WOMEN& MONEYWOM EN & M ONEYINSIGHTSAND APATH TO
CLOSE THEGENDERGAPIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

1

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

For as long as she can remember, she’s been told that she
belongs at home, in the market, where the kids are, where it’ssafe, with the other women, in the margins. She’s been told thatmoney—and all the power that comes with it—is not for her.

WHEN SHE CALLS ON HERCOMMUNITY, IT’S DEPENDENCY.
WHEN SHE ENGINEERS A
WORKAROUND, IT’S A CRUTCH.
WHEN SHE BUDGETS ANDSAVES, IT’S NOT RECOGNIZED.
But we see something different. We see her might in themargins—the power to keep things alive, to weave tight safety
nets, to predict and plan for the future.
Yet we choose to design for her scarcity instead of potential;
we focus on transactions instead of collective transformation;
and we create solutions that test instead of teach.

3

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

4What if we designed for her creativity, for her foresight, for hercompassion? What if we designed for the ripple effect she has
on her community?

LET’S IMAGINE A
MORE RESILIENT,PROSPEROUS,
AND DYNAMIC
WORLD—LET’S DESIGNFOR HER POWER.

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

5

TABLE
OF CONTENTSWOM EN & M ONEY6

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Introduction

07

Global Archetypes

08

Insights

12

Opportunities for Design

53

Flex and strengthen her financial muscles.

55

Make headway for new ones.
Meet her where she is; don’t make her come to you.

57

Supercharge her allies and guides.

59

Help her take leaps when gender norms relax.

61

Expand her frame of reference.

63

Design Principles

65

Conclusion

66

Appendix

67

Methodology

68

Country-level snapshots70

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Introduction
In September 2018, IDEO.org, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
set out to better understand the relationship between women and financial
services around the world. The promise of digital financial services (DFS) islarge: new products and services offer people who have been traditionally left
out of the economy pathways to more readily participate. Today, cash-in andcash-out (CICO) services help bridge between physical and digital financial
behaviors, serving as on-ramps to a broader set of digital financial tools thatcan lead to economic empowerment. The Financial Services for the Poor teamat the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation wanted to explore the potential ofengaging women more effectively in these moments. What are their uniquebarriers? What are our unique opportunities to better serve them?
We conducted human-centered design research with over 450 people,
including almost 275 women across seven contexts, with a focus on rural
areas: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Northern Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, andTanzania. We started by looking narrowly at the barriers and opportunities
within digital financial services and the moment of CICO, but the reality is thatthe barriers of access are far beyond this moment. To support women in CICO
moments, we must support women’s relationship with money. This opportunity
is vast, deep, and critically important to improving their economic welfare.
For many women, their relationship with money is strained. Money is vitally
important for running the household—yet it’s always in short supply, and it’s notseen as something that women traditionally earn or control. Still, despite theserestrictions, women engineer creative workarounds, demonstrate financial
behaviors, and prove earning potential can be powered and leveraged to shift
perceptions and possibilities.
Our findings present the key challenges women face, the power andworkarounds they demonstrate in the face of these barriers, and the design
opportunities for the financial sector, policymakers and regulators, thephilanthropic sector, NGOs, and designers everywhere.
We’re inspired by the women we met and the opportunity to design for them.

We hope you will be too.

+7

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

8

GLOBAL
ARCHETYPES
WHO WE DESIGN WITH AND FOR

We spoke to 275 women across seven contexts: Bangladesh, India,
Indonesia, Northern Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania. Eachwoman has a unique story and set of circumstances. Archetypes
help us identify common drivers, circumstances, and needs that
can inspire collective opportunities for design. Our archetypes
were first developed by context and then scaled up to a global
lens. Meet the women we will design with and for.

WOM EN & M ONEY9

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Global Archetypes
MEET

THE UNHEARDCONTRIBUTOR

She is an unmarried young woman
who is expected to contribute to takecare of the household and work in
the family business. The head of thehousehold—primarily her father orhusband—determines how money isspent. She has no savings or money
stash of her own. In fact, it might beperceived as disobedient for her tohave her own money. She may be
educated but has no voice in financial
decision making.

Share of HH Income: None
Voice: Influence: Control: Phone Access: Has access to herfather’s feature phone
Financial Service Usage: Occasionallyacts as a proxy to transact for her parents

WOM EN & M ONEY10

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Global Archetypes
MEET

THE SECRET SAVERMEETTHE DECISION-MAKING
DEPENDENTMEET

THE CONTRIBUTINGCATCHERShe is married and primarily ahome-maker. Early in the marriage,
the Secret Saver may not have as
much ability to save—as she gains
trust from the household and family,
her responsibilities increase. She’s acaregiver, manages the household,and depends on her husband for all
income for the family. He gives her
stipends for household needs, which
she carefully manages. She worries
about how her husband spends money, but has little say in his ultimate
decisions. She saves by hiding moneyfor future school fees and emergencies. Formal financial institutions
are out of reach for her, but she may
participate in a savings group.

Due to her life stage orcircumstances, she receives money
and has complete control over it.
She doesn’t earn, but rather accepts
payments from family members
or the government. She might be a
student living apart from her family,a widow receiving government
stipends, or a matriarch receiving
money from her children. She
may rely on agents for completing
remittance transactions.

She works to provide for her family,
primarily in times of need; she may
stop and start earning at different
times based on her family’s financial
well being. Ultimately, her husband
makes financial decisions for her
family, including when and if she
works. She relies heavily on proxies
to help her when she needs to makedigital transactions.

Share of HH Income: None
Voice: +Influence: Control: +Phone Access: Has access to herhusband’s feature phone
Financial Service Usage: May
participate in community savings group

Share of HH Income: None
Voice: ++Influence: ++Control: +++Phone Access: Owns a feature phone
Financial Service Usage: Receives
remittances, can cash out by herself orwith agent’s help

Share of HH Income: +Voice: +Influence: Control: Phone Access: Has access a feature
phone
Financial Service Usage: Participate
in a savings group, may send and receive
remittances, relies on agent to transact

WOM EN & M ONEY11

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Global Archetypes
MEET

MEET

MEET

THE UNEQUAL EARNER

THE LADDER CLIMBER

She works, but only because herhusband allows it and her familyneeds the additional income. Her
income is steady and may besalaried. The money she earns is
combined with her family’s income,but she may siphon off some tosave in case of emergencies. She
manages household expenses andhas a say in financial decisions, but
not ultimate control. That’s still seenas the role of men in her community.
She uses a bank account to accessher paychecks, pay for school orelectricity, and transfer the moneyout to her husband.

She began working out of necessity
and has worked her way up. She
started her own businesses, has
multiple income streams, andirregular cash flow. She’s always
looking for new ways to make herincome streams more successful.
She may copy the behavior of othersuccessful women around her andmay have taken an individual loan
to grow her business.

She is seen as financially successful
in her community and is respected
for it. The Influencer has provenherself either by establishing a steadyincome or by rising up as a leader,most likely through her savings group.
She is a role model for other women.
She uses financial services and also
informal savings groups. Influencers
are either older or have had somehigher education (beyond primaryschool). She is able to navigate
technology, though she may use aproxy rather than transact herself.

Share of HH Income: ++Voice: +Influence: Control: Phone Access: May own a smartphoneor feature phone
Financial Service Usage: May use abank account to receive paychecks, makeschool payments or electricity payments.
More likely to use a proxy to send or
receive remittances than transact herself.

Share of HH Income: +++Voice: +++Influence: +++Control: ++Phone Access: Owns a smartphone orfeature phone
Financial Service Usage: Sends andreceives remittances, participates ina savings group. May have accessed
a community loan or individual loan.
May have a bank account.

Share of HH Income: +++Voice: +++Influence: +++Control: +++Phone Access: Owns a smartphone
Financial Service Usage: Sends
and receives remittances, participatesin a savings group. May have accessed acommunity loan or individual loan.
May have a bank account.

THE INFLUENCER

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

12

INSIGHTSWHAT WE LEARNEDIn each context, we heard stories of women forced to the margins
of financial systems who employ ingenious workarounds to accessthe services they need. We narrowed in on five key insights that
led to our opportunity areas.
Each insight presents the problems women encounter whennavigating current financial systems and the power they
demonstrate in the face of these challenges. Building on thisasset-based approach, our provocations to the sector (what wecall “how might we statements” at IDEO.org) invite us to design
solutions that build on the best of what women are doing.

INSIGHTONE

THE PROBLEM

HER POWER

Money is the domain of men.
Society doesn’t view it as
her role to earn money or
her right to make financial
decisions.

However, she plays acritical—and unrecognized—role in the financial healthof her family.

HOW MIGHT WE ELEVATEAND AMPLIFY HERFINANCIAL BEHAVIORS?

WOM EN & M ONEYTHE PROBLEM

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IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

MONEY IS THE DOMAIN OF MEN.
SOCIETY DOESN’T VIEW IT AS
HER ROLE TO EARN MONEY OR
HER RIGHT TO
MAKE FINANCIALDECISIONS.

WOMEN HAVE LIMITEDINFLUENCE ON HOW
MONEY IS SPENT...
Meet Nagina
Meet Nagina, from Pakistan.
She’s 22, earns a small salary permonth through teaching, and gives
her entire salary to her parents.
Her family needs this additional
income. Her father returns
some of the money in the formof an allowance every week forcosmetics and accessories. She
has no say over how the money isused in the household and knowsthat when she gets married, shewill likely stop working.

“A good man will provide for his wifeand children, if he doesn’t, no one
respects him.”—Oluchi, Nigeria“My husband has a bank account so
he decides when to take money out.
I don’t get much say.”—Zubaida, Pakistan
Rigid norms define womenas caregivers and men as
breadwinners.
Across six of the seven contexts, men
are expected to be earners while
women take on unpaid care work
such as childcare and householdchores. At a global scale, 75% of thiswork is done by women and has an
estimated economic value of $10
trillion per year—roughly one-eighthof the world’s entire GD— that islargely left unrecognized.

In South Asian contexts in particular,
it is a sign of status for women notwork. Only 23% of rural women were
employed in South Asian contexts
compared to 77% of rural men.
Meanwhile, in African contexts, 59%of rural women were employed lastyear compared to 69% of rural men.
However, it is still seen as improperor threatening for women to earn
too much. In Nigeria in particular,
the derogatory term Mijin Hajia isused to describe a man that has
been emasculated by his wife. It
translates to “a woman has taken
the position of the man.” Some of theworking women go so far as to keep
their earnings a secret from theircommunities in order to save face for
their husbands.

1 The Power of Parity: How Advancing Women’s Equality Can Add $12 Trillion to Global Growth.
McKinsey Global Institute, Sept. 2015.

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

… AND LIMITEDCONTROL OVER MAJOR
SPENDING DECISIONS.
Meet Oladiyin
Meet Oladiyin, from Nigeria.
Oladiyin owns a small
business with her husband.
Though they run the business
together, he ultimately
manages how money is spent.
Perception is also important.
If someone in her or his familyneeds money, Oladiyin’s
husband will always be theone to send it.

THE EXCEPTION TO
THE RULE…
Meet Devi
Meet Devi, from Indonesia.
She’s 41 and married with twochildren. In addition to theearnings she receives from asmall business she runs out ofher home, Devi also manages
the money her husband earns
working at a nearby factory. In
Indonesia it is more common
for women to be responsible
for managing household
finances. This is because of
the gendered expectationthat women are more likely toprioritize the wellbeing of theirfamily over her own wants
and needs.

“If your wife is a good wife, she
won’t say if she is paying for theschool fees.”—Obanor, Nigeria
In Northern Kenya and Tanzania,
these cultural norms have started toshift. For example, in Northern Kenya,men travel for a significant portionof the year with their livestock due
to climate change, leaving womenin charge of bringing in additional
income and stewarding household
expenses. In Tanzania, the majorityof rural, low-income women manage
small businesses or side hustles toearn additional incomes.
However, for the women who work,a job is still seen as an additional
responsibility to duties at home. For
example, Busara, from Tanzania,
has a small business selling maize.
She also takes care of her twochildren, cooks all the meals for herhouse, does all the laundry, decides
purchases for the household, andmanages the money her husband
gives her as table tax to save in
her local upatu (merry-go-roundgroup). If she has too much on her
plate, her business is the first thing
she sacrifices. It will always be her
foremost responsibility to take care of
the household. Her business is seen
as an addendum to the money herhusband brings in as a day laborer.

