Globalization has made supply chains significantly more complex, involving multiple players from around the world and a great deal of coordination. This increases the cost of operating these global networks—with goods and services channeled across emerging and advanced economies. 

In this brief publication, the author uses a case study for inclusion for women in the global value chain. Stating, blockchain technologies can help address some of these challenges. In terms of business ownership, there are approximately 10 million women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) around the globe, representing around 30 percent of all SMEs in emerging markets. Seventy percent of these women-owned enterprises are unbanked or underbanked, which represents a finance gap of roughly $300 billion per year. Unfortunately, a lack of sufficient digital skills will be an obstacle to adoption, especially for SMEs and microenterprises that do not have the financial means to attract talent, the publication says.