The COVID-19 crisis has led to an acceleration in electronic payments of social protection benefits through individual bank accounts or mobile money. According to one global estimate, 80 million women opened accounts for the first time during the pandemic to receive government payments. Digital payments have long been seen as the first step towards improving people's financial inclusion and, by extension, their financial health.
In this episode, we discuss the idea of unbanked individuals gaining access to banking services and digital transactions, financial literacy, and savings options, and how this contributes to insurance, remittances, and other aspects. We also highlight the importance of careful and deliberate policy design to ensure that digital accounts can, in fact, open the door to greater financial inclusion instead of ending up as dead ends.
Our guests for this episode:
In the quick wins segment, Dominique Leska-See (Advisor for Digital Social Protection, GIZ) and Anita Mittal (Senior Advisor, Lead - Digital Convergence Initiative, GIZ) present the Digital Convergence Initiative for Universal Social Protection.
Resources:
Webinar | Demand and supply perspectives on Digital Financial Inclusion and cash transfers: findings from a WFP study in the Asia-Pacific region
Publication | Is going digital the solution? Evidence from social protection
Webinars | Talking interoperability - Dialogue Series
Publication | Digital Financial Inclusion and Women’s Economic Empowerment through Cash Transfers
Website | Digital Principles
Convergence Initiative Flyer
Emerging Trends in the Indo-Pacific Series Ep. 02 | Social Protection for Gig Workers in Southeast Asia
Ep. 37 | The Evolution of Social Protection in the Pacific
Ep. 36 | Gender-Transformative Social Protection
Ep. 35 | Exploring COP28: Supporting Just Transition through Social Protection
Ep. 34 | Looking Back on Social Protection in 2023
Shaping the G20 Agenda: Social Protection, Development and Global Priorities
Children on the Move
Accountability in Social Protection and Humanitarian Contexts
Impacts of Social Protection
Home-Grown School Feeding Programmes
Care Economy: Reducing Unpaid Work and Inequality
Resilience building through Adaptive Social Protection
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Active Labour Market Policies
GBV Series Ep. 3 | Addressing and Supporting Survivors of Violence through Social Protection
GBV Series Ep. 2 | Designing Social Protection to Safeguard and Mitigate against Gender-Based Violence
GBV Series Ep. 1| How Can Social Protection Impact Gender-Based Violence?
Ep. 21 | Looking Back at Social Protection in 2022
Ep.20 | Addressing Climate Risks through Social Protection
Ep. 19 | Mind the Nutrition Gap
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