Rut Pelaiza has spent her entire life as an example: for her parents, for her daughters, and since five years ago, for the thousands of women in the Palabra de Mujer [Woman’s Word] program run by the Peruvian institution of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation. She recalls that she always wanted to be independent and with pride, shares how she managed to achieve this goal when she grew up.

According to the World Economic Forum, 65 percent of children who enroll in primary school today will have jobs that don't currently exist. This is why on January 25, twenty large corporations announced their commitment to team up through 2022 with the goal of helping young people develop the skills that will make them more employable.  BBVA is among the companies that have signed up to this cause, committing to reach 500,000 young people with its various training programs. The initiative is the Global Alliance for YOUth. Lidia del Pozo, BBVA’s Director of Community Investment Programs, delves into some of the key aspects of this initiative.

For the second consecutive year, BBVA’s General Annual Meeting, to be held in Bilbao on March 15, has been certified by AENOR as a sustainable event in accordance with ISO 20121. Changes this year include improved accessibility for all participants and an increased number of suppliers committed to the sustainability of the event.

BBVA Momentum 2019 is coming to cities across the bank’s footprint for a series of informational sessions on its small business program for social entrepreneurs.

Three startups represented Turkey in Madrid on February 25th - 27th at the final event of the 2018 BBVA Momentum Social Entrepreneurship Support Program - the first social entrepreneurship program designed by a Turkish financial institution.

The time has arrived for a new round of BBVA Momentum! BBVA’s social entrepreneurship program returns in 2019 with its most ambitious target to date: to support 160 social entrepreneurs across Colombia, the United States, Mexico, and Turkey. It aims to foster their growth and increase the positive impact they make on their communities. The candidate application process for the 2019 program closes on April 22.

The Climate Bonds Initiative recognized BBVA for its global leadership, best practices and innovation in the field of sustainable financing at the 2019 Green Bond Pioneer Awards.  The bank received three awards for the publication of its framework for sustainable bonds tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); for being the first financial issuer of a green bond in Spain; and for issuing the first green bond from a financial institution in Mexico.

Beatriz Morilla, Head of CSR at the Spanish Banking Association (AEB), sees financial education as a fundamental tool to "fight poverty, reduce inequalities, promote gender equality and achieve greater health and well-being." From this global perspective, the AEB is working on the rollout of nationwide impactful actions and on securing support from the financial sector.

The BBVA Center for Education and Financial Capability today, March 5, is pleased to announce its second call for research proposals. BBVA EduFin Research Grants 2019 invites researchers to propose research projects dealing with topics related to financial education. Each of the five projects selected will receive €10,000, and its researchers will be invited to attend the Center’s annual summit, the Edufin Summit.