Advancing Women’s Financial Inclusion Through Policy
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Gender-inclusive financial policies are essential to building equitable financial systems that work for women. Despite progress in financial inclusion, women worldwide still face barriers to accessing, using, and benefiting from financial services. Structural gaps, social norms, and policy environments often fail to meet women’s unique financial needs—limiting their economic participation and resilience.
To close these gaps, policymakers and regulators must embed gender responsiveness into financial governance. With the rapid digitization of financial services, now is the time to ensure women are not left behind.
The Draft Policy Handbook for Women’s Financial Inclusion
Drawing on global evidence and Women’s World Banking’s decades of experience, this initial draft of our Handbook offers policymakers and regulators a practical framework to create gender-intentional financial ecosystems. This draft is currently undergoing consultation and we welcome your feedback. Please send all feedback to Victoria Johnson (vjj@womensworldbanking.org) and Francesca Brown (fb@womensworldbanking.org) by Friday, September 26 for your input to be included.
Inside the Handbook, you’ll find:
- A structured checklist to evaluate regulatory frameworks and identify gender-related gaps.
- Actionable recommendations for gender-responsive reforms.
- Case studies and best practices from countries successfully implementing inclusive policies.
- Innovations in regulation and supervision that address women’s diverse financial needs.
7 Gender Policy Principles
At the heart of the Handbook are seven Gender Policy Principles (GPPs), each with clear objectives and success indicators:
- Governance and Foundational Policy Frameworks
- Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure
- Women-Centered Design of Products and Services
- Consumer Protection and Financial Capability
- Financing Women-Led MSMEs
- Women in Leadership and the Workforce
- Gender-Disaggregated Data and Evidence-Based Policy
These principles offer a roadmap for policymakers to advance systemic change and place women at the center of financial inclusion.
Download the full Handbook below to explore the tools, frameworks, and strategies that can help build a financial system where women not only participate—but lead and thrive.
