How to promote women's digital financial inclusion

Prepared at the request of the G7 French Presidency, this Gates Foundation report aims to be “a blueprint for improving digital financial inclusion in Africa.”

Mobile-delivered economic ID for inclusion of SMEs

Unregistered SMEs account for 65% of Nigeria’s GDP. Most of them often struggle to demonstrate their personal and business credentials to service providers and customers. This GSMA research finds that there is a need for new approaches to identity and mobile-delivered ‘economic ID’ solution holds promise.

Role of education in financial inclusion of women 

Columbia University paper finds that even when they are given the opportunity, many of India’s poor women opt out of actively engaging with the formal banking institutions. It finds that education is a significant determinant in shaping the financial decisions of India’s poor women.

Lessons from implementing P2G payments strategies

This GSMA study shares lessons from Orange’s work in West and Central Africa on implementing Person-to-Government (P2G) payment strategies.

Using technology to improve agent models

This CGDev study sets out to understand the effectiveness of reforms taken by Andhra Pradesh to digitalize service delivery. It identifies access, accountability, choice, and voice as the four principles underlying the digital reforms there.

The Effect of Payment Choices on Online Retail: Evidence from the 2016 Indian Demonetization

This Harvard Business School paper concludes that consumers who switch to digital payments maintain their purchase frequency but spend more and are less likely to return their purchases.

Client Voices: Rwandans Speak on Digital Financial Services

Based on a survey of over 1,200 people in three districts of Rwanda, this Smart Campaign report delves into the experiences of users of digital financial services.

The Impact of Mobile Money on Poor Rural Households : Experimental Evidence from Uganda

Does access to mobile money help improve livelihood in remote settings? This paper shows that rolling out mobile money agents in Northern Uganda led to cost-savings for remittance transactions. It also shows that access to digital payments doubled the nonfarm self-employment rate and reduced the fraction of households with very low food security. 

Improving financial inclusion through data for smallholder farmers in Kenya

As mobile-based digital agricultural solutions take hold in Kenya, there is a great opportunity to use data for improving financial inclusion of smallholder farmers.

Perspectives from SME banking leaders

IFC report aggregates responses from 114 SME banking executives serving more than 17.5 million small businesses.

The age of digital interdependence

The UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation released this report. It highlights the need for inclusivity and protection of human rights to ensure a safe digital future for all and shares 5 key recommendations.  

Role of DFS in youth employment

What roles do financial services play in enabling youth education and employment? This CGAP working paper, for policy-makers and funders, outlines the existing evidence and highlights important questions about how to deliver comprehensive and broad-reaching interventions at scale.

Consumer protection standards for digital credit 

Similar to the RDPGs, this Smart Campaign publication identifies standards for responsible digital financial services, especially credit. It aims to guide the practices of both fintechs and traditional financial service providers undergoing digital transformation. 

Five recommendations for enhancing finclusion

A new World Bank economic analysis says Ghana can reach universal financial access across regions and key demographics using innovative technology.

Imparting financial literacy through tablets

Digital Payments Adoption and the Demand for Cash: New International Evidence

Cash remains in high demand despite measures by governments to keep funds digital. This Central Bank of Colombia study finds that economic growth and lower interest rates have a role to play.

Capturing Our Impact: Harnessing Innovation for Financial Inclusion

This World Bank e-book features stories, videos, and pictures that illustrate how digital innovation not only enables access to financial services for low-income people but also serves as an enabler for delivering clean water, solar energy, education, and more.

How policymakers can drive uptake of digital payments

New BCG publication discusses the foundational elements that raise the chances of a successful digital journey. Laying the foundations for a cashless economy, it says, should begin with an overarching national payments agenda driven by key stakeholders, including the government. 

Telecom vs. banking-led models of financial inclusion 

Low incomes, costs incurred in account ownership, distance from a bank, financial illiteracy and lack of relevant documentation explain low levels of financial inclusion in both India and Africa. In this brief, experts from the Overseas Development Institute discuss what both regions can learn from each other’s efforts to tackle these issues.

The state of ICT in Uganda 

This IDRC and SIDA-funded policy paper looks at the state of Information and Communications Technologies in Uganda. Apart from other policy recommendations, it calls for addressing the issue of affordability of devices and data and revisiting the issue of social media and mobile money taxes.