What is the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code (WEFC)?
-
Global track-record: Operating in 30+ countries, the Code is a voluntary pledge by financial institutions and public bodies to channel more capital to female-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
-
Core elements:
-
Coalition-building – signing partners publicly commit to gender-inclusive financing targets.
-
Tailored lending tools – dedicated credit lines, risk-sharing facilities, guarantees and grant windows.
-
Transparent metrics – partners report regularly on volumes, terms and beneficiaries.
-
“Grant and loan programmes for women already exist in Ukraine, but we are open to new solutions that simplify access to finance,” — Yulia Svyrydenko, First Deputy PM & Economy Minister
What happened in Kyiv?
| Stakeholders | Key take-aways |
|---|---|
| Yulia Svyrydenko (Ministry of Economy) | Proposed drafting a memorandum of cooperation that would lock in targets and timelines. |
| Artur Poghosyan (Deputy Head, EBRD Ukraine) | Confirmed the Bank’s readiness to mobilise partner banks and share WEFC best practices. |
Why it matters
-
Credit gap: Female-led MSMEs in Ukraine face higher collateral demands and shorter loan tenors than male-owned peers, limiting growth.
-
Post-war recovery: Inclusive financing widens the entrepreneurial tax base and speeds regional reconstruction.
-
International leverage: Anchoring the initiative in an EBRD-backed framework could attract blended finance from EU, US and multilateral donors.
Next steps outlined by the parties
-
Draft and sign a memorandum of understanding among the Ministry of Economy, EBRD, key commercial banks and state development institutions.
-
Map existing women-focused grant lines (eWork, Euro-funded instruments) to avoid overlap and create a single application window.
-
Pilot gender-smart credit lines with two or three partner banks in Q1 2026, followed by nationwide roll-out.
“This is a voluntary commitment, but once signed, each participant will have measurable targets for disbursing funds to female entrepreneurs,” — Artur Poghosyan
Potential benefits for Ukrainian banks & MSMEs
-
Risk mitigation: Access to EBRD guarantees lowers capital-adequacy strain.
-
Product differentiation: Banks can brand gender-inclusive products under an internationally recognised code.
-
Data advantage: Regular reporting builds a dataset that can attract further concessional capital.
