Explore the latest global and regional insights from Women’s World Banking’s work in policy, leadership, women’s entrepreneurship, gender lens investing, and more.
Digital credit is transforming access to finance for millions of low-income consumers, especially women, by providing instant, mobile-based loans that help families cover emergencies, invest in small businesses, and smooth daily expenses. But this same accessibility is also fueling a silent crisis: overindebtedness. This new policy brief by Women’s World
Women’s leadership in finance is essential for economic growth. Our latest policy brief, “How Inclusive Leadership Contributes to Women’s Financial Inclusion,” explores how empowering women in financial policymaking leads to stronger, more inclusive financial systems. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in top roles across central banks, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions. This
For millions of women, a digital identification (ID) is more than just proof of identity—it’s the key to unlocking financial independence, healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. Yet, too many women—especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries—still face barriers to obtaining one. Discriminatory laws, socio-cultural norms, and economic challenges keep them excluded,
As Central Bank Digitial Currencies (CBDCs) gain traction globally, with the majority of central banks exploring their potential specifically to improve financial inclusion, the question arises: Can CBDCs truly serve as a catalyst for women’s financial inclusion, and can women trust them? In this brief, we delve into the benefits
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
In this Policy Brief we explore the challenges faced by women in accessing and utilizing financial products and services in developing economies. Globally, approximately 750 million women lack access to financial services, highlighting persistent barriers despite advancements in financial inclusion. Women often exhibit lower levels of financial literacy and
Financial products and services are crucial for empowering women financially, yet rapid innovation and digitalization pose risks, especially for those with low digital financial capability. Women often receive lower quality services or none at all due to societal norms. Vulnerable populations, particularly low-income women and rural communities, face amplified risks
In an increasingly digitalized world, policymakers and regulators hold a critical role in advancing digital financial inclusion, particularly for women. Recognizing the pivotal role of financial capability and digital literacy, policymakers are urged to prioritize the development of women’s digital financial capability (DFC) to foster the widespread adoption of digital
The World Bank Global Findex Database 2021 reports a gender gap of 6% in account ownership across developing economies. While it is encouraging to see the gender gap fall from 9% over the last ten years, women still constitute a significant proportion of the unbanked population in low and lower
Research from Women’s World Banking and our partners highlights the significant benefits of more women banking agents, both for the Financial Services Providers (FSPs) that employ them and for the women agents themselves. But in order to reap these benefits, FSPs need guidance and support from policymakers when it comes
