Despite commendable progress in the social and economic inclusion of women in Bangladesh, there remain significant gaps in women’s –
- Labor force participation
- Entrepreneurship
- Economic autonomy
Female financial inclusion can have cross-cutting effects, improving gender equity in all areas. Accessible, affordable, and appropriately designed financial products are key to creating opportunities for women and empowering them to succeed.
The Aspire to Innovate (a2i) program of the ICT Division, supported by the UNDP, promotes women’s inclusion in the financial ecosystem, to support the Government of Bangladesh’s agenda to ensure inclusive, accessible, and affordable services for all citizens.
This study –
- Identifies gender-focused services currently offered by financial institutions in Bangladesh
- Recognizes the shortcomings of these existing products from a gender lens
- Suggests financial solutions to overcome these shortcomings, with the high-level goal of bridging the gender financial inclusion gap.
We used a market systems approach to gather qualitative insights from multiple stakeholders, including formal and informal women’s groups, financial institutions, and regulators. We supplemented these insights with a thorough review of existing financial inclusion literature.
