Photo: Marco VDM/iStock
Making financial services meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable
People living in poverty constantly juggle an evolving set of risks and crises in their daily lives. Climate change, the pandemic, and the ongoing food crisis, among others, have increased these risks substantially, contributing to a rise in global poverty and inequality. Meanwhile, a third of the world’s adult population lacks the financial services they could use to significantly improve their lives. CGAP is working to change this, and we believe that positive trends in inclusive finance offer hope for a green, resilient, and inclusive future.
Gender norms shape the behavior of financial service providers, regulators, and communities, often limiting women’s access to and use of financial services. This Focus Note presents a practical framework, based on diagnostics in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, that classifies gender norms by their strength and prevalence and proposes tailored strategies for addressing them.
Morocco’s Women’s Financial Inclusion Coalition is a bold, coordinated effort to close the country’s gender gap in finance by aligning public and private actors, linking policy to practice, and driving systemic, lasting change for women.
As climate events become more frequent and intense, inclusive FSPs are increasingly being asked to conduct Physical Climate Risk Assessments (PCRAs) by regulators, investors, and other stakeholders. We suggest three key questions FSPs should ask to ensure that PCRAs support a resilient evolution.
National Financial Inclusion Strategies remain a key policy tool to expand financial inclusion. By looking at what different NFIS prioritize, we can see how financial inclusion strategies are beginning to shape more responsible financial ecosystems.
Featured Topics
Despite the growing body of evidence, significant gaps remain in understanding why financial services drive positive change and impact in some scenarios but not others. Financial Inclusion 2.0 aims to bridge these gaps.
The next frontier for improving food security lies in financing investments that drive sustainable productivity gains among more nutritious agricultural value chains, resulting in more affordable nutritious food that is produced sustainably.
WNMEs are a powerful yet often overlooked force in driving inclusive economic growth. These enterprises play a critical role in sustaining livelihoods and strengthening community resilience.
