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> Posted by Center Staff
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A new paper from MasterCard corroborates recent findings on persistent gaps in the financial inclusion of women, indicating that in India 58 percent of women report difficulty accessing credit, savings, or jobs because of their gender. The paper is part of MasterCard’s Connectors Project, which examines the migration of excluded populations into progressive economic inclusion. The recently-released Global Findex data found that between 2011 and 2014, the gender gap in access to financial services remained steady at 9 percent in developing countries.
The reported difficulty faced by women in India was higher than that of the paper’s other surveyed countries: Indonesia, Egypt, and Mexico. Across all four countries, 33 percent of women expressed these challenges. Across all genders, in India, 67 percent of respondents reported worrying about money they owe to others and 82 percent worry about their future prospects. Along with women, ethnic and religious minorities in India reported additional challenges in economic participation. Fifty-eight percent said it was difficult to get jobs or credit because of their ethnicity or religion – compared with 28 percent across the surveyed countries. Whether or not these women and ethnic/religious minorities do in fact face discriminatory treatment, awareness of their perception is critical. In accessing banking services for the first time, or pursuing economic opportunities, trust and confidence can be a make-or-break.
> Posted by John Gitau, CEO, Kenya Financial Education Centre
I was once a seminarian. Had I followed that path successfully, I would most probably be a Catholic bishop today. I blame my wife for the failure, though she never admits it. She instead boasts of 27 years of successful marriage complete with two adults and a teenager as offspring. She says, in jest, that marriage is celibacy tweaked. I don’t like her bravado, especially when she recalls how she crafted the fall that felled me. Before you can throw a stone at her, know that we always unite against a common enemy.
During my seminary days and perhaps since time immemorial, religion was about preparing the soul for eternal life. It is a way of life, complete with doctrines, laws, dogmas, liturgies, beliefs, and ethos, all meant to cultivate spirituality. Most religions profess the existence of a deity and a final heavenly place where the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace. Religious orders were givers of hope and takers of monetary offerings.
Today, religious orders are working to change the perception that they are mere purveyors of hope and recipients of offerings. They are increasingly creating programs meant to empower their members in many ways, including economically.
Before we delve into what religion is doing for financial capability, it is important to understand some definitions. Monique Cohen and Candace Nelson in their paper Financial Literacy: A Step for Clients towards Financial Inclusion have given clear definitions of the constituent elements of financial capability as follows:
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