In this policy brief, Women’s World Banking reviews the landscape of sex-disaggregated data and offers recommendations for the Indonesian Government to enhance its collection, management, and use. The focus is on leveraging supply-side sex-disaggregated data from the financial sector to meet regulatory objectives and promote women’s financial inclusion.
Globally, financial inclusion is recognized as a key driver of economic growth and sustainable development. Despite commitments from over 55 countries, many still lack comprehensive financial inclusion strategies. While some national strategies mention women’s inclusion, specific targets are often missing. Sex-disaggregated data is crucial for understanding women’s unique financial behaviors and needs, enabling the creation of targeted policies to address barriers such as limited access to financial institutions and gender-based discrimination.
Financial sector providers, guided by regulatory bodies, can use sex-disaggregated data to enhance women’s financial inclusion. This data helps monitor progress towards gender equality in financial services and identify areas needing further attention. Integrating sex-disaggregated data into financial inclusion strategies is essential for promoting women’s economic empowerment and fostering inclusive development.
In Indonesia, despite higher financial literacy rates among women, significant challenges remain in accessing demand-driven financial products and services. Addressing these challenges requires targeted financial products and services that consider women’s specific constraints, such as lower financial confidence and greater unpaid care burdens. Sex-disaggregated data is vital for tracking progress and refining efforts to achieve national financial inclusion goals.
