Insights
Financial access in the time of COVID-19: Self-registration for mobile money accounts in Ghana
The coronavirus pandemic is a tipping point for the digital world. As we navigate uncharted territory and practice social distancing in both the U.S. and with our team members in Ghana, Uganda, and Malawi, our thoughts turn to reaching those people without access to digital financial services.
Protecting women using DFS during the pandemic
The global COVID-19 pandemic is bringing about social changes that will have lasting effects on how we work, socialize, and consume. How can we ensure that while governments are pushing mobile usage to reduce physical contact during the pandemic, women have a safe experience of mobile services?
Realizing we don’t have all the answers: 4 questions on women’s financial inclusion
The numbers on financial inclusion have moved in a positive direction with each release of Findex data, and in some countries, like Indonesia, more women than men have accounts. Progress has been made, but our work is not done — now we are confronting a deeper series of challenges in achieving, and understanding, what we mean by inclusion and economic empowerment for women.
Launch of digital financial services handbook for agriculture
SIA is pleased to announce the launch of the Digital Financial Services Handbook for Agriculture, a product of IFC and Mastercard Foundation’s Partnership for Financial Inclusion, a joint initiative to expand microfinance and advance digital financial services (DFS) in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Blockchain’s impact on development, in the words of the Zen master
We are all familiar with the dramatic impact that mobile communications and the near ubiquitous access to communications technology has had on development. Will blockchain have a similar impact? In the words of the Zen master, “we’ll see.”
Empowering women with DFS
Researchers and implementers have long known that women play a central role in financing family and community needs. What we are now finding is that DFS tools can enhance their role.