farmers harvesting vegetables and fish Photo: Masudur Rahaman

Inclusive Insurance and Integrated Risk Management

    Across the globe, extreme events are hitting faster, harder, and more frequently, while the impacts are often compounding. Low-income populations and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are disproportionately exposed to these risks and typically lack the means to mitigate or manage them. For low-income populations, an adverse shock such as a climate disaster, conflict, or a pandemic can push them from a situation of relative stability into poverty. As natural disasters and economic disruptions grow more frequent and severe, these populations face significant challenges in accessing effective risk management tools. At the same time, self-employed individuals and MSEs make up the backbone of most emerging market economies. 

    Building resilience for these groups is therefore paramount for growth, equity, and sustainable development. Building the resilience of women is also vital for social, economic, and humanitarian reasons.    

    Access to insurance plays a crucial role in building resilience. 

    Insurance is an essential risk management tool that helps individuals prepare for, cope with, and recover from shocks. It also enables individuals to invest in revenue-generating activities because they have peace of mind that they are protected. This is especially empowering to women as a way to establish and maintain their own economic independence. Insurance can empower people as well as facilitate access to credit and protect savings. Insurance contributes directly and indirectly to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health, and gender equality. Moreover, insurance has the potential to build societal resilience by relieving the burden of post-disaster recovery placed on governments and citizens.

    Explore how insurance contributes to development outcomes with CGAP’s Impact Pathfinder.

    Explore the Impact Pathfinder 

    CGAP is leveraging this momentum to position inclusive insurance as a critical tool for resilience among low-income populations, particularly women. CGAP will foster the development and growth of inclusive insurance by supporting scalable customer-centric solutions and promoting an enabling regulatory environment.   

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    Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii)

    As of July 2025, CGAP convenes the Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii) in close coordination with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS). The A2ii works with insurance supervisors to promote inclusive and responsible insurance, thereby reducing vulnerability. Under CGAP’s leadership, A2ii will place a strong focus on the Cape Town Declaration on Inclusive Insurance, A2ii’s innovation labs, and informing global policy discussions through the IAIS.