15

Women have limited financial
power.
Though they play a vital role in theirhouseholds as caregivers andearners, women are not expected or
allowed to control financial decisions.
That power is primarily reserved forthe expected and assumed providers:the male heads of households.
“I want to buy goats so we can startearning money, but she [my wife]
wants to pay back the debt we havefrom the wedding. We will buy goats
because my word is final.”—Shiv, India“You cannot decide alone. The men
must be involved.”—Debra, Northern Kenya

WOM EN & M ONEY16

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Employment rates are higher for rural
men in all contexts. When women
do earn, the dominant assumption
is that men are still the primary
breadwinners.

Employed Last Year

This plot shows the percent of rural men and rural women who were employed in the last year. Employment here
includes those who had salaried employment, irregular/seasonal employment, or were self employed. This data comesfrom the 2017 Financial Inclusion Insights (FII)* survey question which asks “In the past 12 months, what were you mainly
doing for work?” All quantitative data is drawn from the FII survey unless otherwise specified.
*Indonesia data is from 2018

100

80

80%

75%
68%

60

80%

78%

73%

68%
55%

58%

54%
43%

40

29%
20
11%
0

TANZANIANIGERIAKENYA

INDONESIAINDIA

PAKISTAN

9%BANGLADESHPERCENT OF RURAL MEN AND RURAL WOMEN WHO WERE EMPLOYED IN THE LAST YEAR (I.E. NOT A
HOUSEWIFE, STUDENT, RETIRED OR DISABLED, OR UNEMPLOYED).

WOM EN & M ONEY17
17

IN SIGH
INTS
SIGH
AN TS
D AAN
PATH
D A TOPATCHLOTOS ECTHLO E
S EGENDER
TH E GENDERG AP G AP

Types of Employment For Rural Men and Women

Salaried employment includes those who were working full or part time for a regular salary. Irregular/seasonal
employment includes those who were working occasionally with irregular pay (whenever the work was available)
or worked per season (e.g. only during the harvest season). Self employment includes those who were working forthemselves. Not working includes those who were looking for a job, housewives or stay-at-home husbands doinghousehold chores, full time students, retirees, and those who were not working due to sickness or disability. Nonresponse rates were low, so missing responses were considered “Not working.”

TANZANIA39%
SELF
EMPLOYED17%
NOT
WORKING

26%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

8%
0THER

MEN

10%
SALARIED35%
SELF
EMPLOYED25%
NOT
WORKING

26%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

7%
0THER

WOMEN

7%
SALARIEDNIGERIA36%
SELF
EMPLOYED14%
NOT
WORKING

18%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

12%
0THER

MEN

31%
SELF
EMPLOYED34%
NOTWORKING

12%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

12%
0THER

WOMEN

12%
SALARIED19%
SALARIED

KENYA
22%
SELF
EMPLOYED28%
NOT
WORKING

20%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

14%
0THER

16%
SALARIED

MEN

28%
SELF
EMPLOYED33%
NOTWORKING

16%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

13%
0THER

10%
SALARIEDWOMENWOM EN & M ONEY18

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Types of Employment For Rural Men and WomenINDONESIA26%
SELF
EMPLOYED15%
NOT
WORKING

33%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

5%
0THER

MEN

20%
SELF
EMPLOYED54%
NOTWORKING

15%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

3%
0THER

WOMEN

8%
SALARIED22%
SALARIED

INDIA
9%
SELF
EMPLOYED18%
NOT
WORKING

30%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

4%
0THER

MEN

39%
SALARIED3%SELF
EMPLOYED69%
NOTWORKING

12%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

2%
0THER

WOMEN

14%
SALARIEDPAKISTAN35%
SELF
EMPLOYED20%
NOTWORKING

15%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

<1%
0THER

MEN

4%
SELF
EMPLOYED89%
NOT
WORKING

4%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

<1%
0THER

WOMEN

3%
SALARIED30%
SALARIEDBANGLADESH
27%
SELF
EMPLOYED26%
NOT
WORKING

28%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

6%
0THER

13%
SALARIED

MEN

4%
SELF
EMPLOYED89%
NOT
WORKING

2%
IRREGULARSEASONAL

2%
0THER

3%
SALARIEDWOMENWOM EN & M ONEYHER POWER

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IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

WHEN IT COMES TO HERDOMAIN—HER HOME—SHE EXERTSHERCULEAN EFFORTS TO BUDGETAND SAVE FOR HER
FAMILY.

“A good woman is one who canmanage a crisis.”—Nkemdilim, Nigeria

needs. These essential behaviors are
not valued or trumpeted as vital to thefinancial health of their families.

“I sew out of my house to makea little extra money. It’s not a job,
but it gives something for me tocontribute to my committee to save.
That way, if there’s an emergency or
if my husband doesn’t have money
for school fees, we can use thismoney and be alright.”—Yalina, Pakistan

While it may be hard to plan beyond
basic needs, we saw women acrosscontexts saving a little on the side
for emergencies, mostly in cash
and stashed away in a secret spot
at home. Some women described
an implicit understanding between
them and their husbands that thewives would be saving. In Nigeria,
we met Osaz and his wife, Victoria.
They run a small roadside canteen
in their village. Ozaz gives Victoria
a small stipend for food and otherhousehold expenses. He expects
Victoria to stash some of this money
away, but they have never discussed
it. Victoria indeed does and when she
got married, her sister advised her tosave a secret stash for emergencies.
Others keep this saving completely
secret from their husbands. Nazir(Bangladesh) told us that since herhusband had been spending more

“It is important to manage themoney well, especially once
married. The wife must be careful inmanaging money, because if not it
may cause issues in the family.”—Rina, Indonesia
She plans, pinches, and stretches
every cent she and her family have—playing a critical, yet unrecognized,role in the financial future of her
family. She forecasts and fractions—matching earnings with upcoming

frivolously recently, she started
secretly setting some money aside
for emergencies. If her husband
knew, he would not be happy. We saw
this crisis management role play out
across contexts:“The man pays the utility bills butwhen the time comes, if money is
not available, then it is me.”—Binta, Nigeria“My mum advised me to be a
responsible wife, that I should keep
money aside so that when I have an
emergency at home, I can always
have some money set aside.”—Janine, Northern Kenya“I have to keep my money secretly
because if my husband borrows it,
he won’t pay me back and I might
have an emergency.”—Lydia, Nigeria

WOM EN & M ONEY20

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

SOCIETY DOESN’T
RECOGNIZE THESEEFFORTS AS VITAL FOR
FINANCIAL HEALTH.
Meet Champa
Champa (India) is 28 years old andhas lived in her community for 10
years, long enough to learn its ways
and engage in social circles outsideof the home. Her husband works asa day laborer. When he gets paid,
he takes some money for his needs
and gives the rest of the cash to her
to manage the household. Dealing
with fluctuating income is tough,but Champa makes it work for thefamily’s weekly needs. She has threechildren under age 10 that she has tofeed, clothe, and educate. In the backof her mind, she’s concerned about
upcoming family weddings thatwill undoubtedly drain their existingsavings. Money is always on her
mind. Will she have enough to coverdaily food expenses or a doctor’svisit? Her best strategies to mitigate
financial troubles include saving agood harvest in cold storage to sell
off when needed or maintaining
good community relationships. In
an emergency, she first asks family/
friends for help, the SHG for a loan,or as a last resort, sells family landor cattle.

Meet Grace
Grace in Northern Kenya leads a chamagroup of 6 women. They started as a“merry-go-round” group, but began poolingtheir savings to invest in each others’
businesses. Now, all six women havelaunched businesses through the savings
and investment of their chama group.

In Tanzania, we met Grace, a young
mother and wife of a boda boda
driver. She pinches and saves
money every day from the money
her husband gives her for groceries.
When her two year old got sickand needed to be hospitalized, herhusband didn’t have the money
to pay for the care their daughter
needed. While her husband waited at
the hospital, Grace went home andquietly returned with the exact

amount of money the hospitalneeded to care for her daughter.
These financial behaviors aren’t
given the same value as earningmoney, an opportunity many
women are restricted from. Yet thisstretching, pinching, and saving is
critical to making the most of what
her family has.

Savings groups amplify
women’s existing behaviors.
Savings groups were present
across contexts: primary groups in
Bangladesh, arisans in Indonesia,
chamas in Northern Kenya, saccos,
kikobas or upatus in Tanzania, Esusus
in Nigeria, ROSCAs in Pakistan.
Savings groups are the only financial
service we encountered that are
uniquely and unapologetically tailored
to women. This focus on womenengenders environments that help
women feel particularly comfortablelearning and participating. Womenfelt they could save, plan, be held
accountable, and support each otherwhile building community, seeking
counsel, and forming friendships.
A wide-ranging global study on theeffectiveness of mechanisms within
savings groups suggests that, inmany cases, groups have influenced
positive economic outcomes forparticipants’ households and haveprovided structure on which to build
social cohesion. However, gendertransformative outcomes thatchallenge norms and power relations
are not guaranteed. If savings
groups programs are not specificallydesigned to increase her power within
her household or her self confidence,

also known as her “power within,” itis very unlikely that participating in asavings groups alone will make any
difference in these respects.
In cases when programming
does intentionally target moregender transformative outcomes,
participants must consistently cometo meetings over a relatively long
period of time in order for them to beeffective. Savings groups are not all
equal; they are dependent on strong
leadership and are not resilient toshocks, leaving their members more
exposed than institutional financial
services. Successful programming
requires a consistent, specific, andhigh touch model.
The takeaway? The savings groups
model has been an importantand impressive building block for
greater financial stability for millions.
While we recognize the ceilings tosavings groups to date, we see ripe
opportunities to build on the best ofwhat savings groups offer. We want tobuild solutions that weave in gendertransformation seamlessly, safely,and effectively.

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IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Savings Rates

Even though rural women do notearn as much as rural men do, theirsaving rates are just as high, if nothigher, than men’s. On average, 54%of women and 54% of men save.
This plot shows the percent of rural men and rural women who report that they save in some form. This is drawn froman FII survey question that asks “Do you save with any of the following?” where savings can be through a bank, mobile
money account or mobile money product, a member-based organization such as a cooperative, an organization whichmostly lends to members in a group such as an MFI, a group that lends to its members or other people with interest, agroup that collects money from each member and gives it to one person in turn such as a merry-go-round, a digital/
recharge card, in-kind assets such as gold, in cash in a safe place at home or on yourself, with other people (e.g. family,
friends, neighbors, shopkeepers, money guards), or through buying something (i.e. agricultural, livestock, other property).

100

80

81%

77%
63%

60

63%
55%

59%

55%
47% 46%

45%

47%

44%

40

36% 37%

20

0

KENYA

PAKISTANTANZANIANIGERIAINDONESIAINDIAPERCENT OF RURAL MEN AND RURAL WOMEN WHO REPORT SAVING IN SOME FORM

BANGLADESH

WOM EN & M ONEY22

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

HOW MIGHT WE DESIGNFOR HER EXISTINGFINANCIAL BEHAVIORS?
Strength of Insights Across Contexts
PRESENTCONTEXTTANZANIANORTHERN KENYANIGERIAINDIA
PAKISTANBANGLADESHINDONESIASTRONG

THE PROBLEM

VERY STRONGHER POWERINSIGHT
TWO

THE PROBLEM

HER POWER

Financial services
often reinforce themessage that she
doesn’t belong.

She leverages what’s
familiar—trusted proxies
and workarounds—to accessservices and fill gaps.

HOW MIGHT WE SUPPORTTHE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIESTHAT SUPPORT HER?

WOM EN & M ONEYTHE PROBLEM

24

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

FINANCIAL SERVICES OFTEN
REINFORCE THE MESSAGE
THAT SHE DOESN’T
BELONG.

“You need a phone to use mobile
money. It’s not proper for me to havea phone. Only my husband can haveone. So how would I use mobile
money?”—Rahmi, Pakistan
Most financial services are designed
for skills, resources, and access shedoesn’t have—literacy, numeracy,
mobility, and those who have a bankaccount. Digital financial services(DFS) add another layer of complexity;
in addition to being for the literate
and numerate, they are also for thedigitally savvy, or at the very least,
those with access to a phone. Evenin a context like Indonesia where
digital literacy and smartphoneownership are higher, women stillview DFS as overly complicated. She
does not perceive them as an option
for herself—even in cases when she
does use them.

