Role of technology in serving female clients

In 2021, I became the first woman to head a unicorn in Israel, AKA Startup Nation. In many parts of the world, women are excluded from even the most basic financial services, so leading a fintech company is far from their reality. United Nations data estimates that 3.8 billion women live in the world, 50% of which are adults. According to the World Bank’s Global Findex Database, 1.4 billion of those 1.9 billion adult women, are unbanked. That’s 73.65%. Visit that statistic again. It represents a disturbing gender gap in financial access, with women being far less likely than men to have bank accounts or access formal financial services. This financial exclusion has personal impact. It diminishes women’s economic empowerment by restricting access to education and limiting their potential for personal growth and independence. It makes women more financially dependent, and therefore, more vulnerable. There's economic impact, too. Research by McKinsey highlights the economic loss due to financial exclusion of women, noting that closing the gender gap in labor force participation could add trillions to global GDP. Financial inclusion isn’t just a matter of equality – ensuring the same opportunities for all. It’s a matter of equity - ensuring women have the tools and access they need to fully participate in the global economy. That’s where technology enters the picture to level the field. The rise of mobile banking is a great example of innovation enhancing financial inclusion. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation, mobile money accounts are more popular among women in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to traditional banking is limited. Various fintechs provide financial literacy resources, helping women understand financial products, budgeting, and saving strategies. Other solutions include AI-driven platforms that offer personalized recommendations and advice, empowering women to make informed financial decisions. Aside from personal apps and solutions, fintechs can facilitate community-based lending and saving initiatives, allowing women to support each other through group savings or microfinance schemes, fostering a sense of solidarity and shared purpose. This International Women’s Day’s theme is "accelerate action". In my mind, nothing accelerates action like innovation. As we mark International Women's Day, let’s advocate and innovate to enhance financial inclusion for women worldwide. #IWD2025 #financialInclusion Papaya Global

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐚𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡: 𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Healthcare has historically served women less effectively than men. Women tend to live more of their lives in poor health and often report negative experiences when accessing care. This gender health gap is real, and it's time we address it head-on. A recent report from Citi Global Insights highlights this issue and explores the role that FemTech—the application of digital technology to address women's health—can play in narrowing the gap. 3 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐚𝐩: ➡️ Worse Diagnosis: Women are frequently diagnosed late or misdiagnosed in major conditions like heart attacks and strokes. ➡️ Worse Therapeutics: For conditions that mainly affect women, there are fewer available drugs. ➡️ Worse Pain Management: Women experience more pain but are less likely to receive adequate pain relief. FemTech offers hope by equipping women with tools like period tracking apps and FDA-approved devices that empower them to take control of their health and advocate for their needs. Although the sector is growing—with $1.5 billion invested in 2022—it remains relatively small compared to the $93 billion invested in other healthcare startups. The tide is turning. Increased focus on women's health research and emerging long-term strategies signal progress. However, for true impact, more funding, research, and innovation are needed to prioritize women's unique healthcare needs. As we embrace FemTech and broader healthcare innovations, let’s work toward a future where women's health is no longer an afterthought, but a priority. #FemTech #HealthcareInnovation #WomensHealth #GenderHealthGap #DigitalHealth #FutureOfHealthcare

As NY Tech Week explores what’s next in AI, Girl Effect offers a timely reminder: innovation must also be ethical, inclusive, and grounded in impact. Their early tests show that integrating Generative AI into the Big Sis chatbot—through an open ‘ask me anything’ feature—boosted both performance and user satisfaction for girls seeking sexual and reproductive health support. But they didn’t stop at results. To guide responsible development, Girl Effect partnered with The MERL Tech Initiative to create accessible, practical guidelines for ethical AI in SRH chatbots. These resources are designed for beginner to intermediate audiences, but they’re proving valuable across technical teams too. Read more about the research and guidance: https://lnkd.in/e8r4XR_F

A recent scoping review shows that the use of various types of digital health technologies (DHTs) can improve women’s access to healthcare and lead to better health outcomes. DHTs also improve women's empowerment and gender equality by facilitating skills acquisition, health education, and social interaction. However, barriers remain, such as financial challenges, privacy concerns, limited digital infrastructure, and geographical constraints. To maximize the benefits of DHTs, the authors recommend several actions for stakeholders: expanding digital infrastructure, collecting more data on women’s access and the digital gender divide, implementing affordability measures, launching education initiatives, enacting supportive legislation, and developing community-based interventions. Article: https://lnkd.in/dDBZfZ65 #digitalhealth #womenshealth #femtech Israel Júnior Borges do Nascimento, David Novillo Ortiz, PhD, Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Isabel Yordi Aguirre, Ishanka Weerasekara, Rosemary Morgan, PhD, Robin van Kessel et al.

