore how it can contribute to decent work and social justice. Our engagement with the financial sector is three-fold, dealing with different sets of players in the financial sector: financial inclusion, impact insurance and sustainable investing.
Engagement with financial sector players
Financial inclusion
Impact insurance
Sustainable investing
Highlights
What is ESG and how is it related to the work of the ILO?
A guide to 'business and human rights' for institutional investors
The ILO's Think Impact Toolkit for guarantee instruments
News and articles
Insights from the ACCEL Africa Project
Pushing the frontier of financial innovation to combat child labour
Tunisia advances inclusive development through the social and solidarity economy
Highlighted publication
Social Finance 2023 Annual Report
Most recent publications
Digital wages
Barriers to the full digitization of wage payments in Chinese supply chains – A rapid assessment
UNTFSSE Policy Brief
Financing for development: Unlocking the potential of the social and solidarity economy
Projects
Targeting women in insurance
Climate adaptation and insurance in the Pacific
Thematic pages on social finance
Access to finance and formalization
Innovative finance
Inclusive finance for workers
Blending of financial and non-financial services
Finance and child labour
Gender and financial inclusion
Financial services to enhance resilience
Financing the Social and Solidarity Economy
Financial inclusion for refugees and host communities
Climate change and financing a just transition
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About the ILO's Social Finance Programme
Related topics
Cooperatives
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Multinational enterprises
Social and Solidarity Economy
Sustainable enterprises
Responsible business conduct