Social Economics and Community Impact

In Ghana, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, women in rural cooperatives produce some of the world’s finest shea butter- by hand, in conditions many global consumers will never see. Locally, it’s sold raw for $1 to $2 per kilogram. That same shea butter, once exported, repackaged, and labeled “organic” or “artisanal,” can sell in the U.S. or Europe for $30 to $50 or more. The difference? Branding. Packaging. Storytelling. Access to global markets. It’s not just shea butter. It’s coffee, cocoa, hibiscus, moringa, baobab oil- Africa exports raw, and imports wealth back in the form of marked-up goods. Meanwhile, the women who do the hardest work in the value chain often remain in poverty. This isn’t just an economic issue. It’s about power and narrative. The current system rewards ownership of the story, not just the substance. So what needs to change? 🔹 Investing in African-owned brands that can go beyond raw exports 🔹 Building infrastructure for local manufacturing and distribution 🔹 Creating access to retail markets, both on the continent and abroad 🔹 Shifting from “supplier” to brand owner, from “producer” to value creator Africa doesn’t need saving. It needs more control over its own value chains, and support for the people, especially women, who are the backbone of its raw material economy. Let’s stop asking why global brands profit from African goods and start asking what it takes to build our own. Image cred: @tanziehq #Africa #RawEconomy #ValueChain #Entrepreneurship #OwnTheNarrative

I was shocked when I realized the greatest challenge to closing the economic gender gap in Africa. And I think it's important everyone learns about it as well. Here goes: The greatest challenge to closing the gender gap, and why it is estimated that it will take more than 150 years to close the gap in Africa, is the significant perception vs. reality gap. Let me explain: According to research by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) & United Nations Global Compact, who surveyed 4000 men and women across Africa, they found that more than 50% of men and women in Sub-Saharan Africa believe that there is gender parity and/or women are ahead in their country when it comes to various indicators, including equal pay for work of equal value. Ironically, about 40% of the same men and women surveyed believe that men are better leaders than women in analytical and technical skills as well as leadership abilities. In reality however, even though women in Sub-Saharan Africa have higher rates of participation (54%) in the economy than global averages, 90% of them work informally, predominantly in low-skilled jobs, given their historical gap in access to education. They hold only nearly a quarter of management positions, with only 16% of CEO/MD positions held by women. And though this rate has been growing over the past 20 years, with the current rate, it is estimated that it will take more than 150 years to close the gender gap on the continent. So, the question now is what needs to be done? We all need to play our part in addressing the barriers that hold women back: - Every business needs policies against discrimination and harassment. - Flexible options like remote work and flexible hours are essential for working parents and women. - Training staff on gender equality and offering skills training for women are smart investments. - Programs such as financial literacy and business mentorship are crucial for female entrepreneurs and the self-employed. - Providing better access to financial products is vital for entrepreneurs and should be prioritized by banks and other businesses. - Equal pay and benefits, along with better parental leave and caregiving support, are important goals. Women's participation in the economy greatly boosts a country's productivity and can significantly increase GDP—by up to 50% in Africa—thanks to the added workforce and the benefits of gender diversity. The study authored by Qahir Dhanani and team (Sanda Ojiambo, Tolulope Lewis Tamoka, Lina Al Qaddoumi, Zineb Sqalli, Natasha Lendich, Maxime Kpangbai) also revealed a fascinating trend: women-led startups deliver a whopping 10% higher ROI. And that's not all! It also suggested that income earned by women has a significantly greater impact on communities compared to income earned by men. These findings highlight the incredible potential of bridging the economic gender gap.

