Hervest unveils USSD code to bridge economic gender gap

In furtherance of its commitment to bridge the economic gender gap towards achieving financial inclusion, HerVest, a fintech dedicated to providing financial access for women through a Gender Lens Investment (GLI) approach, has launched a unique USSD code, *7213#, to allow more women access inclusive financial services.

Launched at the second edition of its value-driven event, Value Up 2.0, where it equipped women with the requisite financial, professional and entrepreneurial knowledge to excel in their chosen career, the USSD code gives users access to unlock a rich world of farming, agriculture and general market information; stay updated with best farming practices; stay connected with other farmers in the HerVest network as well as get first-hand information that helps promote their financial literacy.

Commenting on the milestone, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, HerVest, Solape Akinpelu, said: “Today, we launch a USSD code that will revolutionise our customer experience, allowing us to take our services to the next level. The launch of this USSD code puts the power of financial literacy in the hands of women farmers, so they can begin to manage risk and build economic resilience. It is not just a financial strategy; it is an investment in the future prosperity of the entire community.”

Highlighting the importance of the event, Akinpelu said connecting and engaging with other women in their field to better support each other’s career goals was key.

“We strongly believe that fostering an environment of collaboration and mentorship helps to open doors for women in the workplace and can play an essential role in closing the gap between the skills of women and men.

“According to recent data released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), there is still a 32 per cent gender gap globally in terms of women’s financial inclusion and skills to bridge the gap. By bringing together inspiring career women, our event today took a step towards bridging this gap. We believe there is a clear exchange between value for capital and we are committed to helping women to achieve their dreams of financial prosperity forged through value,” she noted.

In her keynote address, Chief Executive Officer, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Yemisi Edun, noted that closing the economic and gender skills gap through initiatives like this could yield significant and meaningful results. “The focus on women empowerment must be deliberate to ensure continued success is achieved.”

The event tagged ‘Unleash Your Potential’ brought together serial entrepreneurs, industry experts and talents from diverse professional backgrounds in an impressive effort to further close the gender gap in the workforce.

In addition to speeches, the networking event also featured panel discussions from seasoned industry experts and resource persons such as Managing Director, Meristem Brokers, Saheed Bahir; Founder, Geneza Brands, Omobolanle Banwo Osadolo; Chief Executive Officer, Awabah, Tunji Andrews; Founder, Money Africa, Tosin Olaseinde; Software Engineer, Microsoft Mixed Reality, Adora Nwodo and Managing Director, Vetiva Capital, Oyelade Eigbe.