Cote Dlvoire, March 12 -- To boost access to finance for women-led SMEs in Cote d'Ivoire, IFC and the Africa Local Currency Bond Fund (ALCB Fund) today announced an anchor investment in a gender bond from Ecobank Cote d'Ivoire, the first gender bond to be issued in the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).Proceeds from the bond will help Ecobank Cote d'Ivoire provide almost 1,200 loans to women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (WMSMEs) in Cote d'Ivoire, supporting growth and job creation and helping to address the large credit gap women-owned businesses face in the country.Ecobank's gender bond is only the second to be issued in Africa following the IFC-supported NMB Bank's gender bond. A gender bond is a debt instrument ...