MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP UP: “Women Agents for Financial Inclusion: Exploring the Benefits, Constraints and Potential Solutions,” by Emilio Hernandez et al, Published by CGAP

Based on data collected from projects in India, Ghana and Pakistan that aim to improve financial inclusion for rural women, the authors examine the interplay between gender dynamics and the employment of women as agents supplying in cash-in and cash-out (CICO) services. This includes the impact these agents can have on communities, the challenges faced by women in becoming and succeeding as agents, and possible solutions to these challenges.

While training to become CICO agents,

SPECIAL REPORT: October 28 is Deadline for MFIs to Apply to Partner with CGAP via “Microfinance Digitization” Community of Practice

From CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor): “CGAP is seeking microfinance institutions (MFIs) to join its new MFI Digitization Community of Practice to collaborate on digitization efforts and add value to micro- and small enterprise finance.” Find out more in English, French or Spanish via https://www.cgap.org/news/cgap-seeks-partners-microfinance-digitization-community-practice.

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Banking in Layers: Five Cases to Illustrate How the Market Structure for Financial Services is Evolving;” by Aiaze Mitha, Faith Biegon, Peter Zetterli; Published by CGAP

This paper cites several financial service providers (FSPs) in emerging markets in exploring how recent advancements in digital technology have enabled new business models, transforming the market for financial services. The authors argue that these FSPs have deconstructed the financial services market into separate modules, allowing these modules to be reassembled in innovative ways. These modules include:

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Financial Solutions for Women in Rural and Agricultural Livelihoods: Evidence and Strategy,” Published by CGAP

The authors of this slide deck have outlined a strategy to increase access to labor and market opportunities for women in rural and agricultural livelihoods (WIRAL). Among the constraints addressed are saved labor, wage labor, hired labor, digital markets, traditional markets and cultural norms.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CGAP, GOGLA, IFC’s Lighting Global Launch PAYGo PERFORM Standards, Seeking to Boost Investment in Off-grid Solar

Two NGOs, US-based CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) and the Netherlands-based Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), along with the Lighting Global program of the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently launched a framework for measuring the outcomes of selling off-grid solar products on a pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) basis. The PAYGo Performance, Reporting and Measurement (PAYGo PERFORM) plan “offers the PAYGo solar industry a standardized and transparent set of key performance indicators (KPIs)…

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “The Future of Government-to-Person (G2P) Payments: Three Years of Learning About G2P Choice in Zambia;” by Silvia Baur-Yazbeck et al; Published by CGAP, World Bank Group

The authors of this paper evaluated the methods that Zambia’s Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) uses to issue government-to-person (G2P) payments via its Supporting Women’s Lives (SWL) and Girls Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) projects. Launched in

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Crisis Roadmap for Microfinance Institutions: COVID-19 and Beyond,” by Julie Abrams, Published by CGAP

The author structures this publication as an 11-step “roadmap” for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts as well as to develop resilience going forward.

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Debt Relief in the Pandemic: Lessons from India, Peru and Uganda;” by Elisabeth Rhyne, Eric Duflos; Published by CGAP

In response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, regulators in approximately 115 countries directed financial service providers (FSPs) to grant debt moratoria and restructuring to their borrowers. The authors of this paper reviewed surveys, interviews and other materials regarding

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Gender Data in Financial Inclusion,” Published by CGAP’s FinEquity

This brief argues that research and analysis of sex-disaggregated data can allow stakeholders to accelerate the financial inclusion of women, bridging the gaps in women’s account ownership and finance for women-owned micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Building on its 2018 Data Bootcamp on

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Consumer Protection and COVID-19: Borrower Risks as Economies Reopen,” by Elisabeth Rhyne, Published by CGAP

Dr Rhyne has analyzed data collected by CGAP, microfinance investors and financial service providers (FSPs) to consider how FSPs can collect outstanding microloans – including after repayment moratoria – and issue

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Gendered Social Norms in Financial Inclusion: A Diagnostic Study from Southeastern Turkey,” by Adriano Scarampi et al, published by CGAP

Through this qualitative study on how social norms impact women’s “access to and use of financial services,” the authors explored potential interventions for promoting women’s financial inclusion. They interviewed 93 members of southeastern Turkey’s Arab population. This community was selected because Turkey’s financial-inclusion gender gap closely resembles that of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as a whole, and the country holds other geographical and cultural similarities to the Arab world, therefore increasing

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Via Atlas, CGAP Begins Releasing Results from Biweekly “Pulse” Survey of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) on COVID-19 Impact

In an effort to understand the needs of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US-based NGO CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) recently launched a biweekly survey called the “Global Pulse Survey of Microfinance Institutions.” CGAP is releasing the results on the Atlas data platform, which is a service of Italy-based MFR (MicroFinanza Rating), in the form of 13 charts. These charts can be manipulated to group the data by

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Humanitarian Cash Transfers and Financial Inclusion, Lessons from Jordan and Lebanon;” published by CGAP

Since 2014, cash and voucher assistance (CVA) has played an important role in the management of humanitarian crises. Worldwide, CVA has grown to constitute

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “China’s Long March to a Cashless Future: Regulatory Responses to DFS Innovation and the Challenges of Rural Distribution,” Published by CGAP

By Patrick Meagher, published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), December 2019, 24 pages, available at: https://www.findevgateway.org/sites/default/files/publication_files/dfs_distribution_china_final_dec_2019.pdf

Over the last several years, China has experienced a large-scale migration of financial services to digital platforms. As these digital financial services (DFS) have become available in typically underserved rural areas, financial access has

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “A Tale of Two Sisters: Microfinance Institutions and PAYGo Solar;” by Waldron, Sotiriou, Winiecki; published by CGAP

By Daniel Waldron, Alexander Sotiriou and Jacob Winiecki; published by CGAP (the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); November 2019; 24 pages; available at https://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/publications/2019_11_Focus_Note_Paygo_Two_Sisters_2.pdf

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the popularity of acquiring access to solar products in pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) formats is growing. This report assesses options available to microfinance institutions (MFIs) to engage with this market, which is largely dominated by new financial technology (fintech) companies. Devices that use PAYGo technology can be enabled and disabled remotely based on the payments their users make to the financiers of the devices.

The report primarily draws on

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Using Satellite Data in Financial Inclusion;” published by CGAP

By Maria Fernandez Vidal and Peter Bull, published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), July 2019, 24 pages, available at https://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/publications/2019_07_Technical%20Guide_Using_Satellite_Data.pdf

In this paper, the authors provide guidance on how satellite data and data analytics can be used by financial service providers (FSPs) to extend the reach

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Smallholder Households: Distinct Segments, Different Needs;” published by CGAP

By Jamie Anderson, Ramesh Karrupusamy, Paul Enrico Neumann, Howard Miller and Ram Tamara; published by CGAP; April 2019; 12 pages; available at https://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/publications/2019_04_Focus_Note_Smallholder_Households_Distinct_Segments_Different_Needs.pdf

To ensure that financial service providers (FSPs) are able to: (a) identify opportunities to serve smallholder households; (b) provide services that are tailored to smallholders’ needs;

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Fintechs and Financial Inclusion: Looking Past the Hype and Exploring Their Potential;” Published by CGAP

By Gayatri Murthy, Maria Fernandez-Vidal, Xavier Faz and Ruben Barreto; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); May 2019; 48 pages; available at https://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/publications/2019_05_Focus_Note_Fintech_and_Financial_Inclusion_1_0.pdf

Many believe that financial technology (fintech) companies have the potential to leverage technology and data to deliver new financial services to significant numbers of underserved customers, including those with low incomes and people living in remote areas. This has resulted