Blog

The Pandemic Wake-Up Call: Gender Norms Matter in Financial Inclusion

COVID-19 is the latest reminder that the norms constraining women’s economic participation need to be addressed in global development efforts, including in financial inclusion.

Savings at the Pump: Financing Solar Irrigation to Support Rural Women

Solar water pumps can be a sustainable, low-cost solution for irrigating farms. Asset financing from organizations like PEG Africa could help more women to obtain these cost- and time-saving tools.

Consumer Associations: A Major Player in Responsible Digital Finance

In this World Consumer Rights Day blog, we discuss the ways consumer associations can make digital financial services more responsible, especially for women and vulnerable customers.

Break the Bias: Evidence Shows Digital Finance Risks Hit Women Hardest

CGAP has identified dozens of consumer risks facing digital financial services users around the world, and emerging evidence suggests women are more at risk than men. Here are some ways to mitigate these risks for women.

How Can We Build on COVID-19 Progress in Women’s Financial Inclusion

COVID-19 has led millions of women to open accounts, spurred investments in digital infrastructure, and built momentum around women’s financial inclusion. By taking the right steps, we can push women’s financial inclusion further than ever before.

Better Business Through Gender Transformative Approaches

Gender transformative approaches are good for business. How can companies accelerate their adoption? Insights from recent CGAP and IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative events point to a number of answers.

Platform-Based Finance: Are Regulators Up to the Data Protection Task?

As big techs and other platforms ramp up their financial service offerings in emerging markets, regulators can look at developments in advanced economies to get a glimpse into the data protection issues they will need to consider.

3 Regulatory Challenges Posed by Platform-Based Finance

Between the global big techs and the local unicorns, platforms will soon be a major force in financial services if they are not already. Here are the three main sets of challenges they pose for regulators.

Pitfalls in MFI Digitization: Overlooking the Regulatory Environment

Digitization can benefit microfinance institutions (MFIs), but it also creates regulatory complexity. Losing sight of the regulatory environment can lead to costly mistakes. Here are three regulatory aspects of digitization for MFIs to consider.

We Agree – Life Stages Likely Impact DFS Usage Among Young Women

Certain life stages have a significant impact on women’s economic empowerment and use of financial services - particularly for young women.

Reflection: Coordinating Responses to Microfinance Solvency Challenges

The reverberating effects of COVID-19 continue to pose challenges for segments of the microfinance sector. Here are three areas where a coordinated response among microfinance stakeholders will be important going forward.

The Essential Role of Finance in Education, Housing and Health Care

CGAP’s research suggests that financial services are important tools for advancing equitable access to quality essential services like education, housing and health care.

Limited by Labor: Rural Women, Hired Labor and Financial Services

Rural women have less access than men to the labor they need to power their farms. This drives a gender gap in agricultural output and constrains women's incomes. Financial services could be part of the solution.

Financial Inclusion for an Inclusive, Greener, More Resilient World

In her first blog post as CGAP CEO, Sophie Sirtaine proposes a global agenda for financial inclusion that leads to an inclusive, greener and more resilient world.

Pitfalls in MFI Digitization: Underestimating Change Management

Microfinance institutions are often unprepared to manage the changes that come with digitization. The good news is that through effective change management, they can digitize successfully and generate value for themselves and their customers.

Agritech Can Empower Women to Build Stronger, Inclusive Value Chains

The new Wi-Agri platform in Côte d’Ivoire is showing how agritech can help rural women to improve their livelihoods and build stronger, more inclusive agricultural value chains.

Growing Up, Growing Informal: Gender Differences in Financial Services

Teenage men and women in Kenya and South Africa adopt formal savings accounts at similar rates. But when they hit their 20s, men continue to adopt formal services while women begin gravitating toward informal services. Why?

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2021

Check out the most read blog posts of 2021.

As PAYGo Solar Matures, Funders Can Do More to Close the Energy Gap

Pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) solar has enabled energy access for around 27 million customers. Funders can help PAYGo providers further close the energy access gap — while advancing financial inclusion — by focusing on these priorities for the sector.

For AgroMall, Extending Credit to Women Requires First Convincing Men

With customer data and a credit scoring algorithm, AgroMall set out to offer ag financing to women. The challenges it encountered show why the biggest barrier to women’s financial inclusion isn't always lack of tech or data: it's often social norms.