Research & Analysis

Diverse Paths: Finance for Women’s Nano and Micro Enterprises

Women-led nano and micro enterprises (WNMEs) are vital for providing livelihoods, boosting communities, and driving local economies. However, they face barriers like insufficient start-up capital and limited networking. This publication delves deeper the tailored solutions needed to support their growth based on in depth research in India, Kenya and Uganda.

Gender-Smart Market Mapping for Nano and Micro Enterprises: A Practical Guide

Segmentation and market sizing helps in allocating development efforts, guide investments, and identify policy gaps for women-led nano and micro enterprises (WNME). This technical guide offers steps to understand the WNME landscape, design targeted products, and foster inclusivity for growth.

How To Measure Women’s Economic Empowerment in Financial Inclusion: A Menu of Indicators

This paper introduces a menu of 19 indicators to measure Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) through increased financial inclusion. Developed with experts and the FinEquity community, it provides actionable guidance for stakeholders to assess and track WEE outcomes, generating evidence to drive more effective financial inclusion interventions across diverse contexts.

Coding Through Crisis: Building a Digital Social Protection System in Lebanon

Lebanon’s 2019 crisis plunged many into poverty. In 2021, the World Bank launched a $246M social safety net, and the Government of Lebanon, with Siren Associates, developed DAEM—a digital platform for social assistance. In this episode, we hear from key players about how collaboration made DAEM a success and how, even in crisis, solutions can go beyond relief to build a more inclusive financial system.

Can Inclusive Carbon Markets Pave the Way for a Just Transition?

Green technologies—like solar panels and clean cookstoves—have the potential to transform lives and protect the planet but remain out of reach for many in developing economies. Voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) hold immense promise in enabling the adoption of green technologies. But how do VCMs work, and how can financial services support more inclusive carbon markets?

Innovative Financing for Inclusive Credit Fintechs in Africa

Inclusive credit fintech can help address the US$4.9 trillion global credit gap for MSEs. However, early-stage fintechs face significant challenges in securing diverse funding sources. This focus note explores financing strategies for inclusive credit fintech in Africa, highlighting recent innovations and case studies. It also identifies knowledge gaps that hinder strategy design for international donors and impact investors eager to support digital innovations in MSE credit markets.

Exclusion Risks in Climate-Related Financial Regulation: An Analytical Framework

This working paper presents an analytical framework to identify the potential exclusionary effect of climate-related financial sector regulation on the incentives and ability of financial service providers to lend to vulnerable segments in emerging markets and developing economies.

Can AI Revolutionize Financial Consumer Protection?

AI is already transforming almost every aspect of the financial services industry. It is driving efficiencies and sparking innovation by reshaping the way financial authorities protect consumers—not just how financial service providers operate. But financial authorities need to walk a tightrope to harness the power of AI to improve consumer protection, while also addressing the novel risks and challenges that AI brings, such as new forms of financial fraud.

G20 Policy Options for Financial Inclusion at the Last Mile

Despite gains in financial inclusion, several populations at the "last mile" remain excluded. This Note, prepared by CGAP, the World Bank, and the Better than Cash Alliance for GPFI, provides a framework for the necessary public infrastructure and regulatory enablers to reduce the barriers commonly faced by these last mile segments and emphasizes the need for more targeted policies and investments to address non-financial barriers.

Banking on Open Finance to Advance Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Brazil 

Open Finance allows people in Brazil to securely share their financial data across financial service providers, sparking competition and innovation among providers. This empowers customers to compare and choose services that best meet their needs. But how does open finance work in practice and can it help reduce inequality and advance financial inclusion? What lessons can other countries learn from Brazil’s rapid adoption?