CGAP

03/09/2026

We have made real strides in women's financial inclusion (WFI) — but the job is not done. Millions remain excluded. And for those with accounts, meaningful use and genuine engagement are still far from guaranteed.

Women-led enterprises continue to face structural barriers: limited collateral and asset ownership, smaller loan sizes, sectoral segregation, time poverty, and constrained decision-making power. When crises hit — pandemics, climate shocks, economic downturns — women fall behind faster and recover more slowly.

This persistent pattern reveals an uncomfortable truth: has not yet translated into economic strength and resilience for women.

The next frontier in WFI needs to be about outcomes — greater resilience, stronger enterprises, and real economic empowerment.

Getting there requires systemic change across three areas:

✅ Data as infrastructure for change
✅ Addressing gender norms and institutional blind spots
✅ Collective action that reshapes banking for women

This , let's commit to making finance truly work for women — everywhere.

To learn more, visit our website: https://cgap.pub/4rFW6gm

03/06/2026

What does it take to move an entire financial sector toward ? In , the answer is emerging: shared accountability, institutional reform, and collective action.

Learn more: https://cgap.pub/4lgagSX

03/05/2026

Women lead 55% of Uganda’s 1.1 million nano and micro enterprises, powering local markets, creating jobs, and sustaining households. Yet too many remain small not by choice, but by constraint.

CGAP research shows that women entrepreneurs across developing economies, including Uganda, often stay “nano by necessity.” Not because they lack ambition, but because the system isn’t designed for them. Limited collateral, thin credit files, and gaps in digital and financial capability are some of the barriers they face.

Our latest episode of features voices from Uganda's Ministry of Finance, GnuGrid, and a corn vendor. We explore how financial systems can be designed to help women—and some of the solutions emerging, because unlocking growth for women entrepreneurs isn’t just about more credit. It’s about better infrastructure, smarter policy, gender-responsive design, and an ecosystem-wide response.

Listen here: https://cgap.pub/46HaQ6i

03/04/2026

For impact investors, measuring outcomes is essential.

Financial inclusion investments must go beyond outputs to show real improvements for end beneficiaries. CGAP identifies four priorities that can help: build shared understanding, overcome operational challenges, integrate outcomes into decision-making, and make data transparent. Together, these steps align stakeholders across the investment chain and strengthen accountability.

See the video to discover how outcomes-focused IMM can drive meaningful impact.

03/03/2026

Gender norms can quietly limit women’s access to financial services. Understanding how strong and widespread these norms are helps institutions design solutions that work.

Development and market actors play an active role in shaping gender norms across contexts — from to , and . When systems are designed with this in mind, they can address the invisible barriers at the root of exclusion. Different approaches include:

✔ Working around deeply entrenched norms
✔ Updating policies to reflect shifting attitudes
✔ Using data to challenge widespread assumptions
✔ Accelerating norms that are already relaxing

The result? More women are opening accounts, accessing credit, and growing businesses.

Learn more in CGAP’s roadmap (and scan the QR code in the carousel): https://cgap.pub/469NOVN

03/02/2026

New research from CGAP in and highlights that ages 15-24 is the most critical window for intervention in young women's financial inclusion.

By reaching young women during this pivotal transition into adulthood, we can help them establish lifelong financial security.

The findings suggest that FSPs and funders should look beyond traditional credit and focus on secure savings and integrated insurance. When financial tools are aligned with young women's specific life stages and social realities, the result is more than just opened accounts—it's economic resilience that lasts a lifetime.

Watch the video below, and read more in our latest blog: https://cgap.pub/4rI6NPC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_yCuphHEbI&list=PLoTEnNTEgjOXyCzBEkYDeMJERpxux_Gf_&index=7

Mwanahidi 24, Tanzania, used earnings from farming to open a small store and is growing her business by saving—rather than borrowing. She avoids loans due to...

02/25/2026

While data suggests is rising in East Asia and the Pacific, ’s massive progress often masks disparities elsewhere.

We explore the hidden gaps facing women & rural communities & calls for more inclusive financial systems: https://cgap.pub/40xycri

02/24/2026

Mobile money is boosting across West Africa — but many users still face serious digital risks. Fraud, unclear fees, and failed transactions can quickly undermine trust, and for people living in poverty, even small losses can be devastating.

Taking a responsible finance ecosystem approach makes systems safer as they grow, ensuring positive outcomes for consumers. Through a consumer protection lab with authorities in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, CGAP helped generate evidence and drive action across the digital finance ecosystem.

Learn more in the video ⬇️

02/20/2026

are about people, not just numbers. In our new blog, we propose actionable pathways across customer-centric solutions, policy integration, and proportional regulation to make viable:

Protection gaps are about people, not just numbers. Here, we propose actionable pathways across customer-centric solutions, policy integration, and proportional regulation to make inclusive insurance viable.

02/19/2026

In a decade, financial account ownership jumped 80% in low- and middle-income countries. So why are 1.3 billion adults still unbanked?

In the first episode of season 3 of Inclusive Finance Frontiers, we spoke with Klapper—founder of the Global Findex database and Lead Economist at the Bank Group—about the 2025 findings.

Three-quarters of adults in low- and middle-income countries now have an account, powered by mobile phones and the internet. But there’s a gap we can’t ignore: 1.3 billion adults are still unbanked, and 300 million have inactive accounts.

What innovations drove this progress? What barriers still hold people back? And what will it take to ensure that access translates into usage, resilience, and real financial health?

Tune into this episode to hear from Leora, as well as Michael Schlein, President and CEO Accion, and Sophie Sirtaine, Global Director of Financial Services at the World Bank Group and CEO of CGAP on the progress, challenges, and path forward.

Listen now: https://cgap.pub/4aDJ0cl

02/16/2026

Can seize the opportunity of to reimagine their model, which has remained fairly static historically? Emerging experience indicates that this may well be the case.

Digitization done comprehensively across the financial value chain in an institution can unlock business value and efficiencies that increase the breadth of MFI client bases, as well as the depth and utility of MFI product offerings.

Read more on this journey in the latest CGAP blog: https://cgap.pub/4axTcCW

02/13/2026

risks are becoming more layered and complex. From -driven scams to misuse, the landscape is shifting faster than many safeguards can keep up.

CGAP’s latest blog breaks down why we must evolve our approach to protect the future of inclusion: https://cgap.pub/4ahDJIA