CGAP

How does #FinancialInclusion advance gender equality? Digital technologies are helping to close the gender gap in account ownership worldwide, empowering women to save, spend, and invest money with more autonomy. ?? Here’s how ?? #IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay #AccelerateAction

Ecuador’s financial market authority, SEPS, is setting an example for regulators worldwide by embedding #GenderEquality into financial regulations. Under the leadership of the former head, Dr. Margarita Hernandez, SEPS has implemented policies that promote equitable access, transparency, and financial education, while also ensuring financial service providers integrate gender strategies. Read more in this blog by Yasmin Bin-Humam and Mariana Lopez (PhD): https://cgap.pub/4bC7a6X #IWD2025 #AccelerateEquality

Women’s financial inclusion has gained significant attention, funding, and research—but how can it drive lasting #EconomicEmpowerment? CGAP’s newly launched #ImpactPathfinder reveals what we know—and critically what we don’t—about the connections between women’s #FinancialInclusion and their economic empowerment. Our latest blog by Jessica Meckler explores the value of using this evidence as a guide forward. While there is a well-established relationship between increased credit access and women’s agency, we need more actionable evidence on how insurance can effectively support women, who are disproportionately impacted by income, health, and environmental shocks. Bridging these knowledge gaps can help funders, governments, and the private sector design financial systems that truly empower women. Read more: https://cgap.pub/3DkJA24 #WEE #WFI #IWD2025 #WomensDay

Women aren’t just half the world’s population—they are some of the main drivers of rural economies. ♀?? For too long, rural women have been seen as a monolith. In reality, they play diverse and vital roles—as unpaid laborers, service providers, customers, and employees. Yet, they often lack the tailored services they need to thrive. Accelerating Business to Empower Rural women in Agriculture (ABERA) is a cohort of financial service providers, agribusinesses, and agtechs, organized by CGAP and IDH, that aims to improve these companies’ impact on rural women in a way that makes business sense. Watch our video to see how the companies can rethink their approach, ask the right questions, and truly involve women in building a more inclusive and climate-resilient future. ?? #IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay #GenderEquality

How do we measure women’s economic empowerment as a result of increased women’s financial inclusion? We're proud to share our latest paper that introduces a menu of 19 indicators to measure women’s economic empowerment within women’s #FinancialInclusion initiatives, developed in collaboration with a core group of experts and the #FinEquity community. By using these indicators, stakeholders can generate evidence that can drive meaningful change for women aligned with 3 intermediary outcomes: ??Access to resources and opportunities ??Agency ??Achievements and resilience #IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay

Why do the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)'s updates to its Guidance on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) and #FinancialInclusion matter? The changes may have far-reaching consequences for millions of people who currently lack access to essential #FinancialServices and affect the financial inclusion landscape for the foreseeable future. It is imperative that financial inclusion experts participate in this consultation process, considering whether it adequately addresses realities on the ground and facilitates more inclusive policies and measures. The window to voice concerns and offer suggestions is short! The consultation period closes on April 4, 2025. Learn more in this blog by CGAP's Mehmet Kerse, Ivo Jeník & Louis De Koker: https://cgap.pub/3QMr3ys

Aye Finance, a technology-led finance company in #India, was only extending 16% of their loans to women. That is until CGAP partnered with Aye Finance Ltd to develop a focused program designed specifically for women entrepreneurs.? In this video, Sanjay Sharma (CEO) and Sheena Sakhuja (Project Lead) talk about how their new program tailors products and services to unlock access to essential finance for women-led businesses. Watch to learn more about how innovative, targeted financial solutions are enabling women entrepreneurs to thrive in underserved markets. ?? #InclusiveFinance #FinancialInclusion #Microfinance #Fintech #IWD2025? #AccelerateEquality?

Evidence shows that, on average, women have higher loan repayment rates than men. So why is it harder for women to access credit? A gender-disaggregated approach can help lenders more accurately measure portfolio risk; potentially narrowing the #GenderGap in access to credit and reducing losses for lenders. CGAP research looked at data from AB Bank Zambia and TymeBank to demonstrate how gender-intentional #CreditScoring can benefit lenders and women borrowers.

What if investors and financial service providers focused on outcomes? Measuring and managing impact in #FinancialInclusion is essential for aligning investments with real-world outcomes. Yet, challenges like unclear objectives and data gaps continue to hinder progress. At CGAP, we’ve identified four key enablers that can help investors and financial service providers drive meaningful, outcomes-focused Impact Measurement & Management (IMM): ????????Building a shared understanding ?? Overcoming technical and operational barriers ??Integrating outcomes data into decision-making ??Enhancing transparency By focusing on these enablers, we can ensure that IMM can drive better financial and social outcomes. Read on to learn more about advancing outcomes-focused IMM ??

Meet Niruben, a rural woman from India adapting to climate change with the help of #InclusiveFinance. ???? In the face of rising temperatures and high irrigation costs, her profits from selling chiles were dwindling. But with support from CGAP partner @Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), Niruben was able to pilot a precision irrigation pump and solar-powered trap light for pest control, saving her water, time, and money. After this successful trial, Niruben decided to take a loan from SEWA to buy this equipment. Green technologies are important, but awareness and affordability of those technologies for people on the frontlines, especially rural women, is essential. Watch her story now ??