Today we’re marking the 100^th International Women’s Day - celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past present and future.

We’ve come a long way in the last century. But there is still a lot more we can do!

This year’s theme is ‘Access to Work’. At Deki we believe that this is a basic right for women all over the world.  Most of our entrepreneurs are women and we thrive on helping these to create and grow their own sustainable businesses.  

Women are excellent microfinance recipients. Their repayment of loans is second to none. In Bangladesh, for example, women have shown to default on loans far less often than men. Click for more

The numerous benefits to women, the community and economy are detailed on this post on the Asia Society blog. Importantly, these have a knock-on effect – inspiring other women to take control of their future. So through empowering women with microfinance, they become role models to their children and communities. 

In 1911, when women first celebrated International Women’s Day, life was very different.  Take technology - in the early 1900’s, the wireless was a relatively new phenomenon.  Now, we have Wi-fi, mobile technology and tablet computers (dare we mention the ‘i’ word?!). We are globally connected through the internet and computers. This means we can do so much more to help people overseas using international networks and technology.

In 2008, our CEO, Vashti saw the opportunity to use technology to effect change and pioneered Deki. She worked to develop a network of field partners and create an infrastructure at www.deki.org.uk where lenders and entrepreneurs connect on an individual level. This personal approach was important – enabling lenders to not only see the impact of their loans firsthand but also understand the challenges faced by women overseas.

Since then, Deki has gone from strength to strength attracting lenders from all over the world. Vashti is now on the Red magazine panel, a role model for other women and a UK campaigner for microfinance.

There are millions of inspiring women all over the world working towards a brighter future.  Here at Deki, we celebrate these and extend our thanks to each one we’ve had the fortune to connect with - overseas entrepreneurs, lenders, donors, volunteers and field partners.

There’s a revolution going on. And we’re glad to be a part of it!