UNDP, Visa join hands to empower estate women, youth

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka and Visa have formed a new partnership to enhance financial inclusion and economic empowerment among women and youth in estate communities. This initiative, which will pilot in Hope Estate, Hewaheta, in Nuwara Eliya, will initially support 50 young agri-producers, mostly women, to bolster their financial literacy, formal financial services access, and digital financial system skills.

The partnership aims to bridge the gap between banking services and their effective use, transitioning beneficiaries from cash-based practices to more secure and inclusive financial management. By linking financial inclusion to emerging livelihood opportunities such as polytunnel cultivation and backyard farming, UNDP and Visa hope to shift the economic paradigm for women in Sri Lanka's plantation region, where opportunities have traditionally been limited to wage-based labour.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.