Insight to Inclusion: Understanding Women-Led Nano and Micro Enterprises

    Women-led nano and micro enterprises (WNMEs) are a powerful yet often overlooked force in driving inclusive economic growth. These enterprises—diverse in size, ambition, and context—play a critical role in sustaining livelihoods and strengthening community resilience, particularly in low-income and underserved regions. Yet, they remain largely invisible to formal financial systems and underserved by mainstream development efforts. To truly unlock their potential, the financial inclusion community must move beyond generic solutions and embrace segmentation as a strategic imperative. Understanding the distinct needs and trajectories of WNMEs is essential to designing financial and nonfinancial services that are inclusive, effective, and scalable. This platform brings together research, tools, and practical guidance to help funders, policymakers, and providers craft smarter, data-driven strategies that recognize the diversity of WNMEs—and invest in their success.

    A woman in Indian clothing sitting by her street-side shop of chips and eatables Photo: Pradeep Gaur/iStock
    Publication

    Diverse Paths: Finance for Women’s Nano and Micro Enterprises

    Women-led nano and micro enterprises (WNMEs) are vital for providing livelihoods, boosting communities, and driving local economies. However, they face barriers like insufficient start-up capital and limited networking. This publication delves deeper the tailored solutions needed to support their growth based on in depth research in India, Kenya and Uganda.
    a woman in traditional Ghanian clothing in front of a sewing machine Photo by Renate Wefers
    Publication

    Gender-Smart Market Mapping for Nano and Micro Enterprises: A Practical Guide

    Segmentation and market sizing helps in allocating development efforts, guide investments, and identify policy gaps for women-led nano and micro enterprises (WNME). This technical guide offers steps to understand the WNME landscape, design targeted products, and foster inclusivity for growth.

    Country Reports

    a woman and her child working on an Indian drum Photo by Kaushik Majumder

    India’s Invisible Engines: Understanding and Supporting Women-led Nano and Microenterprises

    Based on CGAP’s research across six Indian states, this report introduces a segmentation framework that reflects the diversity of WNMEs across eight key dimensions such as enterprise size, entrepreneurial mindset, capabilities, household responsibilities, business sophistication, network access, sector, and geographic location.