“I don’t have money to buy a phone
and if I had, nobody will teach me
the process of using it.”—Jennifer, Nigeria“With the bank if something goes
wrong, you can walk in and ask for
help, I don’t trust the agents.”­—Chike, Nigeria“I don’t have good mobile phoneskills, so how will I deposit money
without a bank branch?”—Priya, India“Using an agent is fine in an
emergency and if I don’t have timeto go to the bank, but if somethingis weird with my account, I want to
go to the bank in person. I trust I
will find out what’s going on at thebank.”—Irhaa, Pakistan

In some contexts, DFS has a negative
reputation. With the increasing rateof fraud with mobile money, thestories of those who have had a badexperience (e.g. sending money to thewrong person) are much louder thanthose who have benefited from it.
“I once sent money to the wrong
person and never got it back.”—Nuria, Northern Kenya

This, coupled with the narrative thatmoney is to be treated with great
caution, creates fear of making a
mistake that she cannot afford. In
Tanzania and Northern Kenya, DFS
usage is higher and women are more
comfortable with navigating DFS
than in other contexts (in particularmobile money). Because womenWOM EN & M ONEY25

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

have interacted with it more often,
they are slowly gaining confidence
as they transact. But beginners stillfear making mistakes and have lower
confidence. Therefore DFS, whichis meant to be accessible, can feel
nebulous and risky to her.
During an observation at an agent
shop in Northern Kenya, manyrural women wouldn’t wait in line
like the men did. If there was a line
in front of the agent, many women
would stand in the corner waitingfor everyone in line to complete
their transactions. Without a line,
women would go up to the agent.
They knew that they would needassistance from the agent andwaited until the agent had moretime to assist them.
While most low-income people facesimilar barriers, these barriers are
more pronounced for women. On
average, 51% of rural women are
literate compared to 63% of rural men.

On average, 29% of rural women cantext compared to 45% of rural men.
Women are tested on these skills at
every touchpoint, and when they “fail,”it only reinforces the idea that these
services are not for them. She’s lesslikely to seek out new services andmore likely to play it safe.
“I’m not educated so what if I madea mistake?! If I were more educated,
I might try, but I don’t want to takethat risk.”—Nishu, India“I don’t use m-banking. I don’t
dare to try. I’m too worried to click
something wrong and it becomesa problem. I rely on my neighbor’s
daughter to help me do things on
the phone.”—Irma, Indonesia
So, although the financial landscapediffers across contexts, we see a
consistent gendered pattern whererural women use banks and mobile

money at lower rates compared tomen. Rural women are more likely touse non-banking financial institutions(NBFIs), such as MFIs or savings
groups, compared to men, with usage
being highest in rural Kenya (36%).
In our qualitative research, women
described NBFIs, like lending from
community or savings groups, as
more compassionate than traditional
financial institutions. Furthermore,because women are more restricted
in terms of mobility and who isdeemed appropriate for her interact
with, NBFIs within her community are
more accessible and acceptable forher to engage with.
“If you default, the bank will sell
your bed, fridge, whatever isin your place at half-cost. It isheartbreaking. We don’t do that.
We are understanding and support
each other. I’m a mother too, I cantell she has a family, and I can’t
leave her empty.”—Shani, Tanzania

DFS PROMISESWOMEN PERCEIVE

SECURITYSAFETYCONTROLGROWTHNEW OPTIONS

FRAUD
RISK
INACCESSIBILITYINTANGIBILITY
NEW BARRIERSWOM EN & M ONEY26

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Across contexts, men have higher rates ofliteracy, texting ability, and financial literacy.
Literacy
The first plot shows the percent of rural men and rural women who are literate. The respondent is considered literate if
they were evaluated as being able to read and understand the informed consent form well with no more than a little help
from the interviewer.
100
85%
80

80%

83%
74%
63%

60

54%

47%

48%

47%

38%

40

61%

60%

33%

28%

20
0

INDONESIATANZANIAKENYANIGERIABANGLADESHPAKISTAN

INDIA

Can Text
This plot shows the percent of rural men and rural women who say they have “complete ability” to send and receive
text messages.

100
80
64%
60

52%

56%
46%

40

49%
40%

45%

43%
26%

16%

20
0

33%

INDONESIATANZANIAKENYANIGERIABANGLADESH

19%

20%
10%

PAKISTAN

INDIA

WOM EN & M ONEY27

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Has Advanced Financial Knowledge

This plot shows the percent of rural men and rural women who have knowledge of advanced financial concepts. It is
calculated from the following FII survey questions:• Is it safer to put your money into one business or investment, or to put your money into multiple businesses orinvestments?
• Suppose over the next 10 years the prices of the things you buy double. If your income also doubles, will you be able tobuy less than you can buy today, the same as you can buy today, or more than you can buy today?
• Suppose you need to borrow 100 Ksh. Which is the lower amount to pay back: 105 Ksh or 100 Ksh plus 3 percent?
• Suppose you put money in the bank for two years and the bank agrees to add 15 percent per year to your account. Will
the bank add more money to your account the second year than it did the first year, or will it add the same amount ofmoney both year?
• Suppose you had 100 Ksh. in a savings account and the bank adds 10 percent per year to the account. How muchmoney would you have in the account after five years if you did not remove any money from the account?

100

80

60

40
24%
20

0

33%

29%
18%

20%

18%

24%
13%

15% 13%

15%

PAKISTAN

INDIA

11%

UNAVAILABLE
INDONESIATANZANIAKENYANIGERIABANGLADESH

WOM EN & M ONEY28

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Differences in Financial Service Use Between Rural Men and Women
Percent of rural men and rural women who have used a bank or bank account, mobile money, or a non-banking financial
institution (NBFI) for any financial activity in the last 90 days. Bars show the difference in usage rates between rural
men and rural women; a black bar indicates that more men use the service than women, while a green bar (page 29)
indicates that more women use the service than men.

Bank Use Last 90 Days

Difference

100

80

60

57%

40

46%

20

23%
15%

30%

27%
16%
7%

17%
9%

4%

0
KENYA

TANZANIANIGERIAINDIA

BANGLADESH

29%
12%
4%

PAKISTAN

Mobile Money Use Last 90 Days

INDONESIA

Difference

100

80

82%

73%

60

54%
44%

40
38%

20

21%
3%

0
KENYA

TANZANIA

1%

NIGERIA

1%

0%

INDIA

BANGLADESH

17%

4%

1%

PAKISTANINDONESIA

1%WOM EN & M ONEY29

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Rural women are more likely to use
non-banking financial institutions(NBFIs), such as MFIs or savings
groups, compared to men, withusage highest in rural Kenya (36%).
NBFI Use Last 90 Days

Difference

100

80

60

40

20

36%

20%
23%

14%
10%

0
KENYA

TANZANIA

12%14%NIGERIA

9%

INDIA

17%
14%

BANGLADESH

16%

13%

10%

11%

PAKISTANINDONESIAWOM EN & M ONEYHER POWER

30

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

SHE LEVERAGES WHAT’SFAMILIAR—TRUSTEDPROXIES AND
WORKAROUNDS—TO ACCESSSERVICES AND
FILL GAPS.

“I calculate how much I need tosell a goat and transport in myhead. Then I ask my son to help me
confirm whether my calculations
are correct. After I transact, he will
check my mPesa balance for me
too.”—Bernadette, Northern Kenya
Women described the highest
value and use of digital loans andremittances. Mobile remittances inparticular are appealing because
they shorten the time and distance of
payments from far away. Today, sheleverages proxies (e.g. her husband,children, trusted agents) andworkarounds to access DFS, primarilyout of necessity. Yet, from her
perspective, going through a trusted
proxy can do more than just grant
access. Proxies—if they maintainher control and power—can be a

powerful support system. They easeconcerns, save her time, and alleviate
worries about transacting correctly.

not the exception; most women weinterviewed had a family member thatthey used to access services.

Trusted family and neighbors
Doreen (Tanzania) is often theproxy for her mom’s mobile moneytransactions. When her brother sends
money home from Dar-es-Salaam,she is often the one asked to go cashout. There is one agent in her town
and two in a nearby town that havea bigger market. Even though she
does not own a phone, she taught
herself how to use one, knows her
mom’s PIN number, and feels very
comfortable acting on her mother’sbehalf at the agent shop. Once anagent is well trusted, it’s common tosend somebody as a proxy, usuallya family member. The security PIN
for the phone is therefore known
by a handful of people. Doreen wasInformal customer support
services
Informal customer support services
Beyond family and neighbors, we
saw support systems helping women
access DFS services. Emerging digital
ecosystems like wage digitizationand digital school fee payments havecreated a new cast of supporting
actors who are guiding women inlearning how to use DFS to complete
transactions—but not always bydesign. For example, Laboni is ateacher at a BRAC school in Northern
Bangladesh, which has digital school
fees. Her role extends beyond thestudents in her classroom; parents
also depend on her to teach andguide them as they pay school fees

WOM EN & M ONEY31

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Meet Gamya
Meet Gamya. Gamya lives with her
adult son and his family. She has
been separated from her husband,so she relies on her family andsmall plot of land to sustain her.
She told us that she doesn’t use
mobile money. But, as we wereasking her about her phone use,
she mentioned that the last phone
call was from her brother who had
just sent her money. “As soon as I
am done here, I will go to the agent
and pick it up!” Soon enough, wewere walking through the village
with her. Gamya walked briskly, and
we rushed to keep up.
We turned a corner and were
within a few meters of the agent.
Immediately upon seeing Gamya,
he opened his cash drawer andhanded her 3,000 BangladeshiTaka. She smiled and said, “See,how easy is that? I call my brother,my brother calls the agent. I get
what I need!”

Meet Pagan
Meet Pagam. Pagam (Bangladesh)is one of the few women bKash
agents in Dhaka. She took overher husband’s family shop sevenyears ago when her in-laws asked
her to run their shop in place ofher husband. She’s seen thatwomen are at a disadvantage ascustomers, so she takes the time toteach them the CICO process. “It’s
more important to teach women
about bKash because men are
typically more knowledgeable.”

digitally. Laboni helps parents who
struggle with literacy, numeracy, andtechnology through the payment
process. On the blackboards of herclassroom, she traces out numbers
over and over again to teach parents
what each number is, “Remember,they usually forget these things. You
have to tell them over and over again.”
Even with her teaching, she has sevento eight women who seek additional
assistance every month. If she hastime, she explains the process again.
Other times, she just takes theirphone for them and completes thepayment process.
AgentsWhen looking for agents, more thangender or float, women look for
those they can trust—neighbors,family members, members of theirtribe, or simply someone who has agood reputation in their community.
Agents hold sensitive informationand offer tangibility people crave.
Across contexts, agents reported
how often women hand over theirphones to complete transactions forthem; agents even have records withpeople’s names and PIN numbers.
This ensures transactions havebeen completed and helps womenfeel they’ll be able to avoid or undo
mistakes.
“I only go to one agent. When she is
not at the shop, I go directly to herhouse. I trust her because she once
helped me get money I had sent to
the wrong person back.”—Consolata, Northern Kenya“I only go to one agent in town
because he speaks Turkana andcharges my phone when I am out of
power.”—Marissa, Northern Kenya
Agents are incentivized to complete
as many transactions as possible;
oftentimes, it is faster to just complete
the transaction for women instead ofteaching them how to do it on theirown. However, a few agents we met
guide and teach women because
they have found it increases
customer loyalty. “If I teach them,
they will learn and come back to me.”It’s more difficult for her to assess
the trustworthiness of digital
services than to assess thetrustworthiness of a person. These
personal relationships with proxies
heavily influence her frequency ofaccess to DFS.
In Indonesia, we spoke with Devi,
who builds trust with her customers
by helping them to avoid potential
scams and fraud when making
digital transactions.
“I sometimes help my customers
avoid dodgy transactions or
scams, by identifying
the recipient account.”—Bunga, Bali
In Nigeria, we met Wale, a malebank agent, equipped with a tablet
and a few tools, who roams thecommunities of Makoko and Ebute
Meta in search of new customers.
After two years, he has the pitch
down and knows his communities
well. He can register a new customer
to an account and grant themaccess to small loans in a shortamount of time.
“The agents come to the houses
to campaign, they tell you theinterest and the advantage of theiraccount.”—Jummai, Nigeria
Analog Workarounds
Women also deploy ingenious
workarounds to transact in their
day-to-day lives. In Tanzania andNorthern Kenya, we witnessed
women pair their income streams
with discrete expenses as a tool
for budgeting and accounting. For
example, earnings from selling crops
are used to pay school fees, which

WOM EN & M ONEY32

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

pairs a large amount of income with alarge expenditure. Daily earnings fromeggs and poultry go towards daily
expenses. Keeping these income
streams and expenses separate wasperceived as easier to manage than
combining them. This method is usedby women and men with low-literacy,
but women have lower literacy rates,
so this method is more prevalent for
women.
These analog workarounds prove
more difficult to replicate with digitalfinancial services.
Nuria (Northern Kenya) has taught
herself how to recognize numbers
and the specific placement of
options on her phone to complete
mobile transactions even though shecannot read.

