Washington, D.C. | February 17, 2026 — The Governing Committee of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) has approved US$22.1 million in funding under its Sixth Call for Proposals, focused on advancing women’s entrepreneurship in the care economy.
The care economy is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, driven by aging populations, urbanization, and changing family structures. Women bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care responsibilities, with hundreds of millions of working-age women unable to participate fully in the labor force due to care burdens. At the same time, women-led enterprises delivering childcare, healthcare, and elder care services face substantial barriers to accessing the finance and support they need to scale. By investing in women-led businesses in the care economy, We-Fi aims to address a critical financing gap while unlocking economic opportunities that can strengthen communities and expand access to quality care services.
This new round of funding responds to these urgent needs and opportunities, made possible through strong leadership from We-Fi’s 14 donor countries. The Call also received endorsement through the G20 Leaders’ Statement.
“We are grateful to We-Fi’s Governing Committee for its continued leadership and commitment to advancing women’s entrepreneurship,” said Wendy Teleki, Head of the We-Fi Secretariat. “This Sixth Call reflects the importance of investing in the care economy, a sector with enormous potential to deliver a triple win: supporting care businesses, creating quality jobs for all, and reducing care burdens for women and their families. This approach drives job creation, strengthens resilience, and expands economic opportunity for everyone.”
“Japan is committed to advancing women’s entrepreneurship in sectors that matter most for inclusive growth,” said Nomoto Takaaki, Chair of the We-Fi Governing Committee and Director of the Multilateral Development Banks Division, Ministry of Finance, Japan. “The care economy represents a unique opportunity to support women as entrepreneurs and job creators while addressing the growing global demand for care services. As Chair of the We-Fi Governing Committee, we are pleased to help catalyze this important initiative alongside our donor partners.”
Under the Sixth Call, the Governing Committee approved allocations totaling US$22.1 million across three initiatives led by We-Fi Implementing Partners:
- US$4,750,000 to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its program “Women Entrepreneurs in Care: Acceleration, Resilience, and Expansion (WECare)”, which will support the growth and professionalization of women-led care enterprises across Asia by expanding access to tailored finance and capacity-building. The program will pilot approaches to strengthen care-focused financial products and ecosystem support in India, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan, with the goal of increasing access to quality, affordable care services and creating decent jobs for women.
- US$9,500,000 to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for its program “WE Care (The Pilot)”, which aims to unlock financing and build the capacity of financial institutions, women-led care SMEs, and policymakers to grow a more formal and investable care economy. Through blended financing, risk-sharing, and targeted advisory support, the pilot will expand lending to women-led care businesses in countries where EBRD invests across Central Asia, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and Sub-Saharan Africa, while helping strengthen enabling policies and market ecosystems.
- US$7,859,979 to the World Bank (IBRD and IDA) for its program “Care Initiative for Women Jobs Creation (We-Fi Care Initiative)”, building on the World Bank’s broader care economy work, including the Invest in Childcare initiative. The program will take a global and country-level approach in Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Republic of Congo, Tajikistan, and Uganda to support women-led enterprises in childcare and aging-related sectors, improve access to finance, strengthen enabling environments, and generate evidence through robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
Investing in the Care Economy as a Frontier for Women’s Entrepreneurship
The Sixth Call represents We-Fi’s first dedicated focus on the care economy, piloting innovative approaches to expand access to finance and strengthen enabling environments for WSMEs in childcare, healthcare, and elder care sectors. Through these programs, We-Fi and its Implementing Partners will generate critical evidence on what works to scale women-led care enterprises, test new products tailored to care businesses, and build the capacity of public and private sector institutions to better serve this growing market.
As global demand for care services continues to rise, supporting women entrepreneurs in this sector is essential to building resilient, inclusive economies that work for everyone.
About We-Fi
Founded in 2017, the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) is a global partnership housed in the World Bank Group that works to unleash the potential of women entrepreneurs by mobilizing finance, strengthening capacity, and fostering enabling environments for women-led businesses. Through its Implementing Partners, We-Fi helps address the systemic barriers facing women entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Media contact: sding1[at]worldbank.org