This video got more than 800,000 views on Instagram and TikTok, and I think it resonated because it touches on ancient concepts that have been perilously excluded from the way we do modern economics. Even as we’re seeing macro indicators like the stock market and the GDP beat expectations, normal people’s financial realities feel strained. There are massive issues with homelessness and the cost of living, not to mention the recent spike in global temperatures and the extensive loss of biodiversity we’re witnessing in real time. We need a “new” type of economics that can help us address social and ecological issues like the climate crisis. Thankfully, such an economics already exists… but it’s still not being taught in most schools. Ecological economics was formally founded in the 1980s, but its goal of grounding economic systems in the material world draws from concepts about right relation with other lifeforms on our planet that can be found in indigenous traditions thousands of years old. Ecological economics differs from traditional economics in a few important ways: 1. It’s transdisciplinary: It doesn’t rely solely on supply and demand principles, but uses economics in combination with other social sciences and life sciences to better plan for overall well being. 2. It prioritizes meeting the needs of humans and the planet. Rather than chasing infinite quarter-over-quarter growth, it focuses on how we can provide for people’s needs while staying within ecological limits. 3. It takes a big-picture, real-world view. This thinking includes the economy as part of our ecosystem, rather than something separate and disconnected from the “natural world.” Teaching economics without talking about ecology in 2024 is irresponsible. Ask your professors about these concepts, or learn more on your own with resources like Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth and/or the Great Simplification podcast by Nate Hagens. And stick around here for more introductory videos on this important topic. #ecology #ecologicaleconomics #systemchange #postgrowth #economics

Many of you will have heard me wittering on about my concerns with the over-simplification of the term “science-based” when applied to large, complex biological systems. A paper released last week by Andy Reisinger et al is the best articulation I’ve seen of this as it relates to climate target setting at a corporate level. I’m such a staunch advocate for taking a scientific approach to action, but we will do little to achieve our necessary ambitions nor to honour the science itself if we don’t take note of these concerns. The paper calls out three weaknesses: 1) basic misrepresentation of the science where CO2 and all other Kyoto gases are grouped as one, and an end date mid century will achieve our goals despite knowing we then need deep abatement; 2) Narrow and arbitrary benchmarks that proclude necessary investments in getting us to net negative emissions in the second half of the century, including investing in non-permanent but needed land-based removals and freeing capital flows for mechanical emissions extraction projects as well (such as direct air capture) ; 3) unequal effort sharing, recognising both at a company level and a country level burden sharing with equivalency doesn’t represents the science (or historic context) and could allow a free ride for those more able to make deeper emissions cuts (say by having average rates of emissions abatement that are linear for all - where high emitters are assumed to be allowed to be higher on average over time). The paper also calls for the inclusion of the social sciences when revisiting these concepts - and makes a compelling case. Well worth the read, and would love your thoughts. *footnote I’ve yet to read the SBTi papers just released. https://lnkd.in/eRstGtWa Christophe Lumsden Ben Taylor Alexis Gazzo Frederic Papon Michael Green Rob Bradley Tripp Borstel Ana Luci Grizzi Velislava Ivanova Fiona Hancock Praveen Tekchandani Keiichi Ushijima Hanne Thornam Clémence McNulty Thibaut Millet Roberta Fazi Carolina Hock Mathew Nelson

Climate Risks Are Financial Risks An alarming USD 1.14 trillion in corporate value, linked to the world's largest stock markets is exposed to severe socio-economic impacts from #climatechange by 2050. Data from the Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Index (CHVI) highlights a critical blind spot for many businesses: 📌 48 countries will be highly vulnerable to socio-economic climate impacts by mid-century, double today’s figure. 📌 Major emerging markets are expected to face significant climate-related disruptions. 📌 India alone accounts for over USD 1 trillion of the at-risk corporate assets, dramatically impacting global markets and supply chains. 🚨Companies must place dedicated climate leadership at the highest level to proactively identify risks, anticipate market disruptions, and strategically invest in long-term resilience. 🚨 Businesses should move beyond physical hazards to systematically report and manage socio-economic climate vulnerabilities. Transparent, detailed disclosures help stakeholders understand risks and encourage informed investments. 🚨 Corporates must prioritize investment in resilient infrastructure, diversified supply chains, and sustainable practices, particularly in vulnerable regions. This strategic foresight protects operational continuity and market valuation. The globalized nature of corporate operations means that climate vulnerability anywhere becomes a financial risk everywhere. 🌱 Is your company equipped with climate leadership at board level? Read more here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eFnsnjyY #ClimateRisk #ClimateLeadership #SustainableGovernance #ESG #BoardGovernance #InvestmentStrategy #Resilience #ClimateAction