Abjana (Bangladesh) is a housewife
and mother. She is not literate or
numerate and while she had heardof bKash, she had no reason to use
it. After her daughters moved to thecity, she needed bKash to accept
remittance payments. Her daughter
saved herself as a contact in Abjana’s
phone as a series of symbols (e.g., !
and #), so her mother would be able
to identify her contact and show it
to agents completing remittancetransactions.

sender and people around her.
Women in Northern Kenya said they
run the SMS of confirmation by
several people around them to verify
how much was actually sent. Wheneveryone confirms the same amount,
her transaction feels verified.
If proxies and workarounds aredesigned to be an option instead ofnecessity, they can be powerful allies
to her.

Women call before and after
transactions to confirm delivery andreceipt. For example, if a woman
receives a remittance, she may callthe sender to confirm the amount
before going to an agent. After she
transacts, she follows up with theAgents Network Gender Makeup (PERCENTAGE OF 818 SAMPLED AGENTS)

37%

53%

91%

100%

91%

78%

63%

47%

22%
9%
KENYA

TANZANIA

INDIA

0%
PAKISTAN

1%BANGLANDESHNIGERIA*Indonesia data unavailable.
Source: “Assessing the Impact of Female Financial Services Agent in Driving Financial” EFiNA, June 2019. Inclusionhttps://www.efina.org.ng/wp-content/
uploads/2019/07/Assessment-of-the-Impact-of-Female-Agents-in-driving-Financial-Inclusion-Research-input-v2.pdf
Source: “Buildling a Case for Women Agents.” Helix Institute, Oct 2016. <http://www.helix-institute.com/blog/building-business-case-women-agents>

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Spotlight on Women Agents“It definitely has to be someone
trustworthy. I would trust a lady
more than a man, but a goodteacher is a good teacher. A man
can also be a good teacher.”—Rupa, India“I just want my money to be safely
sent and received, regardless ofwhether the agent is a man or awoman. If a female agent can dothat for me, I’ll definitely support
her.”—Maimoona, Pakistan
First and foremost, women
look for agents they can trust.
Their selection is often based on acomposite of proximity, personal
relationships, and preferred dialect.
Gender is a less important factor
when considering who they trust tocomplete a transaction safely andeasily. This may in part be because
there are fewer women agents acrosscontexts. Across contexts, there isa gender gap between male andfemale agents. Women agents are
more prevalent in African contexts
than in South Asian contexts. For
example, in Tanzania, 47% of agentsare women. In Bangladesh, only 1% of
agents are women.
The ability to stand shoulder toshoulder is critical to learning.
The physical ability to stand sideby-side with a female agent in somecontexts was critical. It would be
improper to interact that way with amale agent, so female agents offer
the ability for women to more closely
watch the transaction or even learn.

Women agents are overall
perceived to be more patientand understanding. Across mostcontexts, women are perceived tobe better listeners, more patient, andtake more time to teach or help them.
Gender is clearly important when
considering the teaching role agents
often play today. However, we can not
rely on female agent’s alone to teachand support women.
Being an agent is not theaspiration of most women. Most
women agents we interviewed neveraspired or planned to become anagent—especially in the South Asian
contexts. For the most part, womenbecame agents because someone
else suggested it and it took a lot ofconvincing to get them to believe it
was a good investment and that they
could do it.
Increasing the number ofwomen agents may be helpful
for uptick in DFS use for women,
but is not a silver bullet. The
barriers to women using DFS happen
long before the agent visit, including
mobility, numeracy, and acceptability
to manage money.

33

WOM EN & M ONEY

3344

IN SIGH
INTS
SIGH
AN TS
D AAN
PATH
D A TOPATCHLOTOS ECTHLO E
S EGENDER
TH E GENDERG AP G AP

Top 6 CICO Learnings

01

02

03

Cash-in and cash-out are
best thought of as different
experiences.
• Cash-out is very reactive and often
urgent. The money is as good as
spent when it is in the account andtypically cashed out within a day.
• Cash-in is rarer for most low
income women, but has someinteresting use cases. In Bangladesh,
we heard stories of women
depositing a few cents on their way
home from the market to secretly
save some of the money they hadreceived for groceries.

Confirmation is critical. Women
call and confirm on both ends ofthe experience. This is to confirm
the money sent and also prevent
fraud. While women with low-literacy
depend on these calls, most people,
regardless of literacy, call andconfirm out as a good gesture.

Space matters• Physical barriers are critical inmore conservative cultures. Women
feel uncomfortable and improper
standing in line with men. This wasparticularly important in Pakistan and
Bangladesh. Additionally, with maleagents, they need the barrier between
the two of them. However, this hinders
her ability to observe and see.
• Crowds deter her engagement.
Women recognize that they may
have more questions or need to takemore time. They try to avoid crowds
or places where the agent won’t havethe time for extra attention.

04

05

06

CICO moments can be teaching
moments for CICO and financial
services in general. While many
women hand off their phones toagents, others are learning alongsidethem. [See “Women Agents.]. They
also learn about new digital financial
services through agents. While these
moments are critical, they are difficult
for agents to do because it slows
down their entire business.

CICO is more convenient when it
comes to them. In Nigeria, agentscome directly to people’s homes.
In India, a third party takes theirphones or bank cards and completes
transactions for them. This wasperceived as a convenience, andthe cost of the additional fees were
often equal to the cost of additionaltransportation to get to a non-mobile
agent.

Clusters of agents are betterfor business. In rural areas, both
women and men will walk a little
further to areas where multiple
agents are—that way they know they
can complete the transaction.

WOM EN & M ONEY35

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

HOW MIGHT WE BUILD
ON THE PROXIES AND
WORKAROUNDS THATSUPPORT HER?
Strength of Insights Across Contexts
PRESENTCONTEXTTANZANIANORTHERN KENYANIGERIAINDIA
PAKISTANBANGLADESHINDONESIASTRONG

THE PROBLEM

VERY STRONGHER POWERINSIGHT
THREE

THE PROBLEM

HER POWER

Her saving and budgeting
does not translate tosignificant gains in voice,influence and control overmoney in her household.

The more she is able tocontribute to householdincome, the more she
exercises voice, influence,and control over finances.

HOW MIGHT WE MAKE MORE
EARNING A POSSIBILITY
FOR MORE WOMEN?

WOM EN & M ONEYTHE PROBLEM

37

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

HER SAVING AND BUDGETING
DOES NOT TRANSLATE TOSIGNIFICANT GAINS IN VOICE,INFLUENCE AND
CONTROL OVER MONEY
IN HER HOUSEHOLD.

Meet Tania
Tania (Bangladesh) is a homemakerand a part of a BRAC loan group.
She and her husband discuss theirsavings and plans, but at the end of
the day, he’ll make the big decisions;
she’s just here to support him. The
same goes for BRAC loans: shetakes out the loan and attends loangroup meetings, but he has the final
say in how the amount is saved andinvested.

HER SAVING
BEHAVIORS HAVESMALL GAINSFOR ECONOMICEMPOWERMENT“The husband is everything. I can’t
do anything until I tell him.”—Lillian, Tanzania“I rely on my husband’s decision–whatever he thinks is best for thebusiness.” —Tania, Bangladesh
In our quantitative research, wemeasured women’s economic
empowerment by the amount ofvoice, control, and influence she
has over her finances1. While many
women save or in some cases
receive loans, efforts critical to thefinancial health of her family, they
do not equate to greater economic
power. Men are still the final
decision-makers when it comes tofinances in the household.

1A composite index for economic empowerment was created from the following three questions in

the Financial Inclusion Insights survey:
Influence: If you were to speak your mind on a decision regarding how to spend your household’s
income, about how much influence do you think you would have on the final decision? (GN3_1)
Voice: If you happened to disagree with a decision about how your household’s income is spent,
how likely would you be to voice disagreement? (GN4)Control: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding themoney you personally earn or receive? You make the final decision on how your money is spent or
saved (GN7_1)

WOM EN & M ONEY38

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Economic Empowerment for Savers

This plot shows the average economic empowerment level for rural women who save and rural women who do not
save. The bubble color indicates the country and the size of the bubble indicates the percent of rural women who do
or do not save. For example, the large bubble for Kenya on the right hand side of the plot reflects the high savings rates
among rural women. The dashed trend line has a slight upward slope, indicating there are small gains in economic
empowerment associated with saving.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

5

4

3

2

1

NON SAVER

SAVER

Percent of Rural WomenCountry
KENYA

INDIA

NIGERIAPAKISTANTANZANIABANGLADESHINDONESIA

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

WOM EN & M ONEYHER POWER

39

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

THE MORE SHE SEES HERSELF AS
AN EARNER, THE MORE SHE WILL
EXERCISE VOICE,INFLUENCE, AND
CONTROL OVERFINANCES“When I stayed home it was likebonded labor; I wasn’t using mybrain for anything, nobody knew
me. I didn’t have an identity otherthan being somebody’s wife,
somebody’s daughter-in-law. Now
I am my own person. I am special.
It makes me happy, I have my own
personal confidence.”—Renu, India
When women are able to earn,
and the higher their contribution
to household income, we seequantitatively higher voice, influence,and control over finances: thecomposite score we’re measuring
for economic empowerment.
Qualitatively, there are few
incentives for women to earn. As
aforementioned, it is often a signof status for a woman to not haveto work. However, women that areearners described a newfoundconfidence and power after they wereable to generate income for theirfamilies.
Years ago, Jackie (Tanzania) started
selling small batches of fried fish at amarket in Mwanza. With advice fromher husband and other fisherwomen,
she reinvested her profits and slowly
worked her way up to selling several
freezers worth of fresh fish to a loyal
base of customers on a weekly basis.
She and her husband now contributeequally to the household income andmake big financial decisions together.
Jackie originally started using mobile
money to send money to relatives ina pinch. Later, she started keeping abalance in case her electricity or herphone’s airtime ran out. Increasingly,
regular customers bought large
orders with mobile money, andshe’s starting to think about taking asmall loan out over her phone. She
would love to pay her suppliers andemployee in mobile money, but they
still request cash.

WOM EN & M ONEY40

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

The more she contributes
household income, the higher her
voice, influence, and control.
Share of Household Income Provided

This plot shows the average economic empowerment level for rural women who provided none, some, or almost allof their household’s income. The bubble color indicates the country and the size of the bubble indicates the percent
of rural women in that bucket. The smaller circles in the upper right part of the plot reflect that providing almost all of
the household income is relatively uncommon, but that for women who do, they tend to have high levels of economic
empowerment. The dashed trend line has a strong upward slope, indicating that providing a larger share of householdincome is associated with sizeable gains in economic empowerment. Note that this is not a causal claim, as there may
be a virtuous cycle between these two factors.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

5

4

3

2

1

NONE
CountrySOME

ALMOST ALL

Percent of Rural Women

KENYA

INDIA

NIGERIAPAKISTANTANZANIABANGLADESHINDONESIA

0.15

0.30

0.45

0.60

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

THERE’S NEWFOUNDCONFIDENCE IN
CONTRIBUTING TO
HOUSEHOLD INCOME.

WAGE DIGITIZATIONPAIRED WITHPERSONAL ACCOUNTSCAN GIVE HER MORE
CONTROL.

Meet Renu
Meet Renu. When Renu (India) got married,
she was told she was no longer allowed
to earn. Years later, she was identified asa leader in her savings group and asked
to serve as “bank mitra,” helping other
women navigate financial services of
payments banks. Before her job, she wasrelying on her husband for money. She felt
dependent and powerless. Now that she ispaid regularly, she is able to contribute to
the household and make her own financial
decisions. She sets money aside for futuregoals, like weddings or festivals, but wants
to be better prepared for shocks andemergencies.

Meet Setiawati
Meet Setiawati, a 44-year-old woman with
two adult children and one school-aged
child, who has to fulfill her family’s needs
ever since her husband passed away a
few years ago. She used to be a handbag
craftswoman but now she sells rica-rica
mentok, a spicy duck dish specialty from
East Java. Prior to the pandemic, Setiawati
sold her cooking in a stall near the market
but she has since had to close her stalland shift her business entirely online. Afterteaching herself to use a smartphone,
she’s joined GoFood to sell her foodonline to a broader customer base. She
is comfortable in her role as breadwinnerand supported by her community.

