Antonique Koning

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Antonique Koning leads CGAP’s work on Women’s Economic Empowerment through financial inclusion and manages the Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii) convened by CGAP. She has more than 25 years of experience working on inclusive finance and has expertise in gender norms affecting women’s financial inclusion, young women’s financial inclusion, responsible finance and customer centricity.  Antonique also led CGAP’s work on customer outcomes-based approaches to consumer protection regulation and supervision, and  contributed to guidance on customer empowerment and employee and agent empowerment for CGAP’s Customer Centric Guide for which she authored a case study on Pioneer Microinsurance.  

Before joining CGAP in 2004, Antonique gained hands-on experience developing and implementing microcredit programs in El Salvador and working with savings banks globally. 

She has a Master’s degree in International Trade Management and Policy from the University of Birmingham, and a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Antonique is based in Belgium, and speaks Spanish, French, and Dutch.

By Antonique Koning

Blog

Commercial Health Insurance Can Complement Public Systems - Here's How

As countries pursue universal health coverage under real constraints, the question is no longer whether commercial health insurance has a role in advancing UHC, but under what conditions it can expand access, affordability, and financial protection for underserved populations.
Blog

She Saves: Designing Savings Products That Work for Young Women

For young women with irregular incomes and limited buffers, savings rather than borrowing is the preferred way to build assets and manage uncertainty. The question is not whether to offer savings, but how to design products that fit young women’s realities.
Blog

Young Women Speak: Lessons on Inclusive Finance from Ghana & Tanzania

Based on research and experimentation in Ghana and Tanzania, CGAP identified three opportunities for providers and funders to help close the gender gap that widens between ages 15–24. Broaden on-ramps to the financial system, prioritize secure savings over credit, and protect young women’s financial gains with better life and health insurance.
Research

Pathways to Financial Inclusion for Young Women: Opportunities for Financial Service Providers and Funders

Based on research in Ghana and Tanzania, this Focus Note presents key opportunities for FSPs and funders to meet the real financial needs of young women aged 15-24.
Blog

Unlocking Invisible Barriers to Women’s Inclusion in East Africa

Invisible gender norms shape how everyone in the financial system behaves. CGAP & FSD Network research in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda shows that making finance work for women means understanding those norms and how to intervene to change market actor behavior.