In 2021, I became the first woman to head a unicorn in Israel, AKA Startup Nation. In many parts of the world, women are excluded from even the most basic financial services, so leading a fintech company is far from their reality. United Nations data estimates that 3.8 billion women live in the world, 50% of which are adults. According to the World Bank’s Global Findex Database, 1.4 billion of those 1.9 billion adult women, are unbanked. That’s 73.65%. Visit that statistic again. It represents a disturbing gender gap in financial access, with women being far less likely than men to have bank accounts or access formal financial services. This financial exclusion has personal impact. It diminishes women’s economic empowerment by restricting access to education and limiting their potential for personal growth and independence. It makes women more financially dependent, and therefore, more vulnerable. There's economic impact, too. Research by McKinsey highlights the economic loss due to financial exclusion of women, noting that closing the gender gap in labor force participation could add trillions to global GDP. Financial inclusion isn’t just a matter of equality – ensuring the same opportunities for all. It’s a matter of equity - ensuring women have the tools and access they need to fully participate in the global economy. That’s where technology enters the picture to level the field. The rise of mobile banking is a great example of innovation enhancing financial inclusion. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation, mobile money accounts are more popular among women in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to traditional banking is limited. Various fintechs provide financial literacy resources, helping women understand financial products, budgeting, and saving strategies. Other solutions include AI-driven platforms that offer personalized recommendations and advice, empowering women to make informed financial decisions. Aside from personal apps and solutions, fintechs can facilitate community-based lending and saving initiatives, allowing women to support each other through group savings or microfinance schemes, fostering a sense of solidarity and shared purpose. This International Women’s Day’s theme is "accelerate action". In my mind, nothing accelerates action like innovation. As we mark International Women's Day, let’s advocate and innovate to enhance financial inclusion for women worldwide. #IWD2025 #financialInclusion Papaya Global

#Economics 101 by Yayo Herrero (Anthropologist, Social Educator & Agricultural Engineer). She is one of the most influential researchers in the ecofeminist and ecosocialist field at the European level and is my great reference in Spain for ecosocial issues. "What is happening is that we have had several centuries of a capitalist economy. A capitalist economy, which is not only a mode of production, not only a mode of economic organisation, but also produces a type of person, creates a kind of culture. What happens is that this economic model, in its theory, in its definition, in practice, what is studied, the equations that are studied in their textbooks when they are being studied in the faculties, what they defend is precisely that only that which can only be expressed in monetary terms has economic value. In such a hypertrophied #economy, if only that which can be expressed in price has economic value, everything that cannot be expressed in price ceases to form part of the field of economic study and ceases to form part of the field of the study of value. Therefore, the assets disappear from economics. What are ‘assets’? They are all those natural cycles that are perpetuated, all those minerals in the earth's crust, but also people's bodies are a valuable asset. People are one of the most significant sources of energy in the way we interact with nature and with each other to sustain life daily. The work that housewives do inside the home, being available to provide goods and services daily, and it is a job done 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, does not count and has no value. A classical economist, Pigou, made a joke: "It would be enough for every Englishman (he was speaking in Victorian England) to marry his housekeeper for the GDP to fall suddenly." Of course, if the housekeepers were paid, the economic value of that work would count in the system's accounts. But when the wife starts doing for free what she used to do as a worker, that directly disappears from the system's accounts; it is the same contribution, but it is already invisible. It is precisely the same with nature; without photosynthesis or pollination, there is no agriculture, no harvest, and without harvest, there is no humanity. But this pollination or photosynthesis, having no economic value, directly disappears. And when climate change or pollution wipes out, for example, bee populations or hinders the possibility of photosynthesis, the economy is not even aware of this because it has no way of measuring it. The twist is that, not only do we have an economic system that does not count essential elements to sustain #life, but the most serious thing is that it even counts destruction as if it were wealth. For instance, a polluted river generates significantly more economic value than a clean one, as it requires substantial investment in decontamination. This involves purifying the water, hiring specialised services, and conducting thorough analyses."

