Parallel sessions: Introduction to microfinance
- Laura FOSCHI, ADA
- Tim KESSELER, Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union
- Josien SLUIJS, NpM Platform for Inclusive Finance / e-MFP
- Kaspar WANSLEBEN, LMDF
- Syed Mohsin AHMED, Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN)
From time to time, as part of European Microfinance Week, e-MFP organizes special parallel sessions for e-MFP partners. such sessions are designed to address a very particular topic of interest to a select audience, but are not part of the European Microfinance Week program. In 2015, e-MFP organized two such parallel sessions.
This session was organized together with the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the framework of the Luxembourg Presidency of the European Union. It was specially designed for the representatives of the Development Cooperation (CODEV) working group of the European Council in order to provide them with an introduction to microfinance and financial inclusion. After an introduction by Tim KESSELER, the speakers covered the following topics: Josien SLUIJS set the scene providing an overview of the sector and presented its challenges and opportunities; Kaspar WANSLEBEN presented the role of investors in achieving the sector’s objectives and facing the challenges; and Syed Mohsin AHMED shared his decades-long experience of providing microfinance in Pakistan.