Leaders’ perspectives

For the last four years, Bank of Ghana Deputy Governor, Elsie Addo Awadzi has chaired AFI’s Gender Inclusive Finance Committee. As her term comes to an end, she reflects on how the landscape for women’s financial inclusion is changing.-Read More

In Jordan, the widespread adoption of CliQ, an innovative Instant Payment System, has transformed the landscape for digital financial services and boosted financial inclusion.-Read More

Technology has been a game-changer. Mobile banking, digital wallets, and fintech innovations have brought financial services to many thousands of previously unbanked citizens.-Read More

Governor Anita from North Macedonia provides an overview of the state of financial inclusion in the country, and the national bank's work to support underserved and vulnerable groups.-Read More

By aligning a commitment to social and environmental responsibility in the financial system, with the goal to financially include women, countries can make real progress on both fronts. -Read More

Technology has been at the forefront of Africa's financial inclusion success. But, unless used responsibly, technology can also harm more than it helps, says Rogerio Lucas Zandamela, Governor of Banco de Moçambique.-Read More

Papua New Guinea is one of the ten most vulnerable countries in the world to the risk of climate change. The human suffering which climate disasters bring, the displacement of people and destruction of livelihoods, is therefore never far from our minds. Building resilience to climate impacts is a top policy priority, and one where inclusive green finance (IGF) is playing a central role.-Read More

As an archipelagic state, the Maldives has made significant strides in overcoming the infrastructural and logistical barriers to delivering basic financial services to its people. Mariyam Hussain Didi, Assistant Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority, explains what’s behind the country’s success so far. -Read More

In the second part of the interview, Governor Siady focuses on NFIS goals, how digital financial services can support these goals and the role of the central bank in the AFI network.-Read More

Central Bank of Seychelles took over as the Chair of AFI’s African Financial Inclusion Policy Initiative (AfPI) from the Bank of Tanzania during AfPI Leaders’ Roundtable in Arusha, Tanzania, on 23 June 2022. Seychelles Governor Caroline Abel is the first woman to Chair an AFI regional initiative. We spoke to Governor Abel in Arusha, as she assumed her new post of AfPI Chair. -Read More

In this blog post, Governor Mustafa Ghaleb outlines some of the bank's recent milestone achievements in financial inclusion and the steps being taken to encourage the greater use of digital financial services and financial technologies.-Read More

In part one of our interview with Dr. Ruth Arregui, the head of Ecuador’s Superintendencia de Bancoy, we look at the challenges facing LAC countries, where the regional initiative is headed in the next two years and how the role of the banking sector in driving financial inclusion.-Read More

The Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) conducted its second national financial services Demand Side Survey (DSS) from October to December, 2020. Information gathered from the DSS will be used to monitor the progress and understand both financial inclusion behaviour and the needs of different segments of the population including priority sectors such as MSMEs, agriculture and underserved minority groups including women, youth and people living with disabilities.-Read More

The Philippines has long been named as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change risks due to its geographical location. The BSP advocates a progressive and calibrated approach to transition without compromising sustainability objectives. The BSP also calls for stronger global and multi-stakeholder collaboration to address the multidimensional aspects of climate and environmental action and ensure a “just transition.”-Read More

Financial inclusion is equally, if not more important, for women. With women constituting half of the population, their role in the development of their local communities and national economies is critical.-Read More

Women are the ideal agents for the financial inclusion policy agenda. When women are financially included, they realize the objectives and intended benefits on their households. Women, especially mothers, will ensure that the needs of her family – e.g., education, health and daily living – are put above her own, or any other priorities, and will manage the household finances to ensure this.-Read More

Since the last century, studies found that the development and well-being of families has a direct relationship with access to credit. More recently, however, studies began to show that access to adequate financial products and services was also paramount. Since then, many new aspects have been added to strengthen the four pillars of financial inclusion: access, usage, quality and welfare.-Read More

As financial regulators and policymakers, we strive towards initiatives that promote a market which is comprised of high potential women. Women entrepreneurs in particular, represents a neglected segment in need of accessing financing and new financial instruments.-Read More

Financial inclusion is a priority for governments, financial and regulatory authorities, and development agencies worldwide for its ability to eliminate poverty, reduce the income gender gap and, importantly, align national ambitions with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).-Read More

“Financial inclusion is a key pillar in achieving Bhutan's national goal of sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth.“-Read More

“Making access to basic accounts a right for citizens would accelerate financial inclusion efforts, and enhance the fundamental foundation for expanding financial services to the unbanked population.”-Read More