Social Responsibility and consumer protection have become critical issues in microfinance and there is evidence of a continuing effort within the sector to apply corporate social responsibility standards (staff, clients, community and environment) to microfinance as well. Moreover, the need to put clients first and to protect them from possible negative effects of the services provided is even more important for the microfinance industry whose declared target is to reach out to poor and vulnerable people.
The Smart Campaign was launched as a global effort to unite microfinance leaders around a common goal: to keep clients as the driving force of the industry and to widespread the implementation of the consumer protection principles.