The International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s Responsible Microfinance project financed by the Government of Switzerland represented by the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Cooperation (SECO) gathered media representatives in Serena Hotel on June 19 to discuss innovations in promotion of financial capability in Tajikistan.

According to IFC Country Office in Tajikistan, the main objective of the workshop was to present to journalists the innovations in financial capability and help them better develop the messages and select channels to reach larger population with targeted messages thus increasing awareness of public on importance of financial decisions we make every day.

The participants learned the basics of financial capability, its difference from financial literacy, understood how to develop a content to change financial behaviors of target population in Tajikistan and to help them make better financial decisions.

“Strong financial capability is not only a key prerequisite for fostering responsible financial inclusion but also it is very important step in women empowerment. It has traditionally happened that women are mainly responsible for wise and efficient managing of their household’s budget, to prioritize expenditures and to put financial targets.  Future prosperity of a family, big changes for better and quality of the life depend on these daily small decisions. It is even more important for families, wives, daughters and mothers who want to see their relatives back from labor migration thanks to savings made and businesses opened.  “Secrets of the housewife” Radio Show is one of the innovations of our Responsible Finance Project which supports families, especially women, to make sound financial decisions and achieve more with less, especially during difficult times. Positive feed-back, practical usefulness and popularity among Sughd listeners inspired us to continue our financial support to this Radio Show and launch it now in south part of Tajikistan and Dushanbe” said Demenge Corinne, Deputy Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan.

The Country Officer of IFC in Tajikistan Manizha Mamadnabieva noted that “the media is the best channel to deliver reliable and objective messages to the population so IFC continues to closely cooperate with journalists for dissemination of valuable knowledge to increase financial competency of the target population. Therefore, it is so important for the media to understand the peculiarities of different tools that help them guide the population in the questions related to financial decision making”.