SDGs as a framework for impact investment 🌎 The SDGs offer a universal reference point, but their utility for investors depends on how well they can be translated into actionable themes. Phenix Capital’s SDG–Impact Investing framework bridges this gap by mapping each goal to specific investment domains. This mapping reframes the SDGs not as abstract targets, but as investment-relevant categories — from financial inclusion and circular economy to clean transport and climate mitigation. It enables clearer capital deployment pathways within complex global agendas. Rather than treating all goals uniformly, the framework recognizes variance in capital flows. Goals such as SDG 7 (Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry & Innovation), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) have attracted the largest volumes of committed capital, reflecting both maturity and scalability. Themes tied to social inclusion (e.g. access to education, gender lens investing, affordable housing) remain underfunded despite their structural relevance to long-term development and systemic resilience. Environmental goals are addressed through themes like ocean preservation, sustainable agriculture, water efficiency, and biodiversity — areas where alignment with regulatory and disclosure frameworks is increasingly critical. Blended finance and technical assistance (SDG 17) are positioned not as peripheral tools but as enablers to accelerate private capital participation in frontier markets and early-stage solutions. By aligning investments to themes rather than goals alone, the framework helps clarify intentionality, guide impact measurement, and strengthen portfolio coherence across multiple mandates. This approach is not just a classification exercise — it is a necessary step in moving from broad commitments to capital strategies that are both scalable and aligned with global outcomes. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #SDGs #impact #investment

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. A newly published study shows something that feels intuitive: people who prioritize environmental protection over economic growth are significantly more likely to support Green parties. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eU7QEkZz But the real insight lies deeper. The study finds that this political translation of environmental values weakens where economic insecurity is high, particularly among those with lower incomes, lower education levels, or living in rural areas. In other words, support for climate action isn’t just about values; it’s about the conditions that allow people to act on those values. Solidarity, economic, social, political, is the enabling environment for sustainability. And yet, solidarity itself is under strain. A striking example: while 89% of people globally support stronger government climate action, and many would willingly contribute 1% of their income to that end, most underestimate how many others feel the same. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eDt8Xnuz This “spiral of silence”, where we assume we’re alone in our concern, can suppress momentum, even when consensus is already there. Sustainability requires more than technology or policy, it demands shared confidence, collective security, and visible alignment of values. Green politics will remain vulnerable until the conditions of economic and social inclusion are structurally addressed. And we won’t get far if people must choose between climate and livelihood. What we need is a politics, and an economics, that doesn’t just reflect values, but protects the capacity to act on them. No sustainability without solidarity. No solidarity without inclusive freedom.

How Does Gender Socialization Impact Boys and Men Post-Conflict? 🌍 Family, religious, and customary institutions play a pivotal role in shaping gender norms in post-conflict societies. Post-conflict peace may be restored, but not for all equally. While peace may return, traditional norms still hold the reins, perpetuating male dominance. 🔍 The recent research "Reconstructing Masculinities: Gender Dynamics After Conflict," published by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation / 公益財団法人 笹川平和財団 , Integral Knowledge Asia, and Conciliation Resources, aimed to understand how social institutions socialize gender norms across generations, making them resilient to change without targeted interventions. ⚖️ This study was conducted in Aceh and Maluku in Indonesia, and Bangsamoro in the Philippines, where masculinity is linked to power and violence. These regions struggle to implement the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda because their peace processes largely exclude women, and post-conflict efforts focus more on security and infrastructure than on addressing gender inequality. 👨👩👧👦 The second finding of this study reveals the influence of family, religious, and customary institutions in socializing men and boys into protector and breadwinner roles, while women are confined to caregiving duties. Engaging these institutions is essential for challenging patriarchal norms and promoting equitable gender relations. 🎨 As artivists, we harness the power of responsible image-making to support vital social research and advocacy. Our illustrations in the report vividly portray deep-rooted gender socialization across generations. By bringing these dynamics to life, we aim to foster a better understanding of the transformative approaches needed in peacebuilding. 🖼️ The giant hand in the illustration symbolizes the powerful influence of larger institutions like family, religious, and customary institutions. These forces control men, depicted as puppets bound by strings, and restrict their ability to explore roles beyond traditional gender norms. This visual representation highlights how deeply entrenched societal expectations limit men’s freedom and perpetuate traditional masculinity. #PeaceBuilding #GenderEquality #Masculinity #PostConflict #Gender #ArtActivism #Art