Designing for Her: Unpacking Success in Gender-Intentional Financial Products Across Africa
Financing women is critical for the advancement of the African continent. Financial services providers have a responsibility to design tailor-made products that work for women and meet their needs at whatever stage they are. This webinar is focused on exploring the design and implementation of financial products that are tailored to meet the needs of women in Africa. As financial services increasingly recognize the importance of gender-intentional design, this webinar will present the findings of a dedicated working group that has analyzed both successful and unsuccessful examples of such products in the African context.
Participants will gain insights into what makes a financial product truly effective for women, learning from real-world case studies and expert analysis. The webinar will also highlight best practices and provide actionable recommendations for financial service providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders interested in advancing women's financial inclusion through thoughtful, gender-responsive product design.
About this event
Online
Ariane Kouassi
Ariane Kouassi is a Digital Financial Inclusion Specialist with eight years of extensive experience in digital finance, microfinance, and market research in Francophone Africa. She contributes to advancing the implementation of the CGAP Resilient Rural Women project in Côte d'Ivoire, bringing her strategic, technical, and operational expertise in gender, business, inclusive finance, climate, and digital tools and services, particularly in rural areas. Prior to CGAP, Ariane held several significant positions, including Project Manager and Country Director for the international NGO People Power Inclusion (PPI) in Côte d'Ivoire. Ariane has also been an Independent Consultant for various consulting firms such as Horus Development Finance, PHB Development, Microsave Consulting, and Kaikai, contributing to multi-country studies and research missions, national strategy evaluations, training programs, and the digitization of agricultural value chains in West and Central Africa.
Anabela Mabota
Anabela Mabota is an agricultural economic development professional with expertise in monitoring result measurement, financial inclusion, and learning. She brings more than 20 years of experience in agriculture sector more specifically on agricultural market information system implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Mozambique. She worked at Abt Associate under the AgriFUTURO a USAID funded program as an M&E lead, where she provided strategic partnerships on agribusiness and trade program. Currently, she leads the Knowledge, Monitoring and Learning unit within the Financial Sector Deepening Moçambique (FSDMOC), providing leadership in results management, knowledge management & learning, action research, project management, and communications.
Vânia Matola
Vânia Matola is a Financial Inclusion Professional, Researcher and driven Project Monitoring and Results Measurement Analyst, passionate about tourism innovation and women’s economic empowerment. At FSDMoç she supports and deliver project’s Monitoring and Evaluation activities and reporting, as well as activities related to Learning, Knowledge and Communication. She also provides technical support to the implementation of FSDMoç’s Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Strategy and support the development and implementation of gender intentional interventions.
Tariro Nyimo
Tariro is FinEquity Africa's Regional Facilitator. She is passionate about programs and partnerships related to sustainable development goals, emphasizing gender equality, inclusive finance and inclusive digital economies. She is a thought leader in the area of women’s financial inclusion, digital gender divide and women’s economic empowerment. Tariro’s experience combines fintech, financial regulation and policy (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe) and banking projects within Sub-Saharan Africa. Tariro is currently Head of Stakeholder Engagement & Fundraising at Digital Frontiers. She led the concept design of the Gender Equality Changemaker (GEC) Program and is the secretariat for the GEC Advisory Board. Previously she held positions leading growth, operations and strategy of Digital Frontiers Institute.