This study analyses income dynamics and economic vulnerability in the Republic of Moldova between 2019 and 2023, using data on income and expenditures from the Household Budget Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics. The findings reveal significant socio-demographic disparities,...

Skills gaps, a lack of funding, and social norms continue to keep women and youth in North Africa from engaging in productive entrepreneurship. Using cross-national data and regional indicators from the World Bank and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, this analysis shows how such barriers...

Financial inclusion is essential for economic development, providing individuals and firms access to fundamental services such as savings accounts, credit, and insurance. Despite its relevance, according to the Word Bank data, nearly 1.5 billion adults worldwide still lack access to a formal...

Achieving a more inclusive financial system is crucial to unlocking economic opportunities, reducing inequality, and ensuring that no person will be excluded from access and usage of financial and banking services. Even if financial services are widely available in some areas, others, especially...

Women in emerging economies face unique constraints rooted in cultural norms, socio-economic disparities, and limited access to education and technology. Narrowing the digital gender gap by ensuring access to financial services may reduce the economic inequalities for women in these countries....

The link between financial inclusion and financial stability is a central concern in public economic policymaking, particularly in emerging countries where access to financial services remains limited. While financial inclusion is widely regarded as a key driver of economic development, its...

Understanding the business environment and structural issues that limit growth is critical when designing an effective national policy framework for private sector development-especially for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Given the limited MSME data available, this paper...

Amidst the global ascent of financial technologies (FinTech), Argentina presents a critical case for examining how these platforms shape debt relations among marginalized households. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this article draws on quantitative data from the Central Bank of the Republic...

This study investigates the impacts of financial inclusion, development, and technological innovation on ESG readiness across low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries from 2004 to 2020. Grounded in an augmented environmental Kuznets curve framework, financial...

Blockchain technology is being increasingly deployed to store and process transactions and information in the global financial sector. Blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and facilitates decentralized finance (DeFi), representing a paradigm shift in the global financial...

We empirically examine the causal impact of women's financial inclusion on their exposure to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in India using data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey. However, establishing a causal link between women's financial inclusion and IPV is...

Business financing involves supplying funds or capital to initiate, expand, or maintain a business. This study investigates entrepreneurial funding in South Africa, emphasizing microloans, venture capital, and gender-sensitive grants as tools to facilitate inclusive business growth. Using a...

This study examines the effectiveness of a digital financial literacy intervention aimed at improving financial knowledge, confidence, and behaviour among rural women in Pakistan. Using a randomized controlled trial conducted in two selected villages in the Rawalpindi district, women were...

This study examines FinTech adoption in the Palestinian banking sector, highlighting its role in driving innovation, improving customer satisfaction, and ensuring competitiveness. Using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and SmartPLS 4.0 software for structural equation modeling, the...

The integration or resettlement efforts aimed at self-reliance of refugees are requisite for their adaptation to social and economic shocks and consequently to their human development and contribution to economic growth. This study analyses the drivers of financial inclusion and social...

A large share of the global workforce lacks access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. In Colombia, where labor informality is high, the government introduced the Beneficios Economicos Periodicos (BEPS) program to promote voluntary retirement savings. However, many enrollees fail to...

This study explores how geographical factors shape El Salvador's banking sector, particularly focusing on regional disparities, urbanization, and vulnerability to natural disasters affecting access to financial services. By employing a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative data and...

This paper investigates whether countries' investments in financial inclusion, beyond what their economic capacity would predict, help mitigate gender and income-group gaps in financial opportunities. We construct a novel index, the Abnormal Financial Inclusion Index (AbFII), as the residuals...

The need for a sustainable economy has grown as technological advancements increasingly influence economic and social structures. This study investigates the role of FinTech and artificial intelligence (AI) in fostering sustainable development by facilitating green initiatives and promoting...

Financial inclusion is an important enabler of economic development and aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In most sub-Saharan African countries, financial inclusion efforts take place in the presence of concentrated and bank-dominated systems. This study...

Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are implementing fast payment systems (FPS), often with the goal of enhancing access to and use of affordable financial services. FPS offer immediate transfer of funds on a 24x7 basis between end users. This paper assesses how FPS can promote...

The urgent need to address climate change has placed environmental degradation and sustainable development at the centre of policy discussions. This highlights the importance of examining how the financial system directs funds toward green investments or emission-intensive industries. Expanding...

In recent years, scholars have been paying more attention to financial inclusion, which has been positioned as a crucial component in accomplishing the majority of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals set forward by the United Nations. Investigating the effects of life insurance and...

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to economic growth, innovation, and job creation across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Women entrepreneurs are key contributors to this sector, yet they face persistent barriers to accessing finance, which constrain their business growth and broader...

A large share of the global workforce lacks access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. In Colombia, where labor informality is high, the government introduced the Beneficios Económicos Periódicos (BEPS) program to promote voluntary retirement savings. However, many enrollees fail to...

Consumer demand for "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) has surged, but the specific attributes consumers value remain unclear. We conduct a novel probabilistic stated choice experiment varying BNPL attributes across hypothetical scenarios to estimate consumers' underlying preferences and their...

This study examines the feminization of poverty in Indonesia, focusing on the distinct vulnerabilities faced by female-headed households. Utilizing data from the 2023 National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) involving 291,231 households, this study applies a logistic regression model to...

Despite the acknowledged importance of capital for start-up success, gender disparities persist when trying to raise funds from external sources, including angel investors, venture capitalists, and financial institutions. Many studies have shown that gender stereotypes are harmful and prevent...

Over the past decade, the debate on the microeconomic effects of financial inclusion has intensified, with a growing body of research exploring how access to financial services impacts banks' behaviors. Studying the effect of financial inclusion on bank risk is crucial because it helps...

This paper measures the post-treatment effects of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) on mobile money and outstanding loans from commercial banks as a percentage of the GDP in Nigeria and the Bahamas, respectively, from the perspective of financial inclusion. The literature on the topic has...

Women entrepreneurs in rural South Africa face structural and socio-cultural barriers in accessing funding. This study investigated how existing financial structures and support programs influence the sustainability and growth of female-owned businesses in rural areas. Using bibliometric...