Publication database

Microinsurance is growing and expanding throughout Africa. Led by the ILO's Microinsurance Innovation Facility and the MicroInsurance Centre, Briefing Note #1 identified over fourteen million low-income people in Africa who were covered by microinsurance at the end of 2008. The outreach almost doubled over the last 4 years. Even with such growth, there are clearly significant gaps. Substantial parts of the continent remain almost barren of microinsurance. Health, agriculture and property covers, all significantly in need by the low-income market, are evident as a mere fraction of life insurance coverage. This study provides a detailed picture of microinsurance in Africa and discusses challenges in the years to come in order to facilitate broader, high-quality expansion.

Led by the Women's World Banking and the Zurich Insurance Company, Microinsurance Paper #3 is intended to generate discussion of a gendered approach to microinsurance. While insurance companies are beginning to design and deliver a variety of products to the poor, the paper focuses primarily on health and life insurance because these two risks typically are reported to exert significant financial pressure on poor women. The authors explore how health and life microinsurance could be designed to more effectively respond to women's needs, and offer practical advice to insurance companies for delivering such schemes. They conclude with a call to action for insurance companies, delivery channels, researchers and donors to make insurance more gender-sensitive, which will serve the dual mission of poverty alleviation and profitability.