Closing the financing gap for women can boost jobs and growth
Mar 8th 2026
Despite progress in financial inclusion, large gaps remain: targeted digital services, gender-disaggregated data, and coordinated public-private action are needed to help women access credit, savings, and insurance and to drive jobs and growth.
- More than 700 million women worldwide lack a transaction account.
- In developing economies women face a 4 percentage point financial access gap compared with men.
- Without access women cannot reliably borrow, save, or insure against shocks.
- Digital and mobile financial services can expand account ownership and payment control for women.
- Gender-disaggregated data and tailored financial products are needed because women's cash flows and needs differ from men's.
- Public-private coalitions and examples like Rwanda's Development Bank raising women-led project funding from 15 to 30 percent show scalable policy options.