Photo credit:  Barun Rajgaria, 2017 CGAP photo contest

Greetings!

In this special edition for International Women’s Day, we spotlight FinEquity’s role in bringing people together to make financial services work better for women. This collaboration is especially important in times of uncertainty and funding constraints, when sharing experiences and knowledge become even more powerful.

We also celebrate our first LinkedIn Dialogue on gender norms, held in partnership with CGAP, where colleagues shared meaningful insights on how social norms shape women’s financial inclusion.


This newsletter reaches not only the FinEquity community but also colleagues across the FinDev Gateway network. If you receive the FinDev newsletter but are not yet subscribed to FinEquity updates, we invite you to join our mailing list and connect with peers working to close persistent gaps and advance women’s financial inclusion.

The FinEquity Team



FinEquity: Driving Collaboration to Make Financial Services Work Better for Women

By Mariana Martinez | Mar 2026

Reflecting on the power of collaboration in times of uncertainty and funding constraints, we highlight FinEquity’s key role in bringing together people and organizations across the financial inclusion community to share evidence, exchange practical knowledge, and learn from one another.

Explore ways to connect and collaborate with the FinEquity community!

Photo credit: April Ann Bulanadi, VisionFund International

From Informal to Investable

By Martina Crailsheim, Lisa Kuhn, Sara Murray | Feb 2025

Banks and MFIs have long bypassed women nano-entrepreneurs as too expensive to serve profitably. But by meeting these women inside their trusted savings groups with digital tools, financial institutions are unlocking viable models to reach segments that traditional lending has missed.

Mexico's Collective Shift: Redefining Approaches to Women's Inclusion

What does it take to move an entire financial sector toward gender equality? In Mexico, the answer is emerging: shared accountability, institutional reform, and collective action.

Gabriela Zapata Alvarez, Yasmin Bin-Humam & Gayatri Murthy, CGAP | Mar 2026

What Will It Take To Level the Playing Field for Women Entrepreneurs?

Women own about one-third of businesses globally, yet legal, financial, skills, and social barriers keep women-led firms underrepresented, especially in higher-value sectors. Real progress requires aligned regulations, inclusive finance, sustained training and mentorship, and shifts in social norms—so women entrepreneurs can move from survival to growth and scale.

Daniela Behr & Yue Sophie Xi, World Bank | Feb 2026

Young Women Speak: Lessons on Inclusive Finance From Ghana & Tanzania

Based on research and experimentation in Ghana and Tanzania, CGAP identified three opportunities for providers and funders to help close the gender gap that widens between ages 15–24. Broaden on-ramps to the financial system, prioritize secure savings over credit, and protect young women’s financial gains with better life and health insurance.

Antonique Koning & Rani Deshpande, CGAP | Feb 2026

We have launched our first FinEquity LinkedIn Dialogue!

We envision the FinEquity LinkedIn Group as a space for ongoing dialogue where members can share experiences, connect with peers, and engage on topics that matter for advancing women’s financial inclusion. This dialogue is only the first, and more discussions will follow.

Colleagues have already been sharing valuable insights on how gender norms shape women’s financial inclusion. Don’t miss the chance to add your own perspectives and lessons learned.

Photo credit: CARE

Strive Women Playbook

CARE , Mastercard Strive | Mar 2026

This playbook provides practical guidance for practitioners on designing financial products and services for women entrepreneurs using a women-centered design approach.

Bookmark the Playbook, use it, and share your feedback with CARE here.

Women, Business and the Law 2026: Benchmarking Laws for Jobs and Inclusive Growth
Women, Business and the Law 2026 is the 11th in a series of annual studies measuring the laws and policies that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies.

World Bank | Feb 2026

The State of Gender-Sensitive Consumer Protection

This toolkit provides an overview of key trends, evidence, and emerging practices in gender-sensitive consumer protection, drawing on member experiences, surveys, and stakeholder consultations.

Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) | Feb 2026

Unlocking Women’s Entrepreneurship Through Childcare Reform

This Brief explores how childcare responsibilities shape women’s entrepreneurial choices and business growth, drawing on data from the Women, Business and the Law project as well as complementary evidence from Bangladesh, Brazil, and Nigeria.

World Bank | Feb 2026

Measuring Women’s Economic Empowerment: Implications for Program Design and Evaluation
This policy brief shares practical lessons from customer research on women’s saving behavior in Uganda, examining how different empowerment indicators perform in capturing women’s financial behaviors, decision‑making, and outcomes.

FINCA International, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) | Jan 2026

PODCAST
Nano by Necessity: Unlocking Growth for Women Entrepreneurs in Uganda and Beyond
Uganda’s 1.1 million nano and micro enterprises are the economy’s backbone, and Women lead 55% of them. Yet CGAP’s latest research shows too many remain “nano by necessity,” held back by scarce collateral and gaps in digital and financial literacy that limit scale and resilience. What will it take to change that?

CGAP | Mar 2026

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance Launches the Women Regulators Network

This new body aims to advance gender‑intentional policy and strengthen women’s leadership in financial regulation worldwide.
Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance

News | 03 Mar 2026

Applications Now Open for Tech Policy Learning Lab!

The program is the only one of its kind to combine rigorous learning in policy-relevant technology with a gender lens on policy and regulation implementation.

Women's World Banking

News | 03 Mar 2026

Breaking Biases, Building Equality

The BBVA Microfinance Foundation, along with international experts, will share experiences and initiatives to break down structural barriers, biases, and gender norms.

BBVA Microfinance Foundation

Upcoming Event | 13 Mar 2026

2026 Leadership Development Program for Regulators

Join this program to learn the importance of gender-inclusive policy for sustainable economic growth and build a pipeline of women leaders.

Women's World Banking

Upcoming Event | May -September 2026

Subscribe to our newsletters: 

Global & Africa | América Latina y el Caribe

Let's connect:

FinDevGateway.org/FinEquity | CGAP.org



©CGAP 2026 All rights reserved