Meet Arju
Arju is a garment factory worker in Dhaka.
A few years ago, her husband got sick,so she started working to support her six
children. Her job has given her enormous
financial relief—she was able to build ahouse, buy land, and afford her husband’s
medicine. Six months ago, her salary was
digitized. At the moment of transition, she
was nervous. She wasn’t a bKash user andworried that she’d make a mistake. Aftersome practice, she’s now confident that
she can cash in and cash out easily andproud that keeping her money digitally has
made her into a better saver. “At first, I wasworried. I went to our bKash officer, trained
and practiced, and now I can cash out!”“Wage digitization has given womena reason to have tough conversations
with their husbands and say, ‘this is mymoney.’”— Factory Administrator, Bangladesh“On pay day before, husbands used tostand outside the factory gate and takethe cash from their wives. Women had
to hide the money and not disclose theirfull wages to their husbands.”— Factory Manager, Bangladesh

41

WOM EN & M ONEY42

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HOW MIGHT WE MAKE
MORE EARNING A
POSSIBILITY FOR MORE
WOMEN?
Strength of Insights Across Contexts
PRESENTCONTEXTTANZANIANORTHERN KENYANIGERIAINDIA
PAKISTANBANGLADESHINDONESIASTRONG

THE PROBLEM

VERY STRONGHER POWERINSIGHT
FOUR

THE PROBLEM

HER POWER

There are rigid rules
concerning what is perceived
as acceptable and safe forwomen. She’s rewarded forplaying by them and punished
for breaking them.

There are key transition
moments when gendernorms have potential torelax.

HOW MIGHT WE BUILD ON
MOMENTS OF TRANSITION TO
HELP HER STEP UP?

WOM EN & M ONEYTHE PROBLEM

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

44

THERE ARE RIGID RULES CONCERNING
WHAT IS PERCEIVED AS
ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE FORWOMEN. SHE’S REWARDED
FOR PLAYING BY THEM AND
PUNISHED FOR BREAKING THEM.

Meet Nishu
Nishu (India) is 17 and a newlywed.
She moved villages to live with her
in-laws and husband. These days,
she spends her days cooking anddoing household chores. Because
she is eager to please her family,
she hesitates to do anything thatpushes the status quo. If she needs
to go out or make big decisions,she consults her husband or her
in-laws. She knows very little about
the world outside her home andcan’t begin to imagine a different
life right now.

“Since I’m new, I don’t move outsideof the house. If we need moresoap, I send a village boy to go buy
it. I’d have to ask my in-laws for
permission to leave, and I would
listen to them. My favorite thing to
do is farming because I get to go
outside.”—Nishu, India
These rigid rules extend acrossmacro and micro decisions—fromeducation to employment to childrearing and transportation. For

example, a woman often has limited
mobility, because she has too muchwork at home or it is perceived
as “unsafe”—either physically or
reputationally—if she goes out on
her own. In Nigeria, a woman who
wanders too far outside of her home
is questioned for her morality anddecency. As aforementioned, awoman that works can threaten theposition of the man.
“I am free with a job. I don’t haveto ask anyone for money. But myhusband doesn’t like my having ajob, so he wants me to quit. I don’t
want to quit.”—Nazia, Bangladesh
For other women, it is simply theburden of their chores and the birthof a child that shrinks mobility andeconomic opportunity. In Tanzania,
women described the tension
between duties at home and work.
“I sometimes have to leave work tobreastfeed. You have to make suresomeone watches your child.”— Johanna, Tanzania

Similarly, in Northern Kenya, we
met Consolata. She got married asa third wife and had eight children.
Consolata walks her children every
day to a safe distance from school
and then heads back to do her housechores (fetching water, cooking, andcleaning). Many of these decisions
are interconnected. Because womenare expected to bear responsibilitiesof the home, their education isn’t asvalued or invested in as their malecounterparts.
By contrast in Indonesia, a country
that has already made positive
strides toward closing the gender
gap, the social expectation is thatwomen are the managers of thehousehold money. Women are more
likely to be celebrated for stepping
up to earn extra income for theirfamily during a time of need, but
this support for women working
outside the home contracts duringmotherhood when rigid rules andsocial norms dictate that she stayclose to home to raise the children.

WOM EN & M ONEY45

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

On average, levels of secondary
education for rural women arelower than for men.

Secondary Education Levels
This plot shows the percent of rural men and rural women who have at least some secondary education. This is drawn
from an FII survey question that asks “What is your highest level of education?”

100

Female

Male

80

60

58%

58%
51%

40

51%

47%

58%

41%

53%

52%
39%

38%
31%
25%
18%

20

0

INDONESIABANGLADESH KENYA

INDIA

NIGERIAPAKISTANTANZANIAWOM EN & M ONEYHER POWER

46

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

THERE ARE KEY TRANSITIONMOMENTS WHEN GENDERNORMS HAVEPOTENTIAL TO
RELAX.

“Everyone’s voice should be valued.
Still in most families, the patriarch ismost valued. I hope and believe thatwhen I get married, I will keep myown account.”—Garment Factory
Administrator, Bangladesh“If my husband hadn’t died, I would
have definitely studied longer
before assuming responsibility.”—Madiha, Pakistan
Marriage, birth, and moments ofcrises have the potential to shiftfinancial agency in: how work isdivided, money is earned, anddecisions are made. While wesaw many examples of increased
economic empowerment, we saw
many examples of decreased
economic empowerment. Thissuggests that these moments areimportant to design for.

Marriage
Marriage marks the beginning of alifelong power dynamic between awoman, and her husband and herin-laws. Without new models toadhere to, husbands default as thedecision makers, and women hesitate
to negotiate with their new partners
and speak up for themselves. But
the beginning of a marriage is also awindow of opportunity for couples tomake these power dynamics more
symmetrical.
In general, men show openness to
new models of financial decisionmaking, and strong financial futures
could be a good entrypoint to that
discussion. For many women, amarriage might mean that she has
to quit her job, because it is seen as a
reputational risk. Abjana (Bangladesh)
stopped working after it was deemed

improper for her to be an earner in thecommunity.
Children
The birth of a child often restricts
a woman, further adding to her
responsibilities at home. However,
because women are expected to
become mothers, this moment is also
one in which she gains community
affirmation. It is also more acceptablefor women to make financial
decisions that support their children:
paying for school fees, schoolsupplies, and day-to-day needs.
Crises
Crises may demand women to stepin for men as earners and decisionmakers. Macroshocks impact a
community (e.g., natural disasters,wars) and microshocks are crises that
impact individual women (e.g., deathWOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

CRISIS CANBREED FINANCIAL
RESILIENCE.
Meet Madhia
Meet Madhia. Madhia is widowed,
and a full-time teacher at a primaryschool in her village in Pakistan.
Eight years ago, she assumed
responsibility when her husband
tragically died in a car accident.
With a baby on the way, she wascompelled to start working tosupport herself and her newborn.
Taking this job was the first time
she contributed to the householdincome. And eight years later she
is still teaching, and her son alsostudies at the same school. Madhia
thinks teaching is a respected job
and she is thankful for all she hasachieved. She dreams of starting her
own beauty parlor one day when she
has enough finances saved from hercommittee participation.

of primary breadwinners, losing a job,moving) that force a reevaluation ofnorms.
Macroshocks: For example, inNorthern Kenya, climate change has
forced men to find fertile pastures forlivestock further from home. Women
have stepped up as financial headsof households: budgeting, saving, anddecision-making across all aspectsof their home lives. Women are now
keen to send children to school
because of the instability of pastoraland agricultural income in their own
lives. To meet these new financial
costs, women are stepping up to earn
income for their families, too.
BOMA Project’s Livestock Market
Systems provides women withassets and trains women in financial,business, and life skills to support
starting a livestock business.
The buying and selling of cattle
is traditionally a male-dominatedauction, and women are growing apresence.
In our quantitative analysis, we seea small positive correlation (0.10)
between the strength of householdshocks and the share of householdincome that women provide in rural
Kenya. Household shocks include
the death or illness of a household
member, livestock death, crop
disease/pests, and drought/floods.
While this correlation is small, thisis the only country for which we seesuch a positive relationship. In rural
Kenya, we also see a small positive
correlation (0.12) between averageshock strength and economic
empowerment, suggesting thatshocks may provide an opportunity
for women to have greater voice,control, and influence over household
decision making.

47“If you sell goats and cows forschool fees and that’s your only
income, that won’t work, but having
many small businesses will sustainme”—Evelin, Northern Kenya
Microshocks: Fatima and Fatima
are two friends and sisters-in-law
from Tanzania. They both faced
moments of crises at around thesame time; one of their husbands left
the family and the other passed away.
Both were forced to provide income
for their families and start businesses.
Over time, they supported each otheras counsel and sounding boards.
Although women around the world
are at risk of macro and microshocks,
they are often left unprepared whencrisis hits. There is opportunity andneed to support them in these criticaltransition moments.

WOM EN & M ONEY48

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

HOW MIGHT WE BUILD
ON MOMENTS OF
TRANSITION TO HELPHER STEP UP?
Strength of insights across contexts
PRESENTCONTEXTTANZANIANORTHERN KENYANIGERIAINDIA
PAKISTANBANGLADESHINDONESIASTRONG

THE PROBLEM

VERY STRONGHER POWERINSIGHTFIVE

THE PROBLEM

HER POWER

There are few narratives
or examples that invite
her to imagine her role asa financial contributor.

A single bold woman
can shift perceptions
and possibilities for the
women around her.

HOW MIGHT WE ENCOURAGE
MORE BOLD WOMEN TO OFFER
ALTERNATIVE NARRATIVES?

WOM EN & M ONEYTHE PROBLEM

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

THERE ARE FEW NARRATIVES
OR EXAMPLES THAT INVITE HERTO IMAGINEHER ROLE AS A
FINANCIALCONTRIBUTOR.

WOMEN ARE NOTCELEBRATED FOR
SUCCEEDING
Meet Poongadi
Poongadi (India) got married 15 years
ago and runs a small business making
clothes. Her husband tells her that she
must take care of all the household andfamily responsibilities first, so she does
not have a lot of time for her business.
As she has grown her business, she
had the idea to buy an embroiderymachine to help with her business.
When she asked her husband, he said
no. When we asked if she had everrevisited the topic with her husband
since, she said she had not, but that
she thinks about it every day. She
accepted his decision and does notview it as her right to question it, evenall these years later.
“His straightaway answer was no. I justleft it. I haven’t said anything since. It
was seven years ago.”“A good husband cares for his wife,
trusts and provides. The woman is
responsible for household savings.”— Ed, Tanzania
Women who earn incomes areperceived as outside of the norm inmost of the contexts, even thoughmany women might bring in income
to support their families. Many wereforced to earn because of crises, notpersonal choice. Therefore, for many
women, having to step up in financial
power is not desirable or celebrated.
Even those who do earn do not see
it as income. Men are the providers,
but women are the stewards. Evenchildren have internalized the roles ofmen as breadwinners and women as
caregivers. Daily expenses and saving
are delegated to women, widely
regarded as the better steward ofmoney, but men often reserve controlof larger expenses and decisions.
Financial decisions are the privilegeof the earner.

50

WOM EN & M ONEY51

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

HER POWER“I get ideas from what I see
around me.”—Josephine, Northern Kenya
Teaching is a very respectable job
in our society. When I was young, I
saw my teachers and knew I wanted
to transfer knowledge to children.”—Rowshown, Bangladesh
Women who take on uncharted
financial pathways expand the realmof possibilities for all women aroundthem. Women who are savings
group leaders, earners, agents, andentrepreneurs set examples of newopportunities for other women. They
also step up to help other womenlearn about how to get a job, run abusiness, or save more effectively.
These strong female leaders serveas powerful role models, changing
the narrative of what is possible forwomen in their community.

A SINGLE BOLD WOMAN CANSHIFT PERCEPTIONS AND
POSSIBILITIES FOR THE
WOMEN AROUND HER.

In Tanzania, we saw a spring ofentrepreneurship amongst women;
women choose work that they haveseen someone else do and there’s
a thirst for business education,
particularly from women like them.
Across contexts, low-income rural
women we met have pretty restricted
information sources. But, the internet
can provide a window to the world
outside. Women we met are using
the Internet to communicate withfriends and family (via Facebook
and WhatsApp), to watch television,and for tutorials (via YouTube). There
are opportunities to leverage theseplatforms to tell these stories.
And since the Covid-19 pandemic,
women in Indonesia have beenusing these platforms to swap tips
and tricks on how to run small,socially distanced businesses out of
their homes.

Meet Navida
Meet Navida from Pakistan. She’s
married and has two children. Her
husband works, and she runs a few
different ROSCA savings groups in her
community. She feels supported byher husband and never felt the need towork. One day she had the idea that her
family should invest in buying a car andrenting it to others in her community
to generate income. Her husband
didn’t think it was a good idea, and noone else believed it would work as abusiness. Navida knew her uncle had
enough capital to lend her to buy thecar, and she petitioned him for enoughmoney to make the purchase. At first,
he said no. But Navida went against her
husband and her uncle and continued
to show up to his house every day until
he agreed to lend her the money. After
just a few months, it was clear that her
idea was a good one—she was making
enough money to pay off the loan, andnow she puts the proceeds into her
ROSCA group as savings. Her story has
encouraged others in her ROSCA groupto start their own small businesses andto believe that their ideas are valid, even
if the men in their lives don’t initiallybelieve in their financial acumen.

