Digitization Risks & Barriers
42 Resources
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Article
Leveraging Digital Financial Capability to Drive Women’s Financial Inclusion
By Marina Dimova & Julia Arnold
Women’s World Banking
2021
Leveraging Digital Financial Capability to Drive Women’s Financial Inclusion
This article explores digital financial capability (DFC) as a critical component of the digital transformation journey, especially for women. Financial capability must evolve to include DFC, so low-income women are not left behind. Research by CFI reveals that traditional financial literacy approaches are ineffective and women are particularly affected by social norms. In the same […]
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Brief
Evidence Review of Women’s Groups and COVID-19: Impacts, Challenges, and Policy Implications for Savings Groups in Africa
By Eve Namisango et al.
Evidence Consortium on Women’s Groups (ECWG)
2021
Evidence Review of Women’s Groups and COVID-19: Impacts, Challenges, and Policy Implications for Savings Groups in Africa
This learning brief examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s savings groups in diverse African contexts and explores how the shift to digitization impacted these groups and their members. Conclusions indicate that women’s savings groups contributed to resilience to economic challenges associated with the pandemic. For example, households with a female member in […]
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Brief
Enabling Women’s Financial Inclusion through Digital Financial Literacy
FinEquity
2021
Enabling Women’s Financial Inclusion through Digital Financial Literacy
This FinEquity brief explores the relationship between digital financial literacy (DFL) and women’s digital financial inclusion. The brief outlines the components, enablers, and challenges to women’s DFL, and demonstrates how the various dimensions of DFL are inter-connected and should not be addressed in isolation. Drawing from the experiences of FinEquity members, the brief explores good […]
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Article
Can Free Phones Close the Gender Divide?
By Catherine Highet, Nisha Singh & Arisha Salman
Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
2021
Can Free Phones Close the Gender Divide?
This article explores the gender gap in mobile phone ownership and efforts to get phones into the hands of more women at the last mile. While these efforts have undeniably increased women’s access to phones, it is less clear if and how women are using phones to improve their lives. The article concludes that handset […]
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Research
The Impact of Gender in Digital Solutions for Savings Groups
International Center for Research on Women
2020
The Impact of Gender in Digital Solutions for Savings Groups
This document is one of three research briefs that highlight key insights from a study of digital savings groups (DSGs) conducted in rural Tanzania from August 2019 through February 2020. The research was conducted by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) working with savings groups supported by PCI, a Global Communities Partner, and […]
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Brief
Comparing “Born Digital” and “Paper-to-Digital” Groups
DreamStart Labs
2020
Comparing “Born Digital” and “Paper-to-Digital” Groups
This research brief highlights key insights from a study of digital savings groups (DSGs) conducted in rural Tanzania from August 2019 through February 2020. The research was led by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) working with savings groups supported by Project Concern International (PCI), a Global Communities Partner, and their Women Empowered […]
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Brief
Digital Savings Groups
By Mark Staehle
SEEP Network
2020
Digital Savings Groups
This learning brief examines the design options and essential tradeoffs in solution development based on a survey of 12 digital savings group (DSG) solution providers. The findings are outlined in six sections: 1) Introduction; 2) The benefits of savings groups; 3) User experience; 4) The business of DSGs; 5) Consumer protection, and 6) What will […]
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Research
Research
Digital Savings Groups: Evidence from Tanzania
By Julia Arnold
Project Concern International (PCI), International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), DreamStart Labs
2020
Digital Savings Groups: Evidence from Tanzania
This report provides some of the first insights into how savings groups can successfully transition from paper to digital ledgers and examines some key hypotheses about digitizing savings groups. Specifically, the report presents findings from an evaluation of a pilot test of DreamSave—a digital savings ledger—conducted by Project Concern International (PCI)—A Global Communities Partner, DreamStart […]
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Tool
Tool
Digital Financial Services
Digitization Benefits
Digitization Planning
Digitization Risks & Barriers
Savings Groups’ Linkages Toolkit
By Hermann Messan et al.
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
2020
Savings Groups’ Linkages Toolkit
This toolkit offers practical guidance to financial service providers (FSP) which are already providing or intend to provide formal financial services, including digital financial services (DFS), to savings groups. Insights and lessons offered in this toolkit are based on the experiences of six FSPs, which are UNCDF’s MicroLead partners in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, […]
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Article
Article
Overcoming Distance When Digitizing Informal Savings Groups
By Paul Damocha & Anna Ferracuti
UNCDF
2019
Overcoming Distance When Digitizing Informal Savings Groups
This article shares key findings from qualitative research conducted by UNCDF Tanzania and CARE International on the digital financial services (DFS) that are most appropriate for informal savings groups. The authors outline two key findings. First, while mobile money is appropriate for individual accounts, there are difficulties around the validation of group accounts. Also, agent […]