Category: Finance

Technology may be the face of innovation, but it is the law that weaves the fabric of progress.  That is why regulators play such an important role in addressing innovation. Since innovation is key to advancements in financial inclusion, CGAP has been exploring the intersection between regulation, innovation, and financial inclusion through research focused on […]

Since October 2023, the human suffering in Gaza has been immense: an estimated 75% of the population has been displaced, with more than 60% of physical infrastructure destroyed and daily life a struggle for survival.  Amid the devastation, financial service providers in the West Bank and Gaza are grappling with unprecedented challenges in a dynamic, […]

In Bouake, Côte d’Ivoire, an interesting scene is unfolding. Close to a cashew farm, women farmers gather around a woman who walks them through a mobile application. The farmers are looking for easier ways to sell their cashews at competitive prices. These kinds of scenes are becoming more common in Bouake, thanks to Wi-Agri. By […]

For the first time, there is comprehensive data on the risks facing digital financial services (DFS) users in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region, and it highlights the need for more responsible digital finance ecosystems.  While digital finance services have lowered costs across the board and improved convenience for customers, they introduce […]

Sangita* was a sugarcane farmer struggling to make ends meet. Through Kanha Krishi Vanopaj Producer Company Limited, the farmer producer company (FPC) that she is a member of, she gained the training, experience, and support she needed to start a small retail business where she earns a profit of 200 INR (about USD 2.50) a […]

Bephine always arrives on time and in uniform. Several colorful patches are sewn onto her bright orange Hello Tractor jumpsuit, one for every technical course she has completed: Tractor Maintenance, Tractor Operation, Conservation Agriculture, Customer Care, and E-Extension. At each farm, Bephine arrives prepared for the job, ready with the tractor and implement required. Still, […]

Despite significant strides toward gender equality, the financial inclusion of women remains a pressing issue globally, with access to credit remaining a major barrier. Analysis by CGAP and MFR between 2019-2023 of over 300 microfinance institutions (MFIs) used data from the ATLAS database to explore the trends, challenges, and successes in closing the gender credit […]

The World Bank’s recent Global Economic Prospects for 2024 project that, by the end of 2024, people in about 25% of developing countries and about 40% of low-income countries will still be poorer than they were in 2019 before the pandemic. Since implementation of the CGAP VII Strategy began in July 2023, we have continued […]

“Strolling through the market in Harare, I approached a woman sitting on an upturned bucket. After some conversation, I learned that despite her market business she did not have a bank account. ‘But why?’ I asked incredulously. ‘This is where I am. I would love to visit a bank to open a bank account, but […]

It is impossible to entirely rid the global financial system of money that’s been involved with crime or terrorism in some way. There is, however, a lot that can be done to identify and combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism in the formal market. The question is, what is the price to pay […]