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In Ecuador, Proparco and Banco del Austro strengthen MSME financing with a strong focus on women entrepreneurs
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Proparco is granting Banco del Austro a USD 30 million ARIZ portfolio guarantee to expand its new lending to Ecuadorian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with the objective of supporting women’s entrepreneurship. This marks Proparco’s first guarantee operation in Ecuador and its first fully dedicated Gender transaction of 2026.
Through the AFD Group’s ARIZ risk-sharing mechanism, Banco del Austro — one of the country’s leading medium banks — will be able to further strengthen its MSME financing strategy, while increasing its outreach to women-led and women-owned businesses.
This financing is aligned with the 2X Challenge Criteria, reflecting Banco del Austro’s commitment to advancing gender equality both internally and through its client portfolio. The bank exceeds the required 30% threshold of women in senior management, meeting the 2X Leadership criterion, and will allocate a significant share of the guaranteed portfolio to women entrepreneurs under the 2X Entrepreneurship criterion.
Beyond its strong gender focus, the expected development impact is substantial: nearly 1,900 MSMEs are expected to benefit from improved access to finance, supporting subsequently more than 30,000 jobs.
On the environmental and social front, Banco del Austro implements an ambitious CSR strategy: carbon neutrality for several years, and initiatives promoting education, health, financial inclusion, and diversity within its workforce.
This operation is fully aligned with Proparco’s 2023–2027 strategy, particularly its objective of reducing gender inequalities.
“Supporting SMEs and local economic ecosystems, while strengthening financing for sectors with high social and environmental impact, is a strategic priority for Proparco. The guarantee granted to our new partner in Ecuador fully reflects this ambition, with strong support for women entrepreneurs.” Stanislas de la Rivière, Proparco Regional Director for the Andean region.
“The ARIZ risk‑sharing mechanism strengthens our ability to expand financing to MSMEs and women‑led businesses, while reinforcing prudent risk management. As the first bank in South America to apply this instrument, we are proud to partner with Proparco in advancing inclusive and sustainable growth in Ecuador’s productive sector.” Clemente Tamariz, CEO of Banco del Austro.
By facilitating SMEs’ access to finance, this operation directly contributes to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 5: Gender Equality.