Gender-Inclusive Development through Fintech: Studying Gender-Based Digital Financial Inclusion in a Cross-Country Setting

Financial inclusion (FI) for vulnerable populations, such as women, is critical achieving gender equality, women’s empowerment, and thereby, inclusive growth. Sustainable development goal 5 considers equality a fundamental right views the empowerment of women necessary step. Access to finance significant means empower person. In this regard, use digital financial services particular significance it allows them easier access products business household needs. For implementing policies reduce exclusion first measure extent FI in society. While there are several attempts general population, limited literature on gender-based measurement FI. This paper fills important research gap by developing index (GFII) focusing particularly evaluating performance countries across globe (by considering 109 based data availability) terms developed us. using two separate indices, service usage (DFI) conventional (CFI). We calculate different 2011, 2014, 2017, 2021 Global Findex databaseIt helps us investigate over years ensuring how penetrating years. One contribution relate Gender Development Index (GDI) Inequality (GII) countries, well-known measures sustainable development, with GFII DFI female (DFIF). exercise shows that while positive correlation between these sets indicators, number high (or low) inequality) need improve their Interestingly, database Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) instrumental variable panel model, we show health, education, labour force participation rate, political significantly impact women. The brings out relevant policy suggestions improving thereby enhancing faster more