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

BOLD WOMEN CREATECOMMUNITY AND
WELLBEING FOR
THOSE AROUND THEM.
Meet Amina and Mariam
In Northern Kenya, Amina and Mariam
started a no cash out welfare/chamagroup in 1989 with other Muslim womenfrom their village. Initially they contributed
200 shillings every month that was used
to help the most needy women within thegroup. Almost 30 years later, the group has
one of the biggest camel milk businesses
in Isiolo, with most customers based in
Nairobi. Through their chama, they’ve put
all their children through school and are
now saving towards buying each membera piece of land.

IF THEY CAN SEE IT,
THEY CAN DREAM IT.
Meet Rowshon
Rowshon has been a teacher for four
years. Her friend encouraged her to takethe exam, and she was surprised when she
passed. She felt lucky that her husband
and in-laws supported her desire to work.
They acknowledge that being a teacher isa well-respected job for a woman in theircommunity. Taking this job was the firsttime she contributed to her household’s
income. She’s thankful that she can send
her nine year old daughter to the sameschool she teaches at. It’s really rewarding
work and she hopes to continue teachingfor as long as possible.

Meet Atun
Meet Atun from Indonesia. For many years,
Atun has been selling food out of her home
to supplement her family’s income, butwhen the Covid-19 pandemic hit and herhusband lost his job, she had to step into
the role of primary breadwinner for herhousehold. She looked online to places like
Facebook and YouTube for inspiration on
how other women like her were managing
their businesses during the pandemic.
After picking up a few tips and tricks,
Atun was able to successfully pivot her
business online by posting daily menus
on WhatsApp and enlisting the help of herchildren to deliver the meals.

52

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HOW MIGHT WE
ENCOURAGE MORE
BOLD WOMEN TO
OFFER ALTERNATIVENARRATIVES?
Strength of Insights Across Contexts
PRESENTCONTEXTTANZANIANORTHERN KENYANIGERIAINDIA
PAKISTANBANGLADESHINDONESIASTRONG

THE PROBLEM

VERY STRONGHER POWERWOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

54

OPPORTUNITIESFOR DESIGNWOM EN & M ONEY55

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

WHAT WE’LL DO

Opportunities for Design

She has anunderstandingof HH financial
principles &practices

She sees herself
as a financial actor
and is confident toparticipate in HH
financial discussions

She makes
increasingly criticaldecisions for thefinancial managementof her HH or business

As her economic empowerment grows, her financial behaviors and needincrease in frequency, magnitude and complexity, and so her DFS demand cycle
evolves and continues.
She serves as a role model for other women and a positive influence on
gatekeepers in driving more equitable gender norms.

A world where women can contributeis a better world for all of us. But
across contexts, current financial
systems don’t help women findstability and growth as promised.
They often reinforce that women
don’t belong. Even then, women havepersisted in finding ways to accessthe services they need to movethemselves forward.
Building on the best of what womenare doing from our research,
we begin to see a pathway forthem to gain greater economic
power—increasing confidence,
voice, influence, and control ofmoney and their lives. What starts
with basic household financial
practices translates into confidence
and control in financial decision
making. This leads to greater control
of increasingly important financial
decisions that impact a woman andher family. Ultimately, women’s
economic empowerment is notjust a singular end goal—but rather
a continuous loop of growing
economic needs, access, andcontrol. A woman’s progress along
this pathway is influenced by thesystem around her. She can be

enabled—or hindered—by family
gatekeepers, her community,
financial services, and institutions likegovernment and civil society.
In our research, we explored how
a redesign of this system, doneside by side with women, could
support their journey. This pointed
us to five opportunities areas: each agenerative launch point for multiple
solutions to emerge.
A systems-oriented approach
Our opportunity areas touch on
concepts that engage women andalso call on the financial services,
gatekeepers, and institutions aroundher to adapt to her, insisting she
belongs, is valued, and that her
economic empowerment will beprioritized. Within our model forchange, we see financial services asboth an enabling mechanism on her
journey to economic empowerment
as well as a signal of the gains she
has made, as her access and use
increase with time.
A gender-sensitive lens
We have generated concepts within
our five opportunity areas that are—

She is controlling andgrowing her economic
assets.
She has more substantive
autonomy over thefinancial futures of her
and her HH—including
marital, reproductive,
education & employment
decisions.

at minimum—gender intentionalbut, wherever possible, gendertransformative. Gender intentional
concepts work within existing norms
to address the exclusion of women.
These concepts recognize gendernorms as constraints that must be
designed within or around to ensure
women’s economic empowerment
can progress. Gender transformative
concepts address the attitudes,
behaviors, and social systems to
examine and challenge norms andpower relations. These concepts
focus on transforming dynamics
that promote shared power, controlof resources, and decision-making
to advance women’s economic
empowerment and likely engage
gatekeepers and institutions. Gendertransformation requires time,commitment, and patience; change
in root causes may be slow, but deep.
Gender transformative concepts alsocome with the risks of challenging
norms and existing relational
power structures, which can be
met with resistance. Therefore,risk mitigation must be a part ofplanning and operationalizing gendertransformative concepts.

01
WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH
INTS
SIGH
AN TS
D AAN
PATH
D A TOPATCHLOTOS ECTHLO E
S EGENDER
TH E GENDERG AP G AP

FLEX AND STRENGTHENHER FINANCIAL
MUSCLES. MAKE
HEADWAY FOR NEW ONES.

56
56

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57

STRENGTH

Flex and strengthen her financial
muscles. Make headway for new ones.
“All our children go to school withmoney we saved through thesavings group.” —Amina, Northern
Kenya
Money is widely considered thedomain of men, but women play a
critical role as household savers andbudgeters. But their pinching, saving,and planning isn’t valued, recognized,
or built on.
Elevate the financial behaviors
women already employ and create
new learning opportunities. For
women who are able to earn, help
them manage and grow their income.

IMAGINE THISPOCKETPOWER
Translate the confidence and consistency she feels in savings groups into
financial decision-making at home.
Preloaded on her phone and powered by AI and voice technology, thePocketPower helps her manage her household budget, identify savings
goals, and extend her community beyond in-person savings groups’.
Visual cues make it easy to track accounting and share her decision-making
process with her family, increasing the visibility of her financial prowess. In
addition to making her a stronger saver, PocketPower also helps her build
voice and influence in financial decisions. She can get guidance on topics
ranging from tough conversations with her husband to negotiations in themarket to stronger relationships with her mother-in-law.
A group chat feature helps her stay connected to other women in between
meetings. Together with peers, they can prep for hard conversations, offer
real-time coaching advice, and enter challenges such as a 30-day “digitallyfit” game to get more confident in using their phones and mobile money.
They’re met with daily inspiration, tips, and motivation to get strong together.

OTHER IDEAS TO TRYDIGITAL SAVINGS ENVELOPES:
Create savings boxes with QR-code
envelopes that help women save for theirgoals. Agents collect envelopes and put
money in her account when she is ready.
Inspired by: Indonesia, Northern Kenya,
Tanzania, and India
DIGITAL BRICK BANK:Design a digital “brick bank” that visualizes
the real-world practice of saving bricks
when saving toward a home. Mobile
money accumulation is represented
through digital bricks. Serves as a gateway
to other DFS products and services.
Inspired by: Tanzania

GIRLS EARN, GIRLS SAVE, GIRLS SAY:
Organize accelerated job and financial
literacy training for girls. Through simple
courses and games, this program builds
girls analog and digital financial skills andconfidence so she can earn money andassert her power in the future. It could be
paired with youth reproductive health forholistic programming and scale with local,
state, and national governments.
Inspired by: Tanzania, Northern Kenya,
Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia

02
WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH
INTS
SIGH
AN TS
D AAN
PATH
D A TOPATCHLOTOS ECTHLO E
S EGENDER
TH E GENDERG AP G AP

MEET HER WHERE
SHE IS; DON’T MAKEHER COME TO YOU

5588

WOM EN & M ONEY59

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

COMMUNITY

Meet her where she is; don’t make hercome to you“If I need money, I would ask myfamily, but I’m hardly able to give ifthey need. They would come bringme the money at home...how else
can I get it?”—Indira, India
Financial services are designed forskills, resources, and access she
often doesn’t have—they’re for themobile, literate, numerate, banked,
and in the case of DFS, tech savvy.
Build services that are accessible,
tailored, safe for her to access, andlow-barrier of entry. Design for lowliteracy first by leveraging voice andiconography—and going to the places
she frequents: savings groups, atthe market, where she runs errands.
Invite her in.

IMAGINE THISCICO ON THE GO
A mobile agent that comes to her and is just for her
Telecommunications companies recruit and dispatch mobile agents fromlarger towns to nearby villages. Agents—most of whom are women—areassigned a region where they provide financial services to women. Beyond
gaining their trust, they’re trained to become their guides. Rural women
can go to agents to complete CICO transactions, set up mobile accounts,
get financial advice, and learn about new financial services (e.g., getting asavings accounts or taking out loans).
These mobile shops are equipped with a hot spot and sell mobile top ups,
soap, pads, make-up, and tea. Women can practice transactions withthe help of their family, friends, or the agent—and they can complete
transactions using voice, audio, and iconography. Imagine four-foot‘practice phones’, large enough that groups of women can watch eachother practice transactions. The practice phone simulates the CICO process
women will complete—minus the financial risk.

OTHER IDEAS TO TRY
DIGI-SHERPA:
Design digital onboarding experiences of
products and services as ongoing references
women can rely on as they grow their financial
skills.
Inspired by: Indonesia, Bangladesh, India,
Northern Kenya, and Nigeria
HER MARKET, DELIVERED:
Help women order goods from nearby towns
over the phone using mobile money. Lowincome women appreciate the time savings andconvenience.
Inspired by: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
BRIGHT LIGHT CICO:
People with low literacy crave physical proof
that their money is safe and their transactions
are successful. This disproportionately impacts
women. Introducing design elements during
cash-in and cash-out can convey reliability.
For example, an LED that plugs into the agent’s
phone and lights up when a transaction

completes, recognizable audio cues thatindicate a transaction has completed or failed,or screens on the agent’s smartphone thatare meant to be looked at by the agent andcustomer simultaneously. All of these featuresand experiences reinforce her security andprivacy.
Inspired by: India, Northern Kenya, Bangladesh,Pakistan, Nigeria
SAVING GROUP AGENTS:
Build up SHGs or saving group members to
slowly learn the skills and save the capital
to become an agent for their community, inpartnership with their local telco. Women learn
valuable skills, the community gets more agent
that they know, and an MNO has a way to scale
quickly. The group itself could even apply for the
license, empowering the entire group to act asagents and take on the financial risk together.
Inspired by: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Tanzania,
Indonesia, and Northern Kenya.

CICO: EMOJI EDITION:
Make the CICO process was entirely visual.
Simple emojis and symbols on feature phones orplayful emoji scenes on smartphones illustratenext steps and easily guide users throughvisuals.
Inspired by: Bangladesh and Northern Kenya.
CICO STOREPACK:The CICO StorePack is a set of easy
modifications that any agent can incorporate
into their space. A poster for the agent’s table
calls out a women-only line, along with theappropriate depth of a counter that makes awoman feel more comfortable. Signage for thefloor helps the agent keep the lines in order, andhelps to ensure she has the space she needs if
she has a companion with her.
Inspired by: Bangladesh and Pakistan

03
WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH
INTS
SIGH
AN TS
D AAN
PATH
D A TOPATCHLOTOS ECTHLO E
S EGENDER
TH E GENDERG AP G AP

SUPERCHARGE HER
ALLIES AND GUIDES.

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TRANSITIONSSupercharge her allies and guides.

“I go to town and do all mytransactions by myself, my kids
taught me on how to do it.”—Marisa, Northern Kenya“We need teachers to teachus finances, entrepreneurship,
capital and loans.” —SavingsGroup Leader, Tanzania
Women leverage guides andproxies of all kinds to help themaccess financial services: trusted
family members, neighbors,
support systems, and agents.
Design for her control, power, andlearning with each interaction bymaking it easier for proxies andguides alike to support her. Build
tools and services that help proxies
and allies to guide, teach, andsupporting women.

IMAGINE THIS

THE BOSS & HER SQUAD
Enable her trusted proxies to guide, teach, and even transact while keeping
her in control
She has a “boss” account where she can assign secondary users, allowing
her to add trusted proxies to complete key mobile money transactions on
her behalf: deposit, withdraw, and correct mistakes. Secondary users are
on-boarded and voice verified alongside her, so they can teach and upskill
the boss.
Whenever the “boss” authorizes a specific transaction for a set amount oftime, she receives updates at every step of the process: when her family
member is authorized at an agent shop, when the transaction is complete,
and they’re on the way back. Location settings also confirm where her
proxy is during these transactions. But to keep her boss account active, sheneeds to pass an upskilling curriculum—constantly learning along the way.