#DigitalFinancialServices (DFS) can accelerate greater financial inclusion for women but continue to remain out of reach for many across the globe. Part of the problem is the lack of tailored services and outreach. A new report by IFC - International Finance Corporation, in collaboration with Dalberg, found that only 32% #fintech firms customise their financial service products for their women customers. What are fintech firms doing to make their services more accessible — and what should they be doing more of? This research, “Her Fintech Edge”, attempts to address these questions by drawing insights from 17 countries. It identifies industry best practices and key intervention areas to strengthen women’s access to DFS in emerging markets. Congratulations to the team that worked to push this exciting initiative to the finish line: Anushe Khan Beniamino Savonitto Elena Renjel Fredrica Mayer Hans Koning Heather Kipnis Jaylan ElShazly Jessica Schnabel Jorge Godoy Kashvi Trivedi Leora Klapper Linda Smiroldo Herda MINAKSHI RAMJI Naoko Koyama-Blanc Pamela Lian Shinya Yoshino Vineet Bhandari Saksham Khosla  Read the report here: IFC.org/HerFintechEdge 

*Unlocking the Future for Women Through Digital Financing* In an era where digital innovation is reshaping the world's economic landscape, the topic of digital financing often unfolds into a vigorous discussion on inclusivity. We find ourselves amidst a tide of technological advancements that are fundamentally altering the way we transact, save, and invest. Despite the promise of democratization, questions linger: How accessible is this digital wave to women, particularly in developing countries? And are we truly leveraging technology to uplift and empower underserved female communities, or is the digital divide only growing wider? For generations, women have faced systemic barriers that have rendered them financially excluded. Digital finance once embodied hope for bridging the gap, but in many instances, it has fallen short, reflecting and perhaps even perpetuating societal inequalities. The current statistics illuminate an alarming facet of the digital divide that isolates women from the tools and resources necessary for financial independence. Digital finance, through mobile banking, online platforms has the potential to revolutionize the financial landscape. Its virtues are well-documented – lower barriers to entry, reduced transaction costs, and increased efficiency. However, the true strength of digital finance lies in its promise to be a conduit for empowerment. By providing women with financial inclusion, they gain the means to invest in education, health, and business, ultimately elevating their socio-economic status. To truly realize the potential of digital finance in empowering women, a multi-pronged approach is imperative. First, there is an urgent need to enhance digital literacy among women, particularly in developing regions. Educational programs focusing on technology and finance, tailored to local communities, can make significant strides in reducing the literacy gap and fostering confidence in technology use. Secondly, addressing cultural norms that restrict women's access to technology is crucial. Societies must move towards more inclusive mindsets where women are encouraged and supported in adopting digital financial practices. Lastly, the regulatory environment should be conducive to female participation in digital finance. Policies should be crafted with women's unique needs in mind, simplifying processes and ensuring that legal and institutional frameworks do not pose additional barriers. Women Resource Center and Incubators is currently pointing it all in the right direction. By incorporating with Women Resource Center and Incubators training program, JazzCash has brought forward a Digital Banking - Literacy program in order to create awareness in society. Ahmer Shakoor Muhammad Ahmad

Digital tools and services like AI, social media, and online banking have revolutionised business for women entrepreneurs everywhere. They enable women to streamline operations, connect with customers, manage transactions and financial records with the touch of a button, and improve their business outcomes. I’ve seen this happen for many of the women entrepreneurs we work with at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. In fact, our latest research with Intuit and The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law project found that 63% of the women we surveyed linked the adoption of digital tools with improved business functions.   As the business landscape becomes increasingly digital, it’s crucial that women have the skills and confidence to leverage technology for business success. This is a core element of the Foundation’s programme design. In this fantastic new video, Madonna Seroto and Taryn Gill share how our Road to Growth training programme supported them in embracing digital tools and taking their businesses to new heights.   Read more of our insights on women entrepreneurs’ use of digital tools and how organisations across sectors can support their digital inclusion: https://lnkd.in/eMG3zrqh