Recent Blogs
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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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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.Blog
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?Blog
Top 10 Blog Posts of 2021
Check out the most read blog posts of 2021.Blog
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.Blog