Overcoming distance

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 banking is more appropriate than mobile money for linking informal savings groups to banks. Second, information is key in providing pathways for digitizing informal savings groups. Despite agent banking and mobile money being commonplace, savings groups are often reluctant to use them to interact with banks if they do not have the required knowledge.

Leave a Reply

View all comments

Related Resources

Read
Tool
Digitization Planning Gender Human Resources Project Design
2a. Staffing Cover
Tool
Digitization Planning Gender Human Resources Project Design

DSG Toolkit: Project Staffing

By Lauren Hendricks, Dennis Mello, Paulina (Paula) Rudnicka
Global Communities, Women for Women International
2022

DSG Toolkit: Project Staffing

This tool includes sample job descriptions (JDs) for key digitization project staff with a focus on knowledge, skills and abilities related to mobile and digital technology as well as gender integration. The tool includes both “Roles and Responsibilities” and “Qualifications,” which can be added to existing JDs to ensure they have adequate skills to support […]
Read
Multimedia
Digital Inclusion Digital Transformation Digitization Benefits Digitization Risks & Barriers
FIW 2022 Banner for Hub
Multimedia
Digital Inclusion Digital Transformation Digitization Benefits Digitization Risks & Barriers

Savings Groups in the Digital Era: Promoting Gender-Responsive & Inclusive Digital Transformation

By Paula Rudnicka & Dennis Mello
Global Communities
2022

Savings Groups in the Digital Era: Promoting Gender-Responsive & Inclusive Digital Transformation

This presentation, featured at the Financial Inclusion Week 2022 organized by the Center for Financial Inclusion, explores key gender and inclusion considerations in the digital savings group (DSG) space and showcases new resources to support safe, inclusive and gender-responsive digitization of savings groups. These include the DSH Hub and the DSG Toolkit published in 2022 […]