Digitalization as a driver of territorial equity: women’s financial inclusion in Senegal

Women in Africa are the bedrock of families – they take care of education, health and nutrition, and they support development. It’s therefore vitally important for African countries to prioritize women’s economic participation and financial inclusion.

In 2017, Senegal created the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ) to support women by providing nano credit, micro-credit, and support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In this respect, digital technology has been a game changer. A particular success has been in the provision of nano credit, small seed loans which women can access quickly through digital means, regardless of whether they live in the city or in the countryside.

Digitalization is allowing DER/FJ to reach women entrepreneurs across all 46 departments and 550 communes of Senegal. Through using electronic wallets, young women are accessing financing and repay loans. We are bringing individuals as well as whole communities into the formal financial sector, who have previously been operating informally.

And looking beyond finance, digital technologies are helping with women’s social and professional integration, supporting them in education, health and household management.

In Senegal, the principle of territorial equity is fundamentally important. Women have just as much to contribute whether they live in remote rural locations or in the city. By making smart use of the technologies at our disposal, we can ensure that financial inclusion reaches every woman, wherever she is.

You can watch Mame Aby Seye talking about this subject here.