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In recent years, great strides have been made in improving supply-side issues in financial system access. Specially tailored loans and savings accounts have enabled poorer populations to smooth their income, and technology has allowed banks to reach those rural communities that physical bank branches can’t. But a lack of financial literacy remains a huge demand-side barrier to financial inclusion. Simply put, if people don’t know about or aren’t comfortable with financial products, they will either not demand them, or will be unable to make informed judgments and take effective decisions about them.

“Millennials” have become a hot topic in the financial services field. Teenagers and young adults are hyper connected and technically savvy more than any other generation, and are at the early stages of their financial lives. With this in mind, for-profit and nonprofit providers continue to search for ways to better understand and serve the needs of today’s youth. Though there is a lot to be learned about this group, one fact is clear: youth is an optimal time to establish good financial habits that can continue into adulthood. 

Following the first and second blog, this is part 2 of the conversation between Structured Experiential Learning (SEL) and Evaluative Thinking (ET), led by Save the Children, CRS and CORE. Let’s see what challenges we could have when applying SEL and ET, how SEL and ET can help in the change management process, and what resources they need. Applying Structured Experiential Learning (SEL) to a pre-mature M&E system could be a challenge. It is because SEL is built on tight feedback loops between generating and using data to inform project implementation decisions, for adaptive management. 

Originally published by The Economist. 

Originally published by Agrilinks. 

As more than 800 young leaders gather in New York for the annual United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, UN officials today launched a new initiative to tackle youth unemployment, making it clear that success in fighting poverty and inequality will largely depend on them being a driving force.

A unique global partnership aims to lift the economic prospects of young people entering the workforce. 

NEW YORK (ILO News) – Amid the global youth employment crisis – characterized by unprecedented levels of unemployment, poor quality and low paying jobs – the UN system is launching an ambitious initiative to generate decent jobs for youth and to assist in their transition from school-to-work. 

Every two years, the International Labour Organization produces a report on labour-market trends for young people. It's called the Global Employment Trends for Youth (GET Youth) and the most recent edition makes for sobering reading.

Thoughtfully designed digital sharing connects youth in emerging markets with employers that need immediate short-term work. Employers find freelancers through an online platform that aligns availability, pay, and skills with the task needed. The platform matches and verifies the identity of both parties, and facilitates the digital transfer of payments, IP, and confidentiality agreements as necessary. The freelancer provides high-quality work, and the employer pays, provides feedback, and rates their experience.

This story is part of a special report on the global youth unemployment crisis, “Generation TBD.” It's the result of a GroundTruth reporting fellowship featuring 21 correspondents in 11 countries, a year-long effort that brings together media, technology, education and humanitarian partners for an authoritative exploration of the problem and possible solution

For decades promoting gender equality and empowering women has been on the development agenda. We know that empowering women, and particularly young women, to make their own choices for an active participation in the economy makes a difference on so many fronts. The research shows an abundance of positive links. And yet it’s clear that another generation of young women remains outside the reach of what should be their full economic and self-empowerment potential.