In 2016, through the Denarau Action Plan, the AFI network committed to placing gender-inclusive finance at the heart of its agenda. During the 2026 AFI Global Policy Forum, achievements in advancing women’s financial inclusion were highlighted, along with a call to redouble efforts to close the gender gap. 

“A decade on, our commitment must be renewed with even greater determination,” said AFI Board Chair Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda. “Women’s economic empowerment requires more than access. It requires better data, stronger policy frameworks, and financial systems designed to respond to the realities and needs of women and women-owned businesses.” 

“We must sustain the momentum on gender-inclusive financing,” said AFI Chief Executive Officer, Dr Alfred Hannig. “We still see persistent gender gaps on usage and quality, financing constraints for women-owned and led MSMEs, and insufficient sex disaggregated data sets. Our policy responses must address not only regulatory and legal barriers, but the socio-economic factors which hold women back.” 

A video showcasing ten years of the AFI network’s impact on women’s financial inclusion is below.