The Fair Futures Accelerator is a program led by Villgro Philippines in partnership with the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI), under the initiative of the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies program.

Jointly implemented by UN Women and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) with support from the Governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, EmPower is dedicated to empowering women and marginalized groups to take the lead in building climate-resilient communities.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations’ leading global authority on the environment, driving transformational change on the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature, land and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste.

Since its founding in 1972, UNEP has served as a neutral convener of Member States, civil society, the private sector and UN agencies to address humanity’s most pressing environmental challenges. From protecting species to restoring the ozone layer, UNEP-facilitated international agreements have made global environmental action possible throughout the years. Today, UNEP hosts the United Nations Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, with a universal membership of all 193 United Nations’ Member States.

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

Villgro Philippines is a gender-smart incubator that funds, mentors and nurtures enterprises addressing the most pressing social and climate issues. Over the last 5 years, Villgro Philippines has supported more than 120 enterprises across climate, health, education, agriculture, affordable housing, and women and girls in South and Southeast Asia. Villgro Philippines established the Nüshu Network (formerly WE Rise Community) in partnership with UN Women in 2021 to connect women entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, and resources. In collaboration with xchange and USAID, Villgro launched the Impact Pioneers Network, providing early-stage impact entrepreneurs access to debt and equity investments. Their gender-focused initiatives have earned numerous awards, including recognition as a Youth Gender Champion in 2020 and a Gender Responsive Marketplace for SMEs in 2021 by the UN Women Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards. Villgro Philippines is certified under the GLIA standards by ygap and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) is the national network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and support organizations in the Philippines advocating sustainable, innovative, and client-responsive solutions to poverty in the country. MCPI is currently composed of 64 members (53 MFIs, 2 regional networks, and 9 support organizations) which account for 90 percent of the microfinance sector in the Philippines. Its key programs include advocacy, capacity building of MFIs, knowledge management, and network development.