OTHER IDEAS TO TRY
VISUAL RECEIPTS:
Give her physical receipts upon use of mobile
money that are both clear and beautiful to help
make proxies appear more secure and digitalmoney more tangible.

achieve an ‘Expert’ status. This status could berecognized by informal and formal employers asa beneficial and hirable skill and resource to thecommunity.
Inspired by Bangladesh

Inspired by Bangladesh, Northern Kenya, andPakistan
FAMILY MEMBERS AS TEACHERS:
Build a campaign and incentives that encouragechildren to teach their mothers digital literacy
skills at home through guided videos, activities,
and songs.
Inspired by Bangladesh, Northern Kenya, Nigeria,
Indonesia, and Tanzania
CERTIFIED CICO EXPERT:
If mobile operators or banks could certify
customers based on their usage patterns, thencustomers who transact regularly, without
mistakes, and in different products could

HOTLINE FOR HER:
Strong customer service creates loyal
customers. Create a VIP phone lines for new
customers that are women, giving them
the respect and support they deserve. In
collaboration with their entrypoint to financial
services (e.g. saving groups, digitization efforts,
or local campaigns), bring customer service
to the center of the relationship with each newcustomer and cater the support to how sheinteracts with DFS.
Inspired by Nigeria, Northern Kenya, Tanzania,
India, and Indonesia

WOMEN-POWERED WHATSAPP:
Women are each other’s best allies. A whatsapp
group facilitated by local women leaders helps
younger women address power dynamics
in their homes. Each week, women discuss
prompts around household negotiation,
decision-making, and relationships. Through thegroup, they’re able to role play, encourage eachother, and follow up after tough conversations.
Inspired by Nigeria, Bangladesh, Northern Kenya,
Tanzania, India, and Pakistan
WHAT ABOUT WOMEN?:
Include women-focused and gender norms
training in existing programming that is geared
toward the broader community: agricultural
programs, religious programs, rural leadershipsocieties. Share stories and examples about
how women’s economic empowerment lifts
households up. Create new community allies.
Inspired by Nigeria, Bangladesh, Northern Kenya,
Tanzania, India, and Pakistan

04
WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH
INTS
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HELP HER TAKELEAPS WHEN GENDERNORMS RELAX.

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NARRATIVES

Help her take leaps when gendernorms relax.
“Marriage is about partnership.
Today I have and tomorrow he has.”—Jackie, Tanzania.
Rigid rules define what is acceptable
and safe for women. She’s rewarded
for playing by them and punished
for breaking them. However, there
are key inflection points—moves,marriage, birth of a child, andcrises—when gender norms may
relax. Help women get proactive andincrease their financial influenceand control during these moments.
These transitions can spark
discussions about existing norms.
Create cross-sector solutions with
relevant community-based partners
that currently serve women inthese moments, like community
health organizations and religious
institutions.

IMAGINE THIS
THE NEWLYWED NESTEGG
Use the moment of marriage to promote shared financial power anddecision-making.
Marriage is a moment of transition. Financial counseling, paired withproducts and services, can promote the importance of shared financial
power. Financial counselors meet with newlyweds and share stories ofcouples like them, help them set financial goals, and sign up for financial
services geared toward young couples, including individual mobile
money accounts, joint savings accounts, household budgeting tools,
and guides for joint decision-making. Using joint savings to achieve joint
goals unlocks benefits for the couple, including better interest rates onloans and deals on airtime. This can be an add-on to existing premarital
counseling offered through religious institutions.

OTHER IDEAS TO TRYTEEN CHAMA APP:
Building on existing programs, design agirl-centric empowerment and savings app.
Kickstart digital teen chamas to establish habits
and support network for young women before
they face marriage, children, or challenges in
the future.
Inspired by: Northern Kenya, Tanzania
BACK ON YOUR FEET:
Create a mobile money wallet and small loan
for recently widowed women. Help women
get back on their feet and jumpstart a new
business. Earn new loyal customers. Scale theprogram through government.
Inspired by: Nigeria, Northern Kenya, Tanzania,

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia
YOUTUBE CURRICULUM:
Educational videos on gaining new skills, earning
an income, and setting up a business basedon a woman’s interests whether its selling her
craft, food, and tailoring. Leverage the virality
YouTube already has in villages and the comfortof learning through YouTube to inspire womenand introduce women to DFS.
Inspired by: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, andPakistan
MOM NEW BUSINESS BOX:
A business-in-a-box that specifically targets
mothers re-entering the workforce ortransitioning to an at-home business. Women

can access a few different business ideas andselect what is best aligned to her. In the box,
she has access to tools, tutorials, and simple
steps to make her food, retail, or agent businessa reality.
Inspired by: Indonesia

05
WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH
INSIGHTS AN TSD AAN
PATH
D A TOPATCHLOTOS ECTHLO E
S EGENDER
TH E GENDERG AP G AP

EXPAND HER
IDEA OF WHAT’SPOSSIBLE.

6644

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

NARRATIVES

Expand her idea of what’s possible.

“I would prefer to receive financial
advice from a woman. Someone
who will be close to me. Right now,
I just ask myself.” —Fatima, Tanzania
There are few narratives or examples
that invite her to imagine herselfrole as a financial contributor andprotagonist. Yet, a single bold woman
can shift perceptions and possibilities
for the women around her. Fuel her
with stories of women like her who
are pushing norms. Show new ways
to earn and participate in household
finances. Build confidence to venture
into new roles—even small steps.
Help more powerful women see
themselves as role models for others.

IMAGINE THIS
The All Bold Women Global Partnership.
A coordinated, multiyear program that elevates women as financial
powerhouses
This cross-sector, global partnership engages financial institutions,creators, policymakers, and NGOs in increasing women’s economic
empowerment across six contexts through capital commitments.
Communities—women and men—are exposed to stories, products,
services, and experiences that showcase women increasing theirfinancial voice, influence, and control in their lives. Communities are
exposed to new narratives of women’s roles in a range of touchpoints,from local fairs, school curriculum, entertainment, policy proposals,
scholarships, and financial services like loans, certifications, andemployment opportunities.

OTHER IDEAS TO TRYSTORIES SHE CAN FOLLOW:
Share inspiring examples of women who havechallenged norms in big and small ways via
radio, YouTube channels, soap operas, dramas
or podcasts. There should be a variety ofexamples, from a woman sharing householdchores with her husband, choosing not tomarry, or moving to the city. Showcase how
financial services like remittances, loans,mobile money, digital savings have supported
her journey.
Inspired by: Tanzania, Northern Kenya, India,
Bangladesh, and Pakistan
LOCAL WOMEN OF THE YEAR:
Celebrate the women in 5km radius who arepushing the edges of being rural, conservative
women: the women who became barbers,
decided to open up a shop, or sell products
from her home. Local posters and photos cantell their story.
Inspired by: Nigeria, Tanzania, Northern Kenya,
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

WOMEN LIKE ME:
Use SMS messaging to share how other
women use DFS in your area. Hyper-localized
behavioral nudges help her know what
behaviors and products successful womenleverage in her area.
Inspired by: Indonesia, Tanzania, Northern Kenya,
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
MY WIFE WORKS. AND I LOVE HER:
Build a campaign featuring men celebrating
their wives financial contribution and success.
Inspired by: Indonesia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan,and Bangladesh

65

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

DESIGN
PRINCIPLES

66

Build
for Women
First

Make
the Foreign
Familiar

Boost
Confidencewith EachInteraction

Current financial services are often
designed by men and with men
in mind. It’s not enough to make aproduct or service “pink.” Savings
groups are a particularly successful
example from these contexts,
because they were specificallydesigned for women. Communities
that are marginalized and oppressedby systems of power are often
forced to demand equal treatment,
protection, and opportunities.

Financial services require skills andresources women don’t have andlack the tangibility that governs therest of their lives. Our designs shouldincorporate the best of her existing
workarounds: tangibility, access forusers with low literacy, and options toenlist trusted proxies.

Each transaction is an opportunity
for her to build her financial
muscle. Teach, guide, and build her
knowledge whenever she interacts.
We should not test her, but help herbounce back when she struggles
or the system fails her. Let’s make iteasier for her to re-enter the system.

These demands are catalysts andrallying cries for advocacy in a worldthat isn’t designed for them (think:farmworkers’ rights, the movement
for Black Lives, and women’s
suffrage). To support women’s
economic empowerment, we must
be deliberate and specific about
the centrality of women and gendersensitivity in our solutions. We mustdesign for women and constantly
seek their feedback.

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67

CONCLUSION
We believe there is an incredible opportunity to design financial
services for women around the world. To date, women havebeen largely cast to the sidelines of economic decision-making
and power. If we want women to feel confident with money,
designing for more transactions isn’t enough. We need to designfor more of her voice, influence, and control over money andher life. There are rich opportunities to build her confidence,
financial muscle, and earning potential. We’re excited to build afuture where women can realize their potential and power. We
hope you will join us.

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APPENDIXWOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

69

Methodology

Women and Money is anchoredin human-centered design, andcomplemented by behavioral
science, gender expertise, and data
science—our data science partners
are DrivenData, gender consultants
are Rebecca Calder and Emily Boostof KoreGlobal, and The Busara Center
for Behavioral Economics is our
behavioral science partner.
This report summarizes thequalitative findings from six different,
in-depth, context-specific design
research deep dives, in addition to thequantitative findings of DrivenData.
Human-Centered Design:
IDEO.org uses human-centered
design, a creative problem-solving
approach that starts with gaining
empathy for our end user and ends
in solutions tailored to meet theirneeds. HCD engages end-users in ajourney of co-creation, allowing us
to see the toughest challenges froma fundamentally optimistic point ofview and foster a deep and genuine
connection with the communities
we aim to serve. This leads to holistic
solutions that connect the dots
between product, service, business,and entire systems to tackle theproblem from multiple perspectives.
Design Research Approach:
IDEO.org’s approach to researchis called design research. Design
research is a qualitative approach
employed during the inspiration
phase of human-centered designthat combines social science
research methods, particularly
ethnography, with iterative
design techniques, such as rapid
prototyping, in order to unpack
and frame the design challenge.
Design research unpacks existing

assumptions of what change isneeded and how that happens, it
explores the nuance in perceptions
and behaviours that are specific totarget groups or geographies, andit surfaces creative entry points
for attracting and engaging users.
The result is a foundational, but
preliminary, pathway to change that isimbued with empathy for the people asolution seeks to serve.
To prepare for design research, ourresearch team reviewed formative
research, identified opportunities forinquiry and surfaced areas that might
be particularly interesting to explore
during fieldwork. For each context, we
worked with our in-country partners
to jointly surface key questions fordiscovery and create a researchplan to explore these questions. The
research plan articulated the overall
research questions, profiles of theuser recruit, and the methods. We
focused our recruit on rural areas. In
some contexts, we also interviewed
women in urban areas due to security
concerns.
Research Methodology:
We approached each context in
Women and Money with a set ofcontext-specific research plans andresearch methods. However, each
one was grounded in the following
core set of research methods:• In-Depth Interviews: Interviews
are the crux of the inspiration phase.
They enable us to go deep and hearfrom the people we’re designing for in
their own words. We conducted mostof our interviews in the participant’s
space, taking time to learn andobserve as much as we could about
their mindset, behavior, and lifestyle.
In addition to learning about theirfinancial behaviors, we also exploredtheir hopes and dreams. Our in-depth
interviews last between 1-to-2 hours.
• Household Responsibility Card
Sorts: Card sorts are a quick and easy
way to spark conversation about whatmatters most to the people we’redesigning for. We leveraged a numberof different cardsorts throughout
research, but we primarily exploredhousehold roles and responsibilities
as well as gender norms.
• Sacrificial Concepts: We
intentionally design these sacrificial
concepts to push on extreme
directions to get a sense of what
resonates, and what doesn’t. The
point of these early concepts is notto get concept validation but rather
to get a reaction from the participant.
This leads to richer, more in-depth
discussions and helps us understandunderlying issues.
• Observations: Observations
allow us to see the behaviors andworkflows in real-life. We observed
agent shops or other CICO points andmarkets. During these observations,
we kept notes of activities,
documented workflows, andcompiled observations on different
interactions, behaviors, and emotions.
We would rely on local partners tointerpret cultural norms and would
sometimes ask questions to agentsto debrief and validate what wasobserved in the interaction.
• Diary Studies: In order to replicate
the intimacy of a home visit orobservation during the Covid-19
pandemic, researchers in Indonesia
followed twelve women and six
agents for a period of six weeks usinga WhatsApp diary study. Participants
responded to daily prompts, sharedpictures of their shops, and videos of
their homes and neighborhoods.

WOM EN & M ONEYIN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

Synthesis Methodology:
Synthesis is a creative andcollaborative analytical process.
Following fieldwork, we go throughthe quotes, learnings, and key
discoveries from fieldwork. Using
post-it notes, we cluster the data
points from each interview, sortthem into themes and create a set of
insights (short, concrete statementsthat summarize the key findings
and inspire program design). These
insights are shared with in-country
partners and refined based on
feedback from team members acrossthe project.
Next, we build on these insights,
pulling out key challenges andreframing them as opportunities
for design. This starts by taking achallenge and reframing it into a“How might we” question. Thesestatements offer potential design
challenges for us to focus our time on
as we approach the next phase. From
there, we’ll brainstorm potential areasof exploration and share our thinking
back with the project team.
We followed this synthesis
methodology for each context
specific report. Then, we used thedata from all of the country reports
to conduct a global synthesis acrosscontexts. To conduct global synthesis,
the design team clustered themes
and insights from all country-specificreports, then hosted a three-day indepth workshop to bring together key
partners to analyze and synthesize
the findings. After this workshop, thedesign team continued to synthesize
the global findings into this report.
We also leveraged FII data and ourpartner, DrivenData, synthesized thequantitative findings in collaboration
with the design team.
Research Questions:
Our research questions spanned
financial behaviors, DFS and CICO
access and use, along with looking
into the experience of women agents.
While each context had specificresearch questions, across eachcontext we explored the following
research questions:• What does access to digitalfinancial services look like for womenin different contexts?
• What are the gender-specificbarriers that prevent women frominteracting with CICO points?
• What are the different archetypes
of women, their current experience
with DFS and CICO?
• What are the design opportunities
to support women’s adoption and useof DFS? For the CICO experience?
• What are the gender-specificbarriers that prevent women fromoperating CICO points?
• What are the design opportunities
for women as agents?
• What is the current experience
for a Government-to-Person (G2P)
payment beneficiary?
Our In-Country Partners:
This research would not have beenpossible without the deep expertiseand collaboration with in-country
partners. We conducted researchin collaboration with the following
partners in each context:• Tanzania: Tigo, WorldVision.
Research conducted in December
2018.
• Northern Kenya: BOMA Project.
Research conducted in January—
February 2019.
• Nigeria: Lagos Business Schooland EFiNA. Research conductedin May 2019. Due to security, theresearch was primarily conducted inurban areas.
• India: Airtel Payments Bank,
Jeevika, and EPoD. Research
conducted in January 2019.
• Pakistan: IDEATE Innovation,
Karandaaz, Telenor, Jazz, and UBL.
Research conducted in June 2019.
• Bangladesh: BRAC and bKash
Research conducted in April 2019.
• Indonesia: Kopernik, BRI, andAmartha. Research conductedFebruary-March 2021. Due to the
Covid-19 pandemic, all research was
conducted remotely.

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71

COUNTRYLEVEL
SNAPSHOTNIGERIA
22% are strongly

The belief that men are the financial
heads of household is strongly held—even by women. Yet, Nigerian womenare still expected to be the financial
backstop of their household in moments of need. Research in Nigeria wascompleted in July 2019 in partnershipwith EFiNA and Lagos Business School.
Data is compiled from FII, 2017.

empowered

30% are empowered

ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURALWOMEN“HE SENDS THE
MONEY TOTHE FAMILYBECAUSEHE’S THEMAN.”

13% neither empowered
nor disempowered

21% disempowered

9% strongly
disempowered

RURAL WOMENIN NIGERIA28%

L I T ERACYA DVA NC ED
FI NA NC I A L
L I T ERACY

13%

A B L E TO T EXT

26%
74%

OW NS A P H O NE
U SED M O B I L E
M O NE Y I NPAST 3 M O.

1%

U SED BA NKI N PAST 3 M O.

17%

U SED NB FI
I N PAST 3 M O.

20%

“I WOULD LIKETO USE MY PHONE
FOR MONEYMATTERS,
BUT WHO
WILL TEACHME HOW?”
33%
NOT
WORKING

31%
SELFEMPLOYED55%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR

12%
OTHER

12%
SALARIED

12%
IRREGULAR/SEASONAL

70%

0F WOMENIN NIGERIALIVE INRURAL AREAS

KENYA
65%

0F WOMEN IN

KENYALIVE IN
IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH
E GENDER
G AP

WOM EN & M ONEYRURAL AREAS

N O R T H E R N

54%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR33%
NOTWORKING

28%
SELFEMPLOYED16%
IRREGULAR/SEASONAL

13%
OTHER
1O%
SALARIEDIn Northern Kenya, women areembracing newfound financial
roles in their households, but few
DFS providers are building products and services that are relevantto their new role. Research inNorthern Kenya was completed in
February 2019 in partnership with
BOMA Project. Data is compiled
from FII, 2017.

30% are strongly
empowered

ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURAL
WOMEN

39% are empowered
9% neither empowered
nor disempowered
13% disempowered
7% strongly

disempowered

RURAL WOMENIN KENYA
47%

L I TE RACYA DVAN C E D
F I N A N C I AL
L I T E R ACY

20%
49%

A BL E TO T E X T

OWN S A P HO N E

71%

U SE D M O B I L E
MONEY IN
PAST 3 M O.

73%

US E D BA N K
I N PAST 3 M O.
U S E D N B FII N PAST 3 M O.

15%
36%

“I GIVE MYWIFE MONEYSO THAT SHE
CAN HIDE IT FROMME IN A SECRETPLACE. WOMEN ARE
IN CHARGE OFSAVINGS.”“YOU CANNOT
DECIDE ALONE. THE
MEN MUST BE
INVOLVED.”
73

25%
NOT
WORKING

68%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR

For women in Tanzania, earning
an income of their own drastically
There are key moments in her life
where financial behaviors are in
flux—like marriage or in momentsof crisis—and these can be opportunities for her to assume ain Tanzania was completed in
January 2019 in partnership with
Tigo and World Vision. Data iscompiled from FII, 2017.

66%

0F WOMEN IN
TANZANIA LIVEIN RURAL AREAS

7%
OTHER

7%
SALARIEDTANZANIA35%
SELFEMPLOYED26%
IRREGULAR/SEASONAL“NOW THATI WORK, I
HAVE MORE
FREEDOM.”RURAL WOMENIN TANZANIA

25% are strongly
empowered

ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURAL
WOMEN

37% are empowered
12% neither empowered
nor disempowered
14% disempowered
9% strongly
disempowered74%

L IT ER ACY

ADVANCE D
F IN ANCIA L
L IT ER ACY

18%
40%

ABL E TO T EXT

50%OWNS A P HO NE“IT’S VERYHARD TO BE A
FARMER. WITH
LITTLE MONEY, YOU
ARE DEPENDENTON OTHERS.”U S E D MO B IL E
MO NE Y IN
PAST 3 MO.
U S E D BANKIN PAST 3 MO.
U S E D NBF I
IN PAST 3 MO.

38%
4%
14%

“BEFORE I GOTMARRIED, I WAS
LIKE A FREE
BIRD.”INDIA
69%

0F WOMEN IN
INDIA LIVE IN
RURAL AREAS

29%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR

14%
SALARIED69%
NOT
WORKING
2%OTHER“I’M NOTEDUCATED SO
WHAT IF I MADEA MISTAKE?!
I DON’T WANTTO TAKE THATRISK.”

12%
IRREGULAR/
3%
SEASONAL
SELFEMPLOYED

18% are strongly
empowered
ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURAL
WOMEN

41% are empowered
11% neither empowered
nor disempowered

15% disempowered
8% strongly

disempowered

Overwhelmingly, Indian women self
identify as slow to learn and lacking
the confidence to interact withfinancial services in a meaningful
way—with the exception of their SHG
groups where they build confidencein financial behaviors. Research inIndia was completed in March 2019in partnership with Airtel Payments
Bank, Jeevika, and EPoD. Data iscompiled from FII, 2017.

RURAL WOMENIN INDIA
47%

L I T E R ACY
A DVA N CE D
F I N A N CI A L
L I T E R ACY

11%

A BL E TO T E X T

10%
38%

OW N S A P H O N E
USE D MO BI L E
MO N E Y I NPAST 3 MO.

< 1%

USE D BA N K
I N PAST 3 MO.
USE D N BF I
I N PAST 3 MO.

46%
12%

BANGLADESHWOM EN & M ONEY

12% are strongly
empowered76

IN SIGH TS AN D A PATH TO C LO S E TH E GENDER G AP

ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURAL
WOMEN

34% are empowered

15% neither empowered
nor disempowered

23% disempowered
13% strongly

disempowered

Female agents, though few and far
between, significantly impact
women’s CICO experience, because
they take the time to teach women
how to transact. In addition to female
agents, wage digitization has
significantly increased women’s
confidence with DFS. Research in
Bangladesh was completed in May
2019 in partnership with bKash,BRAC, and BSR. Data is compiled
from FII, 2017.

74%

0F WOMEN IN
BANGLADESH LIVEIN RURAL AREAS“I WAS LONGINGFOR A JOB —BUT MY HUSBAND
DIDN’T ALLOW IT.”RURAL WOMENIN BANGLADESH48%

L I T E RACYA DVA N C E D
FINANCIALL I T E R ACY

24%

A BL E TO T E X T

16%OW NS A P H O N E

50%

USED MOBILEMONEY IN
PAST 3 M O.
U S E D BA N K
I N PAST 3 M O.

21%
9%

U S E D N B FII N PAST 3 M O.

“THE FEMALE
VOICE IS NOTSO VALUEDIN THE
HOUSE.”

17%

89%
NOT
WORKING

9%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR

4%
SELFEMPLOYED3%
SALARIED
2%
IRREGULAR/SEASONAL

2%OTHER

PAKISTAN
66%

0F WOMEN IN
PAKISTAN LIVEIN RURAL AREAS“MY FAMILY KNOWSEVERYTHING ABOUT MY
FINANCES. I DON’T HIDEANYTHING FROM
THEM.”

11%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR89%
NOTWORKING

4%
SELFEMPLOYED
4%
IRREGULAR/SEASONAL

The use of proxies is widespreadin Pakistan—yet, for many women,
proxies are a symptom of agency
and not oppression. Proxies are oneof many functional workarounds
Pakistani women use to accessfinancial services. Research in
Pakistan was completed in July
2019 in partnership with IDEATE,
Karandaaz, Telenor, Jazz, and UBL.
Data is compiled from FII, 2017.

3%
SALARIED<1%OTHER

9% are strongly
empowered

ECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURAL
WOMEN

33% are empowered
14% neither empowered
nor disempowered

21% disempowered
21% strongly
disempowered

RURAL WOMENIN PAKISTAN33%

L I T E R ACY
A DVA N C E D
FINANCIALL I T E RACY

13%
19%

A B L E TO T E X T

33%

OW N S A P H O N E
USED MOBILEMONEY IN
PAST 3 M O.

4%U S E D BA N K
I N PAST 3 M O.

4%

USED NBFII N PAST 3 M O.

16%

“TO GO OUT,
I NEED TO
GET READY,WEAR ANABAYA, ETC.
IT’S A HASSLE.”INDONESIA
3% OTHERIn Indonesia, women are thetreasurers of their households,
but men still hold the majorityof the power. Research inIndonesia was completed in
the spring of 2021, against the
backdrop of the Covid-19
pandemic. Research
was conducted inpartnershipwith Kopernik,
Amartha,and BRI.

43%
OF RURALWOMEN WEREEMPLOYEDLAST YEAR

54%
NOT WORKING“BEFORE I HAD MY SON,IT WAS EASIER TO
MAKE DECISIONABOUT MONEY
AND WORK.
BUT AFTER, IT
WAS JUST TOO
HARD FOR ME
TO LEAVE HIM.”

8%
SALARIEDECONOMICEMPOWERMENTOF RURAL
WOMEN

7% neither empowered
nor disempowered

7% disempowered
5% strongly disempowered

46%
59%

OWNS A PHONE

USED NBFIIN PAST 3 MO.

28% are empowered

80%

ABLE TO TEXTUSED BANK IN PAST 3 MO.

15%
IRREGULARSEASON

53% are strongly
empowered

LITERACY

USED MOBILEMONEY IN PAST 3 MO.

20%
SELF EMPLOYED

<1%
29%

45%

0F WOMENIN INDONESIALIVE IN RURAL
AREAS

13%
RURAL WOMENIN INDONESIA“WOMEN ARE BETTER AT
MANAGING MONEYBECAUSE THEY ARE A
BIT VISIONARY,
THINKING AHEAD,
ANTICIPATING
THINGS.”